My One Word: Harvest 2017

It is a new year; therefore a new breath is breathed out in words of life, words like:

possibility,

sunrise,

hope,

change,

better,

forward,

grow,

etc…

The word “new” insinuates a promise; “new” is pregnant with possibility.

In a world inundated with choices, our possibilities can be endless, so endless that we get “analysis paralysis” and choose nothing.  Desiring change in many areas (endless possibilities) of our life is a good thing, but if the list is too long and too steep, we will often throw in the towel before we’ve even begun.

New Year’s resolutions are rarely kept but when the focus narrows to a ONE WORD intention the probability of growth increases exponentially.

Inspired by a friend who takes the yearly ONE WORD challenge and the book below, I too have chosen to PICK ONE.

My ONE WORD for 2017 is #HARVEST!

*Check out the resources below for details on how they PICK ONE and read the synopsis to whet your appetite, buy the book and get ready to PICK ONE for yourself!

My One Word: Change Your Life With Just ONE Word

LOSE THE LONG LIST OF Resolutions

“My One Word”

The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD.

This process provides clarity by taking all your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single focus. Just one word that centers on your character and creates a vision for your future. So, we invite you to join us and pick one word for the next twelve months.

***Connect with other’s taking the #myoneword challenge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/myoneword

Over the past 10 years God has been faithful and given me a few words, words HE was highlighting because HE knew my journey ahead and HE knew exactly what I would need to walk it out.  One way we can strategically position ourselves to get a PERSONAL word from God is when we invite the Holy Spirit to breathe on HIS

unchanging,

perfect,

loving,

awesome,

universal

WRITTEN WORD!

As the Holy Spirit illuminates HIS WORD, it almost feels like a Comforter wrapping Himself around us, leaving a peep-hole honed in on the golden nugget sifted out, like our own personal treasure.

Wrapped in the WORD is where I find my ONE WORD!

# WrappedintheWord

When God says things more than once, when HE reiterates a concept, keeps bringing a person to mind, repeats a word through a person, a quote, or a verse, we can quit thinking it is just a coincidence.

IN GOD’S ECONOMY THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES!

I have used this term a lot on my blog, God Winks , how the power of coincidence guides your life.  Those “coincidences” are not haphazard, they are actually winks from a loving Heavenly Father giving you “words” for your journey ahead.

Paying attention to the GOD WINKS in my life is usually how I PICK ONE, picking up #myoneword by paying attention to the ONE WORD God picked for me!

Last week, in my first post ushering in the NEW, 2017: My 10th Year , I shared MY NUMBER:) I usually share my freedom story and the number of years since the “turn” at the beginning of each new year.  It is just one of many ways I build my own faith, hoping it will encourage others in their faith walk as well.  Remembering how far God has brought me, I can’t help but praise HIM in PRINT AND POST for the journey HE has and is taking me on,

one step,

one day,

one year at a time.

HE is taking you on a journey as well.

 If you know where you and God have been, if you have had an eye-witness account of HIS excellent adventure guiding skills, I would love to hear your story.

If you are not quite sure about the road you’ve been on or whether God has been your constant companion, ask HIM to give you a glimpse of HIS guidance thus far.  HE is faithful and will show you.

*A great place to start is in prayer.

Dear Jesus, as I look back on my life, please reveal Your whereabouts to me.  Thank you! Amen

Take some time to journal the mile markers of your life up to this point.

Pray some more.

Dear Jesus, please show me YOU in Your Word and please show me how Your Word applies to my life personally. Thank you! Amen

Take out God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to breathe, and start reading, maybe start in John.

If you will do this everyday for a month,

I am confident in the ONE WHO CREATED EVERYTHING that HE will show you HIS faithfulness in the story of your life.

 Once you begin to taste and see HIS faithfulness and goodness, you will never stop seeking HIS face.  This one month will become the prelude to a TREASURE HUNT that promises GOLD beyond measure.  Christ came for me and for you, to give life, and give life in ABUNDANCE.

As I mine #myoneword for 2017:

#harvest

I keep being brought back to the abundance of God through Christ.  This abundance is not to be confused with the “prosperity gospel.” (Below is a short definition of Prosperity Theology, click this link if you want more information.)

Not to be confused with The Gospel of Wealth

Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success) [A] is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. It is based on interpretations of the Bible that are traditional to Judaism (with respect to the Hebrew Bible),[1] though less so in Christianity. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity.

God started sifting out HIS 2017 ONE WORD for me as 2016 came to a close.  I knew I was about to walk into my 10th year of freedom so I started mining “10” in God’s Word and

TENFOLD

kept coming to mind.  As I researched TENFOLD I started to see the connection between TENFOLD AND A HUNDREDFOLD HARVEST, a 10 TIMES 10 HARVEST, thus back to the

ABUNDANCE OF GOD!

This is what I have mined about #HARVEST so far and I will continue to take you on the #HARVEST journey alongside me throughout 2017.

Harvest List #1:

1: (Merriam-Webster’s Definitions for Kids: Harvest) -**Decided to go with the kid’s definition to stick close to my roots, faith like a child!

 1 : the season when crops are gathered
2 : the gathering of a crop
3 : a ripe crop (as of grain or fruit); also : the quantity of a crop gathered in a single season

2: (Harvest Definition and meaning Bible Dictionary ) **Decided to add the Bible Dictionary definition to stick close to my roots, rooted in HIS WORD!

Harvest [N] [E] [S]
The gathering of things planted, a natural time of reaping in joy what has been produced during the year in an agricultural community. Jesus reflects the Bible’s theological viewpoint on harvest when he enjoins believers to ask the “Lord of the harvest” for laborers ( Matt 9:38 ). God stands in control of the harvest time; it is part of his work ( Jer 5:24 ; Amos 4:7 ).

3: As I closed out 2016, God highlighted MATTHEW 13:47.

(***If you read my last post, remember New Year’s Eve was my 47th Birthday.  NO COINCIDENCES IN GOD’S ECONOMY!) 

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind…” (Matthew 13:47 NASB)

HARVEST: THE GATHERING, THAT GOD STAND IN CONTROL OF!

It’s a HARVEST YEAR, dropping the net but GOD alone brings the increase into HIS Kingdom. The abundant harvest of ALL KINDS is ready NOW!

ALL NATIONS, TONGUES AND TRIBES

The lost will be found;

the blind will see;

the deaf will hear;

the mute will speak,

and the lame will walk like never seen before!

4: A JOY HARVEST

(From my January 5, 2017 daily reading)

Psalm 4: 7-8 (NLT)

7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

5: A Harvest year’s Heads-Up:

When God brings a “10 fold 10” HARVEST,  100 times more than what was planted, it ticks the jealous enemy of our soul off.  We should not be fearful of, but we should expect, jealous opposition that attempts to stop the increase.

And when that happens, don’t panic. Instead, trust the God who brought the HARVEST in the first place, to deal with those who try to stop it!

( From my daily reading on January 11, 2017)

When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him… (Genesis 26:12 NLT)

He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt… (Genesis 26:14-15 NLT)

We can expect opposition to put “dirt in our wells.”

But

we should also remember that no one and nothing can STOP UP THE WELL THAT NEVER RUNS DRY-

JESUS!

So that is my #harvest take-away so far!  I will keep mining and sharing the HARVEST GOLD as God sifts it out in 2017!

#myoneword

#harvest

When you have a few moments to breath and listen, I am including the link to one of my favorite podcasts:

Glorious in the Mundane Podcast with Christy Nockels

 As Christy closed out 2016, she did a “Wrap-Up” and in that episode she too gives the ONE WORD challenge.

I pray you listen and let Christy know how the podcast has touched you.  And please share your #myoneword in the comments below, as well as any Jesus journey stories you want to bless the world around you with!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glorious-in-mundane-podcast/id1128636404?mt=2