Word for the Year

My Word of the Year - SEE what it is -

I've been hearing a lot about the "word" of the year. The idea is that you sum up all of the goals, ambitions, dreams, plans, intentions, etc that you are thinking about for the year 2012 in one word and you focus on this one word throughout the year.

For several years now, I have done something similar in my Bible reading. As I try to read the Bible through, I try to get a phrase, a word or an idea and look for it in the Bible as I read through it.

Also for the past few years, our church has had a theme for the year. This has made it easy for me to just take whatever the theme of the church is for the year to be what I look for as I read. For instance, last year our theme was "We would see Jesus". So as I read the Bible through, I looked for, you guessed it, JESUS! I didn't have to look far to see Him in His very own Word! By the way, it was a special blessing since it was the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible!

This year our theme is "Holding Forth the Word of Life", taken from Phil. 2:16. I want to be counted with those who are "holding forth the Word of life". There are so many directions you could take this theme. I love it!

For my own personal life, I like to think about the Word, being a light, and being able to hold forth the light in this dark and sinful world.

There is so much that can be said about light. Of course the main thing that it does is to brighten or illuminate. I pray that as I try do my part in "holding forth the word of life", that through me, the Lord will illuminate the darkness for those in sin and darkness.

Before we can illumine anyone else's path, we must have our own path illuminated; before we can teach others the truths in Gods's Word, we must have the Holy Spirit to illumine our hearts with the truth of Gods Word.

It is my prayer that He will do this for me. Do what for me? Illumine me! So do you have any idea what my word of the year is? ILLUMINE! That's it! ILLUMINE!


Here it is in an old song! It is my prayer!

1.    Open my eyes, that I may see
   glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
   place in my hands the wonderful key
   that shall unclasp and set me free.
   Silently now I wait for thee,
   ready, my God, thy will to see.
   Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

2.    Open my ears, that I may hear
   voices of truth thou sendest clear;
   and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,
   everything false will disappear.
   Silently now I wait for thee,
   ready, my God, thy will to see.
   Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

3.    Open my mouth, and let me bear
   gladly the warm truth everywhere;
   open my heart and let me prepare
   love with thy children thus to share.
   Silently now I wait for thee,
   ready, my God, thy will to see.
   Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Do you have a "word" for the year? I would love to hear it!