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I started having a Word of the Year in a particularly trying time in my life, and the habit stuck. I find myself seeking the Lord the end of December, on what His word for me will be. I am always amazed at how very accurate and prophetic, these words can be, too! If you click on the links, it will take you to the post about each word of the year.... 2013: RESTORATION    2016: GUIDE I wasn't blogging at the time, but our word for the year was GUIDE. Boy, did the Lord guide us, as He spoke to us loudly as we took the leap, and sold our house and worldly goods to hit the road as full timers.   I have to admit, when the Lord gave me the words "Courageous Journey", I really honestly thought it was just about another year of fun adventure and travel on the road. We traveled LESS in 2017, than we had in the previous several years, because every time we left, we ended up back at our home base. I called it the "Year of Kansas" as a joke, but it really was. If it wasn't something for the apartment that we needed to be home for, it was another situation. We literally, kept turning around to come back. We made it up to Wisconsin for a summer of travel, we wanted to pin North Dakota on the map, finally, and then head over to my favorite place on earth, Montana.... We got there, did one oil class, got bad news about Dale's grandma and headed the 700 miles back home to Kansas. She passed several weeks later, and we are so glad we came back to spend time with her. We have spent over 7 months at our home hub this year! Our hearts longed for travel, but it wasn't meant to be this time. Not in the way we imagined. A few months after Grandma's passing, we got word that my dad was not doing well. That his motorskills and speech were rapidly declining and we better come quick. We cleared the calendar, dropped everything, and packed in 2 hours, Florida bound. It it becoming abundantly clear to me, that my 2017 Courageous Journey, was a much more emotional one then I could've ever anticipated. I am not brave. I am not an adventurer by nature. This year scared me in more ways than I can count....and brought me to my knees, at the end of myself, again and again. It was a year of sorrow. Longing. Contemplation. Heartache.  I didn't dig and pray for a Word of the Year this year, usually I spend part of December doing just that. This year I was just surviving December, no thought to the new year to come, or the promises and words I usually sought out. No, this time I simply just asked once, and the Lord breathed it over me, in a phrase of a song He whispered in my ear.....  When we face the fragility of life and the sorrow of death head on, and boldy walk out a path we didn't welcome or choose, something beautiful happens inside..... We break. We surrender. We come to the end of US. We find the end of ourselves, and realize, our Heavenly Father is there - always has been, always will be. I am feeling His presence even STRONGER now that my earthly Father is gone. My sweet daddy, whom I miss every single moment, of every single day. It's about realizing that death isn't the end, it is only the beginning of something more beautiful then our earthly minds can imagine and finding comfort in that. We find ourselves weak, yet stronger than we EVER thought possible. When we surrender our humaness, our ugly broken pieces, and just lay it out, prostrate before our God, begging Him to share our grief load and burden, He answers. He scoops us up in His arms, where He can better whisper in our ears. And so, we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, clinging tightly to Him. For when I am weak, He can be shown strong. In my brokenness, His power is more easily seen. Entering into 2018, I am "Sweetly Broken, Wholly Surrendered" to a year of healing and hope in 2018. Open to His plan and will for us. Surrendering my own plans and dreams, and trading them for HIS. Being ok with that. Being ok with His will instead of my own. Open to walking out a new chapter where life looks very different than it did. Even if I don't want to. I can't do it alone. So I SURRENDER. All of it. And hope springs forth, the kind that goes down deep into the soil of our hearts and starts the process of total healing.....2018 is going to be beautiful. Sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.  Happy happy New Year, friends! May the Lord abundantly bless you this year, and may you feel His sweet presence more everyday..... What is YOUR word of the year? Leave me a comment. Hugs, T Sweetly Broken
Jeremy Riddle To the cross, I look, and to the cross, I cling Of it's suffering, I do drink, of its work, I do sing On it, my Savior, both bruised and crushed Showed that God is love and God is just At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered Yeah, yeah, oh Lord What a priceless gift, undeserved life Have I been given through Christ crucified You've called me out of death You've called me into life And I was under Your wrath Now, through the cross, I'm reconciled Ooh, and at the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered And in awe of the cross, I must confess How wondrous Your redeeming love And how great is Your faithfulness At the cross, You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered At the cross, You, You've beckoned me You draw me gently to my knees And I am lost for words, so lost in love I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered Yeah, yeah, I'm broken for you I'm broken for you, my Lord, yeah Jesus, Your love is there I am sweetly broken
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I started having a Word of the Year in a particularly trying time in my life, and the habit stuck. I find myself seeking the Lord the end of December, on what His word for me will be. It's so very accurate and prophetic too! If you used to follow us on the 4 little Ferguson's blog, you will remember these posts. They still make me cry! 2013: RESTORATION 2014: Balance 2015: Inwardly  2016: GUIDE I wasn't blogging at the time, but our word for the year was GUIDE. Boy, did the Lord guide us, as He spoke to use loudly in the sale of 3 big things in 3 days. Even more so, as we took the leap, and sold our house and worldly goods to hit the road..
HELLO 2017, and finishing our second full year on the road. What should our word be? Show me, Lord! I am thinking journey, travel, adventure, bold, bravery, courage.......ready to stretch myself as a leader and get myself out of the comfort zone I find so cozy, continuing to travel and explore. I crack open my FAVORITE devotional, "Jesus Calling", and what do you know! The Lord has a message for me...A confirmation in fact! :) I LOVE how this devotional is written as if the Father Himself is speaking to YOU, His beloved!!!! AND the scriptures listed, get you digging in God's word, which is very important. I highly recommend it. I got mine at Hobby Lobby on the sale rack, but saw them on Amazon too. I like the soft leather cover one I got!  Traveling, journey, adventure...becoming my one true self in Christ Jesus and also in my life and business. WOW, it's all in there! This was IT!!!!! So here it is: The Word of the Year for 2017 is "Courageous Journey". Moving beyond ME, and allowing me to be filled better with HIM, as we travel and grow. The best things happen when we are uncomfortable. That is when we are stretched the most! His power is made perfect in my WEAKNESSES, not my strengths. Empty me of me, Father and fill me up with you, that I may overflow with love (and skittles and sunshine) to everyone I meet on our journey this year!  Ready, set, go. Let's do this thing! What's your Word of the Year? I'd love for you to share! (I always welcome your comments, they are so fun to read!) :) Hugs, T  |
Tonya Ferguson
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