Happy New Year! Did you have a good New Year's Eve? We spent the evening hosting friends in our home. We had some yummy dinner, and let the kiddos play till midnight! Most of them made it, and Ava loved having her friend here.

I've been picking a word for the year every year since 2011, I really love doing this. It's a great way for me to focus the year. I also enjoy the process of sitting down talking to the Lord and praying about the year ahead. It's through this process that I choose my word for the year.

Last year God challenged me to THRIVE, you can read more about that here. Looking back on 2014 I see where God challenged me in this, I see where practically I put forth steps to make sure I was thriving. To make sure that things were different than they were before.

This year, I want to abide.

abide

[uh-bahyd] Spell Syllables

Synonyms
Examples
Word Origin

verb (used without object), abode or abided, abiding.

1.to remain; continue; stay:

Abide with me. Submit to. live in a certain place. remain in or continue in a state. stop temporarily and wait.

I love that it says to remain. Now, most of the time in our culture we're taught that we shouldn't remain that it's essential to growth to keep moving forward, to strive for more, etc. On some levels this is true, and in some situations it's essential to move forward for growth. But this is not always the case.

When I think about what the Lord wants to teach me, I can't help but abide in Him. Rest in Him. Remain in Him.

Submit to Him.

I love that scripture so much. It's so clear, and it's so my heart. I want to dwell in the presence of the most high. I want to abide in the shadow of Jesus.

Our culture tells us that when we're in someone's shadow that it's a bad thing, a place we don't want to be. But in the shadow of Jesus there's protection, guidance and love.

This is where I want to be.

When my focus is Jesus and my actions towards others is love the rest just falls into place.

Abide with Jesus.

Dwell with him. Remain in Him.

I want growth this year, I have lots of goals that I want to accomplish but I don't want to lose my focus. I don't want to miss what's the priority here in my life. My people. My husband. My kids. Ministry, and loving others.

This year I will abide.

Do you have a word for the year? If so I'd love to hear it, let me know in the comments below.

Andrea Worley

abide