Lindi here! Happy New Year! Welcome 2017.
I’m excited to be a part of the Inspy Blog again in 2017. What an amazing group of women who write the posts and women who read them. Everyone is always encouraging, uplifting, and just downright nice and friendly. I love that I’m surrounded by women who love God, and who are journeying the same direction I am. Toward Jesus.
It’s that time of year again. WOTY.
But a recap of last year. My word was Flourish. In all honesty, I felt like I was floundering for the last few months of the year. I lost sight of my word. I truly did. Life got crazy and I’m determined not to let that happen again. No matter what. My word this year is:
Yes, cherish.
I’m going to be very intentional this year in my word. Some of you know my dad is sick with cancer. I’m going to cherish my time with him and the rest of my family. I’m going to cherish my friends and what they mean to me. I’m going to cherish reading time. I’m determined to read 1 book a month. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but right now……it would be cherished! I’m going to cherish my husband because that man is so good to me!
There are more things that I will cherish, but the list could take up every blog for the rest of the year, so I’ll stop there. I think you get the idea.
Cherish: verb (used with object)
1.to hold or treat as dear; feel love for
2.to care for tenderly; nurture
USA Today featured author Lindi Peterson lives in north Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and a lively array of cats, dogs and birds. She loves sharing life with her family and friends. Her passion for reading led her to writing, and then God spoke words of love into her heart and changed her life forever.
What a beautiful word- cherish. I pray that will be real for you, especially in regards to time with family. Last year I felt like “Patience” was my word/goal, especially in regards to my oldest son. I believe God is helping me grow in this, so I will continue to trust (my word/goal for this year).
Reading is my escape, I read a lot- monthly, upwards of 10-15 books. Not all of these are new- most are re-reads, but I snatch as many moments as I can in my day to read. School can be pretty intense, especially in my role as senior level coordinator, so I need the mental rest that good books provides.
Blessings Lindi, happy reading, writing and taking time to cherish:)
Cherish is the perfect word for this season of your life, Lindi. I’ll keep your father and the family in my prayers.
My word this year is today. After living last year always looking ahead to what had to be done, it’s time to take a step back and live in the moment.
HI Wemble, Thank you for the prayers. I’ll be in prayer for your word/son. I love that you can read that many books. I also love to re-read books I love. I think I’ve read My Enemy the Queen by Victoria Holt 10 times at least. :) Oh, and that’s a nice way to put reading, a mental rest. That’s how I see it! Thanks for that.
Hi Jill–Thank you for the prayers. Prayers for you and your family as well. I love your WOTY. It’s very intentional and sometimes we get in the bed wondering what in the world happened to today? What a great word for focusing in on life.
I love your word, Lindi! Mine is expectation-When you expect something, you work toward it. When you’re expecting a baby, you get the baby’s room ready. When you are expecting company, you clean house, buy food, get things ready. When I think about this in relation to my writing, I’m expecting to get published, so what should I be doing? Writing. Getting stories ready to be published. Not sitting around waiting for it to happen and not be ready. Expectation: trusting God even though it may look impossible. Waiting with earnest expectation: doesn’t mean you’re sitting around doing nothing. Means your busily working as in Isaiah 40:31-Yes, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord will be renewed. Wait with earnest expectation. They know the Lord will renew them, but they aren’t just sitting around. They are doing God’s work as they wait.
One year my word was peace. I had a verse to go with it, and an animal-a cow, because what is more peaceful than a cow sitting under a tree in the shade chewing its cud? Nothing. I love cows. I’m expecting the same results with my word for this year. Sarah was expecting a son. But then she doubted and gave her handmaid to Abraham-to help God out. That caused all kinds of problems. I’m praying to expect something, but not rush God’s timing.
How many books in a year? I have decided this year I am going to count them. Between reading and reviewing books, to editing books, I have no idea how many I read. This month, so far, I’ve already read 8 books.
Lindi, I love the word cherish. I wasn’t going to do a word this year. I’m not big on doing such things, but this year I think God has put a word in my heart and that’s wait. I need to wait on His perfect timing. It’s so much better than mine.
Cherish is such a great word of the year! I did not choose a WOTY, but I did make a New Year’s resolution to read more! I used to read voraciously, but I really struggled with that after my dad passed a few years ago, and I’m just getting back on track a little. My goal for the year is to read 25, which boils down to about two a month. I’m hoping I exceed it, but I’m being conservative!
Hi Linda,
This year I chose the word, Hope. My hope is in the Lord and I want to live each day remembering that.
Hey Lindi, cherish is a great word. I’ve never done word of the year, myself. Maybe because I’m afraid I’ll forget all about it within weeks, like a resolution! Praying for you and your dad in this battle.
I read probably 6 books a month, on average. I read for a while every evening. Like you, I struggle to fit in anything nonfiction, though!
Cherishing our blessings and loved ones is a great reminder. I mainly read fiction and my Bible. Non fiction is much slower, usually nursing related. I read very quickly, usually 3 to 4 books a week, sometimes more.
Sally—what a great word. And trust is a huge part of that word. :) 8 books this year already. In my dreams. I love that you’ve already read so much. And let us know what word picture you get to go with expectation. Thanks for sharing.
Mary—Yes, God’s timing is perfect. Wait–it isn’t an easy word for sure. But we have to keep our eye on God’s picture for what we are waiting for. Even if we don’t know we are waiting for something. Thank you for sharing.
Teri—I love how you have a goal to read 25 books. Sounds doable. :) I have a feeling you will exceed. Do you mind me asking what about your Dad’s passing gave you the struggle with reading? I’m just curious. My dad is really sick right now. Thank you for sharing. If you don’t want to reveal more, I totally understand.
Hi Linda—Great word, hope! It just brings a smile to my face. :) Thank you for sharing.
Hi Val—-Yes, the word of the year can be forgotten–or let go of. I’ve struggled with that in the past, but am taking steps this year not to do that. :) I love reading before I go to bed. Especially in the winter I take a very hot bubble bath and read until the water is that temperature that says, time to get out. And I love reading real paper books at night. Getting that computer or kindle screen away from the eyes makes me sleep better.
Hi Diana—:) Non-fiction is much slower for me. I’m currently reading Counter Culture by David Platt. Very slowly. He’s amazing it’s just that it’s real–not make believe, and that’s tough too, sometimes. I love your fiction reading pace. :) Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
I’m not a word of the year person. I just try to follow the Lord each day as He leads :-) (Never liked setting goals either.) Anyway, since I’m retired, I can do a lot more reading than I used to, and I’ve always read a lot. (I tend to read fast, and may not remember all the details.) I remember in junior high school I’d get a book from the library every day, take it home and read it overnight, and then go back for a new book the next day! I probably read around 5 books a week…
Lindi, prayer for you and your dad. I’ve never done a WOTY, and I seldom do resolutions. I do want to do one thing this year. Read more. I’ve let writing time steal my reading. I hope to read 50 books this year. That’s a lot for this gal who probably has read less than half of that each year since I became published in 2005.
Hi Margaret—I don’t do new years resolutions. :) but I do like my WOTY. You sound just like me in high school. I remember we had a book report due on Mondays and my friend and I would write ours in home room—we just picked one of the many books we had read the previous week. :)
Merrillee–I love that goal. 50 books to read. I did that one year with Goodreads. I didn’t read 50, but I tried. Time just ran out……;)
What a wonderful word, Lindi! Praying for you and your dad.
My word last year was “surrender”. God was asking me to surrender a lot of my self-will and my hopes and plans to Him, and walk a lot closer with Him instead. Also surrendering my pride in my strength and my physical health! My verse for the year was Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I was a little glad of the Lord’s light yoke at time – it stopped me falling over! (The health condition I developed at the end of 2015 does literally make me stumble and fall).
My word this year is “flow”. Both in the sense of surrendering to God then flowing with His will, letting Him carry me like a raft on a river, and also in the sense of flowing like a fountain. Letting His love flow through me and into the world. It’s going to be an amazing year!
I don’t get as much time to read as I’d like. The price of writing, and also all the reading we do on the internet now. I read at least three blogs a day, but books, yes, probably no more than one a month.
Autumn, thank you for sharing your story from last year. :) I love how God works. And what a cool word for this year. I like it! It looks like me and you are on the same book reading schedule. :)
That’s why I love my old-school i-ink Kindle! No eye strain. (My eyes can’t do paper.)
Yeah, I don’t have one of those. :)
Last year was the first year I had even heard of the word of the year! The more I thought about it & how it wasn’t something that interested me, the more ONE particular word wouldn’t go away :-) I believe God gave me Faith.
Boy the first part of the year was tested in that area, I can tell you!! But just as God is good at doing it, He worked everything out even better than expected. I can’t say whether I am stronger in the faith department or not, but I have seen God move in it and it has encouraged me! Now when something comes up, I’m quicker to give it to Him and have faith He’ll work it out. Not perfect at it, but I am a work in progress :-)
I don’t have a word this year. I’ve been pondering it and praying, but I just don’t feel God has dropped anything in my heart. So I won’t stress over it, if He has something for me…wonderful…if not, it’s okay!
Lindi, I pray God gives you more time and shows you all the ways to CHERISH your dad! What a blessing he must be to you and your family.
I read about 10 books per month on average. Only way I know this is I have a board on my Pinterest account labeled for each month of the year and I pin the book covers to it. If I calculated correctly, I read 204 books in 2016! That’s a lot when I really sit and think about it, but books bring me so much pleasure. I don’t read non-fiction (other than my Bible), I’ve tried in the past and just can’t get into them. I’m sure there are plenty of good non-fiction reads out there though!
Trixie—204 books in 2016? How awesome! And yes, reading does give us pleasure. I’m so glad you were able to read so much. And yay on the faith story. I love that. Maybe God will throw a word your way sometime this year. No worries if He doesn’t, though. :) Thanks for sharing your story.