Once again, a new year is upon us.

  I don't know about you, but each and every new year finds me poised with a pen over paper, mind running madly and hand hurriedly scrawling about 62 resolutions.

   You may hate New Year's resolutions, and I've always had a strange love/hate relationship with them too, but the thing is, there is always something in me that WANTS to make them.  It feels like such a clean slate.  Such a chance to start over and really DO this thing this time.  And a new start IS so refreshing.  January 1st always revs things up a bit for me and I find myself juicing, working out, having my quiet time, and being more organized.  But the February rolls around and I start to run out of steam.

   But our problem lies not in making resolutions, but in the definition of the word "resolution".  In the dictionary it is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something.  Whoa.  So if my New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, is that a FIRM decision never to eat a french fry for an entire year??!  I'm doomed before I begin!  Suddenly it can all start to get a bit heavy and vague and "what does that even MEAN anyway?" and out our resolutions go with the day's trash.

   So I try not to think of them as resolutions.  Maybe it's a cop out, but truly, for me they are GOALS.  Things I aspire to, aim towards, and hope to achieve, but will not label myself a failure if they don't come to fruition in 2014.


   Recently I became aware of this concept (I know, it's been around a long time and I've been living under a rock) of choosing a word for the year.  Last year my word was "Simplify" and I'm not sure if I accomplished simplicity in my life to the height of my expectations, but I did make some progress towards a simpler life, and so in that regard, I succeeded.

This year my word is "Surrender".

   I have some very, very specific situations to which that applies, and then I have some vague situations to which it also applies like priorities, time management, goals, ambitions, what drives me, what motivates me….etc.  And while those are a bit vague, it helps to guide me along the right path to have one over-riding theme, which in this case is SURRENDER.  Giving it all to God.  The good, the bad, the ugly.  I want Him to become the driving force in my life.  What people see when they look at me.  I want His victory in some areas in which I fall on my face nearly every time.  I want freedom from comparison, jealousy, and fear.  I want to be brave. Courageous. I want to truly surrender to His plan.


   So instead of a list, (well, I still have a list floating around somewhere, but that's besides the point;)  I have a word.

What's your word for this year?