Word for 2025

 

 

Back in June of 2023 I blogged about the book I was reading Having a Mary Heart in A Martha World and in that post, titled Busy, Busy, Busy I shared an expanded version of the verse above.

 "Come to me, all who [labor until worn out] and are [loaded down, burdened] and I will give you [refreshment for your soul].  Take my [bar that unites us in work] upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and [lowly in spirit relying on God] and you will find [blessed tranquility of soul].  For my yoke is [good, eternally useful] and my burden is [easy to bear, not burdensome]." 

I found this expanded version to be such an encouragement.  The different definitions for the burdens we will face and the different types of rest Jesus provides shows how His care is so complete for every circumstance we will face.  The ideas of refreshment and tranquility especially spoke to me; similar yet different and nourishing our souls in different ways.  We can be refreshed to carry on and we can carry on in tranquility when we are united with Jesus in His purposes and relying on Him for every step.

A few months ago I was chatting with one of our girls and she suggested the word rest for 2025.  The more I thought about it the more I realized how well it dovetails with my word for 2024.  I had chosen faithful as my word for 2024.  As God has been teaching me to be faithful, regardless of if things change or don't change; learning to rest in His faithfulness and to leave those things that burden me in His hands, is an important thing to focus on in 2025.  

The other side to this is the day-to-day practice of learning that it's okay to rest.  In a world where we're constantly told to be more, do more, learn more, find our value in more.  We need to  remember that we have value in Whose we are not what we do, that being united (yoked) with Jesus means we just have to follow His lead and it's okay to let the rest go.  To not be distracted by things/busyness that doesn't really matter.  To find our rest in Him is what we really need to do. 

So, my word for 2025 is rest! 

2025 Bible in a Year

I've posted a few times about plans I've used for reading the Bible in a year.  If you have never read through the whole Bible I encourage you to make that a goal. 

Over the years I have used several different plans and in 2024 I used a plan that went through just the New Testament in a year.  It was great to take it much slower, some days only reading a few verses.  This year I'm once again reading the whole Bible.

Back in 2020 I chose the Historical Sequence plan on Youversion and have decided to once again use that plan.  This plan is split into 12 parts, which feels nice to complete a section each month.  It's much more reading than the New Testament one I just finished but it will be good to make it through the whole Bible again.  

Whatever plan you choose, whether a New Testament, Old Testament, full Bible or another plan. The most important thing is to be in God's Word each day.  We so often ask for God's leading but then leave the "map" unread.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all!  As with the start of any new year I'm pondering what I want to focus on this year.   I already have a reading plan for reading through the Bible in 2025 and I already have a "word" for  the year.  I'm hoping to blog about both of these soon. 

One goal that I always seem to have is to blog more often.  I go through spurts of blogging regularly and then get busy and it falls to the side for awhile.  I've realized that, while I love blogging, it's just something that for now will stay a bit sporadic.  Life is still very busy with home,  four kiddos and their activities, along with school and church volunteering responsibilities.  I've never had a large readership; which for the most part I'm okay with. I would love to grow this blog into something to really bless others; I'm just never quite sure what that would look like.  I mostly blog to keep track of things God is teaching me; I love to teach so it's encouraging when God uses those things in the lives of others as well. 

I've debated starting another blog.  As some may recall, a few years ago this blog was flagged as "inappropriate" on Facebook by someone I had as a connection (still don't know who and it really doesn't matter).  There is no appeals process so since that time it has been blocked from being shared on any Meta platform (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).  I don't have a clear direction of turning this into something bigger so I'll just keep it as is for now.  

I'd love to hear suggestions of what you enjoy reading for content or what you would enjoy seeing more of here in this little spot on the web.  

So, those are my rambling thoughts on this first day of a new year.  I am excited to see how God will guide this year.