Winter Magazine and One Word

The Magazine is HERE!!!!!

I am soooooooooo excited.  I always am excited when a new issue of our Praise and Coffee Magazine is out.  But January makes it even more special, I think.  New year, a magazine centered on new beginnings...I just love it.

And I happen to super like the cover as I am watching HGTV and Rose Parade today...it just seem so fitting.  And that blue?  Just about the exact same color as my dining room...which happens to me where my computer is so it's where I blog my heart out to you all.

Alece has an article in the magazine about One Word.  It's a challenge to focus on One Word for the whole year.  I love this idea.  I also love that Studio Jewel has jewelry she will happily make for you with your one word inscribed upon it.

I was all about this.

Until I began to think about the word I wanted to center on.  My favorite word was WRITE.  I really want to focus on writing more this year.  I want to write notes, stories, and many more blog posts.  I was happy with the word WRITE.  It seemed so right for me. (pardon the pun)

When I went to check on what others were picking for One Word, they seemed to be digging deep.  Really praying and working hard on this One Word.  I sorta freaked out a bit and tried to think of a spiritual word.  I came up with SIMPLIFY.  It just worked with everything, you know?

Then my friend Alison had to talk to me.  Her One Word is HOPE.  Just to hear the word makes her cry.  She informed me that when you heard that One Word that was suppose to be yours, you would know.

That sorta freaked me out, I'm gonna be honest.

So I prayed about it, still happy with my WRITE word for the year.

And then, as I was washing dishes, I was hit with the word GRACE.

I could not get away from it.  It was on the songs that played.  It was in the services.  It was on the radio.

And here's this honest confession.  I don't like the word grace.

I think it's overused.  And I think it's meant to cover all.  I mean, at church it's always being thrown around.  "Know God's grace."  "I'll pray for His grace."  "May God's grace be with you." We sing songs about grace.  But what's it supposed to mean? 

While I'm thankful for God's grace, the word being thrown around all the time makes me roll my eyes.  Think me evil if you want, I'm just being honest.  I did NOT want this word to be my word.

So I asked my husband for a Word.  He didn't think long.  "Your word should be LUCKY because you are married to me."

True....but not really what I was looking for.

I ended up looking up the word GRACE.  This is what I found....

grace  (grs) n. 1. Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion. 2. A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement. 3. A sense of fitness or propriety. 4. a. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill. b. Mercy; clemency. 5. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence. 6. A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve. 7. Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty. 8. a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God. c. An excellence or power granted by God. 9. A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal. 10. Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop. 11. Music An appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornanment in the music of 16th and 17th century England. tr.v. graced, grac·ing, grac·es 1. To honor or favor: You grace our table with your presence. 2. To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.

Sorta encompasses a lot.

And so this year, while I will agree I am LUCKY to be married to Jake, while I do want to SIMPLIFY,  and while I fully plan to WRITE as much as I can....I do believe I will work on understanding the word GRACE.  Perhaps it will teach me something, perhaps I will learn something profound, but at the very least I hope I can understand something about the word I did not know before so I don't cringe at it.

What is YOUR One Word for 2012?

And please please tell us what you love most about our Magazine!!! 

We love to hear what you think!

Happy New Year!