OneWord - BOLD

When I first read my friend, Julie's blog post about OneWord365, I instantly felt anxious. I wanted to participate, but what if I picked the wrong word? Or the same word as someone else? Or, what if I couldn't pick a word? It felt like too much pressure for just one word. I felt like my whole year hung on this one word and what if I messed it up somehow?

I anxiously started praying, which was actually more like babbling about what my word should be. Hope? I felt like I had picked that a few years ago and that the year had been hopeless. Purpose? Was I going to have to tap into my inner Rick Warren (do I even have an inner Rick Warren??) to find out what that would mean for my life? Ugh! See, the pressure I was putting on myself!

So, I went to the OneWord365 blog and read a few of the posts about choosing my word. I was less anxious, but still unsure about what my word should be. Was I overthinking it? Would I finally choose a word, but then it would be so late in the month, year, that it wouldn't matter??

Then, yesterday as I sat quietly in the living room next to my husband as he typed away on the laptop, I started thinking about how I wanted to live this year, what I wanted to see God do and what I would need to do to help myself and my family achieve the God-sized goals He has for us this year and I heard Him whisper.....BOLD.

     Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)

I want to be BOLD in my witness to others. I want to be BOLD in my faith. I want to pray BOLD prayers for myself, my family, my friends, the world! I want to live a life that reflects God doing BIG and BOLD miracles for me and my family!

I am now energized when I think about my word, about this year and about what God is going to do as I come BOLDLY to His throne of grace and obtain His mercy and grace.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31 (NIV)

Just as the disciples and apostles in Acts prayed BOLDly and God moved, I know He will do the BOLD things in me this year!

*My BOLD button was made by Melanie. Check out her blog and link up to her post, too!