Tag Archives: new year

My Hope for You in 2013

In 2013,
I hope you laugh louder.
That you cry harder.
Smile longer.
I hope you discover more freedom.
That you act more bravely.
Dream bigger.
Seek adventure.
Risk greater.
Fear a bit less.
I hope that you see a little deeper.
That you believe stronger.
Fight longer.
Trust easier.
Love harder.
I hope you are seen more deeply.
That you welcome the awkward.
Speak more honestly.
Practice courage.
Compromise less.
I hope you live wide awake.
That you are more fully present.
Be more.
Do less.
Imagine wildly.
I hope you live more than you exist.
Because life is too short for average.

 

Hope is January White

A perfectly suited song for a New Year’s Day. If you haven’t heard of Sleeping at Last, listen to this song & fall in music love!! :)

so let’s press undo.
rearrange the old and call it new-
january white.

every calendar is playing the same old trick:
a year will disappear, replaced with counterfeit
but we’ll never really mind.

‘cause if nothing else, we’re given a little time
to change the game, a chance to redefine
everything we are,
in our january white.

this year is a sealed envelope,
a culmination of hopes,
the lottery result that we’ve been crossing fingers for.

we could paint our walls a lighter shade of blue,
or we could pack our bags and change the entire view
to january white.

if nothing else, we’re given a little time
to change the heart in which we change our minds;
our hourglasses turn.

this year is a sealed envelope;
with apprehensive hope
we brace for anything.
i swear, i understand that nothing changes that,
the past will be the past,
but the future is brighter than any flashback.

well, we could let our guards down a little easier this time,
we could trust that when there’s joy, there’s nothing dark behind.
in spite of history,
hope is january white.

this year, we’re starting over again
letter openers in hand,
a chance to take a chance.
i swear, i understand that the past will be the past,
and nothing changes that,
but the future is brighter than any flashback.

“January White” by Sleeping at Last

Sucker for Nostalgia

Something about this time of year always brings “five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes…how do you measure a year?” to mind. The truth is there are a million ways to reflect or look back on a year; to measure it’s worth & memories.

Being a lifelong sucker for nostalgia, I savor the time spent remembering.

2012 was packed with more life than I would’ve ever believed possible for one year. It has simultaneously one of the most painful yet richly beautiful years of my whopping 27. And there’s a sense of accomplishment in reaching the end of it with hope, though threadbare in spots, well in tact.

Because in the end, the things I remember most about this year are things like:
Countless game nights, laughter, & family dinners with my favorite people
Summer evenings at Arrington with friends
Moving
Helping a friend finish his book
Another successful STORY experience
Working with more than 10 new clients
Impromptu ice cream runs on warm summer nights
Too many nights of too little sleep
Conversations of the heart over multiple cups of coffee
Amazingly beautiful live music
Terrible live music
Life-giving conversations with strangers
Dreaming with friends
Spontaneous dinner conversations over Mexican food
Old friends getting married
Supporting friends in their art
Roadtrips
Dancing in the rain
Sunday nights with incredibly talented musicians

The list could go on.

As I stood in a room the other night listening to some of the most beautiful musical sounds I’ve heard yet, I was in awe of the magically intangible spirit of the place. One of community, generosity; a like-minded heart to create art for the love of it & to help others in the process – a spirit of friendship that exceeds personal agendas. That spirit is what comes to mind when I think about Nashville & that spirit is what makes this place home.

Even after more than two years, there are days it seems like a dream to be living a life in which my heart feels at home. If I’m honest, there are too many days I take that incredible reality for granted.

As we start another year I’m recommitting to measuring my life in moments, in friendships, in community, in love, in life-giving adventurous risks.

How was your 2012? What are you most excited to leave behind? What are you most looking forward to about 2013?

p.s. – If you’re curious, these were the top 5 most read posts this year:
In Between
Lion King 1 1/2 Meets Flickering Pixels
Be passionate about something
SEE – One Word 2012
I Think i Found the Secret 

 

One Word 2011…

A couple of days ago I mentioned I was considering one word for 2011 after being inspired by this post from Alece. I’ve spent some time over the last few days praying about that word and I think it’s pretty clear. I think it’s one that God has been preparing my heart for in the last several weeks. And that word is surrender.

I thought about other words…
risk
dreaming
trust
relationships
community
fear
action
courage

But in the end, I realized that it really all came down to surrender…
Surrendering fear of trusting, of risking, of dreaming
Surrendering my plans for action
Surrendering to risk and trust in relationships and community
Surrendering takes courage

I realized that at the root of all those other words was a common denominator. The reason I don’t risk, don’t dream, struggle with trust, resist relationships, shy away from true community, am afraid, fail to take action, and lack courage all comes down to one thing…me not fully surrendering everything I have and everything I am to the One who gave it all to me.

So, I figured why focus on the symptoms when I can attack the cause head on :) A challenge? No doubt! One I can accomplish on my own? Absolutely not! But, bring on the pain. And yes, feel free to throw that back at me when I’m complaining about the pain that will inevitably come :) But I believe there is beauty and peace in surrender that we cannot fully know or comprehend until we are truly living it. And I believe complete surrender is worship…I believe it’s what we’re called to. And so, that’s my vision for 2011…my direction…surrender…complete surrender. What exactly that will look like I’m not sure, but I think I’m okay with that for now. I know He’s got a plan just waiting for me to reach out and take hold of.

Will you take the challenge? One word for 2011? If you do let me know!