Word: 2008

A popular scrapbooking blog (aliedwards.typepad.com) challenged it's readers to choose a word to focus on during 2008. So I was sortof thinking about what word I would choose and then Christie posted hers and so I was officially inspired to choose a word.

I really wanted to choose a trendy word like balance, energy, passion etc. But they didn't really resonate with me. Didn't really challenge me the way I wanted it to. What I wanted was a selfist word that meant "taking care of me" "not losing me in the grand scheme of raising children and being a wife" That's not where I ended up.

My word comes from the Beth Moore Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit I recently did called Living Beyond Yourself. The word is gentleness.

The Greek word translated gentleness is praotes. The following definition comes from Beth. Praotes does not denote outward expression of feeling, but an inward grace of the soul, calmness toward God in particular. It is the acceptance of God's dealing with us considering them as good in that they enhance the closeness of our relationship with Him. Praotes describes the complete surrender to God's will and way in your life. The term basically means to stop fighting God. It is quite the opposite of weakness. Meekness or gentleness is the power and strength created from submitting to God's will. Gentleness is responsibility with power. Gentleness is made up of the components of submission, humility, teachability, and teaching ability.

A verse I want to remember this year is Jeremiah 26:14. "As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right."