In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to God and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner's fire and be stripped down to one's holy essence. The desert was a threshold place where you emerged different than when you entered.
Many people followed these ammas and abbas, seeking their wisdom and guidance for a meaningful life. One tradition was to ask for a word – this word or phrase would be something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months, sometimes a whole lifetime. This practice is connected to lectio divina, where we approach the sacred texts with the same request – "give me a word" we ask – something to nourish me, challenge me, a word I can wrestle with and grow into.
Last year on New Year's Day, I embraced my word for the year and it ripened in me as the year unfolded leading me to new discoveries about myself. This year's word was actually given to me back at the end of October when I was on pilgrimage in Ireland. One of our leaders told a story about sovereignty – a word I would never have used myself. It sounds so odd, old-fashioned, something from another time and place. I resisted the word, making judgments about how I should respond to it. I knew in all the internal energy it stirred up that I needed to pay attention. When I allowed my heart to soften, the word began to shimmer in me, rang long and clear like a chime, and began its slow work of ripening. It still has much more to say and so I claim it fully now.
What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold?
What word, phrase, or image is shimmering before you right now inviting you to dwell with it until it ripens fully inside of you?
** Share your word in the comments below before Friday, January 8th and enter into a drawing to win one of four wonderful prizes! **
As a way to support you in your own new beginnings and threshold crossings, I am offering four beautiful giveaways below from women whose work I am inspired by. Just enter your word below in the comments (it will ask for your email, but that won't be published) and I will do a random drawing in a week's time. Winners will be announced here at the Abbey Blog. I encourage you to visit each website and revel in all the goodness and possibility!
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GIVEAWAY #1: FLOCK
The lovely Rachelle Mee-Chapman at Magpie Girl has started a brand new and exciting adventure for the New Year – an online community called Flock – a monthly subscription service where you receive all kinds of wonderful goodness to support you in your journey toward more soulfulness including: rituals for holy day celebrations, a monthly creative project, book discussions, and a team of soulcare providers. I encourage you to join the Flock as a way of finding kindred spirits and benefiting from Rachelle's wise and sassy presence.
** Enter your word for the year ahead in the comments below for a chance to win a one-month subscription to Flock on January 8th! **
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GIVEAWAY #2: MARY MAGDALENE
Betsey Beckman, MM is one of my amazing and delightful teaching partners (together we co-teach Awakening the Creative Spirit – a five-day intensive in spiritual direction and the expressive arts. Our book of the same name will be published in February.) Betsey's gift to the world is storytelling through dance and movement. She inhabits sacred texts and brings them alive in entirely new ways. Her latest project is a DVD of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus' most intimate and courageous disciples. Through Betsey's Introduction, her StoryDance, and Guided Movement Experience (plus a Guided Meditation led by me) this is perfect for women who want to experience a more expansive story and for women's spirituality groups to break open what it means to be a leader in new ways together.
Betsey has a new website – The Dancing Word – where you can order your own copy of Mary Magdalene or her previous DVD of Miriam and Mary.
** Enter your word for the year ahead in the comments below for a chance to win a DVD of Mary Magdalene on January 8th! **
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GIVEAWAY #3: GRACE UNBOUND
Kayce Hughlett, MA, LHMC is my other fabulous teaching partner. Kayce and I lead Soul Care Supervision Groups in Seattle for spiritual directors and others in ministries of compassionate listening. Kayce also co-wrote one of the chapters in Awakening the Creative Spirit on supervision and the expressive arts.
Kayce is a Seattle therapist, spiritual director, and writer (also known as lucy at her blog) who leads SoulCollage workshops (next one on Jan 15th) and Serious Soul Play Retreats (next one on Feb 6th). She also co-created the beautiful art journal Grace Unbound: New Reflections on an Old Subject with her very talented photographer husband Bill Hughlett.
** Enter your word for the year ahead in the comments below for a chance to win a copy of Grace Unbound on January 8th! **
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GIVEAWAY #4: 2010 CALENDAR
I first discovered Waverly Fitzgerald's website Living in Season several years ago and then discovered that we actually live about ten blocks from one another along the very same street in Seattle. With my love of seasonal rhythms and cycles I adore the awareness Waverly brings through her work of these gifts.
Waverly offers several different packets for the current season and this year she invited me to collaborate with her again on the French Republican Calendar for 2010 which is based on seasonal themes with photos by me illustrating each month.
** Enter your word for the year ahead in the comments below for a chance to win a copy of the French Republican Calendar on January 8th! **
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New Year Blessing
May the year ahead bring
an awareness of the wholeness already within you,
a vision of the dreams you long for,
signs of the birthing of new life,
an experience of the peace you desire,
the courage to enter new doors, cross thresholds,
and discover possibilities
you have yet to imagine.
*Photo above and New Year Blessing are excerpted from my Reflective Art Journal: Crossing the Threshold: New Year, New Beginnings
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© Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts:
Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts
REGISTER for the following ABBEY ONLINE CLASSES & E-COURSES
(click the images for more details)
The word God gave me last year was "birth." This year, as I asked for a word, I tried on quite a few. I wanted "completion" or maybe "joy" (which was my word two years ago, so I was being greedy!) I wanted something large and opening that moved me toward the promises with which 2010 shimmers. God gave me a word, and I knew it was *the* word, but I didn't like it. I began to become petulant and demanding. I think I'm still in that state right now. But I know the word, and it is the word for this year, and it contains promises and fulfilments that I can't even realize now.
My word is SLOW.
I searched and planned and many good words came to me, but what God gives to me this year is "RESTORATION". You know, I'm sure it will be the best word for me this year.
"open the verb and open the adjective"
http://desertspiritsfire.blogspot.com/2010/01/give-me-word.html
CARVE.
carve more woodblocks.
carve new paths.
My word is Alignment.
The word for this year is "listen"
listen to the new trying to come in.
listen to what the universe is trying to say
listen to my own heart beating.
I have been following an e-series over Christmas and this quote came from the e-series (Lynn Jericho).
"Awe is an awareness that something has come to dwell in you that is not you. You must come to know/love this otherness"
I am also prepareing to begin a Master's Holy Yoga certification and we are beginning with a scripture based discussion of the Holy Spirit.
The message that keeps coming to me rests in the word "abide" – so that word seems to be asking to be my word of the year.
Mercy. To trust in the mercy that has been shown to me. To meet others with mercy. To keep it in mind in the way I meet myself. Mercy.
Transformation. In communion, i enter and dwell in the possibility of transformation—-open to all that is, willing to be transformed, surrendering my heart and ego to become my truest self…..
Having identified with sadness for a good portion of my life my new word for 2010 is HAPPINESS. I am choosing to be happy and to identify the thoughts that make me feel good.
With trepidation, I choose the word commitment. I am a self-proclaimed commitment-phobe, but lately, that description no longer feels right. In several places in my life I feel I'm being called to embrace commitment, and so I will explore where that word and its meaning takes me this year.
What an inspiring list of words… thanks, Christine, for facilitating this fun and this thought/heart-provoking moment. "Live" is my word for this year. I want to live like never before!
~Self-Love~ is mine.
What wonderful inspiration which is keeping on and on and on…
Wonder! It came to me when I first read your thought-provoking questions and has grown in the days since…encapsulating mystery, awe, play, letting go, questions, living with unknowing and delight. I wonder what will unfold this year!
Hi,
This is all new for me. My word is "presence" as I need to stay put in the moment
instead of dwelling on the other side of future time fences.
Listen…
to my children – my husband – my friends – my sisters – my parishioners – the Word – myself.
Stop whatever else I am doing and listen!
I think, at this point, that my word for the year is "Contemplation." At least that is what came to mind after reading this post…I really want to enter more deeply into a contemplative rhythm of life, despite the pushes and pulls to go in the opposite direction.
Thank you for these giveaways; it would be wonderful to win any of them!
Right now, in this moment, a new experience. I can already begin to imagine the possibilities. I hope this gives me what I want. Probably more of what I need. Writing has always been a part of me – I feel as if I have already sacrificed a lot fior my parents, bit I know I can write or read whenever I like. Sometimes I wonder is it only love or pain that I can use as motivation to create beautiful thoughts? What if my intention becomes selfish and I want to write about life, about dreams, hopes. My image confuses me but whatcan see is that it is time for me to make myself happy. More time to be free, to create. Find new hobbies or give more time to old ones. I came here thinking this would be a one time thing. But now I am seriously reconsidering committing. A new year for new beginnings, or maybe just a rekindling of old passions. With escape I see myself. With discovery it comes from within. I have neglected things that I cared most about, but now it's time for myself to remember what's most important. Set my priorities straight. I feel myself growing. I know I imagined more for myself, of myself. I lost my path for awhiles, but I think it's time to get back on track. To be who I want to be. To be who I am.
My word is "Love." Or if stretching it to two isn't cheating, it's "quiet Love." Pure and simple.
My theme for 2010 is Enliven.
I like the definition of 'enliven': to invigorate physically or spiritually; to bring or restore to life; to animate, inspirit; to make lively or cheerful; to relieve the monotony of; to brighten’.
My intention is to enliven every aspect of my life. My son died in 2009; much of my life has changed, irrevocably, and for quite a while I've felt dead myself. Enlivening is what I need. I also meet many others who could benefit, both from the enlivening that comes from spiritual practice and the physical, immediate lift that comes from connecting with people who are supportive, awake, and willing to care. Enliven is the name of the bed and breakfast I hope to open in my home, a project in process before my son's death that is now being 'enlivened' and revitalized in 2010. (The B&B is for people healing from chronic illnesses–something I've gone through myself and had to travel for treatment for–much more pleasant to stay in a B&B that serves organic, healthy food, uses chemical-free cleaners, etc.). Anyway–enliven. That's my word. Thanks for providing a place to declare it.
My word for 2010 is UNITY. I chose it because throughout 2009 I experienced a scattering of my energies; I finished one big project (my phd) and then I started lots of new ones. I feel that I need to find some sense of coherence in my life, in order to start moving forward. Also, as I started to journal my word, I began to discover that what I was also looking for was unity within my inner and outer reality, by connecting my spirituality with my contemporary lived experience.
I get such a good feeling when I think about the 12 months that lie ahead; I just know that it's going to be a wonderful, wondrous year
Amy
xx
Birth
I've been doing this "word for the year" thing for the past few years now. This year the word that chose me, that jumped out and surprised me one evening as I journaled, is "abandon." And not the verb form, as in to leave or abdicate, but the adjective form, as in "dance with abandon." I think the adjective thing is significant in that this is not something I need to do but rather a way I want to describe my life in this coming year. I see myself being able to let go and really live, without any regard for what others may think or my own natural reservations.
My word for the year is "journey". Because I need to focus less on the destination and more on the journey.
I have signed up to be part of Christine's Contemplative Photography e-course. The words that chose me for this year came to me from some of the information that she sent about the course. They are the words "light" and "shadow". 2010 is an exploration of all the gifts and the challenges of what is light and shadow in me and also in the world. Thank you Christine!
Unknowing
I thought my 2010 word would be "light" because I have a blogging practice dedicated to "100 Lighter Days," and I recentlysubmitted a reflection on light at this website: thebridgemeditations.wordpress.com
But. . . as I dust off a resolve to be more faithful with posts in 2010, I see my last blog confession leads me to the word "grounded."
For me that means celebrating the holy ground of God, reverencing my mind, body, and spirit just as my Creator reverences me. Italso means listening to the Spirit, so I may walk with light and balanced footsteps. And. . . of course, it means laughing with children!
My word is space.
I embrace the discipline to make space to be surprised and delighted by God!
My word is "yes". My intention is to say "yes" exuberantly to each new day of 2010 and each new moment of each new day.
My word for 2010 is Commitment. My commitment is to "me"…my spiritual, physical and creative growth and wellbeing. As I read through the comments and all of the wonderful words that people are drawn to, it reafirms for me how we are all beautiful beings doing the best we know how, to live our lives fully and meaningfully.
I feel so hopeful for the world when I read these words of intent.
Nurture.
I sense that things are a-changing in my community/ life, again… and yet amid all the chaos I am committed to slowing down to see and grow compassion, gentleness and shelter. So I will nurture creativity, friendships, quietness, integrity and sorrow.
My word is 'joybird', because that is what I decided to become about 8 months ago. I am only feeling this fully, now, in the year 2010 as I have left a terrible job as of Dec. 31 and start anew.
I loved the word 'radiant' that another person wrote of. It's the only comparable adjective for how I want to be. Hey, how about it? A radiant joybird! That seems like asking for way beyond what is imaginable!
Awareness is my word for the year – to become more aware of what is within me, within others and to see with the eyes, the mind and the heart all of creation in new and different ways – so as to awaken those positive aspects of myself waiting to be birthed in service to self and others.
"Delight" that comes form the courage to taste and enjoy the beauty, not to be pulled down by the darkness or to let the self-shadows pretend to be the real you
It's taken me some time to find my word for the year,and appropriately enough my word is SLOWLY. It came to me yesterday after thinking about it for over a week. Mind you my usual way would have been to instantly choose something upon reading your post, and believe me I tried but just drew a blank. But last night during lectio it came to me.
I tend to do a great many things quickly sometimes because of excitement and enthusiasim for the task, sometimes for efficency and productivity, sometimes to get through an unpleasant task or situation. But this year I will go more slowly, and not rush through things so that I may be fully present in each moment.
My word for this year is "Play"
Play with my 2 year old grandson; play with words;play with life, my pets, my partner, myself. Lighten my grip on everything.
When I first saw this post I was struck by many words but didn't dwell on any one. Yesterday I was coming home after taking my daughter back to college and was feeling worn out and a bit sleepy after driving nearly all day and getting "lost" twice. Then it came to me: adventure. It wasn't getting lost. It was more like having the courage to live and that's what I think I'll need for 2010 — both adventure and courage.
"Rising Up" is the phrase that came to me for this New Year 2010.
A friend emailed me about choosing a word/phrase, and the site, I contemplated it for some time. Where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going….Yes, RISING UP fits!!
Peace & Blessings To You
I have just found this wonderful site. As I ponder what my word might be, I'm struggling with fear. I have for many years. I instantly thought of freedom. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline"
(2 Timothy 1:7)
My word for this year is: Lifegiving
I am to return to what I was made for. In the midst of everything that is not, I am choosing to believe in the Life in me. Christ at work.
The first step, therefore, in lifegiving is "resuscitatio". Thus, my post:
A True New: A Soul Resuscitation
http://www.faithbarista.com/2010/01/a-true-new-a-soul-resuscitation/
Thanks to Maureen Doallas @writingwithoutpaper for the pointer to you!