Share your Word for 2013
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. The word which chooses us has the potential to transform us.
- What is your word for the year ahead? A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold in your life?
Share your word in the comments section by Tuesday, January 8th and you are automatically entered for the prize drawing (prizes listed below).
A free 12-day online mini-retreat to help your word choose you. . .
This year I am offering all Abbey newsletter subscribers a gift: a free 12-day online mini-retreat with a suggested practice for each day to help your word choose you and to deepen into your word once it has found you.
Sign up here and you can start your mini-retreat today. Once you subscribe you will receive a confirmation email with access to the mini-retreat content (and you are free to unsubscribe at any time). If you are already a subscriber, the invitation will be in this week’s email newsletter.
Win a Prize – Random Drawing Giveaway on January 7th!
Some wonderful friends of the Abbey have offered fabulous prizes to be included in this drawing held from all of the names who participate:
- from Christine Valters Paintner of Abbey of the Arts: a space in the online Lenten retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
- from Kayce Stevens Hughlett of Diamonds in the Soul: a signed copy of her book As I Lay Pondering: Daily Invitations to Live a Transformed Life
- from Dana Reynolds at Sacred Life Arts: a space in her online class The Book of Wonderment and a signed copy of her brand new novel Ink and Honey
- from Ronna Detrick: a space in her online class Soulstice: Develop a Meaningful Spiritual Practice
- from Roy DeLeon of Now Praying: a signed copy of his book Praying with the Body and personalized body prayer for your favorite Psalm
- from Tess Giles of Pilgrim’s Moon: a print of the beautiful banner art by Rima Staines
- from Velma Frye: a copy of her CD “Seven Sacred Pauses” and “Take Heart”
- from Richard Bruxvoort Colligan: a copy of each of his Psalm CDs “Sharing the Road” and “Shout for Joy”
- from Trish Bruxvoort Colligan of River’s Voice: a copy of her CDs “Breath” and “Unfolding”
- from Mary Sharratt: a copy of her novel Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard of Bingen
- from Waverly Fitzgerald of Living in Season: a copy of her French Republican Calendar for 2013 and a copy of her New Year Dreams E-book
- from Betsy McCall of the Art Monastery: an original art print
- from Paula Huston: a copy of her latest book Season of Mystery: 10 Spiritual Practies for Embracing a Happier Second Half of Life
Pretty wonderful, isn’t it? Make sure to check out the links to their websites for all kinds of goodness and thank them for supporting the Abbey!
So please share your word (and a sentence about what it means for you) with us below. Subscribe to the Abbey newsletter for your free gift. Share the love with others and invite them to participate. Then stay tuned – on January 7th I will announce the prize winners!
844 Responses
My soul-friend/ancester is my mother. Her word to me is, Stay There. Don ‘t leave. Don’t leave your Body don’t leave your place don’t leave your family don’t leave your life.
I wasn’t going to participate this year (I’ve chosen a word for several years now) but when you gave the prompt, and I began to ponder it…”GIFT” chose me for 2013: generously giving, graciously receiving, and most of all being a gift to whom, whenever and wherever I am called to do/be so…Ten days of the mini-retreat and it didn’t alter, so there it is. “Gift”.
My word, apparently, is “forward.” It was given to me by a wise and intuitive woman with whom I have been writing and conversing for several years now–a friend and spiritual advisor.
It’s funny how I think I know what my words will be each year, and I do this exercise…and I always end up being wrong. This past year, I thought my word was “move.” It wasn’t. It ended up being “listen,” which I didn’t pick up on until, oh, about November! (Haha on me.) So I listened to wiser ones than I for this coming year’s word.
Forward means no regret, no second-guessing; it means doing what I know I need to be doing. It means being unstuck and faithful, which seem to feed one another.
My word for 2013 is “Enough”. I hear the invitation to explore the question “What is enough” and walk with gratitude for what I have.
“En0ugh” was my word in 2011. May it bless you mightily!
Dear Christine, my word is “EXPRESS”. I want to EXPRESS my gifts to others in need as I travel along my journey; as He guides me down my path. Keeping gifts to myself is not cultivating community or welcoming a stranger; only by expressing them am I truly sharing what He has given to me.
Christine, I deeply appreciate this 12-day retreat. It helped my process be a bit more intentional. I moved from “trust” to “home” to my final word, “container.” The past few years have been disruptive and my trust muscles have been strengthened. My 2012 journal has numerous references to finding a new sense of home, an anchor, a place to rest. However, I recognize that my deepest desire is for movement rather than a permanent residence. As I take all of this new life that has come from the ashes, I seek a moveable container that will hold all of this as I explore new lands.
I didn’t think a word was going to come to me, but in the early morning of the 24th, during that sacred time when we are in that thin place just before awakening, I heard a very firm voice tell me that my word was “MYSTIC”. I believe my journey this year will be to look for and explore the mystical part of myself as well as the things and events I encounter.
It has taken some time for my word to grab me. Christine you are so right about the waiting and it will come. As I read Macrina’s reflection for Day 4 this week it jumped off the page into myself and fits so well. The word is INHERITANCE. It actually seems to include some other words that were lurking around but did not grab me – believe, faith, trust, tender. It feels so right on two levels – to allow myself to own and acknowledge the inheritance that God has given to me and at the moment I am also looking further into my own heritage. That too is an inheritance. And I think what enabled it to jump out at me was further in her reflection speaks about songlines of Australian Aborigines and YES I am Aboriginal. Unfortunately it was not spoken about by my Mum from whose side it comes so we are making a journey into finding out about our heritage – our inheritance. This will be so exciting on both levels.
My word took a while to find me, or perhaps it was that I did not want to hear that particular word. I wanted ‘rest’, or ‘simplicity’, or ‘peace’ – an easy, comforting, sound-bite of a word – the sort of word one can put up on the wall or create inspirational posters with – a word to snuggle up with and relax into. But what I got – clearly, firmly, gently and persistently… was ‘CHANGE’. I wasn’t happy. It seemed so active, when I wanted and needed to be passive for once, so evocative of upheaval and spring cleaning and disruption when all I wanted was rest and comfort.
In my devotions last night Christ’s words in Luke 5:32 (in the Message version) simply leapt from the page and insisted yet again that I see/hear them: “…an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out…” I took a deep breath of acceptance in, a deep sigh of anxiety out.
This morning, I shared my thoughts/feelings with my husband, letting him know that my word had finally settled on/into me, and my continued unease with it, my hope for a word like ‘peace’, or ‘rest’. He responded, quickly and confidently, “You can change *into* rest.” I blinked, absorbing the simple truth of his thought, and he continued, “Or change from stress to peace. Change doesn’t always have to be upsetting and stressful. Often it’s very positive.” Of course, I hear you wise ones saying softly, of course – but for me at that time I needed to hear that simple assurance: “You can change into rest.” I can change and allow change ,as sweetly, simply, fearlessly, as an otter slipping back into water, as a tree sheds its leaves, as a dragonfly takes to the air or lands again.
My 2013 word shall be Re-Envision: I shall re-envision all of the areas in my life in order to cultivate Goddess Spirituality and Creativity’s Whimsicality!
Christine, thank you so very much for your wonderful website and all of the inspirational/practical e-courses you provide!
Yours Mot Sincerely, Monkess Camille Hurlburt