Don't Conceal Good News!

My word of the year for 2026 is "publish," or more specifically, make good news known.

As a believer in Christ, I'm all about sharing truths I find in scripture. In fact, I often say, "I'm an encourager who writes bible-based words for the discouraged so they can have hope.

That's my mission.

But, as we all know, the enemy likes to discourage us from our callings. He is often subtle about it, whispering words of doubt trying to waylay us from our goal. There is a fear of not being relevant, or thought of as being ridiculous, or even feeling others say it better, why should I risk adding my voice to the mix?

Do you know the opposite meaning of the word publish? It is keeping something secret. It is concealing or hiding information.

In essence, if I know something that is true and uplifting, or that sparks wonder in my heart, and love for God. I'm robbing you if I don't share it. 

Conversely, if I discover something convicting that I could make a change and bring blessing and healing in my life. and I don't share it with others, what does that say about me? Am I more afraid of people's opinions than I am of the consequences of not following my calling of encouragement?

Do I really want to stand before the Lord one day and admit I was too afraid to speak encouragement in people's lives?

I think not!

What about you? What is your calling? Is something keeping you from it? I am praying for you, my reader, and asking God to help you fulfill whatever calling He has laid on your heart.

As believers, we are all called to share the gospel, the good news. Here is a  scripture and a prayer I'm sharing today for all of us:

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 New Living Translation

 

Abba,

 

I’m so thankful for the messengers of the gospel. Where would we be if we had never heard?

 

I also note we should focus on pleasing God, not people. He is the only one that knows our true motives.

 

I like the part of this scripture that assures us He approves of us, that He trusts us to share the Good News. So many times, we are fearful to share thinking our explanation might not be good enough. But if we are being led by the Holy Spirit, we don’t have to worry about that. He will make it come together in just the right way. Our job is to share the seed. He will add whatever is needed to help it grow.

Be with us dear Holy Spirit as we go about our day. Schedule divine appointments for us and lead us in the way everlasting.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray; may many come to You today. So be it, amen.

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

I always want to be sure every visitor to the Journey knows how to make heaven their home. Read my post, A Ticket Home. It describes exactly what you need to do.

~~

Thanks for dropping by the Journey!

Sharing at One Word Link-up

 

Wonderful News

As you may have seen on the Journey, my word for the year is publish, meaning I'm in the business of making good news known.

Did you know one day the government will be run by a wonderful counselor whose every decision will be perfect? 

As we look back over the course of human history, we see the legacy of a long line of world leaders. Some did some amazing things and made a difference. Some chose unwisely and brought grief to millions. All were flawed human beings.

We need a leader who is not ruled by his passions, has no dark agenda, and has nothing to hide. One who gives everything for the people and whose motives are pure as the driven snow. There is only one person who could fill those requirements, and that is Jesus!

Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah said this:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

The birth of the Child Jesus ushered in the heavenly kingdom. The second coming of Christ will lead into the millenial reign of Christ on the earth and it will be wonderful!

Father,

We thank You for the Wonderful gift You gave us in Christ - a gift everyone needs, whether they realize it or not.

How wonderful that Jesus can fulfill all the things the prophet Isaiah foretold!

We look forward to the day when He will rule and reign on earth; and in that day, the government will finally function as it should. Justice will prevail. There will be no special treatment, priviledges or bribes given. All will be equal. Everything will be aboveboard and honest.

The world you made will finally be perfect. 

We long for the day; but until then, we look to Jesus to lead and guide. Let us be listening for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, and let us be obedient when we hear.

In Jesus' holy name we pray; may many come to You today. So be it, amen.

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

~~

Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home. That is the best news I could ever share!

Sharing at InstaEncouragements LinkUp, Let's Have Coffee, One Word Linkup

2026 Word of the Year - Publish

I have chosen "publish," as my 2026 word of the year. 

In 2026, I plan to make good news publicly known as often as possible. 

Mostly I will be sharing insights and truths from God's word and sightings of God's goodness in my life and the lives of friends and family.

My readers know I was part of Hope*Books Collaboration projects in 2025 and I earned the right to say I'm a published author for having contributed to two different books, "A Family Legacy: Passing Down Love, Wisdom and Tradition." and "The Advent Collection: hope, peace, joy, love."

It was an exciting year and I'm grateful.

2026 is now upon us and I'm busily working on my first novel to be published by Hope*Books. Actually, I've already written this novel. I've spoken of my efforts on the book for quite some time now, but publishing it is now in my grasp. 

The good news I will make known in my book is that no one is beyond redemption!

But there is more to publishing than books. Being the word-nerd that I am, I looked up the definition of "publish." The Cambridge Dictionary explains it like this:

To publish means to make a work (like a book, article, software, or music) available to the public, either physically or digitally, for sale or distribution; it also means to make something publicly known,  to announce it ...

I remember back in 2008 when I wrote my first blog-post (hey! I'm old!), it was with fear and excitement that I pressed the button labeled "publish." Nobody told me I could publish my post, it was totally my decision. What a rush! My words were out there ... and I was hooked.

It took me quite awhile to find my voice but I began to see my calling was to encourage. 

Much has happened over the years and I have had to fight to find time to write. Most of the struggle has been in my own head. But try as I might, I cannot give it up.

What is on your mind for 2026? What would you like to see happen? Share in the comments below, and let's lift each other up!

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

~~

Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home. That is the best news I could ever share!

Sharing at Lisa's link-up: January One Word Link-Up and at Let's Have Coffee

 

 

Hello, 2020!

My friends, we are starting not only a new year but a new decade. I feel very excited about it as I feel it will be a momentous year, not just personally but for everyone.

Will this be the decade of the Lord's return? I have no idea but just feel it is ever closer. The signs of the times are all around for those who have eyes to see.

Paradoxically, though there is much to be done and this is no time to be lazy and uncaring; I feel the Lord's will for me - and I don't feel I'm the only one - is to slow down and rest.

In a word, Sabbath.

Sabbath is God's gift to man. Divine permission to take a day off and rest. However, rest does not necessarily mean napping and binge-watching Netflix. (Although there can be some of that!) No, it means to spend your time doing things that refresh you both physically and spiritually. It means making time to enjoy God and your family. Time to connect. Time to examine who you really are and who you are becoming. Time to focus on what is life-giving and put aside what is life-draining.

Then you can return to the work world and be even more productive because you are not burnt out.

God felt so strongly about our need for this that He even commanded it to be so; yet it is the one commandment we feel justified for breaking!

There are many voices out there speaking for Sabbath. In fact in 2016, I read Shelly Miller's Rhythms of Rest which started me on the pathway to examining my Sabbath habits. Since then, I've run across more and more writers pointing the way to Sabbath.

I am convinced this is my year to put into practice what I've learned; so my One Word 365 to dwell on is "Sabbath."

Have you participated in One Word 365? Instead of making new year's resolutions - and breaking them quickly - why not focus instead on one quality or goal for the year. Pray and pick out one word that most closely aligns with what God is speaking to you.

In the past, these are words I've focused on:

• 2012 – Joy
• 2013 – Fearless
• 2014 – Abiding
• 2015 – Intentional
• 2016 – Rest
• 2017 – Less
• 2018 – Press
• 2019 – Consistency
• 2020 – Sabbath

However you decide to spend 2020, my prayer for you is that you will strive to be at the feet of Jesus whenever possible.

Then you will really be a success!

Hello 2019

Today is part two of my year end posts. Part one dealt with the 2018 blog-posts, you can read it here. Today's post is about my One Word for 2019. Tomorrow will be summing up 2018 as I share what I learned.

Last night, I got a text from daughter #1, asking me my One Word for the year. She has killed all her One Word goals from past years and is at a loss for what is next. (Wish I had that problem!)  I don't think my best at night, but today, I know what I'm going to tell her.

Dream big, baby! Dream a big impossible dream; and hey! if you fall short? You'll still be a lot farther down the road than where you were.

I say that because I fell short. Last year, my One Word, Press, was all about persevering and keeping on trying to accomplish my two goals:

1,000 miles (in steps) in 2018

Write something everyday in 2018. (blog posts, and /or journaling) 

I later amended those goals to 500 words and 6,000 steps a day.

Did I make it? Nope. I counted up and actually got about halfway.

In other words, I dreamed a big dream. I'm further down the road than when I started, but I have a long way to go.

I know the problem. I'm not consistent. Oh, I've made great strides from where I used to be; but, I still have a long way to go.

So, the One Word for 2019 for me is ... consistent.

What is your One Word? Am I the only one that has to work on consistency?


I'm sharing this post at #TuneInThursday
 

Examining My One Word(s)

I thought it might be helpful (for me, at least!) to examine what I learned from my past One Words for each year.

I've been doing this exercise since 2012.

My first word was Joy. I wrote about it in Joy is the Word for 2012 and in Choose Joy.

I may or may not have picked a word that actually was easy for me because I'm an upbeat person who has learned to focus on good things.

You see, a good definition of joy is this:

"... We have happiness BECAUSE of our situation, we have joy IN SPITE OF our situation. Anne Robertson

If we are trained to dwell on Him and all the good things in our lives, it is so much easier to choose joy.

The next year, my choice for a One Word was Fearless. I decided to write a series on the subject loosely based on the idea that God tells us over 300 times in His word to not fear, do not fret, be not anxious, don't worry, etc. I had the ambitious goal to examine each of those admonishments but only got 20 done in 2013. Maybe that topic needs to be revisited!

If you're interested in what I learned about being Fearless, here's a couple of my favorite posts:  2013:  Fearless or Epic Storm, or consider scrolling down on my homepage to find the label "Fearless" and read all 20.

One of the lessons learned in that study was this:  

"The point is, if you are doing the will of the Father, you have nothing to fear.  He will enable you to accomplish what He has called you to do. Nothing can touch you until His plan is complete."

Along came 2014 and I chose "Abiding," for my One Word.

I based my choice on John 15:7 -

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

In my initial post, One Word: Abiding, I said I wanted to spend 2014 abiding in Him, to be so totally submerged in Him that my desires would be in line with what He wanted and my prayers would accomplish something.

I also wrote in my A-Z series for 2014 in A is for Abiding:

God has a different idea.  He wants us to be so totally tied up in Him that we feel no fear, no pressure to perform, no anxieties that we will end up in need.
No worries, just abiding. Living in total trust.

The next year, I decided to focus on the word, "intentional."

I said in My Word for 2015 is Intentional,

I want to figure out what is important to me, this year, and develop a plan to work to get there.

It was a nice sentiment but I can't really say that I accomplished that goal. (This was also the year I said I wanted to write everyday!) In fact, for that year and the ones to follow, Rest (The Challenge of Rest) and Less (My One Word for 2017) choosing my One Word did not really bring forth the desired changes.

After mulling it over, I think what made the difference is I didn't keep that word out there in front of me as in times past.

In order to focus on a quality for real change, you have to dwell on it, meditate on it and plan for growth.

I think the word I made the most strides in was the word Fearless because I blogged about it 20 times over the year, which averaged to about 2 times a month. It meant at least every couple weeks I was thinking about being fearless.

So here its, 2018. I've chosen the word, Press, as in press on. I'm never giving up. With God's grace, I'm continuing on in the Journey. Older, hopefully wiser, but even more determined.

Have your resolutions or One Word determinations made a difference in your journey? I'd love to hear all about it! Leave a comment and share.

~~~

I'm linking up with the #TellHisStory and #WriterWednesday Communities.

Press

Let's examine the thought process that went into picking out my new One Word 365 for 2018.

Today is the first day of 2018 and I’m toying with what my focus for the upcoming new year should be. I find it good to choose a word for the year to help guide me – although, let’s be real – I’ve never felt yet that I’ve accomplished my “one word” any year that I’ve tried it.

Maybe that is the point. My one word is something to strive for but maybe I’ll never totally achieve it until eternity.

Let’s indulge my love of listing and look at words from past years:

·        2012 – Joy

·        2013 – Fearless

·        2014 – Abiding

·        2015 – Intentional

·        2016 – Rest

·        2017 – Less

I think I am a pretty joyful person, and I have made great steps in being fearless – mainly because I am learning more and more to trust in Him who has never let me down before, so why would He now?

I’ve been ending quite a few of my blog posts with the reminder, “He’s a good, good Father, you know …” I feel that is indicative of the strides I’ve made in trusting.

I’ve made less progress on the other words, “abiding, intentional, rest and less,” maybe because those words are more about what I’m doing. (Or not doing!)

It’s always a temptation for me to do instead of be.

I’ve always got something to prove.

So, here are some words I prayed over:

• Yield – this can be looked at in two ways:  yield as in fruitfulness, or yield as in relinquish – give place to God, to the important …

• Quiet – learning to relish the quiet, to listen, to slow down the brain

• Content – appreciating how the here and now, being thankful

• Fulfilled – being happy with who I am and what I have – okay, that is nearly the same as content.

Perhaps the answer lies more in what I hope to see happen in 2018 … I know I’ve stalled in my weight loss journey. I wanted to lose 70 lbs., I lost 20 and then just stopped. I’m not happy about that and I want to continue.

One of my dauthers had a goal of walking enough steps to equal 2017 miles in 2017 and she made it! I am in awe of that goal and wonder if I should set something similar …

Of course, I always want to be further along with my writing goals. Being published is still my goal.

A lot of the writing advice I read boils down to … write every day. Period.

Maybe “press” would be a good one. So, I messed up. Get up, dust myself off, and press on …

So, it all boils down to these two goals I have set for myself:

1,000 miles in 2018

Write something everyday in 2018. (blog posts, and /or journaling)

Every day. No Excuses.

So, yeah, my One Word is “press.”

~~~

I'm sharing this post at Brenda's Chasing Community Link-Up.