I guess sometimes I am just slow to learn! I have been doing My One Word for many years and usually do a good job of remembering the word throughout the year, and I do try to interact with the word and keep it in front of me as much as possible. As I go through the process of picking my word, I would usually focus on characteristics that I feel like I was lacking in and that God would want me to change about myself.

This year I will be receiving my 17th word. I say receiving because they have been God’s grace in my life. The not-so-well-concealed secret of My One Word is that they pile up. My word ‘Relish’ (2014) was a 365-day adventure in seeing and experiencing God’s goodness, much like tasting a fine wine — savoring the bouquet and all the flavor notes. This is something I want to practice forever. I’m still challenged by my word ‘Speck’ (2011), which confronted my tendency (and an ever-present cultural expectation) to judge others inside and outside the Church.

I have been choosing a word every year since 2011. In seasons, I have struggled to stick with my word consistently throughout the year. Some years have been easier than others to focus on my word and to see what God is teaching me through that lens. I often choose my word with an idea of how I hope to grow throughout the year, and every year, God reveals something completely different than I expected. So, as I prepared to choose a word last year, I don’t know why I expected anything different.

My One Word for 2022 was IMAGINATION. It has been my favorite. This word has helped me to both remember what it is like to just dream and think and wonder, but also to consider things beyond what I already know. To imagine what it would be like to be up in the clouds, to imagine what it took to dream up Hei Hei (you have to watch Moana!), or to imagine what it would have been like to hear Jesus' invitation to follow.

I’m not a fan of January. It’s the onset of the winter doldrums for me, the holidays no longer a distraction to soften the dreary weather and short days. And I don’t think I’m alone. Almost two weeks ago was January 16th, a.k.a. “Blue Monday.”

After quite a bit of reflection and journaling, I landed on Horizon as My One Word for 2022. I caught an image of the place where heaven and earth intersect and the beauty that’s on full display with this meeting. I thought of sunrises and how it seems to begin at one point and suddenly the whole sky is on fire with beauty as the light extends along the horizon. This horizon line extends, wrapping beyond my field of vision. It struck me deeply, how life with God changes the way I see everything and extends outward into my relationship with others – beyond what I could ever imagine.

Just as Jesus began His ministry, word had spread that He might be the promised Messiah. The Savior of the world all of the prophets had foretold had arrived, and at the sermon on the mount, Jesus' first and longest recorded teaching, this promised Messiah doesn't incite a revolution; He instead subverts conventional wisdom and introduces the great paradox of the kingdom of God.

I believe it is safe to say that we have all struggled with "My One Word" at some point. In the four years that I have been choosing a word, I've always ended the year by saying, "I wish I would have done more." So, I began asking, "What am I missing?"

Does it feel like 2020 was ten years ago to anyone else? There is a New York Times Article entitled, "2020 Events: Yes, These All Really Happened In The Year From Hell." There is even a movie called "2020: The Dumpster Fire." People were running out of toilet paper in March and buying 2020 toilet paper ornaments for their Christmas trees.

Emotions well up within me that are difficult to articulate when I reflect on the past year. There's a mixture of gratitude, sorrow, joy, heartache, humility, grief, love, disappointment, and resolve. Friends who know the challenges I've faced often ask, "How did you get through all the pain and suffering?"

As a perpetual daydreamer, I have a hard time being present. If you’ve seen “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (I’m talking specifically of the classic Danny Kaye flick from 1947, though I also enjoyed the more recent Ben Stiller remake), you know the joy and headache that comes from a brain continually bouncing from one thing to the next. In the movie, it’s hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality as Walter bounces back and forth; his interpretation of his world is whimsical and nonsensical. While he may be able to endure mundane moments more than most, it isn’t because he’s actually there. In fact, he is generally anywhere but the present.

"Don't talk to God like that; He isn't your buddy! God is HOLY!" Those were the words that belted from my childhood Sunday school teacher just after I uttered the word "dude" during a prayer. Depending on your experience with church, speaking to God like a friend might make you a little uncomfortable. It's easy to think that a casual friendliness with God stands in opposition to His vastness, holiness, or majesty. I mean, should you call God "dude"? If you are 31 years old like me, should you call anyone dude? We won't go there right now. But what if God's holiness informs our friendship with Him? What if it is because of majesty that we can be near?

I wouldn't refer to myself as an expert on something, though my propensity for overthinking is one I've mastered. Choosing to be deeply involved in community, parenting four and five-year-old boys, and always seeking moments to engage and connect with others can leave me in a space to overthink every word, feeling, and interaction. Finding myself in the grips of overthinking also turns inward, which has made engaging in the process of the personal retreat and My One Word a unique challenge for me.

This afternoon I got the mail and had a reminder that my driver's license was expiring next month – what a blessing. I get to go to the DMV, stand in line, and take a new picture. Currently, I have long, curly hair down to the middle of my back and a 5 o'clock shadow, looking scruffy, while my current license picture is the exact opposite. My hair is short, styled with gel, and I am wearing a shirt and tie. I was 28 then, and now I am 35, almost 36.

I was talking to a friend of mine early in January, and we discussed New Year's resolutions. She asked me what my word was for the year, and I explained that I had chosen “consistency.” And I know you might be thinking exactly what she thought, "Well, what do you want to be consistent in?" I looked at her and responded, "Everything."

My word for 2022 was MAKE. I chose it because the word involves taking action in any context. Make a connection, make a difference, make something, intentional. I am an idea guy. I love thinking about possibilities and what could be. I doodle constantly and always keep a sketchbook with me to jot down ideas and make drawings of things that could be. This is my comfort zone because, if the idea exists in my head or as a simple sketch, it is safe and there is no danger of it being exposed and criticized. My challenge is moving beyond the idea and making something that can be shared with others.

There are a lot of things in life that raise our blood pressure, cause concern, and produce anxiety. You know what I’m talking about. As we walk through life, we often feel an angst about the way things are going versus the way we think they should be, and our stress level rises. We feel such a weight as we evaluate all that is going on in our life and we seek to make things better.

In 2020, my wife and I found ourselves wrestling with two of our children sharing significant questions and doubts about their faith. They struggled to see how God fit into their lives. This news shook us; we worried and questioned whether we had failed in raising our kids. Yet, instead of seeking God amid the tension, we relied upon our strength and ability to be "better" parents.

My word this past year was WILLING. I'm not sure why, but it has challenged and stretched me further than any previous words have. I chose the word based on a quote from Paul Tripp. He says, "Love is the willingness to have less free time, less sleep, and a busier schedule in order to be faithful to what God has called you to be and to do as a spouse, parent, neighbor, etc." 

As I took time to reflect on 2022 through the Personal Retreat, one theme that stood out to me was family. My most joy-filled memories of the year involved my family, but so did some of the most difficult challenges. I cherish the opportunities I had to love and serve my family this year, but remembering the loss of loved ones is still hard to process. Bottom line, family means a lot to me.