"Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh." --Matthew 2:9-11 MSG
2019 will stick out in my star word memories as the year of two words. The first word, aspire, I received on Epiphany in January. The second word, newness, I received in September. As in previous years, these words have colored my thoughts and prayers, and helped me to seek God in new ways.
Aspire challenged me to reconsider goal setting. I felt encouraged by God to keep pressing forward and not settle for the comfortable and easy. I haven't thought of myself as someone who stays inside the lines, but in some ways I was playing it safe. Pondering "aspire" I was reminded that seeking God is always my highest goal, and that with God all things are possible.
Newness challenged me to trust my own voice and write more prayers and liturgy for our worship services. I also came to see the way that even doing small new things sparked renewed hope in me and in others. God is always doing new things, and we join God in this work when we are willing to try new things.
2020 will be my 4th year doing star words. So far each year's learning builds on the previous year's. My first word was guidance. Year two was coming. Both of these have deepened my faith and helped me listen to and trust God in new ways. I'm excited to see what the word for 2020 will be, and to see what I will learn as I follow God in the year ahead!
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