Receiving God's "WORD" for my Year

Here we are again, friends. Another year has past, and for many it’s a time for the infamous “New Year’s Resolutions.” But several years ago I turned away from that initially hopeful, but later, dreaded “setting yourself up for failure,” tradition to a new thing altogether.

Resolutions are no temptation to me anymore. I’ve given up trying to change myself by my own self-effort. The indwelling Christ is my “Game-changer” and my “Life-changer.” And a few years ago, He brought a lovely “new thing” to my attention … the idea of a word for my year.

So I started a new journey out of resolutions into receiving — out of the self-effort-laden “to do list” into the revelation-unfolding-transforming Word for my year.

Initially, when I began trying to devise my word, I thought it would be exactly what I needed for the year ahead. But the word I chose never took hold until 2016, when I stepped aside and allowed the Lord to “give” it to me, rather than try to come up with one on my own.

So each year my word just seems to “find me.” Every year, it has appropriately come in the midst of my “all too real-life” circumstances. By the end of each year, there it would be, my word for my next year. And can I just say, it was right every time.

Here is my list from years past*:

2016 was “unfolding fullness”
2017 was “daily bread”
2018 was ‘rest”
2019 was “wait on Me”
2020 was “write”
2021 was “write and submit”
2022 was “Simplicity”
2023 was “Friend”
2024 was “Himself”
2025 was “Simplicity” again — O how I needed this again this past year
*for more detail, click Here and scroll down to see more background for each year.
And now for the coming year …

2026

First, I need to give you some background…

Last January I was sick…and I mean SICK. It seemed that every time I was out and around I would get an upper respiratory infection which started off the pneumonia. And then each infection seemed to keep the pneumonia going in my lungs (this is my non-medical interpretation). It took hibernation and three rounds of antibiotics to kick it out of my lungs.

In the midst of my first bout, I had already been scheduled at my church to share my journey with Jesus. My “Stones of Remembrance”* (as I called it) was designed as an activity for ladies to think through and begin to journal their own journey with God.

I got the OK from my doc to do the meeting if I felt up to it. I did feel up to it. I was prepared. My only concern was “would my voice and body and energy last?”

So as I sat with my Abba Father God early on the day of the presentation, He spoke to me. And His words gave me the answer, not only for the situation I was facing, but also to the chronic anxiety I lived with for perhaps my whole life:

Step into each moment with Christ-confident Hope.

Step into each moment…
That’s what I did… I almost watched myself take each step out the door of my home…into the door of the church…into the room where the sweet serving sisters were preparing and where “early-bird ladies” came in and were visiting.
I was at Perfect Peace and so I could join in.

…with Christ-confident Hope.
And while I was stepping in moment by moment, my heart was filled with the kind of confidence that “Christ in me” and “me in Christ” can give. Oneness with the living God whose Son is my Life. I was depending on Him to do the empowering and speaking and loving on His daughters through me. Talk about confidence and Hope.
I wasn’t one bit nervous…. very unusual for little ole anxiety prone me.

So from then on my“self-talk” (and Holy Spirit reminder) has been …

Now Jan,
step into each moment
with Christ-confident
Hope.
Amen.

So this precious “sentence” continues on in me and is “God’s Word” for my year, for this year 2026.

What about you, my friend? What is going on in your life right now? Is your attention being drawn to a particular scripture? Does a word keep coming to you? Ask the Lord about it. Maybe that’s the Word HE is giving you for the year ahead. He IS the Word, you know!

And as always, I would love to hear what you discern. Consider leaving a message below.

And why not join me as I dance with my Lord and yours into the new year:

Perfect for your new year of meditative daily reading.
Each meditation begins with a Scripture, a real life story and encouragement with application, followed by a poem and prayer and interactive journaling suggestions.
Cover design by JEREMY J LOYD
Available on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Steppin’ into the new year …