journey onWord with us

We are standing on the threshold of a new year. We have just a couple of days to reflect on the past year and then complete plans to launch into the new one. That’s a bit dramatic! But in reality, all of us have reflections on what we did or did not accomplish last year and what we are determined to see happen as the sun rises on 2017.  What will the New Year look like for each of us?

In breezing through a book recently, words jumped from the page which caused me to reflect on the past year and project in the direction of the new. You may have read the book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. But do you remember the five words nestled in one of the chapters? “Don’t accumulate possessions; accumulate experiences!”  Five simple words which encompass the battle you and I faced last year, and will again in 2017.  Life is easily tied to what we earn, what we possess, and the natural thirst for more. We all want grand experiences, but I am not sure we are as intentional about experiences are we are with possessions.

A great example of that observed truth happened to me earlier this year. My wife and I were making some plans for 2017. There is a conference available to us in a place that I didn’t even know existed. In the course of our discussions, my wife stated that we had to go to this conference because the venue was on her bucket list. Well that was a shock, and I have now requested a full list of her bucket list since I definitely missed a big one. What was she saying? “There is something that I want to experience … And we are going!”

In all honesty, I haven’t accumulated experiences in an intentional way over the years. Too much time has been spent working, earning, and just living life. You may feel the same way. But as a Christ-follower who wants to enjoy all that the Father has for me, I am determined to allow 2017 to be different. From fun adventures to deeply spiritual experiences, there are things to do and places to go that have nothing to do with accumulating possessions next year. Your experiences won’t look like mine, but make a decision before the clock strikes twelve on Saturday night that 2017 will be different. Creating invaluable moments with parents, children or grandchildren will be experiences never forgotten.

One of the greatest decisions any of us can make as we launch into a new year is to consistently experience the Word.  At Journey onWord, we are doing a slower/deeper walk through the New Testament. We would love to have you join us again next year (or maybe for the first time).  But even if it’s not with us, PLEASE find a reading plan that will have you in God’s Word each and every day. There is no better way to experience God’s design for our lives than by being a daily student of His love letter to us.

2017 is upon us, and the choice is ours.  Will you focus on accumulating possessions or accumulating experiences?  Without intentionality, we will work well at possessions and miss experiences that will be unforgettable. Plan now, and remember there is no better experience than experiencing God!

Happy New Year from all of us at Journey onWord!