Correction - One Word 2015

#OneWord365 - CORRECTION

It strikes me as an ugly word, a word that emphasizes something is wrong, something is bad: CORRECTION. Not an inspirational affirmation.

But, the lessons and messages keep coming. This NEEDS to be, this MUST be, my OneWord this year. (See 2014 and 2013.)

Two positive messages confirmed the word for me today.

First, Semicolon's post, "50 Facts and Links for Psalm 119 - Semicolon," and her quote in fact no. 34:

“Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French philosopher and devout Christian, loved Psalm 119. He is another person who memorized it, and he called verse 59 ‘the turning point of man’s character and destiny.’ He meant that it is vital for every person to consider his or her ways, understand that our ways are destructive and will lead us to destruction, and then make an about-face and determine to go in God’s ways instead.” (Boice)

So, I look up Psalm 119:59 in various translations, to see which one I should adopt and memorize for this OneWord. Oh, no! A text critical note! Is it "my" or "your" ways? Rabbit hole! Rabbit hole!

For today, I will quote the New International Version (NIV) and do the text criticism research later. But NOT NOW. Now, the task is to DO.

I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. Psalm 119:59

The second positive message came from the first definition listed in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary entry:

a change that makes something right, true, accurate, etc.

The emphasis is on what is changed, not the original error. Of course, the error, the sin, has to be pointed out and dealt with, that is, CHANGED.

And that is the message of HOPE. Change to the right way is possible. Correction is grace.

So, yes, I want to jump straight to the "right, true, accurate" part. But, I recognize (if not happily) that it must be a process--yes, agonizing--and a re-training.

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Next decision: what "pretty picture" to select for such a stern sounding word? What symbolizes the right way, God's way, towards which I need to turn, direct my steps?

This year, I was gifted with egg-laying hens. I didn't ask for them. THEY CAME TO ME. First two, then one more, and then another two. Five hens. And they lay the most exquisite, incredible eggs.

Beautiful in shape and color. A miracle food. Uncontaminated raw egg yolks that can be ingested for healing nutrition.

God's design for hens. God's provision of a perfect food.

So, yes, examine my errors, my life of sin. Go through the deep regret, embarrassment, shame, sorrow. Make restitution. Pay the debts. Turn. Repent. Do an about-face to the RIGHT WAY.

Everyday. Just like a hen offers an egg everyday. Not just once and done. But each new day.

OneWord365.com  #OneWord365

J.R.R. Tolkien on Deliverance

I don't get the full understanding of this quote, but it speaks of deliverance, so I will record it here, via Sarah Clarkson at Thoroughly Alive.

Eucatastrophe is a sudden and miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the existence of catastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world poignant as grief.   ~ J.R.R. Tolkien (emphasis added)

Deliverance - One Word 2014

Deliverance - #OneWord365

Such a rush of earnest longing to make January 1 significant, to set the intention for another year--even if it is only the civic year.

So, I begin by posting Deliverance as my OneWord365 for 2014.

Transparent - 2013 One Word

Source

[Composed June 30, 2012]

I think blogging is great. As soon as I read about it in a Wall Street Journal column at my corporate job back in 2001, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I started blogging (or writing a weblog, as I very properly referred to it back in the “old” days of the early 2000s) in August 2001, shortly before the events of September 11, when blogging came into its own.

I blogged fairly regularly for a number of years. However, I was content just to write. It was a long time before I even installed comments on my blog. I never changed the design; neither did I try to “monetize” what I was doing. I did meet some interesting people and enjoyed learning from them. My early mentor (and someone with whom I still keep in contact—now, via Facebook) was Susie of Raspberry World. She started her online journal in 1998. But she has moved on and recently took down her website.

I used my initials only, not my real name. I wrote about what I read and what I did, but not much about what I felt or what I struggled with. Revealing such things in public was not to my taste (shoot—revealing myself privately rarely happens—even to myself). I was cautious about how such revelations might have unintended, unforeseen (negative) consequences in the future. Yes, putting oneself out in the open is risky. “Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law.” Or in the court of the reigning public opinion. Or in any court of opinion, for that matter.

And my, oh my, how the blogging world has changed! All sorts of rules and standards and “best practices,” not to mention conferences and how-to books! It is overwhelming to consider going out there again, this time in a more focused, intentional way. And, yes, I am interested in seeing if this blogging venture can help pay the mortgage.

More than that, I need to change—radically, deeply. I don’t necessarily want to change, but I know I need to want to change. Perhaps, this blog can be a platform for experimentation, documentation and accountability in this life-long process of learning to desire to change. Even though I am resisting it BIG TIME.

As my cousin’s wife wrote when she started blogging about being a mother to an autistic son: “So this blog is a freedom of sorts. I want to be transparent, and I want to move from protecting Others from feeling awkward to just living our lives out in the open. I hope that some day, we all will have been around enough unique people that we won't feel so awkward and we'll instead pop that bubble that separates us from what we fear.”

While she and I have very different lives, I latched onto her phrase, “I want to be transparent.” Yes, I want to become more transparent. And one of the things I need to change is to become less self-centered. So, I take up writing a personal blog again...!

[Addendum January 2, 2013] Via Sarah Bessey, I came across the One Word 365 project or meme. I decided my word in this new (civic/fiscal) year will be: TRANSPARENT.