The Year of Renewal

Earlier in January I asked Hubbs if he had a word to define or describe the year ahead. We have had a year of change, a year of goodness, a year of hope ... And while not every year has been marked with a specific word, I wondered if he felt like there was one that was on his heart for 2015. Some years I have felt the weight of a divinely-inspired word laid heavy on my spirit and running like a through-line from January to December, but I hadn't had any particular word or phrase come to mind yet. Anticipation, perhaps? Joy? It felt like I was reaching for a word rather than being given one from the Lord.

So I asked him to pray and think about it. And then I promptly forgot we ever had that conversation.

Well, just the other day he turned to me randomly and said, "Renewal. There, that's your word." After some probing on my part, I learned that it was the word that he had felt on his heart, that he concluded was from God. I began mulling on it; was this his word, or ours? And in the last few days it has become clear to me that renewal is in fact the word for 2015 for our little family.

Some definitions of renewal are:

1) the action of extending the period of validity of a license, subscription, or contract
2) an instance of resuming an activity or state after an interruption
3) the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run-down, or broken

We are in an interesting place in our lives right now; I think that in 2015, amazing God-ordained things will be happening on all fronts, and our faith and our hope will be renewed in new ways.

• Hubbs' career is undergoing renewal as he resumes consulting in the capacity of a technical architect, and gears up to launch his start-up's first project.
• Our marriage is also being renewed as we celebrate 10 years this summer, and as we work towards reconnecting as a couple after a three-year hiatus to focus on Little L.
• Hubbs and I are renewing our commitment to fitness and heading back to the gym together. We have not worked out together for a long, long time, and it feels so good to be back at it together.
• I am personally being renewed as I remove the negative influences from my life, and with every person or feed that is eliminated, I have felt more liberated. As I continue to surround myself with encouraging, courageous people who tell me the Truth and point me to Jesus and a better way to live, I am humbled and affirmed and blessed with life-giving love and grace.
• Even our nanny situation is going to be renewed in some way, as our current beloved nanny leaves to have her baby later this year and we must revisit the choice point to employ a nanny or not.
• We may also have a renewal in our living arrangements, depending on whether or not Little L secures a spot in the preschool we have applied to. If she is accepted, we will be leaving the downtown core and this amazing neighbourhood that we have come to call home for the past 3 years, in favour of a place more closely situated to the school.

In case you haven't detected it yet, I am *excited* about 2015. Last year was hard, and I could hardly wait for it to end. My heart is filled to overflowing with optimism for the next 10.5 months, however; I just get this feeling that God is going to do some mighty things this year, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it (and the recipient of it, in some cases).

And while we continued to praise Him throughout the ugliest moments of 2014, we will all the more praise Him for 2015, and the good things that this Father has, and will, give to us. Sure, there will be hard times, too, and I'm not expecting 2015 to be all roses, but that there is a promise of renewal is a very powerful thing to hold on to, and be assured of.

What's your word for 2015?