My One Word for 2015: Pursue

I knew what my word was going to be few days before 2014 ended, and the first few days of 2015 brought me major affirmations that this, indeed, is THE word.

But first, let’s talk about passion.

Last year I faced my fears and chose a word that kept me on my toes the whole year: passion. I told myself I was done with just settling with what’s convenient, or forcing myself to do things just because people expected me to do them. It was time to purge my life with the word “passion” as my *breathe* ultimate qualifier.

So 2014 was the year I rekindled my passion for everything that God has called me to do in this particular season of my life—as a wife, a mother, a breadwinner, a homemaker, a daughter, a sister, a friend (in that order, too!). It was the year I started to pursue things that make me restless at night, things that wake me up early in the morning eager to start the day. Anything short of passion was not good enough.

Which also meant I had to let go of things that held me back from spreading my wings, stuff that boxed me up and conflicted with the values we want to uphold as a family, commitments that were not bad at all but essentially were not the best for us. Others may not have understood some of the choices my husband and I made last year, but we turned to God for direction and His affirmations kept us going and made us strong. In the end it gave us more time and space for the things that truly matter, for family, and for His true calling for us.

And now, this passionate pursuit continues.

PURSUE

This year my one word is PURSUE. I intentionally picked a verb because I want this year to be a year packed with action. Now that I’ve identified my passions, my God-given calling and skills, the industry I find myself relevant in, the work that I really enjoy doing, and the relationships that matter, it’s time for me to pursue them (or to keep pursuing them). I’ve had a lot of planning and dreaming already, and now is the time to get the ball rolling, to translate those plans to action, and to make those dreams happen.

This year I’m going to..

Pursue God more.
Pursue my calling.
Pursue my passions and dreams.
Pursue what truly matters. 

As I was studying the word I realized that pursue can be synonymous with chase, which is what my personal brand is all about, albeit accidentally. The thing is, many times I would feel tired looking at the words “chasing dreams” like it’s an endless chase; like, you know, it makes me want to stop chasing for once. Like, can I just hibernate and wait in one corner until my dreams magically happen?

But I realize time and time again that this life is truly an endless chase, a pursuit. We can slow down but we can’t stop moving forward. Even when we’re waiting on God, we have to keep doing something while we wait. Even when we have found our bliss, we have to work hard to maintain it and keep aiming for the best. We have to keep on pressing on.

And I know I will get drained, and tired, and maybe even burned out along the way. But I also know that my strength is not my own, and I will be drawing it from the One who pursued me and keeps on pursuing me in the first place.

A line from this Hillsong United song keeps playing in my head:

When I’m lost, You pursue me,
lift my head to see Your glory,
Lord of all, so beautiful
Here in You I find shelter,
captivated by the splendor
of Your face, my secret place

I’m wide awake, drawing close, stirred by grace,
and all my heart is Yours
All fear removed, I breathe You in,
I lean into Your love, Oh Your love.

When God calls us to do something, it’s often exhilarating and mind-blowing. And then it becomes scary. And sometimes it makes us want to give up. But it’s all part of the pursuit, the journey. And I’m ready to feel the pain, and to work hard, and to press on this year, if it means giving God the glory and making this little world I live in a better place each day.

Can you feel my excitement? I feel like I’ve blabbered on non-stop in this post. I’m excited to share more about where I am now and where the Lord is taking me (and my family) this year. I have to stop typing or else my heart is going to burst.

Pursue. Let’s do this.

What’s your one word this year? Do you have one? Link it up in the comments so I can read yours. :)