one little word

How are you holding up this holiday season?  Right at the beginning of December I felt the tidal wave of ad after ad hit the mailbox, inbox, and just about any place it could find to land.  I started tuning out to the internet and tv world and instead, tuned in to God more, books, my family, and crafting.  Problem solved.  I've been enjoying the holiday season and the great, enormous treasure it is we get to celebrate such a great, loving God.  I mean, He really loves us, doesn't he?  I can see it, just looking at these pictures alone. 

Have you heard of picking "one little word?"  I believe Ali Edwards is where I first heard of such a thing.  The concept was simple.  Pick one word you'd like to center your thoughts and life on for the following year.  To me, this also means centering my listening, prayers, and worship on my one little word as well.  Last year my word was "light", maybe even the year before that.  

I have to be honest and say this year I wasn't even thinking about "one little word", like at all.  But a funny thing happened.  I noticed in my thoughts, reading, reflecting, and listening…one particular word kept showing up.  Enough times for me to grab 'hold of it, throw it in a jar with a lid, and watch the word glow back at me, just like a summer lightning bug.  

And that word, is slow. 

Slow.

Slow.

Slowing down to have time to reach the good, nitty gritty parts of life.  The morsels that are always overlooked.  To sow slowly in order to reap deeply.  This is not a popular idea in our "get it fast" world.  Our food is fast, our internet sales and fame..even faster.  With the right tools and people and marketing, we can brand ourselves more quickly than ever.  Last year I entered January full of ideas and BIG numbers….

while the ideas weren't "bad", I found the numbers game to be quite toxic to my most heavenly projects.  My girls, farm, friends, and church community require the best of me.  They require slowing down and time.  After being at odds with myself, the big numbers and big ideas warring against slowing down, I'm happy to say I'm finally ready to embrace this new year, new way of living, and new thinking. 

Slow it is.  Slow isn't bad, you know?  Slowly evolving as an artist, not a bad thing. 

Slowly letting an idea roll around in our head, without a definite plan…..not bad.

Slowly easing into our mornings whenever possible…..very good. 

Slowly eating and savoring….wonderful. 

Slowing down our to do list to have time for extra hugs, extra talk at the grocery store, extra time for a tight-knit community of friends……slowing down to create something meaningful with our hands, slowing our steps down to notice God did it again with a gorgeous sunset, painted just for our pleasure. Even slowing down my art to give it time to evolve….and be full of the best parts of me. 

I'm saying yes to slow living. 

{ More on "slow" throughout the year. }

I wasn't going to write this. BUT, my one word post is here.

Have you heard of the "One Word" posts for the new year? 

I read about the idea on Ali Edward's blog a few years back.  The concept was simple, but yet not really.  Pick one word to focus your intentions, life, goals, etc. on for the year.  A centering of sorts.   I didn't jump on the bandwagon until last year. 

Really even that came naturally, it wasn't necessarily intentional.  I wanted a bracelet from a friend's Etsy shop (who will be guest posting here soon!) with a word to remind me of my purpose.  Not just "mom" or "wife" but my unique purpose as Sara Torbett.  The word LIGHT kept showing up, everywhere.  It was practically written on every blank space on the walls around me, it was that evident.  

May your days be merry and BRIGHT.

Let your heart be light. 

This little LIGHT of mine. 

Your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight (Isaiah 58)

Light.  My one word that means so much more than just a strand of cheerful twinkle lights.  What people often don't realize about me and others around them is the darkness that goes hand in hand with the light.  I picked light (or rather it picked me) not because my life is void of darkness.  I picked it because my behind-the-scenes and real life minutes are ticking away at darkness.  It's God's light that stops the natural way of time and shows me a different way to live, see, photograph, and love.  It's as if God has invited me to throw back the curtains and let the sunshine in.  And on the days when I'm bathed in sunlight, share it.  On the days I've barely stepped my big toe into the sunlight, share God's love still.  By being authentic and real with no hidden agendas with people other than to show them the love of Jesus.  This is so much easier said than done. 

And I suppose that's another reason "light" means so much to me.  In the young mom and blogging world I often look at those with a spotlight and think they're doing something to be "successful" I'm not.  Did you know my happiest, most sun-drenched days are the ones where I let my actions speak volumes about God's story....and that's it?  I usually have it all backwards.  I think to live a life of light I need to do more, be more, be seen more.  The truth is when I arise and love my children well and say yes to the promptings of Jesus to ALL in my path (even the store clerks), I'm light-filled and light-filled opportunities come along and surprise me with buckets of sunshine. 

In the last month I've had TWO huge, enormous opportunities come my way,

but they came when the light wasn't so bright and warm in my everyday life. 

When I would have traded these great opportunities in a heartbeat if it meant I could keep those around me from hurting.   Light always has a dark side, a back story.  I wish to be like a story-teller leaving a trail of photos, words, and musings on a path for others to be inspired by.  To show what's behind the light-filled, celebratory creative opportunities.  To turn on the light for someone stuck in a very dark room.  To be the friend who will sit with a face toward the warm sunlight, a hand held.  

What's your one word and why? 

How can the Rosy Life bring you more "light" in the upcoming year?

I'd love to hear.