My New Year's Word

I know I'm a little late to the New Year's word/resolutions posts but I was having technical difficulties last week and then commitment issues the week before. Let me explain.

I'm not exactly sure when or why it happened that I decided I was no longer going to be of the cloth that makes resolutions, but I'm pretty sure it has been fairly recent. 
Looking back on my old posts that were of previous resolutions is  motivation enough for me to never make another resolution again. Seriously people! It's just embarrassing if not down right sad how many of them and ONE in particular I never can make happen(ahem... you know that whole health and fitness one?) That one right there just makes me wanna cuss. Cuss.  Cuss. Kirmudgeafudge!!
I feel better now.
Ok moving on.   With so many of them I had good intentions but in the end it just didn't happen. Well, so because of this, and in honor of one of my favorite sayings,
"Keep it simple stupid"    I decided I would like to pick a word, just ONE word, to remind me all year of what I would like to accomplish in a years time. Last year I picked one, but I didn't exactly label it my New Years word.  However, that is exactly what it became.  
Last year my word was DETERMINATION. I blogged about it and if you want you can read it here. But, if you don't want or you don't have time for that I will just paraphrase here why it is I chose that word last year.
There were quite a few things that I was determined or needed to be determined about last year and so that word brought me right back around to those things every time I thought of it. I would ask myself, am I being determined with my energy, money, time?  Am I speaking, praying, waiting, listening with determination?
This picking a word for the new year really worked well for me last year, because I didn't feel like a big fat failure when I wasn't determined I just remembered why it was that I picked that word in the first place, and it motivated me to move on out of the funk that I found myself in and be determined. 
I will admit it's hard to pick just one word that will make you take inventory of your life all year long. But, thankfully I'm not alone in this process called life or in the process of picking a New Years word. This year it has taken me a while to land on the right word because although I had the impression of the word just a few days into this new year, I couldn't quite commit.
Who knew I would have commitment issues ?   This year my word is FREEDOM!
There are so many areas I already feel so much freedom in, which is why I was like, "Are you sure that is the right word for you?" I was like the doubter kid on Polar Express. Second guessing my word until I heard...  "You're a Doubter!!" "Doubter!"
In the end I realized I may be free in a lot of areas, but still so many more corners of my heart need healing and freedom. I feel this is going to be a year of internal freedom for me.  God has already begun this process with healing me in some areas that I will share later this week, but I'm excited about my word.
Because  Who doesn't need healing or freedom? I KNOW I do.  Here are the scriptures that are going to help me remember why Freedom is so important;
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." Galations 5:1 (I think standing firm in the freedoms I've already been given will be important, but then moving forward toward more freedom is where I feel God leading)
"Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17
(God's precious Spirit has been so tangible so strong in these 3 weeks of 2013, that I know with out a doubt I'm in a season of rain. My spiritual drought is over. It has been a long, dry season and I'm ready for the rain.)
"So if the Son sets you Free you are free indeed." John 8:36 (Thanking God for what He has begun and that HE and HE alone is faithful to complete the good work HE has begun)

Also, have I ever told you that the movie Braveheart is one of my all time favorite movies? Honest Abe, I'm not just saying that because it goes well with my New Years word. *I can't really explain why, because it is a terribly violent movie, and normally I don't care for violence in movies, but there is something about the legend of William Wallace and the lines about freedom in this movie that has always resonated with me. *(I think... I mean call me crazy... but I might have just explained why right there.)
"You have come to fight as free men. And free men you are. But what will you do without your freedom?"
WE live here in a country where we are free to speak about our beliefs, and for that I am extremely grateful. I often think that at times I take it for granted that I can get up on any given Sunday morning and go wherever my heart desires to praise the One True Living God. Last week at a worship night at church Em and I met a woman from China who looked at Emma with tears in her eyes and said, "I'm so jealous that you are HERE in this place with your mom, able to worship God freely." We talked about her statement on the car ride home and again, the word Freedom was brought to my attention.
"They may take our lives, But they will never take our freedom!!"
It has been a long, hard road to get to where I am 20+ years in my relationship with God, and the one thing I can honestly say is that I never knew I needed Him this much, but now I can't imagine what my life would look like without the countless years of healing and freedom to be the person He created ME to be. I want more freedom so that the next 20+ years by the grace of God are NOT so hard, NOT so long.  Do you know what I'm saying? Anyway, I might be talking a bit more about this word, my word for this year; FREEDOM and I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this word? Also, are you of the cloth that makes resolutions? What's your favorite movie? Oh and  Happy 2013! Can you believe January is almost over?