My Word For 2022
New Year’s Eve 2021 already feels like six months ago, for The Preacher and I.
Because after a beautiful Christmas season, after selling out my largest collection of art and ornaments to date, and after buying a fabulous sequined t-shirt just for family New Year’s Eve dinner…
…I tested positive for Covid on exactly December 31, 2021. And because I snuggle The Preacher, he came down with Covid, too.
Two of my grand girls and I, on just about the very last day I felt human.
The week immediately following Christmas, the weather here in East Tennessee was so balmy and wonderful, that the whole culdesac, plus my momma, decided to get out, set up The Preacher’s Nikon, and capture some family photos.
four generations of God-loving girl-power…
In less than one week, my attitude went from owning and feeling all this generous, feminine power - to wishing the fleas of a thousand camels into the hair extensions of the woman who messed up my grocery delivery.
And I may or may not have also threatened to drop-kick kittens:
Ok, I did. I did threaten to drop kick kittens. I was an aching, anxious, angry Covid lady.
But none of those words (aching, anxious, angry) are my word for 2022. I just needed to bring you up to speed. I’m all better, now.
The Lord actually gave me my word for 2022 this past November. I have been seeing repeating numbers since 2018, and their significance is profound for me. Suddenly, I realized the coming year was a repeating number. And the Holy Spirit said, “Collaborate with Me creatively in the coming year, daughter. Two are better than one.”
I also had the immediate longing to do important work with dear friends. And so, after hearing this word “collaborate”, within three days, two large collaborations came in - both of them with friends of mine: I am now one of the contributors for the magazine Eden and Vine for the coming year, and I will also be bringing you another art and lifestyle class on Jeanne Oliver's creative network - a class that I believe will be my best and most important work there, to date.
I have a strong intuition that there is one more large collaboration out there. I’m just waiting on the Lord for it. (And no, I’d never drop-kick a kitty, in case you are that next person/company/collaboration, and you are now very worried as to the content of my character!)
My most recent finished art
As I was recovering from the dreaded ‘rona, the Holy Spirit took me to the book of John, chapter 20, verse 22 (“2022”). It was one of the holiest moments of my life, and here is what it says:
“And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
As lovely as the other collaborations will be, this year, it’s this collaboration with the Holy Ghost that’s got me all excited. I can’t wait to see what He wants to do together with me.
Public Service Announcement {interrupting my "motherhood stories" for this PSA}
Increasingly, I see the need to get one thing straight:
There’s moxie…and there’s harpy.
There’s sass…and there’s sorcery. Jezebel.
“Say I Won’t”
But. But how do you know the difference?
Well, it is easy.
Moxie is based on something God has said to me. Harpy is based on something I say. Sass is based on being in the right. Sorcery is based on wanting to be seen as being right. Sass is strength in doing what is right. Sorcery is strength in having or getting it my way. Never confuse rebellion for sass. They aren’t the same. One is to be repented of quickly, the other is a prerequisite to leadership.
Here’s something I taught recently that might help you keep these things properly sorted:
Look inside the Scriptures. Plant your feet in them, put your face in them, soak your heart in them, wash your hands in them, cleanse your soul in them, light your way in them. Reckon everything in your life according to the Gospel.
“Well I reckon…”
That’s sass.
The other stuff? The self-help stuff? The “prop me up” self talk? The shenanigans and badassery? Nah.
The pseudo Christian female leader thing is bigbigbig right now. I am all for girl power, do not mishear what I am saying. I’m my daddy’s daughter - I carry his legacy on the inside of me.
(versus only saying that I do, or pretending that I do…dude…I actually love most what. the. man. loved. most…the word of God.)
So I try to live in a state of perpetual moxie. If you wonder what that might look like, well, here you go:
…daddy…
…daughter…
Actual moxie? Actual sass? It’s only done “by the book”. Literally, it is only done by having a sure word from the Lord.
Moxie is not me getting all badass about my own opinion.
Now…like the great apostle once said, I am not in charge of your faith, but I do hope to be a helper of your joy. And since I seek to be a helper of your joy, I want to share with you a song the Lord sang over me yesterday.
Yes. He did.
As I said goodbye to my pastor husband - who was preaching at another church in Talbot, TN - I went inside to finish praying over my own message I would be sharing to our home church. And just like any lover, the Lord waited to get me alone, and immediately said, “Go listen. I want to sing over you.” This has happened to me about three times before, and believe me, when the Lord says it, I tune in. Because it has always been life altering. Destiny shaking.
So, I heard my phone in the back of the house, where I had the usual Sunday Morning Pandora Channel playing. One song was ending and by the time I got to the room the next one was beginning. And I had never heard it before in my whole life. (I am not an early adopter…)
If you will allow me, I will just say it ahead of time…
You’re Welcome.
Literally, it has been on repeat all day yesterday and all day today, since. I can’t get over it.
Jesus, Lover of my soul.
Hearing His voice like that? It imparts serious moxie.