Journal entry by Amy Fuller —
We've been listening to a sermon series on the weight of our words. And wow, the timing is perfect.
Two years ago I heard it...Say what? For real? Yep. That's what I said. 😉
Two years ago today I heard that I had cancer. I won't go into the timeline of all of the details, because if you are following this page, you have read them before. It wasn't the only phone call I got that said I had cancer, but it was the first. And so...
Today I celebrate that I have had so many GET TO moments. 🙌 God keeps dropping them right in front of me! Sometimes they are hard, sometimes they are fun, sometimes they are exactly what I asked for, and many times, they are exactly what I would have avoided in the past. But today, and every day forward, I will give thanks and celebrate them because God is faithful.
If I stop to think about it, God was always giving me these GET TO moments. I didn't only get them after I was diagnosed with cancer. I just took them for granted before and lived through them, going through the motions most of the time. No, not all of the time. I think I was aware of finding joy and seeing the gifts in moments before. But sometimes, I think I found some of them as "have to" moments instead. But, when you are given a chance to see life as "life-changing" for yourself and those around you, you begin to live differently. Think about that. Life is life-changing. It doesn't have to be cancer that is life-changing. Every day life is, can be, and will be life-changing. I have to decide to live in a GET TO reaction, not in a "have to" reaction. Do I fail some days? You bet. But do I try hard to reset my mind? You bet.
And I can only do it by the grace of God. Because one of the best things about God is that He is FAITHFUL.
And guess what I have found out about that word?
Faithful means trusted, loyal, true to one's word, reliable, constant, steadfast in purpose or devotion or affection, unwavering, steady in allegiance, to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in. A faithful follower is one who trusts in God's promises, one who is convinced that Jesus has been raise from the dead and that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation. (sources for definitions came from my multiple study Bibles and Bible dictionaries)
And so for 2023, my word of the year is FAITHFUL. I couldn't seem to make it "official" until just this week. Jeff asked me about my word choice back in January because he knows that I do this every year as a way to find focus for myself. I mentioned that this word was "in the running", but I wasn't sure God spoke it over me just yet. Then, this past week, another friend, co-worker and fellow cancer survivor challenged me (without even knowing it!) by asking, "What is your word?" And this was my response to her. (Thanks, Pye!)
Two years ago I heard it...Say what? For real? Yep. That's what I said. 😉
Two years ago today I heard that I had cancer. I won't go into the timeline of all of the details, because if you are following this page, you have read them before. It wasn't the only phone call I got that said I had cancer, but it was the first. And so...
Today I celebrate that I have had so many GET TO moments. 🙌 God keeps dropping them right in front of me! Sometimes they are hard, sometimes they are fun, sometimes they are exactly what I asked for, and many times, they are exactly what I would have avoided in the past. But today, and every day forward, I will give thanks and celebrate them because God is faithful.
If I stop to think about it, God was always giving me these GET TO moments. I didn't only get them after I was diagnosed with cancer. I just took them for granted before and lived through them, going through the motions most of the time. No, not all of the time. I think I was aware of finding joy and seeing the gifts in moments before. But sometimes, I think I found some of them as "have to" moments instead. But, when you are given a chance to see life as "life-changing" for yourself and those around you, you begin to live differently. Think about that. Life is life-changing. It doesn't have to be cancer that is life-changing. Every day life is, can be, and will be life-changing. I have to decide to live in a GET TO reaction, not in a "have to" reaction. Do I fail some days? You bet. But do I try hard to reset my mind? You bet.
And I can only do it by the grace of God. Because one of the best things about God is that He is FAITHFUL.
And guess what I have found out about that word?
Faithful means trusted, loyal, true to one's word, reliable, constant, steadfast in purpose or devotion or affection, unwavering, steady in allegiance, to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in. A faithful follower is one who trusts in God's promises, one who is convinced that Jesus has been raise from the dead and that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation. (sources for definitions came from my multiple study Bibles and Bible dictionaries)
And so for 2023, my word of the year is FAITHFUL. I couldn't seem to make it "official" until just this week. Jeff asked me about my word choice back in January because he knows that I do this every year as a way to find focus for myself. I mentioned that this word was "in the running", but I wasn't sure God spoke it over me just yet. Then, this past week, another friend, co-worker and fellow cancer survivor challenged me (without even knowing it!) by asking, "What is your word?" And this was my response to her. (Thanks, Pye!)
Faithful. One who stands firm, trusts and believes.
First for me, it’s that I stand firm in my belief and trust in God’s promises. I believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and is my Savior.
I also want to be faithful in my relationships and show loyalty and believe in those around me. I want to be reliable and steadfast. I want to be steadfast in my purpose and devotion and affection. I want to be trusted to do what I say I will do and to be there for others.
I want to be faithful in my commitments, both old and new. Learning new things is hard so I want to be faithful in the commitment to myself. If I quit, I want to at least know I tried my best before saying it’s not for me. As for old things, I want to know when it’s time to stay or go so that I am true to myself, my heart and my purpose. If I can’t be fully trusted, reliable and steady in my commitment, then I am not being faithful, right?
I want to be known as a good and faithful friend and human.
But more so, I want to be known as a good and faithful servant.
So, now, I will challenge you...What is your word of the year? Did you hear it yet? Will you share it? Will you allow yourself to be challenged enough to then seek it out all year in all that you think and do? Even though it's March, it's never too late to pick a word of the year or let that word pick you. It's funny how that happens. Trust me...I'll say it again, if you've read any of my story here, you know how my words are usually not ones I picked myself, but they always make an impact on me and those around me as a result of my FAITHFULNESS to follow through.
Here's to an amazing 2023 and another year of finding those GET TO moments by trusting and believing in the One who gives them. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
p.s. If you want, share your word of the year in the comments to encourage others and to allow for accountability.
So, now, I will challenge you...What is your word of the year? Did you hear it yet? Will you share it? Will you allow yourself to be challenged enough to then seek it out all year in all that you think and do? Even though it's March, it's never too late to pick a word of the year or let that word pick you. It's funny how that happens. Trust me...I'll say it again, if you've read any of my story here, you know how my words are usually not ones I picked myself, but they always make an impact on me and those around me as a result of my FAITHFULNESS to follow through.
Here's to an amazing 2023 and another year of finding those GET TO moments by trusting and believing in the One who gives them. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
p.s. If you want, share your word of the year in the comments to encourage others and to allow for accountability.
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