Word of the Year

Time to reflect on my 2020 Word of the Year

At the end of the year, I love to take time to reflect on my word of the year, which for 2020 was Courage. Who knew how appropriate this word would be given the challenges 2020 has brought. And that I had to dig as deep as I have this year in every aspect of my life, not just my writing.

Finding Courage to stay upbeat. Strength & Courage to keep working when headlines were distracting. Courage to live life completely differently. And Courage to figure out new ways of doing things. Courage to be strong and encouraging for others. And Courage to search for and celebrate the little things, daily.

taking time to reflect on my 2020 word of the year, courage

When I selected this word, I had thought of my writing. To push myself past my comfort zone so I could finish my book. And the courage to say no to things that would interfere with that.

Here’s the prayer I wrote on January 2, 2020:

Lord, help me to have the courage in 2020 to move out of my static comfort zones so I may create with you and have an impact for you with my work and my words. Lead me, guide me, and nudge me to follow you. Comfort me in the uncomfortableness.

Prayer by Denise M. Colby

And for the most part, I did. But there were many other things I did this year, and it’s important to write them down so I may see all the ways I showed courage both in my writing and my life. By keeping track, it also shows I was purposeful (my word in 2019) in utilizing my word to help motivate and encourage myself throughout the year.

Vincent Van Gogh Quote about courage with cursive writing in the background
I chose courage this year to push me out of my comfort zone

Reflection for 2020 Word of the Year, Courage

  • Shared my book and writing goals with my husband on many of the nightly walks we took. He challenged me back in to stay focused.
  • Set an editing goal and stuck to it for most of the year.
  • Shared my entire manuscript with a writing friend and read through the feedback and made edits.
  • Grew in my writing and editing through practice and consistency.
  • Created new blog posts for A Slice of Orange and my own website, including the topic of courage to be thankful and journaling through tough times.
  • Entered another contest to gain feedback for my new opening.
  • Started a newsletter for Marketing for Authors and kept it up every month.
  • Taught several classes on brand or SEO to other authors via email and virtual conferences.
  • Pushed past my comfort zone with Instagram in learning how to create better content and post things I’ve had foundering around on my heart for a while. Moments of Encouragement

There were many ways I found courage personally as well.

  • Courage to read my Bible every morning before I climbed out of bed.
  • Finding creative ways to encourage my family and keep us sane and healthy, while still disciplining as necessary.
  • Courage to focus on my marriage and my family.
  • Taking the lead to set up zoom calls with extended family.
  • Reaching out to others (via technology), when it would’ve been easy to stay in my own space.
  • Courage to reach out and ask for help.
  • Participating in tough conversations.
  • Making phone calls that I’ve been putting off.
  • Courage to do what God asks of me.
  • Sharing my heart and beliefs.
  • And so on.

Something I wrote in my early notes: Courage is a choice we make many times in one day. 1000’s of choices daily where we live in courage or comfort.

As the year unfolded, I found courage to be a good word to focus on. I have really enjoyed this word. The quotes I’ve found. The Bible Verses to encourage me. Even the definition of the word.

Sometimes the daily reminder just writing my word, “courage”, kept me on track

It reminded me to be strong and have courage during days that were hard. It enabled me to share my courage with others. And I found that I really liked what the word courage meant and represented. 

I’m always sad to say goodbye to my word and feel like I want to spend more time with it. Find more quotes, post more about it, etc…

Just like every year, I will be sad to say goodbye to #my2020word, courage, but I have found, just like other words, that it will always be a part of me and something I will refer back to at times. In fact, I created a page of courage highlights from all I collected this year on the word, courage. It was fun to put everything into one place.

I’m now researching next years word and figuring out how it fits in stretching and teaching me in 2021. I can’t wait to share it with you!

Faith, Hope, & Love

Introducing Moments of Encouragement

There are moments, and then there are MOMENTS. Those moments when something is made crystal clear and you have two choices. Pay attention or don’t. 

Blog Header Titled Moments of Encouragement by Denise M. Colby where she talks about her crystal clear moment

What this blog post is all about is one of those moments for me.

I want to encourage others. To share what’s on my heart. I want to…do something. And this is what I hear the Lord saying to me over and over again. 

Do this.

Don’t think about it. And Don’t discount the idea. Just do it.

So, I am.

I’m calling it Moments. Using the M in my name to represent what this is about.

The M is for…Moments of Encouragement.

I want these moments of encouragement messages to be short. 

To take but a moment to read. 

But in that moment, I want it to have an impact. 

Make a difference in someone’s life.

Little Moments of Encouragement to get you through your day.

Just like I glean encouragement from others.

Graphic with the words Denise M. Colby, the M is for...Moments of Encouragement for the blog post talking about crystal clear moments

So here’s a Moment of Encouragement

I don’t remember where I saw this, but I wrote it down and put it on my board by my desk.

Do what God is telling you to do and He will unfold it in His way. Let Him.

This is something I’ve been trying to do myself. Having courage to do, really. That when I feel a nudge. Don’t overthink it. And don’t try and figure out every single step in the process. Just do the one thing that I feel nudged to do. It is amazing how the next steps become a little more clearer because I’ve taken the first step.

I encourage you to take that first step. In whatever you feel God nudging you to do.

Hugs,

Denise

If you’d like to learn more about me, take a look at my home page and the different areas on my website. I plan to share more of these small Moments of Encouragement on my social media. You can follow along with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

Word of the Year

Courage To Be Thankful During Difficult Times

blog post header titled Courage to Be Thankful During Difficult Times by Denise M. Colby

This blog post is about thankfulness. Several blog posts right now are covering the topic of COVID-19 and the Coronavirus. I myself have found it challenging to write something without addressing the elephant in the room. And thus, why I decided to share how I’m trying to focus on finding ways to be thankful (and the one phrase that started all this!)

When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Even in the darkest of times, we can praise God for his love, his sovereignty, and his promise to be near us when we call.  

Author Unknown

So let’s get started! The other day something struck me that I wanted to share.

I was really thankful we had three bathrooms for the five adults in our house.

And then my mind went to: I was thankful that the other four in my house were boys and not girls, and thus we used less toilet paper.

Oh, the silly things our minds go to, right?

But it got me thinking…what else am I thankful for in these challenging times? I found I could rattle off quite a bit of things.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

 

Here’s my list:

Family dinners every night.

That my family likes each other enough to want to hang out together, even after being around only each other for longer than three weeks.

Technology to connect with others outside our family unit.

The grace and caring I’ve seen from all my kids’ teachers.

The nurses and doctors and first responders who brave this new virus every day.

The hugs and prayers I’m seeing in texts, Facebook, and other social media.

Finding 80% of the items on my list at the grocery store.

For all the workers who ensure that those items are on the shelves at the store (that includes those that make, package, deliver)

The price of gas dropping significantly. $2.49 the last time I gassed up and that’s LOW for California.

I can find and order what I need online.

Daily walks with my husband.

Journals to write down my thoughts and feelings and observances (see my previous post Journaling Through Challenging Times – Ideas, Questions, & Encouragement)

Finding something new to learn and having mental capacity to try it out.

Getting to projects at home, that I haven’t had time for.

Watching the creative content such as the SGN network (Some Good News) by John Krasinski. 

I love seeing the creativity that builds because of limitations. Sometimes we are too busy to think out of the box and that can limit us as well.

Eleanor Roosevelt Quote about strength, courage and confidence over a wooden crate background by Denise M. Colby

My word this year is courage.

I chose it to have more courage in my writing. To take risks. To say no to things that would interrupt me finishing my book. But I also felt courage was a good word for my faith, to open myself to God more with  Bible reading and prayer.

Who knew that this word would be so applicable to what we are facing right now. Courage to trust God. Courage to adapt and adjust to this new normal.

I found these other verses fit with the thankfulness in my heart.

 

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

and

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

and

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What is something that you are thankful for that is new during these difficult times?

I’d love to hear it.

Word of the Year

Living 2020 Full of Courage

Every year I pick a word to represent my focus for the year. For 2020, my word sort of chose me. My word this year? Courage! To live 2020 full of courage.

I couldn’t be more excited to dive into this word and use it to encourage, guide, and direct my life this year. 

When I looked up the definition of courage, it was described as showing bravery in the face of danger, but as I dug deeper, I found that it is also about facing difficulties and fear.

I’ve been writing and editing my first novel for the past six years and it has been a journey. A wonderful, beautiful, sometimes frustrating journey.

But as I’ve entered contests and done more writing, I find I’m afraid to put my work out there over and over, to get feedback (no matter how encouraging), and it’s daunting to know there is more work that needs to be done and I don’t know fully what that is yet. I want to keep working on it and not give up, even though I wonder at times why I keep trying.

This is the courage I want to have in 2020.

For my writing:

  • Courage to finish my book
  • Courage to show it to others and pitch it.
  • Courage to say no to the things that take me away from my goals

But the word courage can be applied in so many areas of my life:

  • Courage to obey God and trust Him fully
  • Courage to have the conversations with my kids I want to have and sometimes don’t
  • Courage to take those moments and make them worthwhile
  • Courage to not miss the moments that can be fleeting

And so much more. In some ways it’s taking last years word, Purposeful, and having the courage to live it out in abundance.

As I look back over my blog, I realize I haven’t always written about the words I’ve chosen each year (I have on other blogs), yet this small decision to choose one word to focus on has reaped so many blessings for me and I’ve grown in all sorts of ways. In a way they sort of build off of each other. I might need to still talk about them. They become a part of me. And I still get encouraged when I see them – like my word for 2017, which I did write about – strength.

Also, when I choose my word for the year, I pick a memory verse as my theme. There are a few that I like for courage, but the one verse that fits my heart the best with this word is:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

As you can see, the word strength is in this verse as well.

I also like to look up quotes with the word and loved what I found. I have quite a lot to inspire me:

Walt Disney Quote All our dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them with blurred photo of Denise M. Colby leaping in front of Dream sign
Vincent Van Gogh Quote What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? with cursive writing in the background
Steve Jobs Quote And most important, have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition

So for 2020, I look forward to seeing how God will use this word to encourage me.

Is it to have courage to finish my book and pitch it for publishing?

To say no to things so I can have the time to work on my book and other things that are most important to me, such as my family?

Will I have courage to listen to God when he nudges me (which is exactly how writing my novel began)?

Whatever it is, I’m really looking forward to this year of courage.

If you’d like help in picking a word, this is a great website page with lots of ideas.

If you have a word picked out for the year 2020, I’d love to know what it is! Let me know if the comments below.