Will you select a personal theme word for the New Year—a quality or attitude or action that you feel led to concentrate on this year? I have. Deciding on such a word helps me focus and will help steer me through the coming months.

Last year was the first time I selected a theme word for the year. My word for 2012 was focus. I can’t tell you how many times remembering my theme word helped guide me or keep me on track. Since this new practice proved to be so helpful, I’m ready to jump on board again this year.

As I thought and prayed about what my theme word for 2013 should be, the word finish came to mind. It keeps coming to my attention in other ways as well. Since that seems like good confirmation, finish it will be.

Finish will be a good follow-up to focus, won’t it? After spending much time in 2012 focusing on my book project, the time has now come to finish it.

And just as the word focushelped steer my decisions in many different realms last year, I’m sure the word finish will also guide me in areas other than my writing this year. I’m already thinking about the photo albums I need to finally catch up on. Yikes! :)

If you’ve never adopted a theme word for the year, I encourage you to try it. Ask God what quality, attitude, or action you need to focus on this year, and I’m sure he’ll give you some direction.

Don’t let fear of failure keep you from giving it a go. You’ll benefit more from trying and possibly not following through than never trying at all, right? And if you do follow through, think about how helpful it might be. Either way, it’s a win. And remember—we have a Father who wants to help us follow his lead!

“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” 2 Corinthians 8:11

*What will you choose as your theme word for 2013?

*Another word—love—is on my mind as well. Maybe that should be a word for every year, huh?

*Flickr photo by jayneandd

*Scripture memory has been one of the most helpful spiritual practices in my life. If you’d like to try memorizing some scripture this year, join Beth Moore’s 2013 Scripture Memory Team. Very manageable with two verses each month.