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Choosing Words to Live By
The bestselling author tells how her yearly choice of a single inspiring word has impacted her life and career.
As appeared in 
Each year I choose one word to focus on and live by. These words have comforted me, challenged me and brought me closer to God. They have changed me.
I’ve used them in my prayers, written about them in my journals, discussed them with my friends. I’ve seen how they’ve shaped my spiritual path. Sometimes I even trip over them.
A friend of mine who shares this practice puts her word on a doorstop. “I like to stumble over my word every now and then,” she says.
I write about two books a year—that’s thousands of words. What a gift to be able to concentrate on just one.
In 1979 hunger was my word. I wasn’t sure why I chose it. Partly it had to do with my lifelong struggle with my weight. My journal that year was full of entries like this, “Dear Lord, as I struggle to gain control over my eating habits I turn to you. Your word promises victory. Every day I must simply take the next tiny step...”
I dieted, prayed, fasted and backslid. There were other hungers as well. With four children in a tiny house, I was hungry for more room to spread out, hungry for some quiet and a little time to myself.
I was also hungry to learn. I was taking writing classes at a local college. I wanted to be a novelist so badly I could taste it. I kept writing and getting rejected, only this desire driving me.
My deepest hunger, though, was spiritual, and I can see that in my journals. “Read through First John,” I wrote on Good Friday. “Only five chapters and yet I feel I’m only skimming the surface of what it means to live a Christian life.”
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I didn’t want to skim. I wanted to go deep, and hunger pushed me forward.
In 1986 when I picked the word trust I didn’t know how deeply my trust in God and myself would be challenged.
Wayne and I and the kids lived in Seattle then. Although we were several miles from the notorious Midway landfill, the methane gas produced in the breakdown of trash traveled through the porous earth and settled in our neighborhood.
In our yard, it bubbled up from the ground like a toxic champagne. You could see it and smell it. Our kids ranged in age from middle school to high school, and I worried about their health and safety.
That whole year there was always at least one person in our family who was sick. I just managed to get one child well when another would fall ill. To add to the stress Wayne and I began to experience fissures in the bedrock of our marriage.
To me, the only option was to move to another neighborhood. Wayne, who hates change, didn’t want to move. He believed the problem would somehow right itself.
We spent many an evening at contentious community meetings where lawyers milled around outside handing out business cards. The city of Seattle brought in a huge pumping station and set it up in the corner of our yard. Day and night methane gas kept bubbling out of the ground. We talked about a lawsuit, but the attorneys asked for more money than we had.
All the while there was that word “trust.” Again and again I clung to the promise from Isaiah, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
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Your Comments
Trust is the word the Lord gave me, bringing to my mind that my children are far away, my husband in heaven with my Lord,
& I need to trust him with all I have,& need yes many times your stories have been just what I needed to get me thru to God, give me hope thank you keep listening to Him & writing what He gives you for His children. LaVerna Halterman
Hi Debbie, Thanks for this article...it's really inspiring. For me, I'd pick a word every month , words to live by everyday...and the word I picked for this month is LOVE...the greatest one of all...knowing that it is Love that saved us from our sins. Msry loved us so much that she sacrificed her only child, Jesus. Happy New Year & Happy Three Kings to you !!! more power to you in your writings...may God bless you!!!
Hi Debbie, Thanks for this article...it's really inspiring. For me, I'd pick a word every month , words to live by everyday...and the word I picked for this month is LOVE...the greatest one of all...knowing that it is Love that saved us from our sins. Msry loved us so much that she sacrificed her only child, Jesus. Happy New Year & Happy Three Kings to you !!! more power to you in your writings...may God bless you!!!
The word that came to me first was patience, I need to learn to be a little more patient while my hopes and goals are in the process of mainfesting & things are developing day by day")! The second word that came to me was L-O-V-E LOVE we all need love & everything is LOVE its LOvE that makes the world go around :) I love LOVE & being in it as well!
In our church,Unity of Indianapolis, we hold a White Stone Ceremony each year. This Sunday, Jan. 8, is our White Stone Ceremony. In that ceremony, a meditation is done where we ask God for a word or name that sybolizes our new beginning for the year. The White Stone Ceremony comes from the verse in Revelations 2:17- "and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it." It is a very powerful and meaningful ceremony.
Angels on earth or in my prescence is a feeling, a consciousness, a moment of awareness. It can be in a physcial image, a mental image or a thought that seems very focused. I have had this before... kind of in the form of a feeling or a premonition. My story was sad, but it felt very real. I think all of us have these feelings of awareness, of a clear focus on something.... but if we allow it to come to us, allow it to be present without pushinsg for it, I think there is where the angels allow us to be conscious of them.
Mike Luna
I like the idea of having one word to focus on for the year.
I have chosen the word LISTEN. I feel God wants me to talk less and really listen to my family, my friends, and my students. Of course, I will also really listen to what God is telling me too! Thanks for this idea...and happy new year!
The word I choose was JOY. Jesus first, Others second and then You. Happy New Year.
I like the idea of picking one word and using it to pray by and what ever God so choses it for. My word for the 2012 is trust. I have been claiming I need to do more of it like I use to. I also have a life versus, I am going to be learning this year of 2012. I will see what God does in my life this year from the word I picked and the verse I am going to memorize. Thank you Debbie Macomber. My God bless you.
TRUST - This is the word that came to me. There are so many areas in my life where I need to trust the Lord. He is my Rock, my Deliverer, in Him I will trust.
Thanks, Debbie for this inspiring article.
1990.
What a great article and idea. I am going to try that this coming year.....and the first word that came to mind for me was "hope". Where would we be without hope? I am going to "adopt" that as my word of the year.
There are several situtions in my life now that without hope I would be walking in darkness and despair. As soon as I read this article, "hope" came to mind!
I am hopeful that 2012 will be a year full of joy, peace and love.
I, too was moved by this article, and the word that came to me was patience. My husband and I are growing older, and it takes longer for us to hear, and to understand what we are saying to each other when we try to communicate. We also can't remember what the other asked us to do like we used to. In almost every way, we each need more patience with each other. Yes, patience is my chosen word for 2012.
After reading that author Debbie Macomber chooses a new word to “focus on and live by” each year, I decided to try the exercise. Immediately, the word ‘give’ chose me. Excited, I shared the information with my oldest son.
“That’s great, Mom,” he replied. “I can help you with that.”
As he’s spent a great deal of time volunteering, especially this past year as a college freshman, I began to relish the opportunity to work together with him. Then, he explained himself.
“I choose the word ‘receive,’” he offered, smiling.
I not only enjoy reading Debbie Macomber's books, but have begun to learn to knit as a result of reading several on the subject. I'm also thinking of trying the fruitcakes from the recipes in one.
I just read this article while visiting my mother-in-law and was so moved by it, that I wanted to share it with my prayer group on FaceBook. I, too, have begun to choose an annual word. Possibly, I should say, while reading the article, the word chose me. As I read, I thought, "What an excellent idea. Maybe I could do that. If I chose a word for 2012, I think I would choose..." FAITH came immediately to mind.
I have been on a journey. It has been a long climb and has taken me to some places that I would prefer to not have gone. The journey has been interesting, but I have recently found the path leading to God and what part He plays in my life. Given that, I need to remember in 2012 that I must have faith that God will guide, protect and if necessary, use me to not only continue my journey, but if it is His will, to help others who are searching for His divine blessings.
Faith, my chosen word, has already ingrained itself into my head and has become as one with my heartbeat. I pray that I will continue to rely on faith and the important part it will play in my life in 2012. Who knows, after a year of living with faith, it may even become a part of me.
Lovely story, and I think it is wonderful you have a prayer group on fb. Helping others who are searching for Gods divine blessings is such a nice thing to give our Lord. Blessing to you...
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