Word of the Year 2024: Settings Goals in Faith, Family, and Business

New Year’s represents a fresh start and choosing a word of the year 2024 can help you focus on what God wants to do in your life.

Let’s talk about this Word of the Year trend. It’s not something that I am completely comfortable with all the time. I remember a few years ago seeing people posting about their word of the year on Facebook and social media.

I think I tried once or twice to choose a word because I felt like I needed to work on something. Then I failed miserably because I was just trying to choose something to be on-trend or cool.  Last year, for the first time, I felt a word kind of settle over me from God. 

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It was something that he was leading me into and I’m a little bit more comfortable with it now than I used to be. My piece of advice here is don’t just go choose a word and think that’s going to be your theme of the year because it probably won’t work. 

If you feel God stirring something specific in your heart follow that because it can be really powerful and impactful. 

Word of the Year 2023: Restoration

As I said, last year I felt something stirring in my heart and the word that I was given last year was restoration. I was excited because restoration is something new. It reminds me of that verse in Isaiah: see I’m doing a new thing it springs up. Forgive me for butchering the verse. 

I was excited about the concept of restoration. I shared about it in a group and this woman, who now works for me as an assistant, mentioned that you have to strip everything down before you can restore it. I was like, no. Hold up. Wait a minute. I don’t like that part. 

I just want the pretty finished piece of furniture at the end. I don’t want the raw piece of wood we’re going to have to get through to get there. In my last episode of the year, I talked about 2023 and all that it brought. 

I do feel like God restored so much in my life and not just in my business. I feel like there was true restoration of my faith in some ways I can’t explain in words. Being called to head cover was such a huge momentous experience for me. I have a new podcast episode about it coming up. 

It completely changed me as a person. There was a restoration in my marriage from it and there was a restoration across the board in my business. There was also other restoration in my life as well. For the first time since having seven kids, I worked hard and I lost all of the weight I had ever gained. 

I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight. There was a restoration of health that went in there, which is ironic because I caught COVID at the end of the year. It taught me so much about stewardship of myself and my body.

I’ve been on a health journey for quite a few years now focusing on wellness. Something I’m really passionate about. I talk about it in my programs, here on the podcast, and on the blog too because it’s a part of who we are. How we feel about ourselves and how our body feels is tied to our health. For me, there was a big restoration there.

Word of the Year 2024: Expand

When I put this episode on my content schedule I didn’t have a word of the year yet. I started doing the same thing I did a few years ago where I tried to make something happen that wasn’t really happening. I knew that God had been faithful last year to give me this amazing word and then to fulfill it and see it out to its completion. So I trusted that he would give me something for 2024.

True to form much earlier than expected. I started to feel something settling on me in November and the word was “expand”. I didn’t want to be hasty and jump the gun. I was really happy that it was something that started stirring in me early so that I could pray on it and reflect and think about what it meant. And then to, of course, ask God a hundred times, if this word is what we’re doing for the new year.

I’ll be honest with you, all of the things I’m going to say from here on out are purely speculation because I don’t know what he’s going to do. I didn’t know what restoration meant last year and I don’t know what expansion means for this year either. I’m just here to follow whatever he’s calling me to do. 

The funny part of this is that when I first heard the word expand as the theme for 2024 I had to laugh because I was very expansive at that time. I was very pregnant so our family technically expanded. This gives me a segue for today’s episode because one of the areas that I am hoping to expand a little bit relates to our family and the logistics of our family size at this point. 

Family

There are a couple of areas where logistically speaking, we have some challenges with seven children. In this economy, they are a little more difficult than they would’ve been a few years ago. I am just praying for clarity and guidance on how to navigate these changes in a way that works for our family and our budget. 

My husband and I, and our family, have dreams. I think everybody has dreams and goals that they want to achieve. One of our dreams is to get away from the coast a little bit because we live in a hurricane area. 

We dream about buying some land that’s not quite as close to the coast. Wouldn’t it be great to expand that way and for that dream to really start to come to fruition or for us to start to nail down some solid plans there? 

I went and looked up the word expand because I wanted to see what the definitions were. It means to become or make larger or more extensive. When I heard the word expand, I was like, Lord please don’t make me expand any larger than I am right now because being pregnant is pretty expansive. 

It also means to open up or unfold. I found it really interesting to think about a flower unfurling and expanding. I also found a less-known definition that means to feel generous or optimistic. I feel like all of those things are great places to expand. 

Faith

As far as my faith, I don’t know what God’s got planned. I know that I would love to personally expand my morning time. Especially with having a newborn and being in the postpartum phase, everything feels chaotic. Sleep comes and goes, it’s never predictable. 

Being able to expand that daily time is important to me at this point. Last year was such a huge momentous shift in my faith journey that part of me wants to say, I don’t know how he could top that. I’m sure he can top it and surprise me and just take my breath away. I’m here for whatever he wants to expand in that area. I will take whatever he’s got.

Finance/Business

Finally, what is expansion going to mean for me as a business owner? Last year felt pretty expansive, to be honest, and I don’t know what this year’s going to bring, but I’m excited. I love these words that hold so much promise in a way. 

I don’t have to know the answers. I just have to know that God did lay this word on my heart and I have prayed about it. I feel confident that this is the word and the theme of 2024 and I am just here for whatever God asked me to do.

After maternity leave, I am taking some time to rest and enjoy the expansion of my little large family here and see what he has planned. I don’t know what he has planned. I can tell you some of the ideas that I’ve had.

I’ve had thoughts and quite a few people have talked to me about writing a book about the style journey that I’m on. One of the plans that I made for this year for my business is to refocus on the website and the blog because it has been a little neglected over the past couple years. 

Then it’s just being consistent with some other things like the podcast. Expanding my reach is important to me because I feel like there are so many women who are really down on themselves, who truly look in the mirror and just want to cry and sometimes burst into tears.

That breaks my heart because God did not create us to feel downtrodden like that. He does not want us to feel those negative thoughts about ourselves. Obviously, he does not want us to inflate ourselves and put ourselves on a pedestal above just being his creation and being his daughter. 

Seeing ourselves as both powerful in what Christ did for us and weak in our humanity and being in that middle place without hating on ourselves or thinking bad things about ourselves. One of the things that comes to mind as far as a value that I carry and that I want to share with other women is this concept of freedom.

I need to expand that reach so people can hear those important things and realize that we are not how we look. We are not the clothes that we wear. We are not the size of our clothes. We are not the color of our hair or the wrinkles on our skin or any of the imperfections that we see and obsess over. 

We are truly powerful daughters of the king. He has given us so many gifts. The gift of salvation. The gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us constantly making us more Christ-like, more righteous, closer to holiness, and closer to God and all these ways. I just cannot stand to see women struggling in these areas.

I totally want to expand that reach and get that message out there. I have no idea what God’s going to do and I can’t wait in a way. It’s always exciting to me to think about what this episode will sound like next year. To see what the expansion is going to be like on the other side. 

To find out what God is going to do, show me and bring me and my family and my faith. How is he going to grow me as a daughter of the king and as a voice of his truth? 

How to Choose Your Own Word of the Year 

Ready to choose your own word of the year? Remember my advice above about not just picking a word that sounds like a “good idea”. Take the time to really sit and think and let it be a “God idea.”

Choosing Your Word

Begin your journey with heartfelt prayer over a period of time, seeking God’s insight into the word He has for you this year. Reflect on scriptures that have stirred your heart and consider areas of your life where God is calling for growth or change. 

Your chosen word should resonate with you on a deep level, feeling like a future promise towards the path God is laying out. It might be a word that frequently surfaces in your prayers or bible readings, or a constant whisper from God about the direction He wants you to take.

Implementing Your Word

Once your word is chosen, it’s time to weave it into the fabric of your daily life. Start by incorporating it into your daily devotions and prayers. Let it guide your reading of the Bible, providing a lens through which to interpret God’s word. 

Create visual reminders of your word – write it on sticky notes and place them around your home, or make it part of a piece of art that you see everyday. Grab these free affirmations and templates to make them gorgeous.

This constant visual presence will serve as a daily reminder and reflection point, keeping you focused on how God is using this word in your life.

Sharing Your Journey

Your journey with your Word of the Year is not just a personal experience; it’s a testimony of God’s work in your life. Share this journey with others in your church community, small groups, or online Christian communities.

This sharing creates a bond of fellowship and accountability, and it’s amazing to see how God’s word can work differently in each person’s life. Your story might inspire others, just as you might find encouragement and new perspectives from theirs.

Reflecting on Progress

Regular reflection is key to understanding the impact of your word. Set aside time each month to sit quietly with God, reviewing how the word has influenced your thoughts, actions, and spiritual growth. Consider keeping a journal dedicated to this purpose. 

This can be a space for you to write down thoughts, prayers, and any revelations or struggles related to your word. Write down ways the word has expressed itself in all the areas of your life, from faith, family, and every other place it touches

This way you can track your spiritual journey over the year, seeing how you’ve grown and how closely you’ve walked with God through your focus on this word.

Thank you for letting me talk about words of the year. I would love it if you could leave a comment and tell me your word of the year, what it means to you, what you’re hoping for. New Year’s Day is my favorite holiday because I truly love the idea of a fresh new start. 

I love the purity and cleanliness that it seems to represent. A fresh slate to do all new things. If you’re into traditions, make sure to eat some black eye peas and cabbage, because that is what we southerners do for some weird reason. I’m excited to see what this year brings for you.

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If God places a word of the year for 2024 on your heart, open up and trust Him to lead all the areas of your life into something beautiful and new.