Moments of GRACE - One Word for 2016

Okay, drum roll......I have been deliberating what my "One Word" for 2016 should be.  A couple of months ago, while listening to the radio on my way to work, I heard a song that seemed to "speak" to me...along with other thoughts and insights hitting me at the same time...and the word GRACE just seemed to leap out at me, so much so that I grabbed something from my purse to write on, found a pen, and as I was driving down the road (I know, dangerous), I wrote this note to myself:

Not the part about the "coupons due to expire soon", but the note scribbled on the end..."One word 2016 GRACE and  "Your Grace Finds Me"  was the song.  Click HERE for "Your Grace Finds Me" by Matt Redman.  The song was a part of the interview that the radio (JoyFm) station was having with Louie Giglio about his new book entitled "The Comeback".  I haven't read the book yet, but it is on my list of books to read for 2016.

Anyway, back to the "One Word" event...that day I determined that my One Word for 2016 would be "GRACE".  I even wrote another note and put it in my Bible so I wouldn't forget...along with some other notes from the book of Esther 4:14, which really didn't have anything to do with grace, but it definitely had something to do with what I was going through at that moment in time, and it was definitely a test of "grace".  

But here we are in the first week of January, 2016, and I still was not exactly sure that this was supposed to be my "One Word" for 2016.  I kept trying to come up with something better. Why? I don't know. Not sure why I am trying to avoid the word "Grace".  But I have been. So tonight I thought to myself, "Okay Pam, you need to nail this down. It is time to quit playing around with this and get down to business.  The year will be half over before you discover your One Word if you don't pay attention to what God has been trying to tell you all along."

So I thought I would do the old open up the Bible and find some kind of answer trick. You know the one, where you open the Bible and point to any verse that happens to appear and proclaim that to be God's message to you today? Who hasn't ever done that?  I admit, I have.  Well, anyway, I actually opened up one of my little devotional books that I like to read, and this bookmark fell out on my lap:

Well, would you look at that???? What does that verse say at the bottom?

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."  Romans 16:20

and THEN it says "Moments of GRACE"

Still not totally convinced, (yeah, I know, dense, stubborn, not full of GRACE), I turned the little bookmark over to the back and what does it say?

Need I say more? God got His message through to me.  My ONE WORD for 2016 is

GRACE

and I expect that He will be demonstrating many moments of GRACE to me throughout the year.  As I become aware of this "great Grace, such grace", I hope to share these special moments with you. I have a feeling I have some things to learn.  We'll start with this verse:

"But He gives more grace.  Therefore He says:

God resists the proud,

but gives GRACE to the humble."

James 4:6

Yes, I expect I have a LOT to learn.  Humility is not one of my better traits.  

So, are you ready to join me?  Let's start watching for those special "Moments of Grace"...and 

"May these fill your cup of blessing as you reflect on the love of Christ Jesus for you today and always!"  (bookmark from CTA, Inc.)