MY WORD FOR 2025

After failing at New Year's Resolutions for years, in 2011 I joined the One Word movement and chose just one word to focus on for the year. I have smaller goals and things I work toward, but one big word to really focus on and grow in. The first year, I didn't take it serious and don't even remember what my word was. The next year my word was intentional, the next year was heart, then pray, water, me, marriage, joy, progress, less, rooted, peace, draw near, and last year was thrive. All such great words!

I have never finished a year thinking that I have mastered my word. I never will. However, I finish each year knowing I made progress in that area. I learn things about my word and create habits that help me to grow and become a better version of myself.

So on to my word for 2025...

Abide!

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the

branch cannot bear fruit by itself,

unless it abides in the vine, neither

can you, unless you abide in Me.

John 15:4 ESV

I desire to grow closer to God. To live in Him, to remain in Him, to obey Him, to know Him more. I want to abide in Him and bear the fruit He has for me.

Abiding is...

Connecting with Him. This means to spend time with God by reading and studying the Bible, having a prayer life, and worshiping Him. To have a daily connection with God. I don't want my Bible reading or study to become mundane. I don't ever want to feel as though "I know that, so I can skim it." I want to passionately dive into the Word of God and learn and grow. I want a passionate prayer life where I talk and listen to God throughout the day. And I want to worship Him with all my heart. I once had a mature lady at church tell me that she is a little more conservative in her worship at church in front of people. Then she said, "But oh Jenifer, you should see me at home!" When we connect with God through the Word, prayer, and worship, we abide in Him.

Obeying Him. We are to obey God. Period. It doesn't matter if He has called us to a big move across the country, a new job, or giving our last fifty dollars to a family in need, we are to obey. It doesn't matter if He tells us to buy the coffee for the car behind us at the coffee shop, make dinner for an elderly neighbor, or babysit a single mom's kids so she can have a free night, we are to obey. And it doesn't matter if He tells us to turn off a TV show we shouldn't be watching, give up a food we enjoy, or rest more, we are to obey. When we are careful and intentional with obeying Him, we abide in Him.

Accept the pruning. The pruning is hard. No one likes to be disciplined. No likes to be put in their place. But sometimes, that is exactly what God has to do with us. He doesn't do it as this big, mean guy asserting His way. He does it as a loving Father who knows what is best for us and knows that the pruning will help us to flourish and grow into what He has for us. When we accept His pruning, we abide in Him.

But whoever keeps His word, in him
truly the love of God is perfected. By this

we may know that we are in Him: whoever

says he abides in Him ought to walk

in the same way in which He walked.

1 John 2:5-6 ESV

This is how I want to grow this year. I want to abide in Him. I want to grow good fruits He has for me.

What is your One Word for 2025? Share in the comments!

Come back on Thursday as I share my Powersheets goals for the year!

My cute Word Girl image above was created by Michelle Rabon of CoramDeoStudios! Check out her Etsy shop HERE.

WEEKLY BLESSINGS {1/6/25}

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34 CSB

As we begin a new year, let's begin with gratitude. Let's praise God for all He has done for us and all that is to come. There is always something to praise God for, always something to be grateful for. 

What is something you are thanking God for today?

Continuing to count God's sweet blessings...

3795. My husband who just celebrated a birthday. I am so incredibly thankful for this man.

3796. For Christmas, my husband had our VHS wedding videos put on a digital download. I am so thankful that we can now watch our wedding video and preserve it for many more years. (If you have VHS home movies, I highly recommend doing this! The quality goes down on VHS so much that it will eventually ruin your beloved movies.)

3797. A wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

3798. Time spent with loved ones.

3799. A new year. While there is nothing magical about January 1st, I love a fresh year.

It's your turn! Share something you are praising God for. I would love to rejoice with you.

What To Do When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed As A Parent

 Contributed post

The days can be hard and long for a working parent. You want to make sure that you feel your best and have plenty of natural energy to carry you through each day.

There may be times when your to-do list piles up and you experience additional stress. It may also be a busier time of the year such as the holidays or maybe your kids are struggling at school. Any of these situations can put more strain on you. It’s important to recognize this and take action to get to a better place. Learn more about what to do when you are feeling overwhelmed as a parent. 

Head Outside for A Walk or Hike

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and reset. It can be something as simple as heading outside for a walk or hike. Even in the wintertime, it’s a good idea to get outdoors and breathe in some fresh air which can be quite invigorating. All you have to do is dress warm by investing in a long winter puff coat and some of the warmest thermal socks. Walking will help you blow off some steam and you’ll return home feeling more like yourself. You’ll not only be boosting your mental health but burning off some calories in the process.

Assign Chores to Your Family

It’s never a bad idea to reach out and ask for help with chores when you’re feeling overwhelmed. One great idea is to turn to your family members such as your spouse and kids for assistance. There are likely many different ways they can pitch in and lend you a hand. Get them excited about contributing by rewarding them with a small toy or allowance for their efforts. It may help to hold family meetings to sit down and go over what each person is in charge of. 

Indulge in Self-Care Activities

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s more important than ever to take good care of yourself and boost your physical and mental health. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you indulge in a mix of self-care activities. It doesn’t have to be long and involved or take up a lot of time. It can be something as simple as putting your feet up for a 20-minute nap or taking a warm shower before bedtime. When you practice self-care and put your needs first you’ll find you’re a better caretaker and person in general. 

Take A Vacation & Some Time Off of Work

When you are feeling overwhelmed it may be because you have too much on your plate or are working too hard. In this case, it’s a wise idea to practice work-life balance and take some time off of work. Use your vacation days and head out on a trip somewhere fun and exciting. If you don’t have time for an extended getaway then you can always take a long weekend and go on a road trip. A vacation is a great way to unplug and give yourself a much-needed break from your daily to-do list and responsibilities. You’ll return to your job feeling refreshed and ready to work hard.vacation days

BECOMING A WOMAN OF THE WORD

 This book of instruction must not depart

from your mouth; you are to meditate on it

day and night so that you may carefully observe

everything written in it. For then you will

prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Joshua 1:8 CSB

At Woman to Woman Ministries, it is our desire to cultivate a community of women who are in the Word of God every day. We want to help women grow in their desire to become women of the Word and who strive to live by the Word.

However, we know it can be hard. No matter what season of life you're in -a college student, career woman, new mom, mom of teens, empty nester, retiree- you are busy. We are often on the go from the moment the sun rises in the morning and rarely stop until well after dark. Our lives are busy, busy even with good things. Because of the busyness, our time with God is often what gets pushed to the back burner. The thing that should be first, the highest priority, often falls last.

So how can we become women of the Word through the busyness of everyday life?

To continue reading, please join me at Woman to Woman Ministries. Click HERE.

YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD {GIVEAWAY}

Today I am thrilled to share with you the You Are a Child of God coloring book!

This faith-based children's coloring book is not your average coloring book. You Are a Child of God helps create meaningful connections, showing children God's deep love and purpose for them.

With each page, your child will read quotes taken from the Bible and color beautiful pictures. At the end of the book, you will find Bible references where the pages are based from.

You Are a Child of God is not just for kids. This coloring book would be good for teens, adults, special needs, anyone. Coloring -whether with crayons, markers, pencils, or even watercolors- creates a calming atmosphere for any age.

Check out You Are a Child of God HERE.

Giveaway:
One reader will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. To enter, simply leave your name and email address in the comments. The winner will be chosen at random and emailed from jenifer@jenifermetzger.org on Friday, December 13th. (Please note: giveaway is open to US residents only.)

Disclosure:
Many thanks to GoodWorks Mission for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.