20 Words

A friend and I have been experimenting.

For the past month, we've been blogging each week on a joint blog with the goals of living, appreciating, connecting and refining.  In life, relationships and everything in between.  You could almost say it's been like "texting" one another each weekend summing up our thoughts for the week on a certain word.

For the first month, our word was "words."  We focused on this word each week and then blogged our thoughts in exactly 20 words (to keep it short, thoughtful and manageable).  Our thoughts on "words" ranged from saying too much, choosing our words, hurtful words, words being unable to capture certain moments, anticipation of words, others' words deeply changing us, etc...

It was such a fruitful exercise!  I feel like I was very aware for the month of December of my words (good and bad).  I'm looking forward to our year ahead with this project as we kick off January blogging about "possibility."

So, in closing of 2010, a few of my thoughts about my own words...

• I often use too many
• When said in angry moments, without thinking them through, they are ALWAYS hurtful
• Sometimes I don't need them (even if I think I do)
• Some moments are more beautiful without them
• I love reading and writing them!
• Others' spoken into my life can be so encouraging & life-giving... and these I cherish
• There is room for faith and trust in the anticipation of words
• Even if words haven't been exchanged for AGES, it's okay & often a beautiful exchange when you pick back up where you left off

I love them... everything about them.  So many stories to be told!  May I tell a few in 2011 and be blessed to hear many more...