After taking time yesterday to reflect on my 2011 word for the year (intentional) it's time to dive into a new year.  For several weeks, I've been prayerfully considering my word for the new year--my word that sums up my focus rather than having new year's resolutions.  And, drum roll...my word for 2012 is grace.  

Grace.  When it first came to mind, I thought it too simple.  Grace?  Duh.  That's basic.  But, as 2011 wound up, I realized that I don't do grace well.  I don't accept God's grace well.  Shaking a guilt mentality is still a struggle for me as  I tend to guilt trip myself constantly.  And, I'm sure when I really start diving into this journey of grace, I'll realize just how much I guilt my kids even though I try not to.  I just don't have grace on myself when I mess up or miss the mark.  And again--I'm sure that trickle down theory means I don't extend enough grace to others.  Just keeping it real folks.  As I stated yesterday--I got a long way to go.

So today, I was really excited to dive into grace.  I started in my favorite Wycliffe Bible dictionary and looked up grace.  I figure really grasping the definition from a Biblical perspective is a good starting point for wrapping my head and heart around grace.  As I read the rich, long definition I knew that I could indeed spend an entire year--and more--exploring grace and all it's multifaceted definitions and applications.

Here's where I focused today--at the beginning.  In the Old Testament, the original word was hen (with an overscore on the e--which I cannot find a way to do on this keyboard).  It means "favor", and the first definition is unmerited (in other words, UNEARNED) favor of a superior to an inferior.   Here is the first Scripture referenced.