Welcome 2009

Over the past few years I have selected a Word of the Year. I got the idea from Ali Edwards (scrapbooking blog). My word for 2009 ...
sim·pli·fy
Pronunciation: \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: French simplifier, from Medieval Latin simplificare, from simplus simple
Date: 1759

: to make simple or simpler: as a: to reduce to basic essentials b: to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline c: to make more intelligible : clarify
I found a few quotes about simplifying life online:
Making the simple complicated is commonplace;
making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
-Charles Mingus

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have
into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos
to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes
sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
-Melody Beattie

Voluntary simplicity isn't about giving things up -- it's about making room in your life and your mind for the things that are really important to you.

I loved Sunday's message ... Will and Dan did an excellent job of sharing about making room in our heart for love, joy, peace, etc. I loved the visual of the heart ... it was simple to grasp and very relevant to the new year. It helped me confirm my word for the year.
Simplifying might mean slowing down this year, making room in all areas of my life, giving up - letting go, having a heart of gratitude ... more "being" and less "doing." I think this is the season of life I am entering ... not in accumulation but in being truly thankful for what I have.
In her 2007 newsletter Ali Edwards stated, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?"
Wishing you a healthy, joy-filled, life changing 2009!