I’m quite a bit more behind the curve with this year’s One Word than I was last year. My word last year was ‘engage’ and, whether intentionally or unintentionally, much of my life last year either reflected or was largely shaped by the essence of that word.
Going into 2012, I kept coming back to a word I hadn’t chosen, but which seemed to be choosing me.
This time last year, my friend Alece was kicking off the new year with an idea called One Word 2011 on her blog. The concept was simple: instead of a resolution, choose a word, “one word”, that you would strive to center your thoughts and actions around for the next 12 months. Though I had never done this before, I loved the idea and dove in head-first.
My word was “engage”. I can’t say I knew exactly what it would look like, it is just what seemed to be jumping out at me. So, ‘engage’ it was and off into 2011 I went.
Looking back, I can see how, sometimes intentionally, others unintentionally, the essence of the word ‘engage’ was consistently at the core of many areas of my life throughout 2011.
… or do.
Truth is, my blog has sucked… for a good, long minute. I started this blog on February 28, 2010. In the 15 or so months that followed, I wrote… a lot… chronicling my journey as it was happening. Once I hit June of 2011, a few things shifted for me. Life changed a little, my job changed, the Joplin tornado happened, and all of it together, combined with the momentum of the previous 15 months, left me pretty much worn out and I didn’t really know what I wanted to say.
Apart from the health challenge I was on over the summer, I haven’t blogged anything of any significance in about 6 months. However, while I may have been quiet in telling the stories, I have continued to live them.
I recently came across this kinetic typography video by Peter Artemenko, featuring an excerpt of one of Timothy Keller’s sermons. I loved it!
After watching it a few times, I started hearing it against a beat of some kind. So I played around with it in iMovie for awhile and ended up with this… True & Better (The REMIX)… a 2 minute collision of TRUTH & THUMP. Keller goes street. Word to your mother.
It all started Sunday, October 25, 2009.
U2 was playing the last show of the U.S.leg of their 360° Tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. I was one of an estimated 10 million people who tuned in to watch the show streamed live on YouTube. I was blown away. I had to see this show in person.
The next morning, dates were announced for a second U.S. leg of the tour to kick off in Summer 2010. I looked at the dates and saw Denver on the tour schedule for June 12, 2010, the day after my birthday. BAM! There it was! I called one of my best friends, Josh, to see if he was down for heading to Denver to see U2 for my birthday. He was. We purchased our tickets on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, and it was on!
