One Word for 2013

This is the fourth year of my choosing a word.
Hope in 2010,
Grace in 2011, 
and
Fellowship in 2012.

I remember as an elementary school-aged child when my mother would suggest writing out my New Year's Resolution(s). I sat down and probably wrote out 20 things because I was all about high numbers back then. A couple items I remember from the list were feed the dog and shine my father's shoes. I probably fed the dog a few times that year, yet not on a regular basis (don't worry, my mother saw that the dog was fed).... but I can guarantee I never shined my father's shoes.

In August of 2012 I began reading The One Year Chronological Bible.

Please understand that what I mean is that I didn't read it from January through July.

And I wish that I could tell you that I finally read through Revelation for the first time in my life.

But I can't tell you that either.

Yet on December 29th (while reading Revelation) I read the following scripture:

Anyone with ears to hear
  should listen and understand.
Anyone who is destined for prison
  will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
  will die by the sword.
This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.
Revelation 13: 9-10 (NLT)

This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
Revelation 14: 12 (NLT)

My One Word for 2013: Endure.

At first glance you may think I'm expecting horrible things to happen this year but I have to say that I don't know what 2013 holds for me.

When I was a young adult with young children I could "bank on" certain things happening. Kids going to school, playing sports or musical instruments, vacations in Wildwood, NJ, etc. (In fact last year was the first time in I don't know how many years that we didn't go to Wildwood.)

But the older I become I see life as much shorter, and a gift to be thankful for every day.

en·dure

[en-doo r, -dyoo r]  Show IPA verb, en·dured,en·dur·ing.

verb (used with object)

1.

to hold out against; sustain without impairment or yielding;undergo

2.

to bear without resistance or with patience; tolerate

3.

to admit of; allow; bear

verb (used without object)

4.

to continue to exist; last

5.

to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently

6.

to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition, as of worth, merit or greatness

from Dictionary.com

I looked up and (ok I admit) I highlighted the words endure and endurance in my Bible, where I read more encouraging scripture about how God's faithful love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34), the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13), and about the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Yes, I will endure and have endurance in 2013.

I look forward to seeing what God will teach me this year.

As a side note, I read Debbie Macomber's book One Perfect Word: One Word Can Make All the Difference in 2012 and highly recommend it! Great ideas on how to choose a word and work with it throughout the year.

This year I'm linking to these two blogs:

One Word 365


Do you choose a word? If so, please share.