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My One Word for 2014: Alignment

By Anita Mathias

one_word_alignmentThis the first year that I have chosen One Word for the year.

“One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.

One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

Your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.”

I had thought of choosing “Nothing” last year, as in “The Son can do nothing by himself.” (John 5:19) or “By myself, I can do nothing,” (John 5:30)—but it seems a bit too “Click on me” and attention-seeking, like a trick One Word.

My hope was that I would do nothing—not choose a holiday destination, blog topic, activity, or conflict, without checking in with Him. But perhaps it is providential that I never did write that post, for I have failed. J

* * *

I played with a couple of words this year. Exponential, a word inspired by Idelette who describes it: Not one plus one plus one. 1 + 1 + 1 but the zing of multiplication.

Oh, Lord, I thought: I want that, I need that, in my writing and in my life.

I could write so much more than I do. I could lose so much more weight. I could use my time so much better. I need your wind in my sails.

* * *

The other word I wanted and desired was “acceleration.”

Then I thought of that Ignatian question, “How do these words make me feel?”

Short answer: Tired.

Nope, they were not for me. The updraft of the Holy Spirit was not in them.

They were fine as prayer requests, as free gifts from God, but not as goals.

* * *

So I choose another word which is the real, true desire of my heart: Alignment.

I visualise God as a waterfall tumbling with good ideas. The ideas we need to blog better, to run a home or business better, to get healthier or parent better are found in Him (a bit like the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter, but one for good ideas). I want to bring my mind, spirit and imagination in alignment with him.

I see Jesus as a very kind person who knew how to love. I want to bring my heart in alignment with his.

I can be full of nervous energy, bursting with ideas, plans, dreams, schemes and ambitions. I want to bring these into alignment with the dream He has for me–for He has a dream for me, just as I have a dream for each of my daughters.

He is wisdom. I picture his wisdom as a straight golden ray of light, like you sometimes see on sunny days in Oxford. I want to step into that ray of golden light, in alignment with him.

All of us do, achieve, produce a fraction of what we are capable of, and a fraction of what we want to because we fritter away our energy on ideas, activities and plans which are out of alignment with who we really are; with the dreams and ambitions we have for ourselves; and the destiny our Heavenly Father has in mind for us.

I want to submit what I write, where I travel, what I buy, what projects I take on to my Father’s wisdom. I want them to be in alignment with his ideas.

I want to slow down, to live deliberately, in Thoreau’s phrase. Ah, that would be another nice resolution: “I will live my life slowly!”

* * *

One last reason I want to be in alignment with God: He is truly a waterfall of ideas. When I am still and quiet and listen, ideas and creativity flow, more ideas for blog posts than I have time to write.

When I am tired, I feel a bit insecure, too middle-aged, not disciplined enough, not energetic enough, not well-read enough.

When God’s people tell him about their inadequacies, he does not bother to reassure them. (Some of these things may well be true!!)

He has another solution.

* * *

 This was Jeremiah’s response to his prophetic call:

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.” (Jer 1 6-9)

Alignment: When God puts words in your mouth.

Or as the Lord reassured Moses,

“The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:11

For that, one must be in alignment.

* * *

When we are in alignment, God helps us speak and teaches us what to say, and a blog post or essay or talk which could take hours or days can be done rapidly, and is exponentially better too.

Exponentially better, exponentially faster, exponentially more—the only way I know to bring off any of the above so that the very thought does not weary me is:

Alignment.

So Lord, take 2014. Make it an amazing year in my life, the best so far. And let me live it in alignment with you.


Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
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Filed Under: In which I explore the Spiritual Life, In which I surrender all Tagged With: Alignment, One Word 2014

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Comments

  1. Michele Burke says

    February 11, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Hi Anita. Just found this post and although it is February it is not too late to choose a word for the year. I always have an action sentence for each year so I boiled my 2014 sentence down to the word Focus. With so many distractions in life I must continually remind myself to keep my focus on Jesus. To “live deliberately” requires remaining focused on the reason we are on this earth. Thank you for the post! I feel better equipped with my 2014 word which will be strategically posted in my house. God bless!

    • Anita Mathias says

      February 11, 2014 at 6:12 pm

      Focus: What a fantastic word. I really need it–I am sure it would save me a dozen hour or more a week!

  2. Claudia Dahinden says

    January 13, 2014 at 8:21 am

    Great idea, Anita, to concentrate on one word/idea! I thought about that after reading your post, and I came up with an expression in three words that sum up my attitude to 2014 (and my love for “Star Trek”): “To boldly go!” I’ll selfpublish my first book and CD in May, and for this process, the marketing and everything included, I need all the boldness I can get – “to go where no man (are at least not me) has gone before” 🙂 Thanks for your inspiring post!

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 13, 2014 at 10:46 am

      Yay.
      I love your phrase.
      Here’s another verse for you (and me) “Do not be afraid.” (Luke 12:32).

      • Claudia Dahinden says

        January 14, 2014 at 9:56 am

        So true – thank you 🙂

  3. Bev Murrill says

    January 9, 2014 at 8:46 am

    Thanks for this, Anita… great word! My word is Innovate! It’s a new season for me… new country, new roles, new focuses… so I need to be an innovator… I’m excited about the way forward.

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 9, 2014 at 8:57 am

      How exciting. Will you be returning to Australia?

      • Bev Murrill says

        January 9, 2014 at 8:58 am

        I’m here already Anita… we arrived here on New Years’ Eve after 18 years living in UK>

        • Anita Mathias says

          January 9, 2014 at 10:30 am

          Oh lucky, lucky you, enjoying an Australian summer. There’s massive flooding here at the moment!

          • Bev Murrill says

            January 9, 2014 at 10:44 am

            we are definitely blessed… and praying for UK at the moment… x

  4. Elizabeth Jones (@chaplaineliza) says

    January 9, 2014 at 6:01 am

    Wonderful post, Anita. I could tell that the words simply flowed. I love that God is speaking so clearly to you. Alignment is an awesome goal. Being aligned with God . . . wow. I wish I could be.

    God has whispered to me about this idea of 365 days of service, a year of being kind. This is not quite what my orientation always has been, for years. But, I think God might be bringing me into a different season of my walk with Him. I strongly suspect both you and I will find some twists and turns in 2014, as we both encounter God in our prayer lives as well as our interactions with others.

    God’s richest blessings on you and your family!

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 9, 2014 at 8:28 am

      Twists and turns sounds scary, but they describe life, don’t they, and in the twists and turns we grow.
      365 days of service sounds amazing, and perspective-changing. Every blessing on it!

  5. Rhoda says

    January 8, 2014 at 10:15 pm

    Great word! I have been thinking recently that the solution to many relationship problems would be to pray for God’s view of it, aligning ourselves with His perspective 🙂

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 9, 2014 at 8:25 am

      Thanks. Rhoda. Happy New Year.
      Have you picked yours?

  6. Kathy says

    January 8, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    I enjoyed your exploration of what “one word” would be representative for the year 2014. It is true that we need to be open to the Lord so that he would align us with His purpose, and put His words in our mouths. My word for 2014 is “persevere” as I need to follow through with all the projects that I feel God has entrusted to me. This way of using just one word instead of a list of resolutions makes me hopeful of achieving what God has in store for me. May you too find the joy and peace that comes from alignment in His ways.

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 8, 2014 at 7:13 pm

      Persevere is a lovely word.
      It’s what I tell myself about housework. Perseverance and consistency will get any amount of stuff decluttered–eventually!!

  7. Mollie Lyon says

    January 8, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    I love the idea of alignment with mine of abundance. I was tired of always feeling my needs weren’t met, even though I know they are. I tire of other Christians living with a spirit of poverty. We have so much, that we need alignment with God to reach for what is needed at the moment. I know God planted that word in my life for this year and I’m sure we will both grow with the words given us.

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 8, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      The One Word is a lovely idea, isn’t it?

  8. Alison Hector says

    January 8, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    Happy new year, Anita! I love your One Word and the concept of God’s waterfall of ideas. You’re right; when we’re aligned with Him, the flow from the Spirit is unstoppable.

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 8, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      Do you have a word, Alison!

  9. Ang says

    January 8, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    I love your candor, Anita. 🙂 The thought of acceleration makes me feel tired, also! Alignment sounds like a terrific word for you this year. Keep writing & press on!

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 8, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      Will do. Have you chosen a word?
      Fun to connect on FB!

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If you'll forgive me for adding to the noise of th If you'll forgive me for adding to the noise of the world on Black Friday, my memoir ,Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India, is on sale on Kindle all over the world for a few days. 
Carolyn Weber (who has written "Surprised by Oxford," an amazing memoir about coming to faith in Oxford https://amzn.to/3XyIftO )  has written a lovely endorsement of my memoir:
"Joining intelligent winsomeness with an engaging style, Anita Mathias writes with keen observation, lively insight and hard earned wisdom about navigating the life of thoughtful faith in a world of cultural complexities. Her story bears witness to how God wastes nothing and redeems all. Her words sing of a spirit strong in courage, compassion and a pervasive dedication to the adventure of life. As a reader, I have been challenged and changed by her beautifully told and powerful story - so will you."
The memoir is available on sale on Amazon.co.uk at https://amzn.to/3u0Ib8o and on Amazon.com at https://amzn.to/3u0IBvu and is reduced on the other Amazon sites too.
Thank you, and please let me know if you read and enjoy it!! #memoir #indianchildhood #india
Second birthday party. Determinedly escaping! So i Second birthday party. Determinedly escaping!
So it’s a beautiful November here in Oxford, and the trees are blazing. We will soon be celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary…and are hoping for at least 33 more!! 
And here’s a chapter from my memoir of growing up Catholic in India… rosaries at the grotto, potlucks, the Catholic Family Movement, American missionary Jesuits, Mangaloreans, Goans, and food, food food…
https://anitamathias.com/2022/11/07/rosaries-at-the-grotto-a-chapter-from-my-newly-published-memoir-rosaries-reading-steel-a-catholic-childhood-in-india/
Available on Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/3Apjt5r and on Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3gcVboa and wherever Amazon sells books, as well as at most online retailers.
#birthdayparty #memoir #jamshedpur #India #rosariesreadingsecrets
Friends, it’s been a while since I blogged, but Friends, it’s been a while since I blogged, but it’s time to resume, and so I have. Here’s a blog on an absolutely infallible secret of joy, https://anitamathias.com/2022/10/28/an-infallible-secret-of-joy/
Jenny Lewis, whose Gilgamesh Retold https://amzn.to/3zsYfCX is an amazing new translation of the epic, has kindly endorsed my memoir. She writes, “With Rosaries, Reading and Secrets, Anita Mathias invites us into a totally absorbing world of past and present marvels. She is a natural and gifted storyteller who weaves history and biography together in a magical mix. Erudite and literary, generously laced with poetic and literary references and Dickensian levels of observation and detail, Rosaries is alive with glowing, vivid details, bringing to life an era and culture that is unforgettable. A beautifully written, important and addictive book.”
I would, of course, be delighted if you read it. Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/3gThsr4 and Amazon.com https://amzn.to/3WdCBwk #joy #amwriting #amblogging #icecreamjoy
Wandering around Oxford with my camera, photograph Wandering around Oxford with my camera, photographing ancient colleges! Enjoy.
And just a note that Amazon is offering a temporary discount on my memoir, Rosaries, Reading, Steel https://amzn.to/3UQN28z . It’s £7.41.
Here’s an endorsement from my friend, Francesca Kay, author of the beautiful novel, “An Equal Stillness.” This is a beautifully written account of a childhood, so evocative, so vivid. The textures, colours and, above all, the tastes of a particular world are lyrically but also precisely evoked and there was much in it that brought back very clear memories of my own. Northern India in the 60s, as well as Bandra of course – dust and mercurochrome, Marie biscuits, the chatter of adult voices, the prayers, the fruit trees, dogs…. But, although you rightly celebrate the richness of that world, you weave through this magical remembrance of things past a skein of sadness that makes it haunting too. It’s lovely!” #oxford #beauty
So, I am not going to become a book-bore, I promis So, I am not going to become a book-bore, I promise, but just to let you know that my memoir "Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India," is now available in India in paperback. https://www.amazon.in/s?k=rosaries+reading+secrets&crid=3TLDQASCY0WTH&sprefix=rosaries+r%2Caps%2C72&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_10My endorsements say it is evocative, well-written, magical, haunting, and funny, so I'd be thrilled if you bought a copy on any of the Amazon sites. 
Endorsements 
A beautifully written account. Woven through this magical remembrance of things past is a skein of sadness that makes it haunting. Francesca Kay, An Equal Stillness. 
A dazzling vibrant tale of childhood in post-colonial India. Mathias conjures 1960s India and her family in uproarious and heart-breaking detail. Erin Hart, Haunted Ground 
Mathias invites us into a wonderfully absorbing and thrilling world of past and present marvels… generously laced with poetic and literary references and Dickensian levels of observation and detail. A beautifully written, important, and addictive book. Jenny Lewis, Gilgamesh Retold 
Tormented, passionate and often sad, Mathias’s beautiful childhood memoir is immensely readable. Trevor Mostyn, Coming of Age in The Middle East.
A beautifully told and powerful story. Joining intelligent winsomeness with an engaging style, Mathias writes with keen observation, lively insight and hard-earned wisdom. Carolyn Weber, Surprised by Oxford 
A remarkable account. A treasure chest…full of food (always food), books (always books), a family with all its alliances and divisions. A feat of memory and remembrance. Philip Gooden, The Story of English
Anita’s pluck and charm shine through every page of this beautifully crafted, comprehensive and erudite memoir. 
Ray Foulk, Picasso’s Revenge
Mathias’s prose is lively and evocative. An enjoyable and accessible book. Sylvia Vetta, Sculpting the Elephant
Anita Mathias is an is an accomplished writer. Merryn Williams, Six Women Novelists
Writing a memoir awakens fierce memories of the pa Writing a memoir awakens fierce memories of the past. For the past is not dead; it’s not even past, as William Faulkner observed. So what does one do with this undead past? Forgive. Forgive, huh? Forgive. Let it go. Again and again.
Some thoughts on writing a memoir, and the prologue to my memoir
https://anitamathias.com/2022/09/08/thoughts-on-writing-a-memoir-the-prologue-to-rosaries-reading-secrets/ 
#memoir #amwriting #forgiveness https://amzn.to/3B82CDo
Six months ago, Roy and I decided that finishing t Six months ago, Roy and I decided that finishing the memoir was to be like “the treasure in the field,” that Jesus talks about in the Gospels, which you sacrifice everything to buy. (Though of course, he talks about an intimate relationship with God, not finishing a book!!) Anyway, I’ve stayed off social media for months… but I’ve always greatly enjoyed social media (in great moderation) and it’s lovely to be back with the book now done  https://amzn.to/3eoRMRN  So, our family news: Our daughter Zoe is training for ministry as a priest in the Church of England, at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. She is “an ordinand.” In her second year. However, she has recently been one of the 30 ordinands accepted to work on an M.Phil programme (fully funded by the Church of England.) She will be comparing churches which are involved in community organizing with churches which are not, and will trace the impact of community organizing on the faith of congregants.  She’ll be ordained in ’24, God willing.
Irene is in her final year of Medicine at Oxford University; she will be going to Toronto for her elective clinical work experience, and will graduate as a doctor in June ‘23, God willing.
And we had a wonderful family holiday in Ireland in July, though that already feels like a long time ago!
https://anitamathias.com/2022/09/01/rosaries-readi https://anitamathias.com/2022/09/01/rosaries-reading-secrets-a-catholic-childhood-in-india-my-new-memoir/
Friends, some stellar reviews from distinguished writers, and a detailed description here!!
https://amzn.to/3wMiSJ3 Friends, I’ve written a https://amzn.to/3wMiSJ3  Friends, I’ve written a memoir of my turbulent Catholic childhood in India. I would be grateful for your support!
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