“Battle Ready – our word for 2012” (evaluate)

When it was all said and done, we had over 10 words for 2012! Wow! We believe in a Father God that speaks and our children are learning that he has words to speak over them and our family.

Carson: cornerstone, compassion, refuge, and righteousness
Ada: joy, happiness, noble, love and courageous
Maya: promise, something better
Karla: now
Ron: know me

How do we choose? So, on this church day, everyone chose one of their words and did some exploring in their Bible for what Father had to say about that word. Second, we went to the Word to listen. Each child picked up his/her Bible, knew there was something called a concordance and found their word and a corresponding verse. They knew to read through the phrases and listen for the verse Father wanted them to read. And so they did. They read the verse.

Carson: compassion – Mark 1:41
Ada: joy – Romans 15:13 and happiness – Psalm 127:4-5
Maya: promise – Psalm 105:39-45, Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4
Karla: now – Jude 24-25
Ron: know me – Jeremiah 29:13

Then, we had great discussion and drew some great pictures from their verses. We worked it out. Why did this verse speak to you? What is the story behind this verse? What treasures are here for us? There are always plenty of rabbit trails; somebody gets the marker that somebody else wanted and mayhem erupts at any given moment. But there is a window of words exchanged; there is a discipline of picking up the Bible and searching it out, and there is the treasure of pulling our chairs up close to Father and hearing what he has to say – together!

Later that week, I was praying with a group of parents and telling them about Carson and his morning tendencies. On the days we go to school instead of having school at home, I have to wake them up at 6:15 am. It is still dark, but he is always quick to jump out of bed, get his clothes on and make his way to the kitchen. As I was praying that morning, I was celebrating this attribute of readiness in Carson and just prayed into it for all of our children, a spirit of readiness for whatever Father has on his mind. Father gave me the phrase – Battle Ready! And as I was talking with Ron later on that day, he really resonated with this phrase as well. In fact, he came home for lunch that afternoon with this great picture of us as a family surrounded by this sword and shield he found on the computer. Check out the family board picture below. As this picture found its way on the family board, we began to see his weaving. These words that he had given to all of us were all ways of readiness. They all spoke into this idea, and it was so cool to step back and see how it all fit. So, for 2012, the Hagan clan is praying into the phrase – Battle Ready with a focus on his promises and invitation to know him not later but right now, each and every day. As we seek him, he will overwhelm us with compassion, joy and happiness. It is good, and we are glad to be on such a great adventure!