2024 Word of the Year: Thrive!

A friend asked questions about 2023…
What was your highlight of 2023? What about your challenge? 

Do you have a word of the year or goal for 2024?

Here are my answers…
Turning 50 and having a fun party was my highlight, and losing my Dad was my biggest challenge…

My word of the new year is Thrive! 

I desire health, strength, and more of God in my life! This past year, I began walking or doing yoga nearly every day, and it was SO good for me. I plan to keep it up! It is good cardio exercise and good stress relief! I struggled a bit mentally after my Dad passed away, for about 6-7 months. I still journal about him and about other things, and that helped. Seeing a therapist 5-6 times helped too. I am doing well now, but I can always do better!

Another goal of mine this year is to give up SUGAR! I've been reading a few books which have motivated me, including "The 40-day Sugar Fast" by Wendy Speake, and "The Case Against Sugar" by Gary Taubes.  The Sugar Fast book is more spiritual, focusing on growing closer to GOD and craving HIM instead of sugar. There is one daily reading, a small chapter and I have really enjoyed it so far. The other book was recommended by Wendy Speake and goes into the science, history, and facts about sugar in the USA and around the world. It was been VERY interesting! SO giving up sugar is one way that I hope I will THRIVE!

This is the verse that I have chosen to go with it..."That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Actually, all of Psalm 1 is what I'll be thinking about and focusing on this year. I hope to strive to thrive! (see what I did there... haha!) I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive!

Definition: To thrive means to prosper, grow, or develop, flourish, bear fruit, radiate, bloom, blossom, or advance. I want to flourish in my physical, mental, and spiritual health, as well as have healthy relationships too!

Giving up sugar was partially motivated by several things:

1. I have aches and pains every day, mostly in my back and neck. My shoulder muscles have been hurting since I began college in 1991! I am fed up with feeling terrible half of the time. I know that sugar has been a big inflammation factor for me, so I hope that giving it up with reduce some or all of my inflammation!

2. I have noticed over the past 3 months that when I would eat sugar (ice cream, cookies, etc.,) in the evening, I wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time, or not sleep well at all. Caffeine has done the same thing to me before, and I cut out all decaf and regular coffee after 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. years ago! I don't eat dairy either and dairy-free, sugar-free ice cream seems like a waste! I've found other great desserts that I like a lot.

3. I have a lot of diabetes in my family. Both of my grandmothers dealt with it, both of my parents did at one time, and my two older brothers also have diabetes. My sister recently found out that she is borderline diabetic, so that is not good either! The Case Against Sugar talks a lot about diabetes and its history, and it even calls Alzheimer's "Type 3 Diabetes!" I have noticed that sugar affects my memory sometimes. 

I have basically given up sugar since Thanksgiving. I had pie at Thanksgiving and was achy for 2-3 days afterward. It is not worth it to me! I have noticed that my Candida has been feeling lower, and I know that is fueled by sugar too. While I have not had high blood sugar in a blood test before, I want to be careful. All of this is to say that my health is another area that  I want to THRIVE in 2024!

What about you? How would you answer the questions above? Do you choose a word of the year to focus on? 

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Isaiah 52:13
See, my servant will act wisely(or prosper);
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.
Proverbs 29:16
When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.

Psalm 92: 12-15
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”