How to forget your One Word and then remember it again

Eager to shake off the laziness of the summer, I am about to dive into the book of Romans with the women in Bible study. Blithely I turn to Romans 1, settle in to my cozy nest on the couch, and begin to read: "... concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace..."

And a little light goes off in my head.

What was that again?

"To those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

There it is.

Grace.

How easily I forget. How could my memory slip so far that I forgot about Grace being my Word for 2013? It must have been weeks since I thought about it. Ugh. So much for growing in holiness this year. But rather than wallow in guilt, I need to just get back on track, renewing my efforts to explore how God wants Grace to change my life.

Time to look again for Grace in the little things and the big things.

Time to turn back to thankfulness for all that He has Graciously blessed me with today.

~ Red panda pajamas against the red high chair, a burst of color

~ Harmony reaching out to hold my hand when we walk

~ Successful fund-raising concert for Compassion International

~ Making new friends with the flashmob group

~ The return of migrating birds to my bird feeder

~ Fresh peaches and raspberries on sale at the store

~ Resting in the joy that I am CALLED to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:5-6)

~ Beautiful rose-scented soap from a local shop, thankful for a gift certificate 

~ Getting back into a routine as the school year begins

~ The best Mexican food in the midwest for my birthday 

~ The fellowship, wisdom, kindness, and prayers of our small group

~ Our first camping trip as a family 

~ Beginning to memorize the entire chapter of Romans 8

~ The first hint of autumn in the air in the mornings

Looking forward to the growth and change of the new season