Word Of The Year 2023 Final

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The Masculine Journey starts here, now. And now, tonight, or today, at noon. You know, noon starts at night. Anyway, it is... That sounds Jewish. This is New Year's Eve Eve, Big Jim.

It actually is, when you think about it. Like, oh my goodness, we have just a couple days left to discuss, you know, 2023. Which, it's fascinating to me, and I hadn't really even thought about it until the last day or two, I have noticed.

Have you? That the whole year kind of leads up into a Christmas event, and then you're coming into 2024 before you hardly know it. And so it does kind of come to a big high, if you're like me, and your family's a big part of, you know, your life, you know, it doesn't get much better than Christmas, as far as bringing everybody together, and having the time to share in some frivolity and shenanigans. You know what I'm saying? And then you get a little bit of respite for reflection, you know, before the next year hits. Right, so speaking of respite and reflection, that is what we're talking about tonight, right, Andy? We are. We're talking about really what God did with us on our Word of the Year, that we talk about advanced words for the year. And we just believe that God is all in on as much as we want to engage him.

And we believe that, and this comes from the Wilder Hart guys, that, you know, it says you have not because you ask not, right? And if you ask God for a Word of the Year, he's more than willing, I believe, to give us a word to kind of let us know what's up for the year. Maybe something he wants to teach us, what we'll experience, just kind of an advanced word for our life for that year.

And you kind of, as I went through the year, it hasn't been in my memory, you know, every day. But there are checkpoints along the way, or there are times when you think, man, he just, I get why my Word of the Year is what it is. So we're just reflecting on that, kind of reporting back on what it is. And we'll be getting ready to do another one for next week for 2024's Word of the Year.

But tonight we're just going to do a recap. Right, and, you know, everybody does this a little bit different. There's no doubt, and there's no exact formula, but I, you know, to me it's been really, really cool for a number of years. I have done it and asked God, exactly as Andy described, for a word coming, starting in the beginning of November. Usually I begin to ask him, God, where are we going next year, you know, because I will have had a word that I really don't want to part with because it's been such an exciting adventure with him. And what I do with my word is in my prayer journal that I update almost every day, you know, as to what exactly my structure is for the way that I want to prayer for the, because, you know, if you're like me and you get up really crazy early, then your mind just doesn't think all that. So my prayers are kind of laid out for me so I know what I'm praying early until I can kind of feel like I'm connecting with God. It's like a starter, you know, it's like I've got the flint and I'm beating on it trying to get the fire started in my prayer. And so I have words and I usually say the Lord's Prayer and I really want to get your kingdom come.

Like I want to really hit that hard, like I need your kingdom to come because clearly I'm in Fogsville, right? And so I'm trying to get this fire started, like flicking the, you know, Lord, your kingdom coming. Right after I do the Lord's Prayer, I remind him and me of my words of the year over all the years. So, Lord, you know, help me to love like you, engage, delight. All these words that I had that kind of build up to a crescendo of this word of the year, which for me for 2023 was to be united, actually kind of gave me three in great faith.

There's that four, however many it is, that's what it was. And so every single day early on, well, if I give you the whole thing and I guess it's probably worth repeating, I try to say the Shema, right, as I put my head on the pillow, which is hear, O Israel, the Lord is one. God blessed me to be able to do that in Hebrew and I like to do that in Hebrew. And so before my feet hit the floor, if I'm hitting on all eight cylinders or whatever I've got, I like to say the Shema before my feet hit the floor. And then when I do this, then I'm going to hit my word of the year real early on in my morning time with him when I'm trying to get the fire started so I can put it into perspective where I'm going. And so it becomes to me a huge part of my daily time with God is where he told me we were going. And so with that in mind, Andy, you have a clip that kind of explains where yours was. Oh, you're supposed to give me a heads up. I was too busy listening to you there. This is your turn. So my word, I got it at the end of last year. We were talking about Christmas and I don't know if you recall, but I used a clip from the teacher that's taken roll and he's got all these students saying present.

And then this one guy, he kept changing the inflection of their name. And then this guy finishes up saying he's present and it was kind of a humorous clip. But present was something that got to put on my heart because I don't do that well. I don't stay present with people. I'm on my phone, I'm thinking about football scores, I'm doing a variety of things a lot of times.

My job, Harold and I have talked about that, very interrupt driven and it's hard to be present with people. That's something that I've struggled with in the past and I felt like God wanted me to do that. But there's a two side of a coin of presence. There's God's presence that we hear quite regularly. And I think if we can be present with him and we can be present with others, I think you get better at both as you do both. You learn too and that's where I still struggle. I've had a lot on my mind, a lot of stuff, got a car, I need to replace a car and all. Been a lot of focus on that with all the stuff, with holiday and all that going on. But I've really tried to push in and be present.

I don't always do it well. But this clip is from the first part of it's from Psalm 139 when David's talking about, you hear a lot about, he formed us in our mother's womb as part of Psalm 139. But he also just talks about wherever I go you're there. And you've got to get that realization when you're talking about presence.

That God is always there. He's just a thought away. He's a surrender away from being right there with you. And not being aware of his presence simply sometimes is just attention.

You're just not really giving him attention. And then the second part is a clip from the shack where the Holy Spirit is helping Mac. I kind of get through some things in his heart. And she leads him into a garden that's just a mess. And really by the time she gets walking through that, she talks about how God's perspective is this garden that's a representation of his heart is beautiful. And I think that's when we allow God to really be present with us and just slow down. We begin to realize all the stuff that we're trying to take to him to clean us up and make us better.

He just has a perspective that your heart is beautiful. You and me in an instant. Night and day. Darkness and light are all the same to you. You shaped me first inside and out. You know every bone in my body. How I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Your thoughts, how rare, how beautiful. I look behind me and you're there. And up ahead and you're there too. Your reassuring presence coming and going.

The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. Looking for the way out? If you are looking for your truck, it's up that way. Just beyond the trees. You might need these though. Thanks.

Just to be clear, we're not justifying anything. We'd like to heal it if you'd let us. Before you go, there's something in the garden I was hoping you could help me with before tomorrow's celebration. A celebration?

If you want to know, you'll stick around. Well, this is wild. That isn't the word in your head. Okay, this is a mess. It is, isn't it?

So beautiful. Just the first part of that. Wherever you go, I was there before you and ahead of you. We don't think about that a lot of times. We've talked about whenever you live your life, you have to live life forward, but you have to understand it backward. God is there. God gives us perspective of what we went through, but also advanced words. He prepares us of going forward. He's there in the future, but really that's the present to him.

It's no different. And just to have that perspective of knowing and trusting that he's there beforehand. Life and the war that we're in a lot of times takes you out of this sense or this comfort in his presence. But the more you press into it, to me that is the choice. The choice that we make, that is salvation to me. Am I going to choose some other thing to get me through or comfort me or whatever? Or am I going to choose him?

And I don't always make the right choices. I struggle a lot of times with what that is, what that looks like. But I just know that I have been more present this year and he's been present in my life more this year because I think I've made myself more available to him.

Sticking with consistent Bible reading, not from religious aspect, but just really pushing into him and what he wants to teach me has just been more stronger this year. And then that second part of that clip, it's just as you're going through him and he's present to heal you and to go through things, your heart, it can be a mess. But he does look at it as beautiful and when you're present with him, all you can be sitting there saying, this is a mess, this is a mess.

But he's saying, no, no, no, it's beautiful. So since we're going to break Andy, I'm not going to put you on the spot, but have you got a story? Like, oh, he was present. Oh, like that one that happened this year, he kind of took you on that journey, the actual story of it.

So we're going to hear that when we come back, Andy shaking his head like he's got something. And you go to masculinejourney.radio.org to register for boot camp. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God. It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there. I think sometimes as men, we feel like we're on our own and we've got to do everything ourselves and the weight of the world is on our shoulders and it's our job to fix everything and make everything right and have all the answers. And I think when you come here, you just get really honed back in and reminded that God really is for us, that a good father helps you and a good father makes you have all the tools you need and a good father comes through for you when you need him and you just feel less alone. Register today at masculinejourney.org.

Register today at masculinejourney.org. So Andy, obviously that was your bump. Or maybe not obviously, but it was Andy's bump. And it sounded like you were present.

Yeah, I was pretty present. So I ask you, the story man, I want the story. I've got to talk about that though. We started the year with Jeremy Camp and Word of Life. And then I found this today, I had not heard this song, but I thought it was cool because it really speaks to that living word that we are living off of.

Oh, he is that? Stories. Do I have any one of those crazy cool stories?

Probably not. I know that we ended last year with mom passing away. And I can tell you that he was present with me there. Whenever I had to, when I spoke at her funeral, I could not have done that without it. I mean, in the past I've tried to do those things on my own.

I've been a blubbering mess. But just his strength during that time. And I've told the story about what I went through during that time. But I mean, I would say that presence isn't a single story. I can't.

I don't really have that moment that just wows you for the year. But it was more of a consistent presence day by day. I can tell you on hikes. I can tell you being on top of a mountain to start worshiping. I can tell you a lot of different stuff where I sensed his presence.

And I knew he was right there with me. And you don't think those are all crazy cool? Well, they are crazy cool.

I'm just checking. You tell a lot better story than I do. But that is my story, I guess. And if I thought back, I may be able to.

I tell you one thing where I miss it. I don't journal well enough. That would help because that helps you recall stuff better. You journal better than I do.

I give you a hint and everybody else. But a lot of people, Nikita, he looks at me on my phone and he says, What are you doing? But I keep my journals on my phone because my phone is right there. And sometimes I'll just, while I'm in the car, I'll hit Siri and I'll say, Siri, take a note. And I'll tell what I'm thinking, what I experienced, whatever. And it's amazing how many times those come in extremely handy.

And I always keep my journals from the morning there because I don't know how many times during the day I'll go back and do that stuff. But that's all being part of his present. But see, all those are crazy cool, Andy.

They're crazy cool. So I just have to play my clip because it's the only way it makes sense. Yeah, exactly. I am sorry, by the way, that I took up so much time.

He is, Sam, tonight, so he should. I kind of went long-winded there, but we are kind of short with the amount of people. So I thought I had a little leeway.

Now this is the Andy show. We wanted to hear it. We did.

So my word of the year this year. Can I add to him before you? You may. You can. One of the things that occurred to me is, oh, I feel like I'm eating this microphone.

It's so close. I think oftentimes it's only after the fact that we realize God was present. We might not have known it. My sweetheart is constantly talking with people about the time that back in Columbus, Mississippi, when I really had no experience with a chainsaw at all, and we had two acres of land we bought, and I was cutting trees off of it all by myself, nobody else around. If I had cut an artery, I was a goner because there wasn't nobody around to help me out. And I got into some situations that were stupidity on my part, but I'm here to tell the tale. It's only because God was there with me, and I didn't realize it at the time.

I was in a car wreck when I was in the ninth grade, a fellow that was one of the Bible students. Before you go on to that, we've got to say that you left the lowest stumps. Didn't even need to grind them. He didn't. He cut them right there where they were real close to the ground.

Anyway, go ahead. I was in a car with a gentleman who was our Bible school teacher, and they had taken some of us boys out fishing at night before school started, and we got hit by a car, and I was trapped. The door flew open, and my hand got caught between the top of the door and the roof of the car, and I couldn't get out. I was scared to death that that car was going to catch on fire. It didn't. My fingers weren't broken, and the poor guy that was the driver had his pelvis crushed. He was laid up in bed for weeks and on crutches for a while. That's another instance where God had to be there or his angel acting for him. Had a motorcycle wreck where I came out with scratches.

Should have probably been killed. On and on I could go that God has been present with me, and I didn't realize it until after the fact. Amen.

And we're glad he brought you here. Yeah, absolutely. So getting back to, you know, I guess.

Understanding the show, right? No, it's okay. My word of the year was beautifully, especially when I got it, because I did not know what was coming, because I got my word in November. In December, both my son-in-laws asked for my daughter's hands in marriage, which I did not realize at that time even, that both of them would be married in 2023. And so my word being gathered in great faith, because marriage has everything in the world to do with faith, led to all sorts of, like, sisters both getting married in the same year, shenanigans, okay, just saying.

And, you know, mother trying to deal with planning two weddings and shenanigans, right? But it's such a beautiful time. I will never, ever, ever forget this year of being gathered in great faith. And then as you listen to this clip, you'll hear about a baptism, and I baptized my brother in October.

Again, part of being gathered in great faith is the way that my year played out. But this clip is from A Big Fat Greek Wedding. And, of course, you can hear at the beginning there's shenanigans. This guy's wanting to date his daughter, and he's Greek, and he's not. And you've got all that stuff, and then he wants to get baptized again along.

And then at the end of the movie slash this last clip, you can kind of hear how they come together. So here we go. . Well, I'm sorry, but I'll ask you if I can date your daughter. Sir, she's 30 years old. I am the head of this house. Okay, may I please date your daughter?

No. . It's your lucky day to be baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church. Nicky going to be your godmother. . Welcome to the Portocalos family, and welcome the Miller family. I was thinking last night, the night before my daughter going to marry Eon Miller, that you know the root of the word Miller is a Greek word. Miller comes from the Greek word milo, which means apple.

So there you go. As many of you know, our name Portocalos comes from the Greek word portokani, which means orange. So okay, here tonight we have apple and orange.

We all different, but in the end, we all fruit. . If you don't think about that clip, I really never even thought about, you know, I had the absolute joy of actually officiating my youngest daughter's marriage. But in both cases, in both marriages, one was in June and the other one was in November, you know, there was the speech the father of the bride gives just like, you know, Mr. Portocalos gives right there. And what an opportunity that truly is to thank God. And again, when I was doing Mariah's wedding, God just brought it on my heart just strong.

Like, how about your wife? At one point in time, you know, 35 years ago, it was just you and her, and there was no family, and there was no, and like she was there through every step of this and every minute of it, and you guys share something, and so I got a chance to thank my wife and I'm just giving you the hint if you have to do one of these father and bride thing, really plays well for you. If you get a chance to thank your wife, man, and just revel that whole idea of, yeah, God was present, but your wife was present, right? And so along Andy's word, which I did not comment on this, the words are so close because the word that Jesus used from the cross was, in your hands I commit my spirit, and you used the word surrender, which is kind of like what Jesus said, but what he said in Hebrew, because he was quoting, if I'm not mistaken, it's the 19th Psalm, he was quoting a psalm that said, into thy hands I commit my spirit. Well, that word commit is pakud, which starts with the letter pe, which means present. And it has to do with actually mustering or the visit that Sarah got when the Holy Spirit came upon her, and she got to get pregnant in her 90s. But the idea of that is really beyond cool that in a way you're coming into alignment with God and you're kind of committing yourself into his spirit.

I like the word better than surrender, because what I really do is I'm coming into his authority at the same time I'm coming into his presence and actually becoming united with him, and that is the idea of actually being gathered. So as we come into his presence, it's kind of cool that our words lined up like that, Andy, that I really like the whole concept of that idea of pakud, which is actually translated precepts in the 119 Psalm. It's quoted many, many, many times as saying, I want to know your precepts. Well, those precepts are literally, it's you and me getting together and deciding. And the really neat thing about it is that Aaron was one of the greatest marriage counselors of all time, and the whole idea of a priest is to be a marriage counselor. And if you think about it, it's either your marriage to God or your marriage to your wife, but we're all priests, right, and kings. Kings and priests, yeah.

Right, but the idea being that like these marriages all have to do with that same idea, both presence and being gathered in great faith. So we do have an After Hours show coming up where we've got Danny's clip and Jim's clip and a whole lot from Art. I'm very excited about Art, and Grant is going to chime in.

So you don't want to miss the After Hours. You have to go to MadisonJourneyRadio.org, and there you click on all the podcast links. The After Hours show, Joyride, Keith will put together something really cool there. And eventually, we'll have more details on the boot camp. We know it's coming up in April, right, or is it late March?

It's kind of. I think it's April, 4th to 7th. Right, and so we've got that all there at MadisonJourneyRadio.org. And oh man, we're so grateful for you in 2023. So looking forward to 2024.