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Angie Mc
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Check out this word I found a few months ago via a dear local friend who loaned me the book God Alone Suffices:
LONGANIMITY
Extraordinary patience under provocation or trial. Also called long suffering. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It includes forbearance, which adds to long suffering the implication of restraint in expressing one's feelings or in demanding punishment or one's due. Longanimity suggests toleration, moved by love and the desire for peace, of something painful that deserves to be rejected or opposed. (Etym. Latin longus, long + animus, soul, spirit, mind: longanimitas, long suffering, patience, forbearance.)
OR from God Alone Suffices:
From the Latin word longanimus means greatness of soul. It expresses much more than simple patience. It is lack of precipitateness. It entails understanding, toleration, capableness of forgiving, knowing to wait and to offer a new opportunity. Longanimity means not to be discouraged for having to wait a long time for the fruits of our own efforts and while facing difficulties of life, too.
This word has been very helpful to me for several months and I anticipate needing it well into 2009  .
Thanks for asking, Cay! Longanimity isn't a word that I can easily drop into my regular conversation  .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Mary Chris
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I think my word this year will be Stewardship . I need to practice stewardship with our finances, time and even what comes out of my mouth. I want to chose wisely and guard how I use our resources.
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Sarah
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Oh yeah Angie! Longanimity!
That's even BETTER than patience because it encompasses patience and more.
Great word and concept.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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10 Bright Stars
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My word is CONTENTMENT.
I tend to always think of how things "could be, should be, or would be" IF ONLY ...fill in the blank. I need to focus on the gifts I do have and not always try to be perfect or think of something "new" for school, for life, for whatever. I tend to focus on so many external things, and I really need to focus on the internal things and just be content with the way things are, the blessings I have been given, and not always be in a spirit of change. I need to be more thankful since God has been so good to me and my family.
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Kim married to Bob (22y)
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Bookswithtea
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I finally decided on a word. :-)
Its Gentleness. I am so inspired by Michelle Duggar's refusal to show her frustration to her children. I'm not a big yeller, but I am not anywhere near as *gentle* as I want to be. 
I'm going to join in on the 54 day novena (a first for me, I am nervous!) to cover the other thoughts I was having on words. I am going to get my wooden letters this week for the prayer corner and paint them blue because I am sure Mary was gentle with Jesus, and I am going to put up my favorite image of Mary (Our Lady of the Streets), too.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Jess
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I have been thinking about this and I have decided mine will be PEACE.
We have another deployment coming up this year so I need peace in my home. I need to have peace in accepting God's will for our family. I need to be a source of peace for my children.
I think I need to make myself a sign to remind myself to be peaceful.
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God bless,
Jess
+JMJ+
wife to dh('96)
mama to dd(13), dd(11), ds(9), dd(6), and dd (2), and baby girl born Sept 14!
star cottage
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Nina Murphy
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Sorry to steal yours Cay, but I'll bring it full circle. Mine is simple; it has to be HOPE. 2008 brought some devastating things.
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Mary G
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Well, I finally have my resolutionsset in stone (or at least on my blog) and I now have our word(s).
For the family, what we'll peg our school year and family life toward is: P E A C E (especially in the family).
My personal word ... one that I need to work on ALOT ( ) is: H U M I L I T Y ... I'm figuring if I work on being more humble (and thus yelling and fussing at the kids less  ) we'll be more than half-way to peace!
Happiest of New Years to you all ... may we all have a healthy, holy and happy 2009!
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MaryG
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LisaD
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I think my word will beCONTENTMENT. Honestly, I have so much to be thankful for, and I need to be happy to bloom where I'm planted. I always seem to yearn for more, which makes me impatient and discontent--not a happy way to be, and not a good model for my children.
So, this year, I am praying to learn to be CONTENT.
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~Lisa
Mama to dd(99), ds(01), ds(03) and ds(06)
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aussieannie
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What an awesome thread! 
I've finally gotten around to reading it all on New Years day down here.
I echo Chari's words...just ONE word?
My heart tells me there are two words for me...Theresa's RENEW and Angie's LONGANIMITY but I do believe one will GROW from the other, I need to RENEW in order to be LONGANIMOUS.
You know this thread makes me think of of a sermon I heard years ago. Of a saint (I'm hoping someone will recognise which one and remind me ) who said to conquer vices within, you choose the one MAIN vice and conquer it. It will have a 'domino' effect and you will conquer all other vices with it.
This thread is a bit like that, though we are looking for that one virtue that will help us bring everything together IN virtue...
Thank you Cay for starting a very meaningful discussion and personal reflection for us all.
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Under Her Starry Mantle
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Erin
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I've been thinking about this thread for days, but I can only reduce to two words
MEMORIES and HABITS; perhaps someone clever than I can think of how to combine them into one?
I want to create memories of time with dh and dc. Games nights, outings, reading together etc. Individual time as well as group time. Family/parent time that they will remember when they look back on their childhood. And of course I need to take special effort that the most important relationship with my most important person on earth is kept nurtured.
Habits need to be severely cultivated around here, not just many areas of the children's lives but dh and mine too. Prayer habits, parenting habits, personal hygiene habits, obedience habits, work ethic habits, manners etc Things have slipped big time.
Dh's word is survival. Being an accountant and the person he is he has been predicting this depression for years. He says 2009 means survival for him, providing for his family. So there you go we are both on totally different trains of thought though he totally agrees with the habits trail.
Great thread
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Erin
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phplists
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My word is
MEEKNESS.
It was chosen for me by the Holy Spirit at the end of a series of meetings together with other women studying Pope John Paul II's Letter to Women (ENDOW). We were all invited to choose a card from an envelope, after praying that the Lord would guide our hands to choose the virtue WE need to work on.
I've been studying it a bit but will focus all year. The hardest definition I've read so far is to forgive slights and offenses WITHOUT holding resentment.
When I read that definition, I knew why the Lord asked me to work on it. It's a daily struggle for me, I'm ashamed to say.
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Pam
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CrunchyMom
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aussieannie wrote:
What an awesome thread!
I've finally gotten around to reading it all on New Years day down here.
I echo Chari's words...just ONE word?
My heart tells me there are two words for me...Theresa's RENEW and Angie's LONGANIMITY but I do believe one will GROW from the other, I need to RENEW in order to be LONGANIMOUS.
You know this thread makes me think of of a sermon I heard years ago. Of a saint (I'm hoping someone will recognise which one and remind me ) who said to conquer vices within, you choose the one MAIN vice and conquer it. It will have a 'domino' effect and you will conquer all other vices with it.
This thread is a bit like that, though we are looking for that one virtue that will help us bring everything together IN virtue...
Thank you Cay for starting a very meaningful discussion and personal reflection for us all. |
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I don't know if it is who your homily was referring, but St. Francis de Sales says in Introduction to the Devout Life, "It is well for everybody to select some special virtue at which to aim, not as neglecting any others, but as an object and pursuit to the mind. "
and a bit later
"When we are beset by any particular vice, it is well as far as possible to make the opposite 130 virtue our special aim, and turn everything to that account; so doing, we shall overcome our enemy, and meanwhile make progress in all virtue. Thus, if I am beset with pride or anger, I must above all else strive to cultivate humility and gentleness, and I must turn all my religious exercises,—prayer, sacraments, prudence, constancy, moderation, to the same object. The wild boar sharpens its tusks by grinding them against its other teeth, which by the same process are sharpened and pointed; and so when a good man endeavours to perfect himself in some virtue which he is conscious of specially needing, he ought to give it edge and point by the aid of other virtues, which will themselves be confirmed and strengthened as he uses them with that object. It was so with Job, who, while specially exercising the virtue of patience amid the numberless temptations which beset him, was confirmed in all manner of holiness and godly virtues. And Saint Gregory Nazianzen says, that sometimes a person has attained the height of goodness by one single act of virtue, performed with the greatest perfection; instancing Rahab as an example, who, having practised the virtue of hospitality very excellently, reached a high point of glory. Of course, any such 131 action must needs be performed with a very exceeding degree of fervour and charity."
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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aussieannie
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Lindsay that sounds right...I had hestitated to post his name, I thought it was either St Francis de Sales or St Ignatius, but that would definately be the right saint! 
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LisaC
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My words are always Patience and Humility. I am terribly weak in both these virtues.
However lately, with my three noisy boys, I find that the word that keeps coming to mind is SILENCE, please. The silence to be at peace, to turn my mind and heart to God, and to listen. Oh to turn off the computer, turn off the radio, turn off the TV and just go about my work in a thoughtful and quiet way...
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Leonie
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Thank you so much for this thread!
My word will be LOVE. I love my family and others but don't always show it overtly. Or express it overtly. This I want to work on...
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Leonie in Sydney
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MaryMary
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Oh, what a powerful thread this has been...
You have all inspired me, and while reading through your responses I prayed quietly for my word. It hit me between the eyes:
SERVIAM
Latin for "I will serve"
I resolve this year to serve God first with making my own prayer life a priority. I will serve my husband next, remembering that I was his before our children came along. As for my children, I feel as though I have spent the last year shooing them away, and sighing impatiently when they have asked me for help with something that I feel they should be doing on their own. I thought I was fostering independence but I've only fostered frustration. Now I am seeing their frustration and impatience with each other, instead of an attitude of humility and charity. I owe them the example of cheerful, humble service. &nbs p;
Thanks so much for this thought-provoking thread!
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Mary
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guitarnan
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A very strange thing happened today...while we were at Mass at the National Shrine, Cardinal McCarrick spoke, at the very end of his homily, about making every day a YES to God - "my" word of the year!
Needless to say, I was in tears.
I love reading about everyone's chosen words, because I think I can learn more about myself as I see why each of you chooses a particular word for this year.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Bella
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Acceptance.
Of God's Will.
Including....
my family's flaws,quirks,differences, gifts and strengths
my own flaws,weaknesses,limitations,gifts and strengths,and
the clerk at the store, the librarian, the anonymous Joe working on Wall Street, the drug addict turned homeless man, the journalist on tv......my neighbor....my trespasser.
That sets the bar pretty high,huh? 
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Peace and Blessings,
Bella
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Carole N.
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This is a great thread! I find it hard to choose, but after reading through all of your thoughts, I think that I have to choose Angie's word:
Longanimity
We have had so many things happen in the past year and I think that I need to focus on all that this word encompasses as well as try to teach my dc the same lessons. Thank you, Angie, for sharing this wonderful word with us.
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Carole ... in Wales
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: What's Your Word for 2009?
