"One Word" by Pastor Joe Dokken

“One Word” part 2 By Pastor Joe

This will be the final launch article regarding our One Word movement for 2023. Our informational board (near my office) can be used as a prayer board with all of our One Words posted. A visual reminder for us to take these “words” with us to prayer.

This initiative has opportunities for all of us to participate. At a minimum, all of us can pray for someone else and their success. Having “one word” by no means suggests you will be successful, yet it does show you are taking the initiative to make a real change in your life. One of the best definitions of insanity, ever heard, is doing the same thing over and over the same way and expecting a different result. If the One Word challenge for 2023 (MMXXIII) sparks a little change, then be encouraged you will see growth in the next 12 months. Taking initiative now in January can, and will, make a huge difference in how you approach each day.

The Dokken home is already very busy! For those of you who haven’t heard, Janet’s mother, Marilyn, has been living with us since early December but she is ready to head back to central Kansas (I’m slightly sympathetic to her desire, Marilyn is not used to navigating this much snow!). Janet’s travel back and forth to Kansas to care for her mother brings a new challenge and yet a new opportunity. Her One Word is “Finish”- what an excellent word.

Janet’s one-word fits perfectly with this upcoming season of ongoing transition; clearly understand she is fully committed to caring for her 87-year-old mother, yet it means other important projects get placed on hold. Nothing is more important to Janet than making sure her Mother has the quality of life she deserves and what the scriptures tell us is our responsibility. In revealing her One Word, it embodies what any daughter/mother would be thinking about, while preparing the new calendar for her mother’s care.

As I look back at the seven(almost) days of prayer now completed, I hope many of you were able to hone in on One Word which you will embrace over the next 342 days. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the week of prayer, also to those who opened their homes. There will be many opportunities which lie before us in 2023, and I am challenging each and every one of us to take our One Word and let it be an igniter for something new and challenging for you to accomplish. Possibly a mission trip, or the start of a new outreach venture, or becoming more involved with Christian education, or just getting involved in some tangible way which touches your world.

In 2023 let’s embrace our three theme words for Hawthorne Assembly, Go, Be, Do. By the end of this year, it’s my goal that everyone will have such a good understanding of what those words truly mean in light of our continual efforts to reach out to our world. Having simple, one-word themes are easy to remember, and most of us could even, after today, repeat our three theme words.

We are just starting our mission’s emphasis for 2023, and our theme continues to be “Beautiful Feet”. Obviously it’s not “One Word” yet throughout the scriptures and even Jesus alluded to using our feet to advance the gospel. It can be felt in all of his conversations, he was constantly using his feet to go from town to town, he did not sit idle!

Our weekend for our missions 2023 starts next Saturday plan on attending the banquet and invite a friend. Never forget…. Together is Better!