About the Author

Karina Allen is devoted to helping women live out their unique calling and building authentic community through the practical application of Scripture in an approachable, winsome manner.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. My word for the year is surrender. That’s a tall order for someone who fights for control! I’m open for God’s Word and Will!!

  2. Yes, but mine is two words and they are to “wait well”. Learning to wait upon the Lord and His timing, on His plan, on His will and to learn to do this well. Whether that is from a health perspective or an adjective perspective, both are applicable for me. Blessings dear ones.

  3. My word is BELIEVE! The year began with my husband’s being placed in a nursing facility because of a bad fall and increased dementia/Parkinson’s… happened so quickly … difficult to wrap my heart around. I had already chosen my word, and the LORD is calling me to believe Him and His promises He makes to me for caring, providing and holding close.

    • Carolyn,

      Sweet sister I will be praying for you both. May you truly believe in God’s promises. Asking God to help guide & comfort you daily as you travel this journey. I know how hard dealing with dementia can be. Asking God to be with you & send His loving arms to hold you. Prayers for peace of mind also.

      ((((((((((Hugs))))))))) from Watauga, TN

      Blessings 🙂

  4. My word is believe. I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth. He died and in the third day He arose from the dead. I believe! Now I must live out this belief in Jesus Christ.

  5. My word of the year is overcome. How appropriate that is for me since I have the task of cleaning out my dad’s house since his passing in August, then I have to sell the house. I find that I am overwhelmed with everything, sometimes grief, sometimes great and wonderful memories and sometimes it’s just what do I do with everything. It seems to be taking too long. So the word is overcome. Christ overcame death with life. So I know with faith and time I will overcome!

    • Judy,

      Sweet sister so sorry for the loss of your dad. May God give you the strength you need to clean out the house & get it sold quick. Asking God to give you discernment to deal with items in house. Keep the good memories & fun times you had with him. May He send His peace & comfort as you deal with all this. Know you are in my thoughts & prayers.

      (((((((((Hugs))))))))) from Watauga, TN

      Blessings 🙂

    • Judy, my word of the year is also overcome. I echo your sentiments and may God walk with us in our journey of overcoming!

  6. My word is Transformed. My initial focus is transforming my prayer life toward more intimacy with my Lord.

  7. Obedience. I have been distracted from the peace, and calm I know I can have when obedient to my Lord. God gives me anything, everything, each day when I am obedient in listening to HIS words, HIS voice. I can be more loving, more compassionate, more dedicated to people when I myself am true and obedient to GOD’s

    • Hi Robin, I respond because my husband and I spent most of last week considering the word Comfort, as we are going through a time (in study, and in life) of grief. The word comfort kept coming up wherever we looked. I remembered a powerful little devotional in a children’s book of our daughter’s. Let me see if I can attach a photo for you. The meaning of comfort we often think, turns out is not the Biblical meaning, and this may be helpful / encouraging to you!

      Shoot, I cannot attach a screen shot. Let me type it: (based on John 14):

      “God’s spirit is called the Comforter. Does it make you think of a nice comfy quilt ~ all cozy and warm? Oh dear.
      In the Bayeaux tapestry of 1066, there’s a knight on a horse and the caption reads: “Bishop Odo comforts his troops.” Is Bishop Odo giving them nice fluffy quilts? No. Look! He’s prodding them from behind with a stick! NOT comfy! But Odo is spurring them on, encouraging them, urging them to keep going and not give up. Because comfort in the Bible doesn’t mean to make comfy. It means “to send help”. When we want to give up, when we are afraid, God sends his spirit ~ the Comforter ~ to make us strong, to give us courage, to lift us up.” (Please also google search The Bayeaux Tapestry of 1066 to have the visual to go along with these words.) I love how the artist portrayed him with a serene, confident expression of kindness moving them forward in the battle.

  8. The Lord gave me two words for this year; ‘Unshaken’ and ‘Overcome’.
    Last year was a hard year for me with health challenges, having to go through surgery and chemotherapy for recurrence of cancer. This year, I feel the Lord telling me to remain unshaken by my circumstances and it is in this that I will overcome.

  9. My word is “whisper”. To have an open heart and mind to hear the whisper of God. To know that there are numerous whispers of His love throughout my day. To be a whisper of hope, encouragement and love to others. Whispers are quiet, soft, gentle. You need a closeness and awareness to hear them. When we whisper something to someone it is an intimate sharing, meant specifically for them.

  10. Thank you, Karina, for these brave writings. I have not found my word yet. Last year it was brave. And I am not sure I was brave. New Year, New aspirations.

  11. Karina,

    My word for 2021 is transform. I think God wants to transform my life. He wants me to really delve into His word. My actions need to show the world more of Jesus & less of me. Need to pray dangerous prayers & mean them. My prayer life could use a transformation also.

    Blessings 🙂

  12. Mine is two words. Be faithful. Faithful in reading and studying my Bible, faithful in prayer, and faithful to build a strong personal relationship with God.

  13. Choice …every choice I make is followed by …and so it happened …each I e can bring me closer or further from my LORD

  14. Redemption: God is my Redeemer. He not only provides redemption from my sin, but he has given redemption to difficult situations and journeys in my life. The Lord can redeem even the most wayward person. So this year, He has me on the lookout for Redemption. It’s only January and Repeatedly I’ve see what God has redeemed. And His redemption gives me hope!

  15. My word is Refocus. I have spent much of my life and SO much of 2020 focusing on the problems, both personal and global. I know God wants my focus on Him, to rest in Him and trust that He is in control. Blessings to all!

  16. Psalm 118 verse 24 This day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. No matter what let rejoice for everything God gives us. Every day he wakes up to enjoy another day in his beautiful world. No matter what we are the world is going through. Like the song I was taught at Sunday School. You get it on YouTube. “He got the whole world in his hands in his hands he got me and you brother” how true that is. He our Lord has got the whole world in his hands and he got me and you in his hands. No matter what going on in this world. We have big big God we can trust. Love you all incourage. Thank you for all you do. Big hugs and prayers. Dawn Ferguson-Little xx

  17. CONSECRATE is a powerful word to focus on for 2021, Karina! No doubt you’ll find it impactful on your life. My word is COURAGE. Whatever 2021 might bring, I want to be ready to meet the challenges and maintain strong faith in God. As Thomas Merton said, “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.”

  18. The word that I felt God showed me for my family this year is RESTORATION.
    “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope, for today I declare I will restore to you double.” Zechariah 9:12
    2020 brought so many negative things into our family. My mother had a massive stroke on January 26 of which she is still unable to speak or do anything for herself. My oldest daughter and her husband moved to Canada several months before the pandemic and the day they announced they were pregnant with our first grandchild was the day they closed the border. I never had the chance to touch her growing belly or see his birth on December 8 and still have not been able to cross the border to see my new grandson. My husband was laid off work in September and is still searching for employment.I have a son and his girlfriend and son-in-law who don’t know Christ… Yet! In all these things as well as political unrest and of course Covid I know and I believe that my God is still in control! With the birth of my beautiful grandson (and daily picture updates) God, and one babies cry redeemed 2020 for me. I believe the restoration sometimes starts with demolition but the finished product is always amazing! And we have the best architect ever!

  19. The first time I took the question test I got Overcome, the second time it was Believe. I thought Believe was to be my word of the year, but maybe they both are. Believe made me feel peaceful, I believe God will lead me where he wants me to go this year. I retired in December 2019 and now am feeling like I need a purpose, or a plan and I believe that God is leading me there. But in looking at Overcome, the definition is to succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty. So maybe I need to overcome what my next path in life will look like…so much to ponder.

  20. I have! My word for the year is jubilee. Freedom. I turn 50 this year. Ancient Israel was supposed to have a year of Jubilee every 50 years where slaves were freed, property returned to original owners, and the land could rest. They were supposed to rely upon the LORD. 2020 was a hear of trials for me. Not just the pandemic but other things. I’ve felt this year is supposed to be a year of rest. Even with the less-than-auspicious start to the year, it’s already seeming that way. I’ve set out four goals that I’m blogging about this month (talked about Goal #2 in this week’s post). We’ll see what God has in store, but that’s why I’m sensing.

  21. This year, I’m taking my word “Believe” to heart. I will believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that He has redeemed me and made me new. I will believe that “with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NIV) I wrote about my word “Believe” on my blog last week. I hope you’ll be encouraged by the post!

  22. It hasn’t been my routine to choose a word for a year. Last January I was asked to speak at a large collective baby shower at our church, to a group of ladies young to old. Into what I shared, I included the suggestion that ‘what if’ our word of the year 2020, was simply ‘Jesus’ ? A few months later, into the pandemic, I heard Louie Giglio share in a sermon the same thought: that 2020’s word could simply be Jesus. In Jesus we have all that we need. This said, I honour all the words expressed here. I was captivated by this post when I read the word ‘consecrated’… what an awesome guiding light of a word as you reflected back at 2020 and looked with hope ahead to 2021 and beyond. Many blessings as you all seek Jesus and the deepening relationship that can come through your word-focus!!

  23. My word for the year is PERSEVERE. There are lots of wonderful things God has for me to do this year. I will not be overwhelmed. I will take one step and then another and then another. And with His help, I will accomplish what He has for me to do.

  24. Shine. I believe the Lord wants me to shine my light in my sphere of influence. The world is quickly becoming darker and Christians are needed to be salt and light to those we come in contact with. Many people feel defeated and hopeless because 2020 has been so difficult. Now is the time to shine our lights, share Jesus with those we come in contact with. ✝️

  25. Great words Karina❣️
    Fantastic perspective on your journey last year and how our Lord lavishes us with compassion and understanding… I have no word yet.. I am a slow listener and learner but His mercies are new everyday
    Blessings all

  26. My word for 2021 is Transform.
    I like this word because it demands intentionality from me. Si many things in 2020 made it easy for me to drift as I pondered what was going on in our world instead of fastening my eyes on God. I missed alot of growth potential in my spiritual life and nearness to God. TRANSFORM is a word that reminds me to intentionally keep growing, and loving God and others more and more.

  27. The Scripture you used, Isaiah 44:26, spoke to me deep within. I read the Bible and other Christian writings, but I have had great difficulty believing that they apply to me. What spoke to me so deeply was, “who says… to the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore her ruins.'” I have been abused by most of the people in my life. Forty-four years of abuse, and I am 48. It has left my heart in tatters. I stuff everything as a means of survival. Yes, I have a therapist, but that only takes one so far. The ultimate healer is my Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel strongly, deep down, that God wants to do a mighty work of restoration in my heart. It will probably hurt…intensely. But I’ve asked God to heal me inside. He is my God who hears me, and He has. I am gratefully overjoyed. Thank you for this post. It gave me my word for this new year – restoration. Blessings and love spoken over all…

    • Amen Deborah! That is a great word! I’m sorry for all that you’ve experienced. God is good and He is near to your broken heart. Trust Him. He will not disappoint you. He will heal your heart and cause you to thrive in the fullness of His love, grace, power and provision.

      Be blessed!

  28. Hi Katrina,

    My name is Davin and I read an article you wrote regarding making friends. I know that this article is not about that but I wanted to ask you to pray for my wife. My family and I have moved to another church and being in another state away from family and friends is difficult for her. I’m a people person so it’s easy for me to make friends and talk to people but my wife is an introvert and self conscious. She needs help that only the Lord can provide. Could you please pray that she can make some quality friends.

    Thank you

    • Thank you for reaching out Davin.

      I pray that the Lord would open doors to intimate community for your wife. May the Lord give her strength and boldness to initiate connection. May He be the foundation of every new relationship.

      Blessings to you!