My One Word  by Mike Ashcraft & Rachel Olsen

This book is about a program started by Pastor Mike Ashcraft at Port City Community Church in 2007. It’s about picking one word to focus on for an entire year. The idea is that God will use that one word for personal change and spiritual growth.

The book is the explanation of the process that Ashcraft spawned at his church. It’s a collection of stories by Mike Ashcraft of how focusing on a single word changed people’s lives. And it’s a series of short vignettes of the one word people chose written by the person who chose that word.

This is a powerful concept. The book is worth reading for every Christian. I also believe non-Christians may find the idea and process enlightening as well. For the Christian the last couple chapters are the most powerful as Ashcraft writes about waiting on God and how important it is to keep focus on that one word and how God is using it in our lives.

At the end of each chapter are reflection questions to help the reader with the process. Then, at the end of the book is a video discussion guide to go along with a separate video that can be acquired.

Even if you don’t want to participate in the one word process, this book is worth reading for the spiritual insights that Ashcraft shares. It’s under 200 pages and can be a quick read. I chose to read one chapter a week, though, and to focus on the concepts and insights of each chapter. I also chose my one word for 2024. It’s the word Focus. I need to focus on those things that matter the most. Those things that God wants for me that are the most important things.

The way this program is taught is that in everything we are going to do we should examine it through our one word. Ashcraft also encourages the reader to journal during this process to see how God uses our one word to change our lives.

This is one of those books I’ll probably re-read every year or two as it has a lot of depth. It’s a book that is useful throughout one’s life. The stories are inspirational. The vignettes are insightful. And the process can be life changing.

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