My baby is a streaker. Her favorite part of the bath is the part where she wriggles free of her mom and her towel and squeals with glee through the house. If she can round a corner and catch someone off guard you will really get her going. She is right; it is a great joke. (Almost as good as her other joke, putting random items on her head and declaring, “It’s a hat!” funniest items so far, the remaining macaroni and cheese, and the peanut butter half of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had already deconstructed.)
She has no concerns about the dimples in her butt, or the rounded belly that she pats. She is not worried about whether or not she is enough. She could care less whether or not a naked baby is an appropiate addition to community group. (My community group says, yes. Bless them.) She has no qualms about the length of her legs, the proportions of her face. While she enjoys making other people smile, she isn’t even that concerned about whether or not you think her streak through the house is funny. She only knows it brings her joy, so she runs with abandon. She runs unashamed.
When I think of my “one word” unashamed, it is this tableau that comes to mind. I want to live my life like that, unconcerned about what everyone else is saying about me, doing what brings me joy, free.
This post is linked up with 
. She made me my sweet unashamed button and inspired my give away below. Check it out.
Please be sure to link back to this post so that other friends who may feel all alone with their “one little word” might see the button
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In an effort to grasp this spirit of “unashamed” I have for you, a give away. I love to paint, and I want my blog to grow. These aren’t bad things, I shouldn’t feel the need to down play them. So, like my blog on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter, and if you have already done that, then share my blog on Facebook or Twitter. Then leave a comment with YOUR one word for the year (if you don’t have one, pick one!) and how you liked or shared this space. I will randomly pick 10 people, get their adresses and send them an original painting of their word. I don’t know what the paintings will look like, maybe big, maybe small. It will be an original. It will have your word on it.
There were 15 comments with words and the 5 pack canvases I bought were buy 2 get one free so EVERYONE WINS! I will contact you when I get yours painted for the place to send it.
Abby Norman 
I like the way you talk, because it’s honest, messy, letting-it-all-hang-out American -I hear my American friends talking and see them smiling in your community group!
Also, you don’t simplify God, which I like. And it turns out you paint, well I paint too, so now I am delighted to follow you on twitter. I hope you like my very small and very new blog too, if you have time to visit it!
My word – victory.
I love your post and your word – Unashamed. It’s hard to remember when I began to allow everything and everyone around me dictate shame to me. Taking the laughter from life so often. It is only recently that God’s grace has really touched my life and helped me run freely through life again. Laughing and free in Him. Knowing right well. Thanks for your post. My blog is: http://www,jeansblogs.com and I would be grateful if you subscribed. There is an RSS button upper left corner of my blog. My FB Page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeans-Blog and my Twitter is @debacon. Blessings ~Debra PS my word is Charity.
oops – my blog is at http://www.jeansblogs.com I left out the dot between the Ws
Hey, your word was the one just before mine in the link-up party and I thought that in the context of my “one word” which is TRUTH it is so apt. You have to be unashamed of your truth to really be yourself. Loved this post….as the first person said…your writing is honest and messy and just real. I love it. Looking forward to reading about your journey.
I love that about my kids too–they just don’t care what anyone thinks about what they do! I actually used them as an example recently for my word: abundant. They live life abundantly; I don’t.
P.S. I totally didn’t even see that at the end about commenting with my word! I just did it because that’s what I thought of when I read your post! Ha!
Go Rooster go.
You go girl.
Sooo…I won’t be surprised to see you streaking through our neighborhood by the end of 2013, right? Well…my word of the year is the same, so maybe I’ll be streaking too. Our neighbors have never seen hineys so white.
Bwahahahahah Oh, the picture you just put in my head of Miss Veda’s face. Quite a scene!
Your words touch me each and every time, as if you already know they are just what I need to hear!
I shared on Facebook, and my chosen word is Identity.
Loverly, as always :} I love getting notifications of new blogs!!
My word chose me before you even mentioned the One Word project. It actually found me in September, after the man I thought I was going to marry broke up with me. My word is Hope. I thought I had lost Hope for a few dreary months, but I’m learning each day! The Lord is opening my eyes to new Hope, and I can only dare to dream where the year will take me! Thank you
Today, and for the week I am praying hope over you Michelle. May God wake you up tomorrow morning with a heart full of hope and the eyes to see it.
Hi! I followed you on Twitter and I can’t wait to see what your unashamed journey brings you! I loved the description of your baby running through the house. I could totally picture it! I think that’s a great visual image to kick off the year. Good luck growing your blog; what a fabulous goal! My word for 2013 is “Seek.”
Abby, I love reading your blog!
No surprise that you’ve grown to be such a strong and faithfilled woman!
This mean very much coming from you.
My word is Simplify. 🙂 And I followed you on Facebook and Twitter. I hope you get great response to your giveaway!
Simplify! What a good one! I am trying to end this year with less stuff than I start with.
My word for 2013 is free!
I don’t have a facebook or twitter to share, but I did start following your blog and I am excited about the things you have to say!
Free is what I started with, but the Lord said, nope unashamed. But I am finding a lot of freedom in this unashamed business.
My word is Wholly.
I followed you on Twitter! 🙂 What a cool giveaway you’re doing. 🙂
I love it, and I can’t wait to see how this will change you. I spent many years trapped in my own shame….it’s not an easy place to be. But finding a relief from the toxic shame, that is priceless. I hope that you can truly live this year unashamed, and look forward to seeing how you grow through it.
Oh to be as UNself-conscious as a toddler! It wouldn’t make me the most socially appropriate woman on the block, but what freedom to live life without shame. Love your post and your one word!
Mine is “Today” as I learn to live without the weight of what-was and what-if. http://soheresus.com/2013/01/17/starting-over/
I love the post and your word. My 18 month old is also a streaker, her favorite game wriggling away after (and unfortunately on occasion during) a diaper change and giggling hysterically as we chase her. My word for the year is “shine.” Many reasons for this, but recently I have been thinking that it means letting God’s light do what light does naturally. Being happy without trying so hard, perhaps? My blog and post about my word is here:
http://piejesu.org/2013/01/06/shine/
Being happy without trying so hard. Yes. A thousand times yes.
Love this! Already a lurker & follow you on fb & twitter! Thanks for the great giveaway! My word is release!
Release! Oh I love this! What a beautiful year you will have!
I love your word! Something I struggle with so what you shared really spoke to my heart. My word is Embrace! withlove-simplybeth.blogspot.com
Embrace! The rooster has just learned how to say HUG! I love this.
I can’t believe you are doing a painting for EVERYONE! Now there’s GRACE! Many thanks indeed!
What can I give you?
Ambling Saint