It matters what we do with a year. Let me back up. It matters what we do with our days. With our hours, our little ordinary moments here and there. It matters how we spend them. What we fill them up with. And I don't mean to instill any frantic feelings in us. I've had enough of those. I don't want us to scramble around and try so hard to impact the world and succeed at life, with a frenetic, worried, angsty kind of energy. I know that all too well. It doesn't bring a lick of peace. Just like that ancient prayer writer once wrote in a song up to God, "Teach us to number our days, (to realize the brevity of life) that we may gain a heart of wisdom," (from Psalm 90:12), I want us to be aware that time does move forward and we don't get any of these moments back. So, it matters. [...]

Dear Jesus-follower, Whatever plans or goals you’ve set into place for this new year, I want to encourage you in this one thing. There is something that I hope you’ll move on up to the front on that list of “important things to do”, if you haven’t already. And that is this—take time to care for your soul. Now, I’m not a psychologist. Or a philosopher. Or a theologian. Or a preacher even. So, I can’t dissect it down and tell you precisely what your soul is. Or even the difference between your soul and your heart. But, from what I’ve gathered from God’s Word, I believe the soul is the deepest most vital part of our human self. Perhaps it’s the part that integrates our heart and our mind, our will and emotions and our body all together. Our heart and soul sort of go hand-in-ha[...]

The world is cold outside my window, and a little bleak. I'm thankful for these walls and this roof that hem us  in, keeping us warm and sheltered and held. I step out into a new year and of course, I want to carve out  new paths. I notice that the wind has swept the snow all night and our footsteps from yesterday are covered now. Unseen. I've got this profound sense we can all start out new again. Because God's mercies come running up again at the dawning of a each new day. We've already begun a new routine. We now have a laundry folding party every night. I do the washing during the day, then heap the clothes in the baskets. And after dinner, we dump them on the living room floor and everybody gets to folding and toting clothes upstairs to put back into the drawers. Hope's and Gi[...]

Brent and I went on a date last night and we talked about our resolutions for the new year. He's good about asking me what my goals and dreams are. And then I remember to ask him. : )I told him that I want to love the world more, like the whole world, not just my little corner. I know that sounds broad and general, but it's because I don't really know what that looks like yet.  I started reading David Platt's book, Radical. (Warning, only read this book if you want a good kick in the pants.) It's written for Christians but it doesn't make Christians feel good about themselves at all. It sort of points out how most of American Christianity doesn't look or act a thing like Jesus.  Ouch. It hurts because it's true. We Westerners care a whole lot about comfort and security and we do[...]