Life

The Disorienting Nature of COVID-19.

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Right now, I was supposed to be on the West Coast feeling the cool ocean breeze and hugging giant trees. But I’m not. The reality is, we all have things we were looking forward to over the next few days or weeks that have now been suspended, postponed, or canceled. COVID-19 is disorienting.

It’s easy to watch the news and hear about disasters and hardship in other places and not really feel it for yourself. Sure, maybe you can relate to some of the reports but you likely can’t relate to them all, nor can you actually know and experience what those people are experiencing at that very moment.

The coronavirus is different. With the first case reported on December 31, 2019 in China, it was easy to see that event and not believe it would effect that many people. And then it spread… quickly. This virus seemed to make the news almost overnight as it reached country after country, eventually landing in the United States.

Now we begin to feel it because now it affects us…in fact, it affects every single person on the planet. It’s affecting our friends and family living in other countries. It’s affecting our loved ones living in the U.S. in different states. And it’s affecting us… our plans, our hopes, and our day-to-day lives.

And for me, this is disorienting.

We don’t really seem to have a category to put our current lifestyle into. We walk around with caution, buy things in haste to stay prepared, and obsessively check the news. Some are responding with extreme caution while others are not missing a beat and continuing with their lives. But everyone is slowly becoming more and more aware to the reality and seriousness of this pandemic.

The feeling of disorientation is strange and seems to cause panic, frustration, and fear. No one likes this feeling because it feels out of control, with no stability. And let’s be honest, we all really like being in control.

Yet, in the midst of this disorienting time, there is a place we can go to find certainty, hope, and peace. That place is the Word of God, the Bible.

Taking time to sit in the presence of the Lord reorients us to what is true. The Bible tells us over and over again about how God is a safe refuge, a good Father, a shield, a rock, a fortress, a healer, and most importantly, He is God with us! Therefore, we can listen and respond to the most common command that God gives His people: “Do not fear.”

God tells His people to not fear because He is with them, He is in control, and He is a trustworthy and good God. He tells us not to worry because He cares for us and sees our needs. God reminds us that when we put our hope in the things of this world, they always leave us feeling empty, yet hope in God is certain and true.

I pray that today you would find time to take your cares, concerns, worries, and fears to the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. He is aware of what is going on, has not abandoned us, and deeply desires for His name to be glorified, even amidst the chaos of today. I pray that you would put your hope in Jesus, looking into God’s Word to see the beauty and grace of all that He is and all that He has done. Even through these are disorienting times, God is calling people to Himself and opening the door for people to put their full trust and hope in Him! And He is more than able to save!

Friends, we can have a certain, unswaying, and strong hope that goes beyond the cure of a virus or containment of the chaos. We can have a hope that reorients us to what is true. And that hope is in JESUS. Full, flourishing life is found only by trusting in His name. Run to Him today and let Him reorient you to truth. (And read the verse below. It’s my favorite verse and a great one to cling to in the days to come!)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)

P.S. Here are some other verses that may give you hope, peace, and rest, helping you to be reoriented to the truth today. Feel free to comment below with some of your favorite verses as well!

The Kingdom of the Son.

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What does it mean to be part of the Kingdom of the Son? Well it means a whole lot of things, and it also means being called into a whole lot of things.

“God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭(MSG‬‬)

Being called into the Kingdom of the Son means being pulled out of the pit. It means being rescued from an eternal doom by the loved Son of God. It means being set free from frantic failures and patterns of sin. It means living into the identity God has given you. It means truly bearing the image of God in all you do and with all you are.

Being part of the Kingdom is about belonging. It’s about purpose.

My word for 2020 is purpose. I want to learn to live into my purpose here and now, and help others see their purpose in life too. Purpose, for the follower of Jesus, is to belong to the Kingdom of the Son and to live in light of that eternal reality.

As a believer in the one true God, I belong to a greater location than Texas or the United States. I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ and I belong to His Kingdom…and He is the Eternal King! My purpose then is to bring others close to God, that they may also see the beauty, grace, forgiveness, and love of the Father.

Purpose also includes living in light of a reality that is eternal. The chaos of this world, the disappointments, the failures, the flaws, the pain… these are all side effects of a broken world. But my reality is that there will come a day when the Kingdom of the Son will break through, redeeming all that was lost and bringing new life and eternal belonging to those who belong to the Son.

I’m finding that purpose is something we seek and desire as humans. It’s part of being human because our purpose has been marred by sin. We were made to be with God, to enjoy His creation, and to tend His garden. But that picture has been ruined by sin. So our purpose is now difficult to find, leading us to seek identity in other things and in ungodly ways. We attempt to find purpose in who others tells us we are or should be. We attempt to find purpose in our jobs and families. And all of these attempts leave us without lasting purpose or fulfillment, every single time.

The reason we can’t find true, lasting purpose in anything of this world is because we were made for a different world. God created us to be with Him in the beginning. So our longing for purpose, our desire for belonging, our hope for better days ahead, is all stemming from the fact that we were made to be with God. We were made to be in the Kingdom of the Son. And those who follow Jesus will be in this Kingdom forever!

So today, I pray you will consider what it means to be part of the Kingdom of the Son… to live the way He designed us with a purpose that is focused on Him. He is the only one who can rescue from failed attempts at perfection and misguided desires. And He saves all those who come to Him. His Kingdom is eternal and it begins here and now. Will you allow Him to be your King?

The Antidote of Comparison.

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I’m sure you have driven through a tunnel before. Well, my family used to play this game when we drove through tunnels where we would try to hold our breath all the way through the tunnel until we could see the sky again. It’s easy if you go through a short tunnel. But road trips always seemed to lead to the super long tunnel where you can’t see the end and your stuck holding your breath until the end, giving up early, or just pretending you held it the whole way but secretly breathing through your nose the whole time! …That’s what I did! 😉

I think we feel like we are in tunnels often. Not real tunnels, but tunnels in our mind. Social media, the internet, and really anything that captivates our attention quickly, pulls us into a tunnel that is hard to get out of.

And I’m sure you have felt this before. You look up at the clock after what seemed like five minutes, and it’s an hour and half later. And all you’ve done is scroll, scroll, and scroll on your device.

Often when we find ourselves in a tunnel, we are easily drawn to comparison. We keep scrolling because we want to see who else we can compare ourselves too. Sometimes it’s out of a desire to become more like that person (or at least their post) and other times it’s out of a desire to prove yourself better than others. Either way, comparison pulls you into a tunnel that is hard to escape.

I recently wrote a blog about comparison, noting that gratitude is the antidote of comparison. I believe that gratitude is the way out of the tunnel of comparison that we too often find ourselves trapped in.

Each night before I go to bed, I write down one thing I’m thankful for on a sticky note and put it on the back of my bedroom door. This can be a person, a thing, an event …really anything! The trick is, I have to come up with something new each day! So I can’t write down “Fridays” every time it’s Friday since that word is already on my door. Ending my day with gratitude helps me remember what is important in life and to spend time being thankful instead of comparing myself to others.

The reason why I think gratitude, out of all things, is what combats comparison is because of what comparison is and the effects it has on us as human beings. Comparison is when we look at someone else and see either something we want or something we are glad we don’t have, which leads us to coveting and judgment of others. Comparison also shows a lack of true identity. Comparison eats away at our time, our money, our desires, and orients us to false stories. When we compare ourselves to others, we are not taking time to be grateful for the things God has given to us. Instead, we are believing that God has not given us what is sufficient to have in life, or He has messed up on us. Comparison begins to cause us to have a judgmental spirit towards others, leading us to unkindness, envy, bitterness, anger, and so much more.

There are an incredible amount of verses in the Bible about gratitude, so I don’t need to go through them all here. But one of my favorites will do this point justice.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God tells us in His word exactly what His will for us is! And that is to rejoice! To Pray! And to give thanks! If we have a sure and grounded identity in God, knowing that He made us in His image in the exact way He designed from the beginning, we can trust that He made us different than others for a purpose! And because of that, we can give thanks. This is part of our purpose as humans! Instead of spending time scroll on Instagram, seeing all the things you wish you had, and seeing how you measure up to others, God tells us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all things.

Spend some time this week looking up verses on gratitude. And then start a journal where you write down something you are thankful for each day. Taking time out of your day to give thanks to God for His good gifts is something well worth your time. And I can tell you from experience, gratitude is something that changes my perspective, encourages me when I’m feeling down, insignificant, or insufficient, and keeps me grounded to what is true.

Minimalism, a Daily Habit.

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Minimalism is a thing these days, especially for those in my generation. I think we’ve all started to realize that we don’t need as much stuff as we think we do.

This year, one of my resolutions I made was to donate or throw away one item each day for a year. So far, this has been an easy process because I’ve needed to declutter for a while.

As I have thought about this resolution, I’ve considered: Why not just go through everything and pick out 365 (well 366 since it’s leap year) items to give get rid of? It’s definitely something to consider and then I would be done with that resolution for the year.

Yet, giving away something everyday really causes me to feel it because I have to intentionally find something to get rid of before the day is over. At the end of each day, I put one item either in the trash or in a donation bin, and as I do this, I am reminded that God provides all that I need and has graciously given me all that I have. Reducing my possessions to just those that I will have intentionally chosen to keep, reminds me that all I have belongs to God and I am a steward of His gifts. This is a daily habit I am creating in my life.

This resolution is so much more than just becoming a minimalist, setting a trend, or cleaning my room. This is about a deeper love, gratitude, and understanding for what has been given to me by God.

As a Christian, I believe that everything I have is from God. If God created all and is in charge of all, then He is also the one responsible for giving me all that I have. And yet, I don’t often live like this is true of my life.

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them not to take extra things with them for the journey. (See Matthew 10:9-15.)

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.”

Matthew 10:9-10 (NIV)

These men were essentially told to go be homeless as they traveled for a while proclaiming the message of the Kingdom. Often, this is the passage that is quoted in connection with minimalists, saying that clearly Jesus wants us to only have a few things.

We also read about the man who Jesus told to go sell everything and then follow him. (See Matthew 19:16-22.)

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21 (ESV)

So it seems like Jesus was really into this whole minimalist trend! I mean, He told His disciples to get rid of extra luggage they wanted to bring along their journey and told a man to sell everything in order to follow Him. It seems, from these verses and others, that Jesus is either a minimalist or else He really wants to promote homelessness! 😉

But I don’t think the lack of possessions is the point in either of these stories. Instead, I think the point is about the space created in their lives to truly live out the gospel. Jesus was helping them create space in their lives to live fully human.

Being human is about dependence on God, because we are dependent on God for absolutely everything! He has given us breath in our lungs, formed our bodies, provided food we can eat that gives us nourishment and keeps us alive, and so much more! We are dependent on God in so many ways!

By giving away things that I have relied on in the past, there’s more space for me to practice active dependence on God. I am dependent on God not only for all the normal human physical things we need each day (air, water, food, sleep, etc.) but also dependent on God for the invisible things like love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace, and joy!

Minimizing my possessions has helped me become more grateful for and generous with the things I have. I truly believe that this is a Christian practice. By simplifying my life, I have more capacity, time, and space for the things that matter the most. It’s not an instant equation of give an item away = get more time with God/living more missionally with God. BUT it is progress…one degree of glory to the next, am I right?! And reducing the things I have creates a unique awareness of God’s presence in my life that I have really enjoyed experiencing.

So yes, minimizing is trending uphill right now in culture. It’s the newest thing to make your space look tidy, modern, and ready for the perfect Insta pic! But it’s so much more than that! Minimizing is about simplifying your life so you can increase space for the most important things in life. And I would argue, that includes the importance of being fully dependent on God.

How can you follow God in faithfulness in light of this? What does this look like in your life? Maybe it’s similar to my New Year’s resolution of reducing the things I have by creating a daily habit, in order to create space for the things that matter more. Maybe it’s something else! Either way, let’s be faithful men and women who seek after God not only with our all but with our very best!

Stop & Consider.

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Living in Texas there are a lot of thunderstorms. These roll in often and typically include some magnificent clouds and incredible lightning shows. These are the kind of storms you just want to pull up a chair and watch for hours. I like calling them “God’s fireworks” because the skies are often so beautifully colored as the lightning goes off in the midnight sky. Texas storms are truly a masterpiece of God.

Nature is and always has been one of my favorite things. I love being outside all the time, enjoying nature by going on hikes, running, and exploring. I love nature because it shows me more about who God is.

A verse struck me tonight as I read in Job 36-37. Elihu is speaking to Job. He points out a variety of types of nature, like wind, snow, rain, and ice. He goes on to say that each of these things are from the Lord, that God is the one who holds the power of these things. He is reminding Job of the magnificence and power of God, and how this is displayed in His creation.

Elihu says things like this: He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. (Job 27:3) He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ (Job 37:6) The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. (Job 27:10)

And then he says the thing that stood out:

“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.”

Job 27:14 (NIV)

Job is told to stop and consider God’s wonders. Other versions of this verse say, “the wondrous works of God” (ESV) and “the wonderful miracles of God” (NLT). Job is asked by this friend to consider the ways and works of God. He is not God, and he does not control the earth. God is God. God is the only one who can speak things into existence, command the skies, and control the winds.

As I read this verse I thought, “How do I stop and consider the works of the Lord?”

In a world, culture, and era where busy is new normal, fast food is not fast enough, and Amazon allows us live a life of immediate gratification, we do not stop and consider often, if ever. And this life of non-stop busyness and hurry leads us to the false belief that we do not need God, nor do we need to consider His works.

But I think I want to stop and consider the Lord and His ways. This seems so important, like an essential aspect of being human in the ways God intended for us to be human because it reminds us how small we truly are in comparison with God. Job is told to consider the ways of the Lord, His marvelous and miraculous works. I want to live a life that is slow enough to stop and consider the ways of the Lord, like Job is encouraged to do. And this includes taking time to stop and simply enjoy God’s creation.

So, what are the marvelous and miraculous works of God around me and in my life that I can stop and consider? What are the miraculous works of God around you? And what should our response to these be?

As we consider the ways of the Lord and His miracles, I believe the only right response is worship. When we consider how he commands the lightning, controls the wind, and created all of the earth, there is nothing else for us to do but bow down in worship towards our great God!

So today, I want to encourage you to STOP and CONSIDER. Take a moment right now to stop what you are doing. Look out your window and praise God for something you see that He made. Maybe it’s your kids playing outside. Maybe it’s a bird perched on a branch. Maybe it’s a newly planted tree just beginning to bud. As you look at these things, consider the Lord. Consider that He created each of these things with intentionality, purpose, and creativity. He created these things out of joy that we might worship Him all the more!

Take time today, friend, to stop and consider the ways of the Lord.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

Psalm 34:8a (ESV)

P.S. I love the way The Message tells of these verses, so I have copied that below for you to enjoy and worship God with these words today!

“Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this? Stop in your tracks! Take in God’s miracle-wonders? Do you have any idea how God does it all, how he makes bright lightning from dark storms, how he piles up the cumulus clouds—all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind? Why, you don’t even know how to keep cool on a sweltering hot day, so how could you even dream of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky?

Job 37:14-18 (MSG)

The Comparison Trap.

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Comparison is a trap. It does not lead to life or truth in anyway. Comparison causes us to look at what other people have, who they are, and what they do and then tell ourselves, “I am not enough because I am not like them!”

Comparison is a problem. It’s a big problem because it traps us in a cycle of believing lies about ourselves and often about others too. When we compare ourselves to others, we are ultimately telling God, our creator, that He messed up in some way and we are not pleased with that.

Social media heightens the awareness and accessibility of comparison. We can instantly compare ourselves to hundreds of people, both those we do life with and those we have never met. We can see their best moments, their newest things, and their fanciest vacations. It is easy to get sucked into a social media binge, looking at all the things the “rest of the people” have that you do not.

Comparison pulls us down. It leads to depression, overspending, excessive desires, and controlling thoughts. It leads us to believe that we need more things, we need to do more things, and we need to be more. Comparison tells us that we can be better than the person next to us if we just try a little harder.

Do you see the trap yet? You probably didn’t need to read this to instinctively feel the trap I’m talking about. We’ve all felt this trap because we have all had times of feeling like we are not enough because of our perception of others.

God does not want us to live in this world trapped. He created us for freedom! He created us in unique ways, with specific gifts, and placed us in distinct places for certain times. He is not unaware of those around you and the gifts He gave them too.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV)

So today, consider how you are comparing yourself to others. What is causing comparison? Is there something you can avoid (like social media) to help you not compare yourself to others?

And then be thankful! I try to end each day in gratitude by writing down one specific thing I am grateful for that day. Gratitude is the antidote to comparison. More on that in a future post! … 🙂

The Word of God

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Take a deep breath in, and now out. One more time. Slowly. As you do this, you feel breath leaving your body. You can feel this as you speak too by holding you hand in front of your mouth, and feeling the breath of each word as you speak.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (ESV)

This verse has a key phrase in it that you may have already picked up on. It says that “ALL scripture is breathed out by God.” This means that the Bible is the very word of God. The Bible is not like any other book in the world and it will never compare to any other book. That’s not because it’s the most widely known book across generations and centuries, or the book translated into the most languages. The Bible is and always will be different than any other book because it is the very word of God.

The opening pages of the Bible begin with God speaking everything into existence. God says, “Let there be light…let there be land…let there be mountains…let there be frogs…etc.” Everything that exists has been spoken into creation by God Himself. His words hold power, the power to create and give life. The words spoken by God are different than the words we speak because of the power they hold.

So when we read 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we see that the Bible (all of Scripture) is breathed out by God. In other words, it is spoken by God, it is His very breath. Therefore, the Bible holds power. And thankfully, these words have been translated into a language we can understand so as we read the Bible, we find out that these words hold the power of life.

That life is found only in Jesus.

So today, I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read. Spend time in the very words of God. Recognize that He loved us so much that He gave us His very words to know and live by. He is a good God!

Wave After Wave.

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Once I tried to go paddleboarding in the ocean with a cast on my arm. I’m pretty active and enjoy challenges, so I thought this would be fun! I put the waterfree cast protector on my arm, attached the paddleboard to my ankle, and headed to the shore. I was ready to get out in the ocean and prove to all the people on the beach that I had a secret talent.

I made two mistakes that day. First, I realized I have never actually paddle boarded in the ocean, only calm lakes were you basically just sit on a board and float around. Second, I forgot my paddle.

As I took some steps into the salty and violent waters, I realized that the hardest part was going to be getting past the breaking point of the waves. I made several attempts at getting over the waves with my board and cast. By now there was a small group of people on the beach watching the crazy girl with only one swimming arm in the ocean.

The waves continued to knock me down. I remember tumbling under the water several times and losing my board. And then I would get too close to the beach and my board would get stuck in the sand. But the waves never quit. They continued to dramatically push me over, causing me to lose my already very flimsy balance.

Eventually I made it past the breaking point. It was at this moment I realized that my paddle was still on the shore. So now I was in the middle of the ocean, without a paddle, trying to maintain balance on a board, and unable to really swim since I only had one good arm.

If you’ve ever had an experience like this or if you’ve simply been to the beach and watched the waves come in relentlessly, you know that it’s wave after wave after wave. The ocean is relentless. It doesn’t care if you are a child or a bad swimmer or a crazy girl with a cast on her arm. The waves will not stop coming.

And life is often like the ocean: it doesn’t relent, it doesn’t slow down, and it just keeps coming. I’m sure you have felt this in your own life, like I have in mine. Those seasons, or months, or years, where it just feels like the world is against you and nothing is going to slow it down. Those seasons can feel extremely defeating and exhausting. It feels like if you could just have a moment to catch your breath, you would be able to stand again and take a step, even if it’s only a small one.

If this is where you find yourself right now, I want you to hear this: God sees you, He keeps you, and He knows you. He is not unaware of what you are experiencing and He deeply cares for you. You are seen. You are kept. You are loved. It may not feel like you are seen, kept, or loved, but you are. For me, it takes hearing those words from someone else for me to truly believe them. So this is me telling you what is true: God is there.

I want to close by sharing one of my favorite little stories from a children’s book called, “Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing” by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago (who also wrote and illustrated “The Jesus Storybook Bible”).

What words does God want you to treasure in the deepest part of you?

“Be good?” “Do it better?” “Try harder?” Are those the words God wrote in the Bible for us, to rescue and free us?

No. Those words only show us what we can’t do.

The words God wants us to remember are just three small ones: “I love you.”

They are the words that stop the Terrible Lie that Satan whispered to Eve in the garden: “God doesn’t love you!” They are the words that heal the poison in our hearts that stops us from trusting God.

They are the words that Jesus came to tell us with his whole life.

They are the words he died to prove.

What words will you treasure today?

“Three Small Words” (Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing) by Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago

I pray this encouraged your heart today if you are in a season of relentless life. And if you are not, I pray you will remember these truths when life hits you with wave after wave. He sees you, friend.

Oh, and I eventually made it back to the shore after a kind man swam out to me with my paddle, but I don’t intend on repeating that experience again. 🙂

Purpose.

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We all want to have a purpose in life, we want our life to matter in this world. Purpose is something I believe we are all searching for in life.

Some people find purpose in their jobs by reaching the highest positions and simply being really good at what they do. Some people find purpose in their families, seeking to raise children with good manors and kind hearts. Some people find purpose in their hobbies, by starting non-profits, giving their time up for charities, or traveling around the world. None of these things are bad. In fact, these are all really good things that most people should aspire to! We should all desire to be good at what we do, raise up families that are known for kindness and compassion, and use our talents and loves to make the world a better place.

But there is just something more when we think of the word purpose.

Purpose. It’s the reason we are created, the reason for existence. And there just has to be more in our purpose than being a good employee, having a good family, and doing the things we love. Purpose is something deeper because we want to matter in this world. We want to know why we were created and then live into that purpose!

For the year 2020, PURPOSE is my word. I want to know what my purpose is and live into it. I want to help others see their true purpose in life too. And I believe that the Bible answers the question: What is my purpose in life?

From the very beginning pages of the Bible, we see that our purpose was to be with God. Yet, sin entered the world causing a vast separation that could never be bridged… until Jesus! And now, because of Jesus, we can be with God again! So our purpose is to be with God!

Not only are we to simply be with God, but we are to be a reflection, an imitation, an image of God to a broken and lost world. The more you are around certain people the more you become like them. This is true about being with God too! The more you are with God, the more you will be like Him!

Purpose. It’s a big word, but it holds a lot of important meaning. And I believe that our purpose is to be with God and glorify Him forever! 1 Peter 2:9 is the verse that comes to mind and the verse I want to live into this year.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

And I pray this year you will find your purpose in God as well. I pray that you will know that God loves you, cares for you, and desires for you to be with Him!

New Year’s Resolutions.

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What’s your New Year’s Resolution this year!? Some people love New Year’s Resolutions and some do not. But almost all people do not follow through with them even if they make them.

A resolution is firm decision to do something or to not do something, to start something or stop something. Common resolutions are typically things like… eat healthier, go to the gym more, or get out of debt. These are all great things, but they seem to fail us. One reason I think these fail is because they are not measurable, so there is no way to be held accountable for reaching these resolutions.

But I think resolutions are important. They help establish rhythms of life and keep your focus on the right things. Resolutions show that you are passionate about something specific and will fight for that thing to be made right. Resolutions could also be considered as “habits.”

So, why do we only make resolutions or good, healthy habits, with the start of a new year? Why can’t we make a new resolution whenever we feel ourselves slipping into a direction we do not want to go or falling out of a good rhythm of life?

Resolutions do not need to be made only with the start of a new year, or a new decade. They can be made all throughout the year! But with the start of a new year, I want to encourage you to think about who you want to become this year and just take one step. Then next month, re-evaluate that step, change it, add to it, do what you need to so that you are still taking steps to who you want to become. Begin new habits and quit poor ones that do not add anything good to your life.

As you decide on this year’s resolution, or maybe just this month’s new habit, consider spending time with God. Ask Him who He wants you to become, and then go in that direction with Him. He loves you, friend. And I bet He has a much better and bigger idea for your life than you can imagine!

Happy New Year! And best of luck on those resolutions! Here are a few of mine for 2020:

  • Read through the Bible in a year.
  • Get off of Instagram for a year.
  • Simplify by donating one thing each day.