Tag: new years

Soul Food to Enlarge Your Heart For the New Year

December 31, 2019 /
@andrearhowey

Like many of you, I’m a little off schedule about now. I hate routines, but they also save me and I’m ready to get back into a healthy rhythm. Anyone else with me?

Christmas was “different” this year. It was our first time away from home, family and friends for a holiday that is full of sacred meaning, memories, and traditions for me.

Some of you, following me on Instagram have seen the lovely images of this place we are blessed to serve for a short time. Some of you may be in a hard season and may have felt a twinge of resentment or envy. I so do not want that! I want to bring you along and I want to be honest about all of it.

I’m the first to say we’re privileged to be able to dive into this adventure and enjoy a myriad of new experiences and relationships. We’re incredibly grateful!

I’m also kind of like the mom who struggles with infertility and after having a baby doesn’t feel like she can have a bad day or get frustrated with her little one because, she HAS a little one. I feel guilty if I get emotionally wrung out or have a frustrating day grocery shopping, because I’m get to live in Lucerne for Pete’s sake!

But I don’t want the beauty of Switzerland to obscure the intense personal pain we’ve encountered in the faith community here. Grieving parents, broken marriages, addiction, emotional breakdowns, loneliness… We’re serving in a small church where basically we’re responsible for all of the things, and we’re definitely not gifted at all of the things! (Read: counseling, administration, technology…)

I want to tell the truth and say we miss our church and the friends we have so much history with. Without complaint, I want to say honestly that as much as I love travel, I’m also a nester, a celebrator, a tradition-keeper. I’ve tried to be present to God and others here, but a part of my heart is at home.

Enough about me. How was your Christmas?

I know for some of you the holidays are incredibly hard and you’re glad they’re almost over. You’ve made it through the first Christmas with an empty chair, or taken the high road when the topic turned to politics around the table, or courageously apologized to a family member, or put up some needed boundaries. Know that you are seen and prayed for and I’m cheering you on.

What do you do to prepare for a new year? I’ve shared our New Years Eve practice in the past, and this year I’ve added some questions for you to reflect on.

Now onto the joyful stuff from Instagram and around the internet.

@ashton.creates
@letterfolk

I loved this story (and video below) about an adorably sneaky comfort dog!

And this brought such joy!

As we approach the new year, let’s breathe deep, lean hard, and press on, knowing that God’s love holds.

A Blessing for The New Year

December 27, 2018 /

I sit and stare at my computer screen after triaging emails that have accumulated over the holidays. I’m tired. I bet you are too.

We’ve baked the special cookies and wrapped presents we hoped would delight. We’ve tried to be present to Jesus and kept traditions and navigated family drama, and made time to sit by the Christmas tree.

We’ve tried to remember to breathe. 

But now it’s the end of the year and we’re tired, and as we consider whether to make resolutions, we’re tempted to think of all the things that haven’t happened in 2018 – the pregnancy, the boyfriend, the job, the healing…

We think of the ways we’ve messed up – the rejection letter, or the One Word that we haven’t seen fleshed out in our life perfectly. 

“I am learning ever so slowly that maturity and a growing faith show up not in our ability to stand up straight and blameless, but in our willingness to turn, again and again, back to the face of God. Not once, but a thousand times once and then a thousand times more.” 

Emily P. Freeman

Me too.

It’s hard to be both honest and hopeful. We need to be gentle with ourselves and remember our hope isn’t in a resolution made or broken, but in God who is good.

And so, we trust…

“…that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Cor. 3:18 NASB

As 2018 comes to a close, I’d like to offer a blessing:

This day, may you be assured that you are seen and loved as is, not “only if”. May you know that your proud Papa is cheering you on, beaming at the small, teetering steps you’ve taken in 2018. May you hear Him singing over you, see Him delighting in you, and have faith to let Him take your hand and walk you into a new year. Amen.

Soul Food to say Good-bye to 2017

January 1, 2018 /

Ok, can we all just agree that we’re kind of happy to see 2017 go?

We’re hoping 2018 will be a kinder, gentler, more high-minded year. We’d like to expect better of ourselves and others. We’d like to read more stories of honesty, integrity, and service. Grace and truth in equal measure.

My prayer is that Love will be the loudest voice we’ll hear.

We don’t want to live in denial of the challenges, but just for today, I thought maybe a little inspiration, a few laughs and joy were in order.

Want a great, feel-good movie? We went to see The Greatest Showman and loved it!! Downloading the soundtrack.

And for a laugh…Some of the best text conversations of the year:

Smile.

An oldie, but such a goodie!! A-MAZING!

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press ontoward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Here’s to 2018! 

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