Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for January, 2023

A Healthy Perspective

Posted in Uncategorized on January 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

2023 has begun a bit differently for me. For those of you who know me well, you probably know that a new year invigorates me. Think about all the possibilities that each new day will hold! I get excited dreaming about what God will do.

But this year, I am at home, trying to recover from the virus – not the way I would want to begin a new year.

However, I will say that this forced pause in my desired routine just might be God’s way of having me slow down to reflect and truly give thought to what is important now. I usually take time during this season to reflect on the past year but so far, I have not done much of that.

So today, I will work through the questions I typically ask of myself and reflect on what God has done – is doing – and wants to do moving forward. The basis of this process is the reminder that this life is not mine – it’s not about me. John the Baptist understood this well. In a discussion with his disciples about the Messiah, John said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

Maybe, this forced pause to my schedule is a way of driving that point home and reminding me to have a healthy perspective on life. A life lived in The Way of Jesus is always a life of trust and submission. That means remembering that my plans ALWAYS must follow His.

Remember that it is always about Him and never about you.

How will you become less this year?

Read Full Post »

God and Something New

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational on January 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. The older we get, the more rapidly time seems to move. One of the things this special time of year prompts for me is a time of intentional reflection. I have a series of questions I spend time with, evaluating the past 12 months – the good, the bad and how to grow from each.

The beginning of a new year also breathes a sense of hope and anticipation into our lives as we think about all the possibilities of the coming 365 days. The reality is that January 1st is just another day – it follows December 31st and precedes January 2nd. But there is a unique expectation assigned to this day by virtue of the fact that it marks the first day of a new year.

So we take some time to reflect and we look forward to what is to come.

2020 was a year to survive. 2021 was a year for life in a holding pattern – uncertain about how to move forward. 2022 was a year of stepping into life again and discovering what “normal” looks like now (I’m not sure we have quite conquered that feat yet).

If you have been a follower of my ramblings here for years, or you just stumbled onto Clay In The Hands, you will notice that the last post here was in March of 2020. The reason for the gap is as you would expect – but the experience of life and ministry through the pandemic will be the subject for many posts to come.

So what will 2023 be for us? The word to Isaiah, centuries ago, fits for us today – chapter 43 verse 9 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.”

Part of that new thing for me is this outlet. It is time for me to pick up a tried and tested tool again. I will be posting here two or three times per week – wrestling with life and faith and how the two can never be separated. So check back here regularly or simply subscribe to receive posts to your inbox.

What new thing is God going to do in you in 2023?

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts