the only photo of 2016 on my phone so far

Now that all our family has gone back home I finally have a chance to sit down and think about the new year. I’m finding it hard to believe it’s 2016 when my mind is still stuck in 2015–waiting, in transition. Moving on to a new year with things still looming over us unresolved (the house, for instance) isn’t ideal, but perhaps that’s the best reason to look forward and rest in the knowledge that we have hope in Christ.

This year my desire is to focus on what I want to do rather than where I’m lacking, which I admit is a subtle and perplexing distinction. Being aware of my deficiencies is good, but not when it’s my main focus, when I’m self-critical and harsh to the point that I reject the Lord’s redeeming grace and love. This year is about organizing and meal planning more efficiently, downsizing our belongings again, getting out of the house often, visiting Nashville, exploring our city frequently, picnics, picking up my cameras more and my phone less, serving others, spending time with David, spending time with friends, making use of and appreciating what I have, enjoying stillness and resisting the pressure to fill every moment. This year is also about redefining comfort–looking less to food and drink to relax and unwind and not escaping life’s difficulties through endless television and laziness, but finding comfort in good health and moderation, in enriching art forms, in scripture, and in the sustaining satisfaction that comes only from the Lord.

2016 is sure to have its rough moments, but grace will still abound.