The Church is a Gift

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When I was growing up, there were very few extracurricular activities on Sunday. There were no soccer or basketball games, swim meets, robotics tournaments, dance recitals, and track events. Now, it’s a common occurrence. Just two weeks ago, one of our families at church had to be at a track event at seven am. After that, they came to church. As soon as church was done, they had to get going for a swim meet that afternoon.

Changing Times

Things have changed so much over the years. There are so many things vying for our attention on Sundays; it feels almost impossible to make church a priority. And yet, that’s what the writer of Hebrews encourages us to do.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Hebrews 10:25

A Front Row Seat

Ministering in the greater Philadelphia area for the last fifteen years has given us a front row seat to watching families come and go. We’ve had the privilige of ministering to a lot of different people in different stages of life and from different walks of life. One of the things that hasn’t changed over the years is that we can really train wreck our lives when we’re not plugged into a local church and a small group of people we can do life with. Are people in church perfect? Absolutely not. Do we hurt each other sometimes? Yes. The people in our church are no different. Yet God told us that this was how He wanted us to do life–together. The best way to do life together is to be involved in a church that you can attend every week, encourage and be encouraged by other believers, hear Biblical preaching, join in worship, and find your place to serve. Joining a small group of people that meet together every week outside of the church service for fellowship and a Bible study is the icing on the cake.

Not Doing LIfe

None of us are perfect; that’s for sure. But when a group of people consistently meet together to encourage each other in our walk with God, really good things happen. Is it a guarantee for no hard times, an easy marriage, and no problems? No. But when those hard times come, there are people to walk through those waters with us. None of us can do life alone.

I’m currently working my way through my Hebrews study from Daily Grace Co. I was reading in Hebrews 10 this week and read this very passage. I read these words, and they were such a good reminder.

In light of this, the author of Hebrews tells us not to neglect gathering together. Skipping Sunday gatherings, a small group meeting, or a Bible study can seem like a small thing until it starts to become a habit. When we separate ourselves from the accountability of the church, we become prone to sin more easily. We need our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to spur us on in our walk with christ. The church is a gift, and it is one we should never neglect.

A Gift

Those words at the end stood out to me. The church is a gift, and it is one we should never neglect. I grew up in the church; my dad was a pastor. I served with my then boyfriend (now husband) in church during college, and then my husband and I started a church. I’ve been in church my entire life. Of course, everything over all those years has not been positive. Have I been hurt by people in the church? Of course. Have we hurt others? I’m not naive enough to think we haven’t. But I’ve also seen people do life without God, the church, and a small group. Here’s what I’ve seen: it doesn’t work.

We’ve gotten a lot of things wrong over the years, but I will never regret being raised in church and now raising my family in church. Do I feel that way every Sunday morning before we get to church? No. And do I always want to go to group on Tuesday nights? No. But I’ve seen God work in amazing ways in my heart and life and the hearts and lives of others simply by showing up week after week.

Examples of God Working Through the Church

Here’s a quick example of God working through the church. One of our neighbors comes to church every week and sits with her smiling adult daughter. Just over a year ago, that same daughter was high on drugs and living on the streets. Now, she’s been sober over a year and brings other women who are recovering with her to church every single week. They’ve even started their own women’s meeting at church for those with addictions on Thursday nights.

There is a something special about being a part of a group of believers that meet together every week. It helps us remember that we’re not alone in this world. There is more to this life than what the media or social media present to us. We can encourage each other, challenge each other, and hold each other up during our hardest moments.

God’s Love for the Church

As a pastor’s wife, I’m probably more passionate about church than most people; but that’s because I believe in the church. I believe when Paul told men that they were to love their wives as much as God loves the church, he was using the most powerful source of love he knew–God’s love for the church.

If you’re not involved in a church, I encourage you to find one. If you aren’t plugged into a small group, join one. Find a group of people that love God and are going in the same direction as you and join in.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, read the post, Faith Grows in Community.

The Power of Music in Our Homes

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Music has incredible power. It has the ability to change a person’s mood, to literally chase away an evil spirit of depression and discouragement. We see this firsthand from the example of Saul’s life from I Samuel.

We get glimpses into the troubled life of Saul throughout his reign. He started so well, but he had a rebellious spirit and didn’t do things the way God wanted them done. Because of that, God’s presence left him; and he was left to deal with depression, discouragement, and what the Bible calls a tormenting spirit. His mind was deeply troubled with paranoia, jealousy, rage, and more. Interestingly enough, those closest to him recognized it for what it was and recommended a solution: music. Music was the solution to his tormenting thoughts. Music was so strong, it could beat back the forces of evil that were at play in Saul’s mind.

The Power of Music

Thousands of years later, music still hast incredible power over us. Have you ever been discouraged, depressed, really struggling, and just the right worship song came on? We’ve all had that happen. There is power in music…the right kind of music. There is power in music that lifts the name of Jesus in our homes and in our cars.

I’ve seen this firsthand in my own life and family life. There are times when everybody is cranky, fighting with each other, and just plan ornery. We will turn on K-Love in the car, and suddenly, that bad mood starts to dissipate. What takes its place is humming, singing, and a spirit of calm.

There is incredible power in music–both good and bad. If you want to change the tone in your home, change bad attitudes, and add a spirit of peace, music is the way to do it. There are spiritual forces for both evil and good at play every day in our homes. There are days when heaviness, fear, and depression surround us and make us feel too much. When that happens, we have to first spend time with God through our morning time routine. That’s the most important thing we can do. Second to that is to put on good music. It has the power to beat back the darkness and bring peace.

Some of Our Family’s Favorite Worship Songs

We have so many favorite worship songs; it would be impossible to list them all. I asked each person what their favorite worship song right now is. Here’s a list of our favorites.

Mine- So So Good~ Phil Wickham

Matt- The Church I Grew Up In~ Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Madison- Giants Fall~ Colton Dixon

Malachi- What an Awesome God~ Phil Wickham

Maggie- Can’t Steal My Joy~ Josiah Queen

Macey- Praise~Elevation Worship

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post What’s Filling Your Home?

Faith Grows in Community

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What is your first memory of church? Who taught you your earliest Bible stories? When you think back, what picture forms in your mind when you hear the word faith?

My Earliest Memories of Faith

My first memory goes back to around age five. The church sat just beyond our backyard, across a cornfield on the edge of Phoenixville. It was a long building with a wide parking lot, a front sanctuary, and a lobby that smelled faintly of coffee and hymnals. Off to one side was a reception hall that doubled as the children’s choir room. Down the hallway were classrooms, restrooms, and a small chapel used by the Shepherd’s Ministry for people with disabilities.

Every Sunday morning, my dad and I crossed the field early and climbed into a forest-green twelve-passenger van. No booster seats. No back row. I rode shotgun, carrying a box of Dunkin’ Donuts and setting out the wooden step stool so our Shepherds could climb aboard. They would pat me on the head and call me Matt…or Matthew…or Michael (my older brother). Sometimes just, “Hey you.”

That was my introduction to faith.

More Complex Faith

Faith looked like a green van, powdered donuts, and the smiles of people who returned every small act of kindness with a hug and joy.

As I grew older, faith became more complex. There were verses to memorize, doctrines to learn, practices to follow, and temptations to resist. Somewhere along the way, I began to believe—quietly and incorrectly—that faith was a system. If I showed up, served faithfully, and did the right things, God would keep life from getting too hard.

But faith doesn’t come with immunity.

Hard Seasons

Hard seasons came. Doubts replaced confidence. Questions grew louder. And in those moments, I realized something essential: I wasn’t standing alone. I had a community.

Sunday School teachers. Youth pastors. Coaches. Professors. Mentors. Friends’ parents. Pastors. My family.

There were conversations—at diners, in classrooms, in parked cars, after funerals—that carried me more than I realized at the time. Faith, like a shared meal, was passed from one life to another.

Roman Shields

Paul didn’t need to explain this metaphor to the Ephesians. Roman shields were never meant to be used in isolation. Soldiers locked them together, forming a wall of protection. One shield could deflect an arrow. Many shields could stop an attack.

Faith works the same way.

“Christian faith is not a solo performance,” Eugene Peterson writes. “It is a long obedience in the same direction, lived out among others.”

Dallas Willard echoes this truth: “The greatest strength of the Christian life is not willpower, but companionship in the way of Jesus.”

And Mark Batterson reminds us, “Faith grows best in proximity—when stories are shared, prayers are spoken, and hope is borrowed when needed.”

Shared Faith

Revelation 12:11 tells us that God’s people overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. What Christ has done—and what we tell one another about His faithfulness—becomes our defense.

Faith in isolation has limits.
Faith in community has endurance.

Sometimes all it takes is someone else’s steady faith to help us raise our shield again. Shoulder to shoulder. Side by side.

Faith grows when it is shared.

*This is an excerpt from Matt’s newest devotional Unhurried strength: Understanding the Power and Purpose of the Armor of God. Be sure to check it out on Amazon.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Friends Wanted: How to Cultivate Friendships in a Lonely World.

What’s Filling Your Home?

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We saw David, the new movie that Phil Wickham plays David in, at home recently and absolutely loved it. We love Phil Wickham, so we knew we were going to love the movie. The music was so great; we play a few of the songs on repeat in our home. A day or so after we saw the movie, our twelve-old, Maggie, asked where David’s story was in the Bible because she wanted to start reading it instead of what she was currently reading in her morning time. We helped her find the story in I Samuel, and she got started.

Music Impacts Us

That interaction reminded me of something really important. What we are listening to and watching in our homes does affect ourselves and our kids. Sometimes, we forget; but everything we see and hear does impact us. What happens in our homes shapes our kids during their most formative years.

We know from the story of Saul just how much music can have an impact on us. When he was troubled and angry, his servants knew to find somebody that could play music. Only when he listened to music did that evil spirit leave, and he could find peace. I don’t think music has lost its effect on us all these years later.

Fix Your Thoughts

Paul reminds us to fix our thoughts and to think about things that are right, pure, and true. These verses in Philippians give us a great list of the types of things we should be thinking about, watching, and listening to.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8

Fill Our Mind and Home with Good

Does this mean we can never listen to secular music or watch movies that aren’t Christian? If so, then our family is in trouble. We have secular movies and music that we love, but like with anything else, balance and moderation are the key. It’s important to remember that everything that takes place in our homes is feeding us and impacting us. Our kids are taking in way more than we realize, so let’s give them good things to take in. Turn on Christian music in the mornings. When a good Christian (not weird) movie comes out, like David, take them to see it. Listen to Christian radio in the car; turn on a podcast or preaching in the evening. Let your kids listen to the Bible before they go to sleep at night.

There are so many things vying for our attention and our kids’ attention; let’s be sure to fill up with good things too.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, 6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today.

A Lamb and a Promise

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Can you imagine the shock Adam and Eve experienced when God killed that first lamb in the garden? These were the very animals that God put Adam in charge of naming and protecting. Adam and Eve knew only peace in the garden; there was no death yet as there were no predators or prey yet. This lamb was the first animal to die. It must have been both brutal and horrifying as the sheep bleated and its blood flowed.

A Visual Reminder of the Coming Lamb

The lamb’s death was a picture of the sacrifice to come. It was a visual reminder that Jesus would one day shed his blood for us. Every time people in the Old Testament sacrificed an animal, it was a reminder of what was coming…of Who was coming.

In our Western 21st Century mindset, we kind of romanticize the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. But can you imagine if you had to travel to a certain location and butcher a lamb every time you wanted God’s forgiveness? We forget how easy we have it. Today, our mediator (Jesus) sits in heaven, just a whispered prayer or thought away. We can find forgiveness and grace with just a prayer.

For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

I Timothy 2:5 NLT

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

I John 1:9

The Practice of Our Faith

In certain ways, the practice of our faith is so much easier than what others have had to deal with. We no longer have to sacrifice animals for our forgiveness; we just have to ask for it. We no longer have to try to find God’s Word and memorize it to keep hold of it. All of us own at least one copy of the Bible, and most of us have access to a phone where we can read the Bible. Add to that, there are thousands of Bible studies, devotionals, and plans online we can read and study. There are churches on nearly every corner in our country. We don’t face persecution in the US, and we can connect daily with other believers all around the world. Being a Christian or a follower of Jesus has never been easier.

One Day

The Old Testament sacrificial system was never meant to last; it was only to point to the future, to remind people that the perfect Lamb was coming. He would die a brutal death, but He would rise again and conquer death and the power of sin.

What’s that mean for us today? One day, God will make everything right in our broken world. But until that time, we have everything we need for this life of faith within our grasp. We have grace, forgiveness, peace, and love…and it all comes to us from our Mediator, Jesus. Tap into that power source and find what you need in Him today.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Freedom from the Shame that Says I’m Not Enough. A great resource is Unmasked: Overcoming the Shame that Says You’re Not Enough.

Bring More Jars

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We find the story of the widow and the oil in the book of 2 Kings. A widow from the group of prophets who worked with Elisha comes to Elisha and tells him that the creditors have come to get what they owe. She can’t pay it back, and they threaten to take her two boys from her. Elisha hears her plea for help and asks what she has. She tells him she has a little oil. He then tells her to gather jars from her neighbors and then go back to her house and pour the oil in the jars. She does as he says, and the oil just keeps on flowing.

So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!

“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

2 Kings 4:5-7

No More Jars

What is interesting to note is that the oil kept flowing until there were no more jars to fill. Only then did the oil stop. “And then the olive oil stopped flowing.” I think that if there were more jars, there would have been more oil. And if there had been fewer jars, there would have been less oil. This blessing was based on her faith and her ability to get jars.

How many times do we limit what God wants to do in our lives either because we don’t have the faith for it, or we don’t do the work on our part that we need to do. Over and over again in the New Testament Jesus healed people according to their faith.

Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

Matthew 9:29 NLT

Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

Matthew 8:13 NLT

And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Mark 10:52 NLT

And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.

Luke 17:19 NLT

Don’t Stop the Flow

There is an aspect of faith that is dependent on us, which sort of feels like it goes against the very essence of faith. God wants to work on our behalf. He wants to do more than we could ask or think. But what happens when our lack of faith gets in the way? How many times do get in the way of God doing what He wants in our lives simply because we don’t have enough jars…we don’t have the faith to believe for it?

God wants to work on our behalf today. Don’t stop the blessings of faith flowing into your life today simply because we don’t believe He can or will. Have the faith that God can and will still heal, that He will provide for that need, that He will bring that baby, that He will give you that job, that He will bring the right person along, that He will bring good into your life…that He is still good and is Who He says He is.

Let’s not limit what God can do in our lives by our lack of faith. Let’s ask for and believe for exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask and think!

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, 6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today. I also have been encouraged by Tauren Wells’ new song, Breathe On It. Check it out!

What’s Currently in My Morning Basket?

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I try to do this post once or twice a year simply because my basket is always changing. I like to keep it fresh and new and something I look forward to. Then I like sharing what’s in my basket to hopefully give you some ideas for great new books, resources, pens, etc. And because it’s January…we all need the extra inspiration. So here are the items currently in my morning time basket.

Pens

I have a few different pens I love. I love colorful pens that write well, and those are increasingly hard to find. But these Pilot G-2 pens–the purple pack and the pink pack–are really good. I also still love these paper mate pens and these other paper mate pens.

My Bible

I currently use the inCourge devotional Bible. The women from inCourage put this out, and I really love it. There are lots of devotional readings interspersed. I don’t always read them, but when I do, they are great. They also do small breakouts of different characters in the Bible, and I love those. I started this Bible at the beginning of the last school year, so I haven’t gotten all the way through it yet, but I really am enjoying it. It’s not my most favorite translation, as it’s CSB, but I’m enjoying reading the same verses put a little differently.

Devotionals

I’m currently still working my way through the Jesus is Better (Hebrews) study from Daily Grace Co. These are my favorite devotionals. I received a few more for Christmas that I can’t wait to work through. This Hebrews one is a lot longer, and I usually only get to it on my day off when I have more time to sit at the table and do a longer morning time routine. But any of the Daily Grace Co devotionals are great. I received Waiting for Hope (Malachi) for Christmas and can’t wait to work through that one.

Thank You Cards

I always keep thank-you cards in my basket. During my morning time routine is usually when God brings to mind somebody I need to write a thank you too. Hobby Lobby has the best assortment of thank you cards that are super inexpensive. I currently have these thank you cards in my basket. There are fifteen notecards, and they were only $1.99.

Gratitude Journal

Check out my post on making gratitude journals. We make these as a family each year, and everybody writes in theirs all year long.

Bookmarks

I always keep bookmarks in my basket for underlining in my Bible or whatever book I’m currently reading. I order my bookmarks from SJ Wonderlandz.

Books

I like to incorporate a book into my morning time routine. Right now, I’m alternating between With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Sky Jethani and Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson.

Journal

I use my Faithfully Stepping Journals every day. I’m currently using the Morning by Morning journal.

To-Do Notebook

I also keep my daily to-do notebook in my basket where I write down everything I need to accomplish for the day. I use a simple spiral bound notebook for this. You can read about how I use notebooks here.

Coffee and Candles

Not in my basket but included in my morning time routine are candles and coffee. I love Bath and Body Candles, particularly when they’re on sale and I pair it with a coupon. Coffee changes for me. Currently, I love any kind of Dunkin’ Donuts flavored ground coffee for hot coffee, and I just started using Nescafe Gold Espresso for iced coffee and am loving that as well.

I hope that gives you some ideas and new products to add to your own basket! What’s currently in your morning time basket that you’re loving?

Grace for This January

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It’s January. Do you feel it? I love the start of a new year–the freshness, the excitement. But that quickly dissipates and leaves us with the rest of January. I saw a meme the other day that read, “Currently doing a challenge called January. It’s where you just try to make it through every day in January.” And boy, do I feel that! Life just hits differently in January, and it rolls on into February.

Combating the Winter Blues

How do we combat these winter blues? How do we stay encouraged when the world seems to be falling apart around us, and there is so much contention and strife and problems? We can find the answer in a passage of Scripture found in II Corinthians. But before we get to the answer, read these verses.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair^.We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

II Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT

Not Broken

Does that sound a little like how your life is currently going? It does for so many of us. We feel pressed on every side. The Message translation puts it this way:

We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.

II Corinthians 4:8-10 MSG

Sometimes, life and the struggles we’re facing feel like too much; but Paul reminds us that though we have troubles all around us, we’re not pushed too far that we’re crushed. We’re never abandoned by God. He hasn’t forgotten us. God promises that he won’t give us more than we can handle.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

I Corinthians 10:13 NLT

Making It Through January

So, how do we make it through this January? What do we do to keep ourselves from feeling overwhelmed, pressed down, and troubled on every side? The answer comes a few verses later in the chapter. Paul tells us what to do so that we don’t give up.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

II Corinthians 4:16-18

Daily Choice

Did you see it in there? The answer? We have to renew our spirit every day. Every single day, we have to choose to spend time with God and renew our Spirit. That’s how we’ll find the strength we need to face today. Then tomorrow, we have to get up and do it once again. Every single day that we start our day with God, He renews our strength and helps us to continue on so that we don’t give up.

I love how The Message puts it.

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

II Corinthians 4:16-18

The things we see right now aren’t the full picture, and they won’t last. So don’t give up in the mean time. Keep getting up and spending time with God, keep staying faithful, and watch as this season fades away and a better one takes its place.

More Encouragement

If this new year is a struggle, and you don’t quite know up from down and everything seems all tangled up, I suggest reading Untangle Your Emotions by Jennie Allen. I finished that one recently, and it’s a really good help for navigating life and all its emotions, both good and bad.

Twenty-Five Steps

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There are twenty-five steps from my bed to the dining room table downstairs where I do my morning time. Just twenty-five steps. And yet, those steps are sometimes the hardest ones to take. All I have to do is get out of bed and walk downstairs; it’s really not that difficult. But taking those steps sometimes feel like too much, especially when I’m exhausted or discouraged or depressed. And yet, I know if I can just get downstairs, I will feel so much better. Why? Because I will light a candle, get the coffee going, and turn on the white lights hanging on from the ceiling. Once I do those things, I will feel so much better and ready to start my morning time.

Why is it so hard to do the things we know we need to do? We know if we just do them, we will feel better about ourselves or getting that thing done. And yet, it’s like everything is fighting against us to keep us from doing that one thing.

A Breakthrough

Some mornings, it feels like there’s a force keeping me from getting downstairs. It’s like I can’t break through that oppression that keeps me in my bed in the dark, even though I know what’s waiting for me downstairs is so much better. When I push through and make it downstairs, it’s like a breakthrough.

I can’t think of a single morning I’ve regretted getting up and doing my morning time routine downstairs. And yet, some mornings are such a struggle. Why is that? Because Satan is literally fighting against us. He knows if we spend time with God first thing in the morning, everything in our day will change. We will have more peace, more focus, love for others, enjoyment, and direction in our day.

Make It a Priority

In this new year, make it a priority to spend time with God every morning, no matter what’s keeping you from it. Push through the barriers and the distractions and conquer the morning battle. Find the willpower with God’s strength to push through and do that hard thing.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement to conquer your mornings, check out Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning. You can also check out our free morning time guide.

Tracing God’s Hand of Faithfulness through 2025

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And just like that, it’s a new year. It came so fast! There’s something about facing down a new year, an empty calendar filled with nothing but expectancy and hope, that’s so exciting. We had a great time celebrating the holidays as a family, and we enjoyed our New Year’s Eve tradition of making gratitude journals for this new year. (We used these journals this year.)

Gratitude Journals

On New Year’s Eve, we cracked open our gratitude journals from last year and spent a few minutes looking back on God’s goodness in 2025. It’s also our tradition to look through pictures on Matt’s phone of the year; it helps us to remember all the good that took place. We write down the highlights of the year in our gratitude journals.

Sometimes, we get so bogged down by the negative that we don’t see God’s goodness. But we can use times like a new year to look back and find the good. When we do, we will be able to trace God’s hand all throughout the year in both the good and the bad. Then, after that, we spent a few minutes writing down our goals for this new year.

Tracing God’s Hand

If you haven’t had time to look back on last year, I want to encourage you to do so. Even just a few minutes remembering God’s goodness can change our entire look going into the new year. And whether you like to set goals or not, at least write down one or two things you want to see God do in your life this year. Then use your notebook all year to write down the good things that God does. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to look back at the end of the year and be able to trace God’s hand of goodness all year long.

More Encouragement

If you live this idea, check out my post on making gratitude journals.