Do you ever feel overwhelmed, stuck, or just short on time to do the things that matter most? From talking with friends, I know I’m not alone in these feelings. So many of us are richly blessed with lives of abundance and opportunity! But, our overscheduled lives filled with noise and distraction can sometimes leave our minds stressed and anxious and our hearts underwhelmed. The start of a brand new year holds so much opportunity for reflection and new intentions!

About five years ago, I started choosing a theme word for the new year in lieu of resolutions. This year’s word is RENEW. I looked up the definitions, which are “resume (an activity) after an interruption” or “re-establish (a relationship).” This is exactly in line with where I feel like the Lord is leading me - to prayerfully examine and set new intentions in each of the relationships of my life - with Him, with my husband and girls, friends, family, and others, and to prune and renew habits and rhythms that are life-giving (vs life-crushing) for myself and our family. I’ve been reading Rebekah Lyons’ book, Rhythms of Renewal, and it’s been so timely as I seek to focus on these things. These are the two verses I’ve chosen to focus on in this new year:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬

“This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves... ‘Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.’” - Isaiah 43, The Message version

One of my big goals for this new year - and new DECADE (I still can’t believe it) - is to create more space to create - art, words, service, quality time. Throughout this month, I’m going to spend the next four weeks focusing on renewal in my habits and rhythms in each of these areas of life. What’s life-giving? What’s life crushing? What changes need to be made? I’m going to spend some time unplugged from social media over the next few weeks to focus on renewing my heart and mind... but I plan to blog weekly to share some of my thoughts and intentions in each of these areas.

I’d love for you to join me for one or all of the weeks! Here’s to renewed hearts and minds that spill over into our schedules, relationships, homes, and passion in 2020!