Tag: new year

How We Are Shaped Along the Way 

How We Are Shaped Along The Way

The turn of a new year invites reflection. 

Before we rush into goals, plans, and resolutions, let’s pause…look back with gratitude and look ahead with humility. For me, this past year has been full of learning, both personally and professionally. It’s been a gift to walk alongside friends, family, co-workers, and even acquaintances who are willing to show up honestly through challenges, in celebrating growth, and staying curious about who they’re becoming. 

There’s a Bible verse written that’s been a constant on my whiteboard for the past couple of years: 

“Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 

Proverbs 27:17

I love this image, and I also think it’s easy to romanticize it. 

Scripture reminds us that transformation often begins in the renewing of our minds. When familiar patterns keep surfacing, it may be God’s invitation to see differently. I shared a reflection on that kind of perspective here. 

Because iron sharpening iron isn’t gentle. It’s metal against metal. There’s friction. Pressure. Resistance. Sometimes even sparks. Sharpening happens through contact, not comfort—and that means growth can feel uncomfortable, even painful at times. 

And yet, that’s how we grow. 

Growth doesn’t happen in isolation. We are shaped in relationship—through conversation, shared experience, and the willingness to be known. When we allow others to walk alongside us, to challenge us, to speak truth with care, we are sharpened. In turn, we sharpen them. Each of us becoming more refined, more aware, more grounded because we didn’t choose the easy path of staying the same. 

As we step into a new year, none of us really know what lies ahead. We don’t know the challenges or the joys that lie ahead of us in the coming months. What we do know is that we’ll walk through it one day at a time. One conversation. One decision. One foot in front of the other. 

There’s something freeing about remembering that we don’t need the whole year figured out. We only need to be present for today.  To take each day as it comes. To stay open to learning—even when that learning stretches us. To extend grace—to ourselves and to others—especially in the places where growth feels tender. 

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

My hope for this new year is simple: that we would continue to grow together. That we would stay grounded. That we would be willing to sharpen and be sharpened—even when it’s uncomfortable. And that we would move forward—steady, intentional, and hopeful—one step at a time. 

Here’s to a new year.  May it be marked not by hurry, but by presence. 
Not by perfection, but by progress. And not by doing it all alone—but together. 

When you look back on 2025, what moments shaped you more than you expected—and what might those moments be quietly teaching you about where you’re headed next? 

Progress Doesn’t Always Equal More 

Progress Doesn't Always Equal More

Earlier this week, Jeff and I set out on a road trip to Iuka, Mississippi, to spend Christmas with my family. As we navigated out of Houston, Texas, we took the 99 East toll road to reach I-59—a route we don’t travel often. Along that stretch of toll road, we were struck by how much construction and how many new buildings were going up. 

What once were open fields and trees are now being cleared to make room for “progress.” Seeing this makes both Jeff and me feel sad. We think about the deer and other wildlife that once lived there, now pushed into smaller and smaller spaces. We also find ourselves wondering: does Houston really need more strip malls, more stores, more retail? It feels unnecessary. Like too much. 

You can feel the stress in the constant push for more. More growth. More expansion. More productivity. It never seems to be enough. That steady chaos creates a life with little room for rest, and over time, it becomes exhausting. 

As we get further away from Houston and closer to Iuka in the 12 hour drive, the landscape begins to change. The land opens up. Houses sit farther back from the road. Fences stretch across fields holding horses or cows. And beyond what I can see, something else shifts—my body begins to relax. My breathing slows. Without realizing it, I’ve been holding tension. 

Jason Shepperd, pastor at Church Project often says, “life is the balance of holding the tension between blessings and burdens.” This may sum up what I’ve been tangibly feeling, holding the tension between blessings and burdens and the big city can often feel tipped toward burdensome for me. 

It’s important to acknowledge that living in a small town doesn’t eliminate stress. People in places like Iuka still work hard, carry responsibilities, and worry about the same things we all do. Life in the United States often feels hurried and demanding, regardless of where you live. 

What feels different is the environment. A slower pace doesn’t demand the same urgency. There are fewer reminders to rush, consume, or compete. Even when life feels overwhelming, the surroundings don’t add another layer of noise. 

I’m not saying one place is better than the other. Cities like Houston offer opportunity and energy. Small towns offer quiet and space. But they ask different things of us, and our bodies seem to know the difference. 

As we near Iuka, my shoulders drop and my breath deepens. The noise fades. Maybe progress doesn’t always mean adding more. Maybe sometimes it looks like slowing down—and remembering that enough really is enough. 

As 2025 comes to a close this week, I encourage you to take a few moments and take inventory of your life. Where can you eliminate hurry and stress for the new year? 

Is it clearing out physical stress in your home, like re-organizing a closet or garage? 

Is it eliminating financial stress by choosing to buy less in the new year? 

Is it taking stock of your relationships? Choosing to spend more time with those that bring you energy versus those that may drain your energy? 

Is it creating a new or improved habit of going to the well of your Heavenly Father, John 4:14? Spending quiet time with Him? Praying more? Reading scripture? 

Is it decluttering your electronic life? Deleting apps? Turning off notifications? Cleaning up your inbox and unsubscribing? 

Or is it something else? 

This is an opportunity to say in 2026, “less is more”. 

For more ideas on creating margin in your life, Finding 1 Hour of Silence Each Week. 

New Year Perspective

Happy New Year! A clean slate, a turning of the page, a new chapter, a new book. For some, 2024 may have been unusually difficult and you might be looking forward to the start of a new year. For me, I’m always a little concerned when midnight strikes on December 31. I’m worried about the unknowns and what hardships are in store. Will there be happiness, sadness, excitement? What losses might I experience? My logical brain knows that all of these will be true. My heart, on the other hand, is worried about the possibilities that will be hard and disappointing.

The truth is every year has challenges, losses, excitement, fun, sadness, happiness, and every other shade of emotion. In God’s wisdom, He did not give us a crystal ball to know what’s coming, instead time unfolds one day unto the next. Deuteronomy 31:8 says “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” It’s a comforting reminder that He walks with us daily. We will walk through hardships one step at a time much like any challenge we’ve already walked through, and we are never alone.

As we begin 2025 with goals, aspirations, or have hope of what this year will bring, I want to share a story I heard many years ago. It’s a story that stepped on my toes and caused me to reflect on the differences of what I’m looking for, what I may find, and the disconnect between the two.

Here’s the story: A farmer was tending his crops and a man came walking along the road. The man stopped and asked the farmer, “What kind of people are in the next town?” The farmer replied, “what kind of people were in the town that you came from?”

The man replied, “they were nice and kind people.” The farmer said, “you will find the same type of people in the next town.” And the man departed on his way.

Some time passed and the same farmer was tending his crops and another man was walking along the road and approached the farmer. He told the farmer he was travelling into the next town and he asked, “what kind of people reside there?”

The farmer asked, “what kind of people were in the town that you came from?”

The man replied, “oh, the people in the previous town were unkind, unfair, and judgmental which is why I left.” The farmer stated, “you will find the same type of people in the next town.”

What does this story illustrate? If you’ve experienced similar challenges and frustrations year after year, it might be an opportunity to reflect on what you are looking for and expecting to find. If you are anticipating hardship in 2025, you will find it. If you are suspecting that 2025 will be challenging, you will find it. Scientifically, our brains are wired to look for the evidence of what we believe. What do you honestly believe about this new year at your core?

What I know to be true is that I cannot bring the same thought processes and habits if I want something different. I can’t expect to grow friendships if I don’t plan and invest time into those relationships. I can’t expect to become healthier if I don’t plan how and when I’m going to be physically active and eat healthful foods. I’m setting myself up for frustration if nothing changes. It’s, then, easy to assume that it must be the outside world that’s not working. If I take a few steps back and zoom out, I can see the common denominator in frustrations that have seemly repeated in my life is me. If I want change, I need to shift my approach.

If you are frustrated that 2024 didn’t go so well, take a look at the things that you might be able to change in 2025, like your attitude and what do you honestly believe. What are you expecting to find in 2025? If it’s negative, then it might be time to reflect on how you can shift to more positive expectations. If you have goals you want to accomplish, make sure you aren’t standing in your own way to complete them. You, ultimately, hold the answers. Start with being honest with yourself and decide if it might be time to make a shift.

You can positively affect the direction of your 2025. You can accomplish your goals with the right mindset. Are you ready to crush 2025 and have an awesome year? Ready, set…let’s GO!