Happy New Year!

So Christmas has come and gone and it was lovely. Now a new year has begun. I quite like new years, fresh start, new motivation and an opportunity to look back.

New Year’s Eve was a lovely family day. We had a local walk which turned out to be just the right length and we got back to the car just as the rain was starting. Maybe it will become a tradition. I am enjoying creating our own little traditions. In the afternoon I took the opportunity to do a little reflection activity with the family so we gathered in the kitchen to discuss

1. Things we are thankful for in 2022

2. What we hope for in 2023

3. Who we are going to pray for this year

4. What do we want to change this year

I wasn’t sure if I’d get much engagement but actually it was really positive. We had lots to be thankful for although it was difficult for the kids to think back further than December. I found an idea to create a ‘jar of blessings’ where you write something good that has happened every week in the year, put it in a jar and then at the end of the year you have 52 things to be thankful for and look back on. We’ll give it a go in 2023.

I did say that I wanted to change my morning grumpiness tendencies. Unfortunately I failed on day one – I was trying to get everyone out to our church’s New Year’s day walk. Half of the children were not being very cooperative and Tim wasn’t feeling well so was in bed. My response was to get rather cross… there’s always tomorrow…

We picked a verse for the year

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

I printed a colouring sheet out which they diligently coloured and we talked about what it meant to encourage each other.

I picked this verse mainly for Tim and I. In the business of life sometimes we forget that each other needs to hear encouragement. We both recently did the love language quiz and the top one for both of us is ‘Words of affirmation’. Interestingly this has changed from the last time we did the quiz. I think its easy to just take each other for granted or be so engrossed in meeting the little people’s needs we forget our spouse needs us too. Anyway 2023 is going to be a year of encouragement!

I must say 2022 has been pretty good for us but I know it probably wasn’t for everyone. A little bit later in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I hope whatever the next year brings us we can do this - with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit! Happy New Year from all of us!