Living Between the 25th & the 1st
Living Between the 25th & the 1st
I love this particular time of year, this quiet place between December 25th and January 1st. For me, the days of this week are a special time of waiting—waiting for all the next year is going to unfold. It’s a time of rest and reflection, a time to imagine, a time to make plans. (To be honest, I live most all of my days in this place!)
But this week is different. It feels like the whole world slows down after all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I heard someone call this “dead week.” It’s a time to decide which leftovers to keep. Which receipts to keep in case someone needs to return something. Which Netflix shows to catch up on.
It’s also a beautiful opportunity to look back with gratitude for all the previous year held. And choose to look ahead with faith and hope for what the new year holds.
I wrote a song about this particular time—imagining myself sitting in my living room with a cup of hot chocolate, just after all the mess of Christmas has ended, and thanking God for all that’s been and all that’s going to be.
the gifts have been opened
the carols have all been sung
now I sit here with You
thinking of all You’ve done
and how the best is yet to come
And I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for me
I know it’s gonna be good
Because You love me more than I know
It’s gonna be something good!
Listen to “Something Good” on Spotify - or Apple Music - or watch on YouTube this video I made eleven years ago while doing my Christmas tour down South.
What are you thankful for today? How have you seen God move in your life over the past year?
My deepest gratitude right now is not focused on opportunities or possessions, but around relationships. God has moved in my life in some pretty miraculous ways to bring healing to broken relationships…honestly, a couple that I had even given up on. I don’t know how God works, but in these situations it was if I heard a voice saying “I’ve heard all your prayers and I care about your heart.” I cried intermingled tears of relief and joy.
I wish that I could tell you exactly how God is going to operate in your life, to bring about the deepest longings in your heart, and to heal the broken places. But my life experiences (and the stories of others in my life as well as in Scriptures) tell me that God is in the redemption business. God brings light into the dark places, brings healing to the broken pieces, and offers hope to us hopeless ones.
And maybe most importantly, I believe God offers love and compassion to us while we’re waiting—that the presence of God is with us right now, holding us and caring for us, even while circumstances might be painful. It’s as if there’s a voice saying, “I’ve got you, child. I hear all your prayers and I care about your heart. Let me just love you right now in this place, until we go any further down the road.”
I’m going to continue to look to God as the source of the good that is and that’s yet to come. I sure don’t know what it is, or what it will look like, but knowing what limited stuff I know about God, it’s going to be good.
Looking Ahead to 2023
I’m super excited about a couple things coming up really soon!
Launching my Live Hope Minute daily blast of hope right here on Substack. I’ve been doing this one-minute hope audio feature for about 300 Christian radio stations around the U.S. and Canada for the last eight or so years. And now because of this great platform, I’m able to launch it as a daily email with text and audio to whomever wants to receive it. Please subscribe now as I’m launching Monday, January 2nd.
Releasing a brand new song “Jesus Kind of Love” January 20th on all platforms! You might have seen me tease this song on my socials, but I haven’t been this excited about a song for a lloooooonnnnnnggggg time. This song is my passionate plea for us to find “a better way to live, a better way to love” wrapped up in a funky little tune that will have you singing and dancing along before it’s over. I can’t wait for you to hear it. (Pre-orders on iTunes will begin Jan. 2nd.)
Thank you so much for being with me on this super fun journey called life. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you to help you keep going, to live more fully engaged with others, with God. Please know you’re loved more than you know. And you’re not alone, we’re all in this together.
Here Are The Posts You Made the Most Popular In 2022
The incredible joy I found working for my favorite baseball team. Read “I’ve Got A Secret to Share.”
The importance of standing up for love. Read “I’m Not Going to Shut-Up About Love.”
Bravely living out the incredible uniqueness that God placed inside of you. Read “Hope Through Courageous Living.”
What happened when I took free portraits of five dozen people. Read “People Are Beautiful.”