​He has been dubbed one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, having received four Pulitzer prizes. He was a prolific writer, with some of his poem titles imprinted on our cultural psyche. One of my favorites is The Road not Taken, in which Robert Frost opines the struggle of choosing between two paths, wondering if he’ll one day regret which one he took. In the end he chose the less traveled one, and that path, his final line notes, “has made all the difference.” 

Speaking of paths, did you know that your brain is like a massive transit system, with major freeways and highways, medium-sized roads and smaller pathways that are continually being formed and reformed by the signals your billions of neurons send to each other? ...This explains a little how those negative messages from painful experiences end up like earworms we can’t get rid of (Week Two). 
For the full devotional, click on Week Three Below. (Or if you are new here, start with week one!)

​Since our theme for these devotionals is “all things new,” here’s some interesting trivia. People who like doing new things are more likely to experience earworms. What’s an earworm, you ask? The Germans coined the word to describe those pesky songs that get stuck in your brain on an endless loop, kind of like a worm crawling around in your ear.
I had an earworm over Christmas that drove me nuts. It started when I heard The Prayer sung in our churches’ Christmas show. It’s a beautiful song and I found myself singing it throughout that day and the next. But then I heard it again on the radio and suddenly I could not get it out of my mind-day and night. Before long, a song I’d once loved had become a nuisance!  For the full devotional, click on WEEK TWO below!

I wouldn’t call her a role model given her felony conviction for lying about insider trading, but when it comes to all things homemaking, Martha Stewart has been a trusty guide. From pie crusts to flower arrangements to furniture placement and kitchen makeovers, her creativity and simple steps have shown millions of people ways to make their homes places of beauty and enjoyment for decades.  I get new ideas every time I watch one of her old shows.
Martha is known for her one rule of life--learn something new every day. I thought about making that a New Year’s resolution, but...I don’t do resolutions. It did, however, make me think of a powerful invitation that Jesus gave related to learning:
To read the rest and get WEEK ONE DEVOTIONALS, click below:

​We are approximately 360 hours into the new year, and if you are like me (and pretty much everyone else), the feelings of promise and possibility that ushered in 2025 are now a distant memory. Resolutions have faded away; routines have been interrupted, and busyness has swept aside the hopeful rhythms we intended to change our lives.
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Time—the one commodity we can never get back—stops for no one, and with every year, we feel it flashing by faster than before. We scratch our heads and ask, “Where did it go?” knowing that there is no answer that will satisfy.  

​The reality of this makes Jesus’ first public message incredibly good news, since he ushered in a new concept of time, one that might encourage you right about now. In proclaiming, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand,”  he used the word kairos, describing some perfect opportunity, like the sun cutting through the clouds on a rainy day just as you set out to take a walk.

​Kairos has nothing to do with clocks and calendars and schedules, but everything to do with the God of the universe breaking into our lives, often when we least expect it. Jesus’ view of time—the kingdom view—is one of opportunity, of hope, of promise and possibility, much like that New Year’s sense of anticipation that we seem to lose too soon.
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Do you see the wonder of this? Because God is outside of time, he has an unlimited storehouse of kairos--of fresh opportunities and amazing experiences—to pour out on you and me, whether it’s January or June or December.  

While we cannot create kairos breakthroughs, we can set our hearts to recognize them when they come and receive the blessing God intends. That will be our goal in this five-week series. Though we will focus on one “new” thing from Scripture each week, our primary purpose is to turn our gaze Godward where perchance he will grace us with the kairos we need to experience our kingdom birthright of righteousness, peace and joy  in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Did you know there is now an official "quitters day" to designate when most people will have given up on their New Years resolutions? Based on scientific research, it seems that by the 2nd Friday in January all of our good intentions will have gone by the wayside.
That's probably why I have never thrilled to the idea of New Year's resolutions--I hate failure! But I love learning and growing, and to that end, I'd like to encourage you to consider how God wants to broaden your horizons in 2025! Here are a few links to resources that can guide you in spiritual intentionality! (all but one are FREE): 
GOD'S WORD FOR YOUR YEAR: Every year I ask God for a word to guide me, and this has been such a meaningful experience. For a step-by-step guide, read the blog I wrote on it in 2008! Click here.

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK: A more expanded approach to getting a word for the year, this  devotional guide will help you reflect on how God has been working over the past year, as well as discover a spiritual focus for 2025. For a printable version, click here.

A BIBLE READING PLAN YOU CAN HANDLE! This chronological survey of God's story will take you through the entire Bible in a year. You won't read every chapter, but you will become familiar with eleven eras and how it all fits together by reading portions I've selected for five days a week. Click here.

THE SOUL AT REST: A FORTY-DAY JOURNEY INTO A LIFE OF PRAYER
If you're looking for a meaningful way to grow in intimacy with God, this book will gently guide you through readings and practices. Thousands of people have testified of its life-changing impact. This site is the only place you can purchase this book new.  Learn more about it here or purchase it here. AS ALWAYS...FREE SHIPPING!

I'LL BE BACK! Once we've all forgotten our resolutions and are wishing for some of that New Years Day optimism, I will be back with a free ten-day devotional series to help jump-start your connection with God. Based on Jesus' words that he is making all things new, we will look at ten different ways to expand our vision in 2025. Come back here for those on January 15th! And if you haven't signed up, you can click here to receive updates etc.