A fresh start

Happy New Year! The turn of the year always provides the possibility of a fresh start. New calendars are invitingly full of white space, uncluttered by busy schedules. Homes feel simplified and cleaner with Christmas decorations put away. The last of the butter-and-sugar-filled treats are finally eaten, and new resolutions for healthy eating can start anew. It feels like a time when what wasn't working in our lives can be let go, and new dreams and hopes can begin. 

It is easy to turn all of that energy into a self-improvement scheme. And certainly, if we have destructive habits to break -- things that hurt us or others -- pushing ourselves to change is a good thing. But the new year can also be an opportunity to refocus and re-center: less about us, and more about God. Perhaps one new habit to start, or to strengthen, is to bracket our day with prayer: time in the morning to begin with God's presence, and time in the evening to give thanks. My mom had a poster years ago that I still recall: 'When your day is hemmed with prayer, it is less likely to unravel!' May this new year be a new start in your walk with God.