We welcome grace. We embrace the quiet gift that meets us where we are. We trust that grace will carry us forward.
Reflection
Grace is subtle. Like a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It’s open arms. An embrace of acceptance. It shows up as a kind word or a pause. Or a reminder that we are perfect the way we are.
January gives us permission– to graciously receive blessings from God, to bless others, to extend grace to ourselves, to others.
Grace is the gentle thread that holds us together so we can welcome the new year, walk toward the light, seek clarity, find joy, and be open to opportunities.
Grace invites authenticity and encourages us to grow. All we have to do is look for it and seize it. Then, give it to others.
As we move forward in 2026, let’s let go of what we can’t carry. Let’s let go of our expectations. Let’s trust God to light the path we are to follow.
Grace is not a reward. It’s a presence. A way of being held. A way of remembering that we are loved even in our humanness.
Prayer
God, help us welcome grace in all its forms. Teach us to give more grace than we receive. Help us to do what you want us to do. Keep us steady. And remind us again and again that you are walking beside us. Whether we hear you or not. You are there. Amen
Image Credit: Forest Trees Pines – Free from Pixabay
We welcome the quiet starts, the tiny shifts, the beginnings that don’t look like much — yet carry promise.
Reflection
Beginnings arrive softly. Like a whisper. A nudge. Or a seed tucked into soil that grows without even noticing–until one day it breaks through the soil as a green stem shoots up to the sky!
January inspires us to appreciate these small beginnings. The ones that we don’t know yet. The ones that don’t look like progress. The ones that ask us to wait.
A small beginning might be:
a single prayer whispered when sleep won’t come
a new habit started, forgotten, and started again
a moment of clarity that shifts our direction
a tiny prayer book cover noticed in the middle of an art museum
These beginnings matter. Why? Because they become the seeds of transformation. To what? We may not know yet. And that makes small beginnings all the more wonderful.
Seize the day and wait to see what unfolds.
Prayer
God, help us welcome the small beginnings. Give us eyes to see the beauty in quiet starts as we trust the unfolding. Teach us to celebrate what is just beginning, even when it’s still tender and maybe not even seen yet. Grant us patience and hope. Today and for all the days to come. Amen.
Image Credit: “Wind of the Spirit” found onyeshuachildart.com
We welcome new ideas and perspectives. What is meant for us will come our way. We will discern and act accordingly.
Reflection
Opportunities don’t always show up with big signs saying “Here I am!” Sometimes they come out of nowhere. Sometimes they’re tucked into a chat, a chance encounter, or a last-minute change in plans.
One thing is for sure, they won’t show up if we don’t get out of bed in the morning. Embrace the day! Embrace opportunities to get out into the world and say hello.
January encourages us to: notice the subtle nudges, pay attention to the things that inspire us, recognize the spark of hope.
Being open to new opportunities doesn’t mean saying yes to everything that comes your way. It means staying receptive to what feels right, relevant, and inspired. The right opportunities won’t drain our energy — they’ll come as a gentle push in the right direction.
Prayer
God, help us to see what you place before us. Give us the wisdom to know what we should go after and what we should let go of. Open our hearts to new possibilities. Guide us as we step into the new year with hope and confidence. Amen.
Yesterday we welcomed joy. Today, we choose to notice it, remember it, and hold on to it.
Reflection
Joy often arrives in small, unexpected ways — and sometimes in the tiniest of places.
January invites us to do something new. To experience joy in new ways. Then, it calls us to hold on to that joy. To carry it forward.
So, I asked my husband to take me on a date to the NC Museum of Art to see the Book of Esther exhibit. And so we went.
Then, the unexpected happened.
Joy.
In the tiniest of places.
There, tucked against the back wall, stood a glass case. Two small “metal objects” that seemed to be the “lock” for a prayer book, each intricately designed. And then a tiny cover (that once covered a prayer book) to the right. Perhaps made of pearl or stone. It had a pinkish hue. Mind you, these dated back to the 1600s. So, that fact alone left me in awe.
The cover looked no bigger than two inches by three inches. The carving alone captured my attention. I couldn’t make out the whole story, but it clearly held one. I was disappointed afterwards that I hadn’t taken a picture of it. But here is where the joy comes into play. I have the memory of that prayer book cover. And I can still feel the joy.
Today, we hold on to that kind of joy — the kind that whispers, “I’m here. Don’t rush past me. Stop. Take a peek. Maybe you’ll enjoy what you see.”
Prayer
God, help us notice the joy that we tuck into our pockets. A museum stub. A tissue with tears of joy. A few coins left from the change of a cup of coffee shared with a loved one. Teach us to treasure these pockets of joy. Amen.
Photo Credit: Personal Photo takenat the NC Museum of Art
We will see joy in the tiniest of places. We will welcome it in all its forms — simple, sparkly, or profoundly touching the soul.
Reflection
Joy doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it whispers- in nature, at work, in our homes.
January invites us to notice the joy tucked into everyday moments- a walk in the park, sharing a cup of coffee with a colleague, holding hands with a partner, a kind word from a child, or a nap in the middle of the day.
Welcoming joy means making space to receive it. No expectations. Just pure delight.
Prayer
God, Open our hearts to joy that heals and restores. Help us notice the small gifts You scatter throughout our days. A smile from a stranger. A door held open. A wave hello. As we prepare to receive these gifts, help us to give ours more abundantly. Amen
We welcome clarity that brings peace, direction, and calm to our spirit. We welcome the calm. We tell anxiety “To go away.”
Reflection
Clarity typically evolves slowly. Sometimes we don’t even notice when it has arrived.
We find it little by little. In a pause. In a feeling. Or through someone’s words, looks, or actions.
Something inside of us “feels right.” Like an absolute.
January gives us permission– to slow down, to listen, to find clarity, to welcome clarity.
And to trust God to reveal what we need to know, and when.
That is truly a gift.
Prayer
God, clear the fog that often lingers in our minds. Help us see what matters most. Let us release what doesn’t. Let Your wisdom guide us through the new year with gentleness and grace.
We welcome the light that finds us, especially when we’re in the darkness. We will walk toward the light and embrace it.
Reflection
The morning light slips through the open space of the curtain. It slowly brightens the room, casting a soft glow as if to say, “Good morning, loved one – time to get up.”
January invites us to notice the light– the light that enters through the windowsill, the light that shines on our desk, the light that guides us down the road.
Let the light bring us warmth and gentle encouragement. Let the light bring us new insight. New perspectives.
Welcoming the light is less about the brightness and more about what the light points to.
Let the light point us to hope.
Prayer
God, let Your light touch the places in us that feel dim or weary. Help us notice the gentle ways You brighten our path. Teach us to welcome every sliver of light as a reminder that You are near. Amen
We will be optimistic about the future. We welcome the new year with open arms and an open heart.
Reflection
January doesn’t ask us to reinvent ourselves. It simply invites us to open the door a little wider — to possibility, to clarity, to grace.
Welcoming encourages softness. It’s the quiet “yes” we whisper to God as we step into a new season.
Prayer
God, help us welcome what is good, what is needed, and what is true. Let our hearts open to the gifts You place before us. Help us to be grateful for what we have. Teach usto greet this year with trust. Trusting that you walk with us each and every day. Amen
On the Sabbath- we are reminded that we are not human doings, but human beings.
Rob Bell
Most people would agree that rest and rejuvenation are necessary for self-care. We need to be our best so we can take care of ourselves and others. This makes sense. Do you agree?
Then, we can stretch this out to theorize that spending time in nature allows us to nourish our souls so we can rest in creation. Today, we continue the theme of rest, specifically, Sabbath rest.
Rest on the Seventh Day
In the Story of Creation, we learn that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. God created one day each week solely to rest. God made a point of distinguishing one day from all the others. This speaks volumes. God provided the seventh day to rest. To give us permission to take a break from everyday life. In other words, to stop and smell the roses.
Photo Credit: Arkansas Rose by Ruth Walton, iPhone
Action: Set aside one day a week to unplug from work and technology.
Through rest, we can sense God’s love and connection. A mind, body, and soul connection.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11
Keep the Sabbath Holy
In this scripture, God commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy. What does holy mean? On www.myjewishlearning.com, “Holiness is imparted and maintained through ritual, prayer, formal declaration, and the avoidance of specific “abominations.”” In Britt Mooney’s What Does it Really Mean to be Holy, on chrisitanity.com, “Holy refers to something or someone set apart or consecrated for a specific purpose.”
Holy appears throughout the Bible to describe God’s nature, attributes, actions, and expectations of us.
If we believe that God is holy and is set apart from worldly things, we accept that God is the source of truth and love. These earthly things are temporary. They get in the way of our relationship to nature and to God. The solitude of nature heals us from the brokenness of ourselves and the world.
Sabbath, What is the Big Deal?
This sacred time holds profound historical and spiritual significance, particularly, yet not limited, to Judaism. In Judaism, it is a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. It symbolizes freedom and divine protection to the Israelites by God.
Jewish people all over the world observe the Sabbath. It begins at sundown on Fridays with lighting candles, reciting blessings, and sharing a meal. It concludes at sundown the following evening. This practice of the Sabbath has unified the Jewish people into who they are today.
Reflect on the Present
The Sabbath allows us to rest, reflect, and renew—a sort of balance to all the craziness we experience otherwise. Observing that one day of the week is different from the rest helps us honor time itself. The mundane is set aside for the sacred.
How do you currently spend your weekends? What activities help you feel rested and renewed? How can you create a Sabbath-like rest in your weekly routine?
Sabbath also fosters a sense of community and family bonding. In Kendra Cherry, MSEd’s recent article How to Increase Your Sense of Belonging in VeryWell, she writes, “Our need to belong is what drives us to seek out stable, long-lasting relationships with other people.”
Action: Set aside time each week to spend with family. Create a better sense of belonging by calling and texting family on a regular basis.
The Sabbath’s blend of historical roots and spiritual depth makes it a cornerstone of Jewish life. It offers a weekly reminder of faith, freedom, and community. Honoring the Sabbath connects you to God, self, family, and community. In Sabbath rest, we can unplug technology and focus on what truly matters. What type of Sabbath rest are you seeking?
I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
George Washington Carver
Our last post discussed the imperative need to rest and recharge. Today, we will explore the concept of finding rest in nature.
Camping as a Kid
When I was a kid, my family went camping every summer. It was something my dad looked forward to each year. Me, not so much. But, when you are a kid, you learn to grin and bear it.
My dad worked in an environment where noise prevented him from hearing others speak. The air was filled with dust, metal shavings, and oil substances. Gears churned within the walls, and motors whistled, so it was no wonder he wanted to escape to the woods.It was his happy place.
Image Source: publicdomainpictures dot net
As much as I didn’t like camping, I remember nature’s sounds: the potatoes wrapped in foil crackling in the fire, the crickets chirping, and the owls hooting at night. And then the stars. I remember looking up at the vast sky and seeing millions of stars I had never seen before—or perhaps didn’t choose to stop and appreciate at home. One thing I learned while camping was the closeness I felt to God. I saw God everywhere.
Reflect on Your Past
To better understand your relationship with nature, consider the following:
Did your childhood teach you how to connect with nature? Were you able to explore the outdoors on your own or in groups? How did your parents feel about nature?
Action: Spend a few minutes reflecting on your past experiences with nature. Write down one memorable experience and how it made you feel. Use this reflection to connect with your current relationship with the outdoors.
The Gift of Creation
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2-3
Nature reflects God’s beauty and provides a sanctuary for rest. Signs of nature are everywhere, from the tiny tadpoles near a stream to the crabs crawling on a beach. If you choose to notice.
Action:Promise yourself to spend time outdoors. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike, or simply sitting on your patio, go be in nature. Quiet yourself as you hear the birds and experience the nature around you. Start with short, mindful moments of rest. Rest for your mental and physical well-being. Gradually increase your time spent outdoors.
Connecting with nature opens up the opportunity to connect with Spirit, which allows you to communicate with the Creator of all nature. In God, rest and rejuvenation are found. Like the woman at the well in the Gospel of John 4:10, God offers each one of us living water. It is this water that brings us eternal rest.
I and Thou Reflections 