New Year, New Theme

A post from Daniel

Happy New Year! 

We hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas and your New Year is off to a great start. As we start to look at a new baby coming in February, this year feels like it will be filled with many new things! 

For a few years now resolutions have felt unhelpful to me. They feel too easy to fail or get behind on, which inevitably turns to a feeling of disillusionment. What has always helped me is instead of having a theme for the year. This is a video that describes what a theme is: Theme Video.  

Basically, a theme is a word or phrase that helps to direct you on your path as you make decisions. A theme called the “year of reading” means you choose to pick up a book instead of doing something else, and in it you could discover you prefer reading papers or listening to books over traditional “books.” Themes act as a point that you can resonate with and return to continually, or use as a directional point. 
 
For me, for whatever reason I have always resonated with ship-based language. No idea where it came from, but that is the world I live in now. Last year I focused on “refitting the ship”, however I learned no matter how much I try to change or grow on my own strength I fail. 

I saw this reality as I relied on myself more than God to walk with Him. I thought if I buckled down and did the work, that would bring me closer to God. But what I did not do was lean on the Holy Spirit for that growth. I also tried to do it on my own, I did not invite nor focus on how others could speak into or encourage growth. 

I found as much as I tried, I could only stay on task a month or two at a time. My will-power would fail. 

Learning from this, my theme this year is “being the fleet”. This year I will intentionally choose options that will put me into relationships alongside others. I want to rely on the Spirit and His community, not my own strength.

Why am I sharing this? One, I think a theme is an important framework and I want to share it with others. But two, to also say thank you for how you have walked with Amanda and I in ministry and recognize you have been a part of this “fleet”.

I am excited to explore how we can bring you into things more. 
 
Again, Happy New Year and may God bless you whatever it looks like as you plan for the months ahead.