NEW Resolve

The sun is shining brightly here in Massachusetts this morning.
The dawn of a new day. A new year.

It's been a long time since I've made New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I choose themes. Several quotes or scriptures or thoughts to carry through the year. A couple of anchors or meditation points. As the events of each year come and go the themes I choose come to life and teach me many different things, help me in {often} surprising ways.

This year I've chosen:

"From caring comes courage." Lao Tzu
        I've lost some guts - you know...past hurts, laziness, fear...the usual kicks to the gut...have had their way with me. When I first read this quote, I thought...how true! Courage does come from knowing you are deeply cared for. However, the more I sat with this quote, the more I heard the call to invest. To care. And, by taking those risks and actions, courage might be built back inside of me.

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be the worshipers." John 4:23
           I feel like I've learned a lot in the last few years about what worship isn't. I hope that this year I'll move forward and invest myself more wholeheartedly in both personal and collective worship. Gently, with an ear and heart open to the spirit's lead.

"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." 
Henry David Thoreau
             Simple. If I could really take a walk every morning....or even almost every morning....I believe the blessings would be immeasurable.

A more typical New Year's day view!