Christmas is over, New Years is next week, and it’s the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on the year that was, and will be. That’s what I’m doing, asking all of the questions that I ask every week (here and in most of my sermons): Who am I? Who am I becoming? Is that who I want to become? Where are the blind spots in my life that need to be addressed? What needs extra attention?

It’s not so much goal setting, as it is route setting. I care far less about where I eventually end up, as the person that ends up making the journey. Maybe that’s because I would have never, in 2 million years, picked anything about the person I am or the life this particular person has to circle on a vision board (if I were to ever be forced to create a vision board.) And this person and this life infinitely eclipses everything for which I could’ve dreamed.

So, I think about the values and characteristics 5 years from now me might hold, and set a navigation plan to develop them. But the course is in pencil, or dry erase, just in case the Spirit corrects this course to one more suited to the person I’m called to be.

I choose a word for the year. In the past it was release, gratitude, rest…oh yes, release. I think release was several of the past 10 years. You see, I have historically had trouble with expectations and control – this is one of those blind spots that required many years of digging to excavate. But once it was out, it became obvious that it was causing so much fear, anxiety, stress and distress. It needed to be foremost in my mind to critique. Maybe expectations aren’t awful all the time, are they? No, is what I discovered, and now I can tell you the specific times they aren’t. Same with control. These things aren’t necessarily toxic, but they certainly can be. I just need to be able to tell the difference, and that took (is taking) years and years of intention.

Are there things in my life that need to be left behind? Or are there things that I need to begin? The short answer is yes, of course. If our answer is no, then maybe a little self-awareness is the one to be added.

Where have I been unhealthy, and from that, where can I tale steps to be healthier? This isn’t just sugar or trans fats or exercise, it’s sleep and generational curses and bad theology and hypocrisy and sleep and negative patterns and addictions and lies we’ve believed that were lies then and are lies now (or maybe weren’t then but sure are now) and and and.

It’s no secret I love New Years, but not just January 1 New Years. I love new years, and they start anytime we say they start. This time of year is just a convenient calendar replacement that serves as a loud invitation. But they can start next Monday or last Thursday, in January or July. They just need to start, right? So, here we are, ringing in the new year and the next chapters in our new lives, together.