Five Things Edition: Happy New Year
one "goal," what worked in 2023, something I'm going to read
The New Year feels weird this year Rather, I feel odd about the new year: hopeful but also hesitant.1 I feel leery of declaring many things about it and want to keep close the few things I have been thinking about. One thing I am excited about is BibleProject spending a year in the Sermon on the Mount. We’re going to work through the videos and reading together as a family and I intend to listen to the podcasts as well. If you’re looking for a slow deep dive into a pivotal passage of Scripture with audio and video resources, this is for you too.
What worked in 2023
I dashed this list off in the truck as we were traveling the week after Christmas.
Substack: I still love it here
Trying and quitting Instagram again
Stepping into a part-time director role at church
Wednesday day dates with Justin
Putting Micah in bed earlier, before the other boys
Progress through seminary (So close to the end!)
Weekly menus + grocery delivery
Contemplative prayer
Counseling
Finishing Hebrew
Gardening and the CSA
Prioritizing seeing our friends who are like family
Teaching at our church’s Institute
Baking bread
Paying to have the house cleaned2
I have watched a couple of people I know, Phylicia Masonheimer3 and Joel Muddamalle talk about their Scripture reading programs. Both are reading through the Bible in a year and offering resources and community, which I think it fantastic if you’re interested in doing that. But, instead of this being a commercial, I want to reflect on something I realized. I really loved Instagram when I brought smaller communities together for other reasons. For a while, we had a weekly group chat for women who were enneagram 8s. It was fabulous. We did a monthly book club. Once, I did a small discipleship group that met for three months. We read books together. I met with each person individually each month. We had other discussions as well. It was one of my favorites. I’ve realized that there is certain work that I used to do online (and could still be doing!) that I’m not interested in doing here and I couldn’t figure out why. It clicked one day when I was thinking about the Bible in a Year programs. I already do so much of that work for my job at church. I write home guides for our sermons. I’m developing twice a month email training for our group leaders. We are (possibly) doing a Bible in a year program that will start in February. I’m using those writing and training muscles. It’s not a surprise (or it shouldn’t be) that I don’t want to repeat it here. I’m getting ideas for this Substack in 2024 and when it comes to theology, it’s going to have to be stuff that doesn’t fit in my work at church.4
I’ll catch up on December books later, but right now I’m reading The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers, The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah, and rereading Little Women. However, I bought a monster collection, a fantasy series that I’ve had on my list for quite a while, and plan to tackle it this year.
We spent the week after Christmas traveling to both Kentucky and Tennessee and today is a reset day before we jump back into work and school tomorrow. It was a great trip and when we were in Tennessee we stayed at a state park that I visited a few times when I was growing up. Yesterday morning, while Justin packed up the camper, I took the boys and the dog on a hike around the lake and it made me so happy to end the year in the forest. I also made zuppa toscana soup with gnocchi instead of regular potatoes and it was a complete win for a late-night New Year’s Eve dinner for me and Justin.5
How are you easing into the new year? If you have resolutions or goals, share them! I’d also love to hear what worked (or didn’t work) in 2023!
I’ve talked to several other people who feel the same way so it’s not just me.
We’ve never had money for this before but it has been such a gift in this season.
Phylicia’s closes very soon so apologies if you read this post after it’s closed.
I also realized that I haven’t talked a lot about my job. If you’re interested, we can. Comment with questions!
Our 16th anniversary was also this week but we haven’t celebrated yet and I feel quiet about it. I’ve discovered that I don’t write about our anniversary every year but here is last year’s post.
Earthsea!! I just read the first one, inspired by Leah Libresco Sargeant's posts on it over the summer. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series this year. I look forward to your thoughts on if you feel like sharing!