Staying Connected with God

Hi Friends,

Happy New year! Hope everyone has been doing well. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Back in September last year, I mentioned feeling the need to take a break from blogging and get some rest. I thought I’d be away for maybe a month or so, but things didn’t go as planned. My dad passed away in November after being sick for about two months. I’m hurting, but I’m also comforted by the hope we have as believers—that he’s with the Lord now, free from pain and discomfort, and that I’ll see him again.

I plan to return to blogging more regularly, but I’m also giving myself the flexibility to write when I can without feeling pressured to post just for the sake of it. I hope it is understandable if my writing is a bit irregular for now.

Usually, when a new year begins, I take time to consider where God wants my spiritual focus to be. This year, with everything going on, I didn’t do that and figured I could just ease into the year, staying in His word and in prayer without setting a specific focus. But in the days that followed, I was challenged to think differently. I was reminded through something I read that from beginning to end, scripture shows God’s unfailing plan—through the various books, years, and stories in scripture, His purpose never wavered. That made me stop and think; is it fine to just scroll into another year and hope to drift into His presence and grow in Him. Will that approach cause me to miss out on what the Lord is saying to me. This prompted me to be mindful of being intentional in my time with God, so that my heart and mind remain sensitive to hearing Him. To carve out time and space with God with an expectation to hear from Him. Being intentional helps us not miss His whispers and nudges, what He may be teaching, shaping, and refining in us over the course of the year.

So, friends, whatever we are going through or feeling, I hope we stay intentional about spending time with God and seeking His presence. That can look different for each of us – maybe studying and praying with a friend, keeping a list of prayer requests in your Bible to revisit often, or following a reading plan. If reading the whole bible in a year feels overwhelming at the moment, focus on soaking in a single verse or a few over a day or week, and listen for what God is saying through it. Through each of our specific seasons, may we be intentional in creating a rhythm that is aimed at growing with God. And when it is the end of the year, when it is time to reflect back, may we find that we have not just drifted through our spiritual lives but actively sought God, intentionally stepped closer to Him and grown in Him. Our God is good and gracious, and He will meet us right where we are.

God Bless.