Mosaic (Jan 16)
- Amber Thiessen
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Happy New Year!
I haven’t quite found my way back to writing yet this year. Here’s my initiation.
Our family went away for the holidays—a full, collective trip with grandparents and cousins to the tropical islands of Hawaii. I can say we got our fill of sunlight, sand and saltwater!
The new year rang in, and returning from vacation felt like stepping from one reality into another. Bible study resumed, and practices for club volleyball and basketball picked right back up.
Then, this week, my grandpa passed away.
Not entirely unexpected—he was 89—yet it still felt sudden. Though the sharpness of grief feels less acute this time, attending another funeral resurfaced the pain of losing Brent’s mom just a few months ago. After we laid Grandpa to rest, we walked the other path to visit her earthly resting place. Once again, we were reminded of the hope and joy we have in eternity—and of the sheer goodness of the gospel.
As I was reading in 1 Corinthians, Paul’s words in chapter six stood out to me: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (6:11).
I’m filled with gratitude for the good news of Christ. Because laying a body into the grave is not the end of the story. Pastor reminded us of this truth at the graveside—the great hope we have in the resurrection. The resurrection of Christ and the promise of our own.
I also noticed how easy it is to fixate on our losses—especially when they begin to compound. And if you begin to tally, you start to see hardship, loss and grief in more areas of life and it becomes difficult to see light when you’re only looking at the darkness. My heart began to sink beneath the weight of it all. Counting our losses can quickly become a recipe for despair.
I know I’ve shared this song before—it’s been pinned to my playlist for a long while—but this week I wondered if this is exactly why. To remind me of the quiet discipline of counting my blessings instead.
This is why we set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God; there always so much to thank the Lord for.
So as you’ve made it through the holiday season—whatever this new year has already held for you—maybe you’re like me and feeling overloaded at times with loss and difficulty.
Let me gently encourage you to look for the blessings instead.
The goodness of God is a far worthier pursuit. His presence is with us in everything we are walking through.
On The Blog
(just in case you missed in December)
In Articles
This article is written to youth pastors, but consider it also for yourself as a parent, as a small group leader, as a student of the gospel. Many of you might be headed on short-terms trips over the winter instead of a getaway, so this might be of interest. But maybe you've found a growing apathy about missions in your church and this could be a timely topic to consider.
Do you have a practice of journaling while you read Scripture? If not, I'd encourage you to consider it. For those who do, sometimes we might focus on prompts that are more self-reflective, rather than Biblical centered. Here Amy provides some questions and an idea for a journal that will keep your Bible reading focused on Christ. (I also wrote some suggestions here)
We're well into the new year already, and maybe you've already done some reflection and goal setting. So, this article asks: "Is the way you view your life truly God-centered?" And my thought is, I sure hope so! Because it's the desire of our hearts, to follow Christ wholeheartedly. So, with that in mind, he proposes a shift in questions we ask ourselves, to keep our heart and mind on the gospel.
I just really appreciated this encouragement to pray for another nation. I wonder if the nations are always something we keep on our prayer lists, whether it's for our missionaries or nations going through turmoil. He shows us reasons to pray and also how we can pray. Take some time for that today!
A kind reflection on the example of his father and how it has shaped him to pursue the quiet things of first importance. We're encouraged to keep choosing the quiet and consistent practice of being with the Lord.
