“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8 CSB

You did it! You made it through another year and are facing the start of the new chapter. I think it is always so important to celebrate the fact that you made it through another year, with all the good and the hard that came alongside it. You can be proud, because you are a wiser and better person because of this growth.

I love this time of post celebration and looking at the new year ahead of us, because it offers us a chance to continue a path of growth in our wisdom and love. Something I’ve done every year, is choose a word to be my focus for the year, not as a goal, but as a mindset or character trait that I wish to grow and center myself on. You may think this is a cliché, but I believe it is wise to set an intention for your year, not a goal that can feel shameful if you miss, but something that you can cultivate in your spirit so that you become a clearer version of who God has designed you to be.

My word that I chose for this year is, “embrace.”

To embrace something, is to hold close to your heart, to welcome in with deep love and affection, to step into the new season with open arms ready for whatever may greet you.

In a world where Jesus’ name is taken in vain by grifters, I want my life to be an example of love and light that the life of Jesus proclaimed, a life that Jesus called us to walk into and embrace.

This habit of using a word to set my intention has been important in my life, especially in the past two years. In 2024, Danielle and I were having sweet Violet, which we knew would come with all kinds of newness in our life, so my word for that year was “wonder.” It was incredible, Violet grew and everything she experienced was wonder-filled, and we were in awe of this sweet child. This year also held many challenges for us, dear Danielle experienced a new job in the midst of hormonal imbalances post-partum, and that was difficult to navigate and help find the solutions to help her. I also faced challenges in ministry, where family was let go and I was caught in a place of hurt, and my options were to simply “get on board or step away.” I chose to stay and shepherd; but this also came with challenges of being a new dad, taking on an entire new ministry responsibility, and not much support outside of my immediate family.

The year of wonder was full of good surprises and difficult challenges to conquer; and yet God was with us in the midst of all of it.

Leading into 2025, I knew that I needed to cling to the savior and hold tight to Him, so my word for this past year was “rooted.” I wanted to have a firm foundation, one that focused on Jesus and His teachings, not my circumstance. In this year I chose to make a healthy choice by leaving an unhealthy situation, but was in a place of asking God, “now what?” When you’re in ministry and step out, your community vanishes, those you shepherd don’t really say goodbye or thank you for advocating for us, you simply fade and life moves on.

But, I and my dear Danielle and sweet Violet remained rooted.

We found community and healing, I came back here and wrote more, something that I have always loved to share and teach when there aren’t opportunities to do so. I started some nap-time sermons on my Instagram and TikTok, not for clout, but

because when you are called, you do not let others dictate your calling and worth.

My heartbeat has not changed, simply the avenue to do so has.

The year of being rooted was vital in the season of change, because God never changed.

So, my year will be full of embracing what may come. The challenges and wins, the people all around me that God has called me to shepherd, I will embrace it all with open arms.

Of course, I have fears and worries, we all do, but God is here in the unknown and calls us His beloved. We are called to trust and love others, because that’s what He did first.

I will choose to be wise this year, not allowing myself to scroll endlessly or care of what other think of me, because I can live a life of character and be proud of it.

I will search for what may come next, and when doors close, I will simply know that this is a sign from God of what is not for me.

This year showed that Christ is often used in vain as a means to gain a following or political standing, but in the midst of that noise, I want to cling to the true character of Christ.

Jesus embraced those around Him, pointing to a new way to live of humility in giftedness and love in the face of anger.

I will choose to live like Jesus, to embrace those around me and be a light of love, to welcome whatever may come and be strong in my trust in every season.

What intention will you set for yourself this year?

What might God be pruning away from you?

What might God be trying to grow in you?

How will you use this year as a fresh start after the previous seasons?

-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the social media he uses Tik Tok, Bluesky and Instagram