Weekly Magazine | Embracing New Beginnings
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Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! As we step into a brand-new year, it’s natural to reflect on where we’ve been and dream about where God is leading us next. In the busyness of resolutions and fresh starts, we’re reminded that while the calendar changes, our God remains the same—faithful, steady, and full of grace.
This week, we’re diving into how to approach this season with hearts open to God’s guidance. You’ll find encouragement to anchor your soul in Christ’s unchanging love, practical resolutions that align with God’s will, and a beautiful testimony of God’s faithfulness through life’s transitions.
Our prayer for you is that 2025 will be a year of flourishing in your faith, trusting that no matter what, God walks with you every step of the way.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
Embracing New Beginnings
Discover how to start the year off well by leaning into God’s purpose and peace for your life. Explore practical steps and biblical truths to embrace this new season with intention and faith.
Read More
New Year, Same God
Unpack the timeless resolutions God desires for us—being available, prepared, healthy, and a blessing to others. A reminder that no matter the year, His plans for us remain faithful and good.
Read More
Beginning Again
Life is full of opportunities to start anew. Learn how to navigate transitions with grace, trust God’s leading, and cultivate a life that reflects His goodness and love.
Read More
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Embracing New Beginnings
By: Catriona Futter
How was 2025 for you? No, you have not misread that—what sort of year was 2025? Seems like an odd question to be asking given that 2025 has just begun. But imagine that you are at the end of this year and you look back and say: That was a good year. What would have had happen to make it so? I am not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions, believing that they generally only set us up to fail. However, the beginning of a new year is a great time to stop and take an inventory of your life. And the best way to start the year well is to begin at the end.
There are two aspects to this—looking back to the end of the year that has gone and looking ahead to the end of this year. And as we do this, to ask ourselves the two questions I pose most as a life coach: Why am I doing what I am doing? and What is most important here. Self-awareness is key in understanding our motivations and deciding our priorities.
Think back with me to last year. What was the year characterized by? Perhaps you had a good year with celebrations, growth, and good opportunities. Or it may have been a difficult year with hardships, poor health, financial struggles, or loss. Chances are it was somewhere in between. But as you think about last year, pay attention to the emotions that are surfacing.
How would you describe yourself as the year ended? What words immediately spring to mind? Pause with God for a few moments as you reflect on that.
Now consider all the people you connect with each week in the various roles and responsibilities that you have. Be brave and ask yourself a thornier question: How would those people describe me last year? How would they have perceived you and what would their experience be of you in that role?
As I think back to last year and my own roles, how would my teenage girls have experienced me as a mom—distracted, frazzled, nagging? Or present to them, encouraging, prayerfully supportive, fun? Would my husband say that I was disengaged, complacent, and focused on other things, or supportive, affirming, and cherishing him? As a life coach, was I striving and trying to run my business in my own strength, or was I surrendering to God and His will and timing for my work and plans? How present was I as a friend, daughter, sister? As a church member, did I focus more on what I didn’t like in the services, or did I come to church seeking to worship and bless God and encourage? As a follower of Jesus, was I content and joy-full, or stressed and busy like almost everyone else?
This is not about guilt or shame. What is important here is who we are becoming more than what we are doing, and to understand that we need to know where we are starting from. So, as you reflect on how other people may have perceived and experienced you last year, what stands out about your character?
Bring that to Jesus in conversation. Imagine you have gone for a walk with Him, or sat with Him with a coffee, and you are discussing the year ahead. Because we are not alone in any of this: we are fully known and deeply loved by Someone who wants the very best for us. As you talk with Jesus, ask Him:
Jesus, what are Your plans for my year?
How are You inviting me to address this aspect of my character that You are highlighting?
How would this change things?
What are You wanting to grow in me?
What is one thing that You are inviting me to surrender to You this year?
We cannot do this in our own strength—this is not about trying harder. It is important that we recognize our frailty and come instead to God in surrender and dependence, seeking His strength, His love, His grace, and His hand at work in our lives.
Take some time to work through these questions allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your thoughts.
This is primarily about who we are becoming in the year ahead. Let’s consider next what we want to be doing. Go back to that question I posed at the start:
What will have to happen this year for you to look back and say, that was a good year?
What do you want the year to be characterized by?
What do you want to do more of? Less of?
Now of course, we cannot possibly know all that this year will hold, and some of what happens in our lives is out of our control—illness, unemployment, death, sudden and unexpected changes. But what we can control is ourselves: our choices and responses to what is happening to us. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. I know that I so often get things skewed and try and control that which is external, but fail to control my own emotions and responses.
But we are the ones who choose how we use our time, how we respond to events that happen to us, how we prioritize what is most important. We choose what we say yes to, and whenever we say yes to something, we are saying no to something else.
How do we make this practical and achievable? Take some time this week to work through the following exercise. This is a gift you are giving not only to yourself, but to all those you connect with.
Make a list of the major categories of your life: significant relationships, family, friends, health, finances, work (paid or unpaid), spiritual and personal growth, fun and recreation, and home. For each category ask yourself:
What do I want to have achieved by the end of this year?
What one change could I make that will help me get there that I can start doing now? Keep it simple, specific, and relevant.
What do I stand to lose by not doing this? What are some of the obstacles that are going to get in my way? As I consider this, what am I most afraid of?
Write down your plans, tell someone for support and accountability, and prayerfully and regularly review your plans, asking: Why am I doing what I am doing, and what is most important here?
In this way, we can start the year with action steps and simple goals that are in line with what God is doing in us and what His priorities are for us in the coming year.
And finally, and most importantly, remember that God is in charge; we are not! The Sovereign Creator of the Universe, Immanuel God With Us (Luke 1:23), He is the One who says to us: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from me” (Matt. 11:29). What is most exciting about the year ahead is that we get to partner with Jesus!
In John 10:10 Jesus promises us life to the full. As we envision with Him what kind of year we want to have, let us partner with Jesus to steward well who He has made us to be and to make proactive and intentional choices about what He has given us to do that align ourselves with that vision.
Catriona Futter is a Christian life coach, author, and speaker who is passionate about equipping people to discover and live out their unique, God-given identity and purpose. She runs her own business, Equip for Life Coaching, offering individual coaching, group coaching, and speaking. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Read more of her writing on her blog.
Read:
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
Reflect:
What does trusting God’s plans look like in your life this year?
What steps can you take to lean on God when facing uncertainty in 2025?
How can you align your goals with God’s purposes for you?
New Year, Same God
By: Kimberly Cotton
Every new year brings an opportunity to start fresh—but what if we approached it differently this time? Imagine if God wrote a resolution list for you. It might include being available to Him in the busyness of life, preparing your heart for unexpected changes, and embracing healthy habits for your mind, body, and soul. As you step into the unknowns of the year ahead, discover how God’s priorities can transform your journey.
Beginning Again
By: Cherry Schwulst
Life is full of new beginnings—some planned, some unexpected. Whether it’s a career shift, a move, or a new spiritual season, transitions often bring challenges and opportunities for growth. In this heartfelt reflection, explore the rhythms of letting go, walking with Jesus, and living with purpose. Let this article inspire you to embrace the changes God has for you, trusting His grace every step of the way.
Dear God, as I step into this new year, I choose to trust You with all that lies ahead. Help me to embrace the opportunities You’ve set before me, knowing that You are always faithful and constant. Guide me in letting go of the past and walking boldly into the future You’ve planned for me. May I live each day with purpose, availability, and a heart to bless those around me. Equip me to grow in faith, discipline, and love, so that I can reflect Your goodness in all I do. I surrender my hopes, dreams, and fears to You, knowing You are with me through every season of life. Amen.
❤️ As we look ahead to 2025, Just Between Us is here to walk alongside you, providing biblically-based encouragement to help you thrive in your faith all year long. Our mission is to offer hope, joy, and strength through God’s promises, and we’re committed to being a friend in faith as you navigate life’s journey.
Together, we can make this year a year of growth, faith, and encouragement.
Happy New Year! ❤️
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