As this new week begins, I know many of you are will be going back to work after a busy holiday weekend.  I hope that everyone had a fantastic time and were able to spend time with family and celebrating the birth of our Savior.  It has been non-stop for our family and now that everyone is beginning to make their way home, I am looking forward to some serious quiet time this week.

David and I have often talked about the value of this week between Christmas and New Years.  As far back as I can remember, this week has usually been a vacation week for my family.  Our parents have always lived far away from us, so normally we were traveling.  I have always enjoyed the opportunity to get up early, make my hot cup of coffee and spend time alone with the Lord praying and thinking about the upcoming year.  This week has provided many moments of clarity and inspiration as I spent some long, uninterrupted time with the Lord very early in the morning.

I hope as this week begins, you will find extended periods of alone time to pray, plan, journal or spend time in the Word.  As this year draws to a close, it will be helpful to reflect on how God has moved in your life over this past year. Write down the blessings and challenges of this past year and as you write, you will find how God has impacted your life.  Pray those blessings back to God as praise and worship!

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer. Luke 5:16 (The Message)

Blessings!

Sam