Happy New Year! An Important Announcement!!!

Lord, show me your ways.  Teach me how to follow you. Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
You are God, my Savior. I put my hope in you all day long . Psalms 25:4-5

Happy New Year, Friend!

I pray this finds you doing well. As you read this email, please note an exciting new opportunity for you at the end of this email.

My routine at the beginning of each year is to choose a word of the year. This year, my word is Align. I want to align my desires with God’s desires for me. My guiding verse to go with this word is:

Lord, show me your ways.  Teach me how to follow you. Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
    You are God, my Savior. I put my hope in you all day long . Psalms 25:4-5

In the coming year, I am working on aligning how I spend my time. I want to be in line with God’s will for me.

Faith, Family, Friends, Ministry, and Church will continue to be my priorities.

I am praying about what each will look like. Please note that I will continue to meet with you here each month. I will bring a new devotion or reflection for you. You will still receive these devotions. However, to simplify my mailings, I will be discontinuing the WordPress Devotions from the Distracted Heart blog. Please accept the email from info@pegarnold.org so it does not go to spam. You can always unsubscribe if this is no longer ministering to you. Please know that I’m always open to ways to improve and make these devotions inspiring for you. If you love these, think about sharing them with a friend! https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/e0h6w2

A New Years Devotion

Distractions of Decorating

Our little townhouse hadn’t been updated for ten years since we became homeowners. Wallpaper was popular, and we wasted no time choosing patterns for the bathrooms, kitchen, hallway, and many bedrooms.   As rookies in home improvement, we had never attempted wallpapering before. Luckily my husband Rick’s motto has always been, “Nothing beats a failure but a try.”

 We quickly realized something important. Creating a plumb line was the first step in wallpapering to make sure our wallpaper’s first strip was straight. Rick took the initiative to learn an old-fashioned method. He used a string, a fishing weight, and blue chalk to form a plumb line. Today, one would use a laser level, but in the 1970s, the tools were much more rudimentary.

We quickly became aware of the imperfections of our new home as we began this process. The first plumb line he created appeared misaligned with the walls. We continued to use the same plumb line for adjoining walls without realizing it. Eventually, we tilted our heads as the wallpaper took on a strange slant. The vertical stripes of the wallpaper amplified the awkwardness. It became painfully evident that we needed to strip down our poorly aligned panels. We had to begin each time with a carefully established plumb line. This realization surprised us. Each time we turned a corner, we had to make a new plumb line.

 To me, January serves as a symbolic plumb line in my life. It’s a time filled with hope as many embark on new goals and resolutions. In the past, I’ve thrown myself wholeheartedly into setting goals and have been known to create a dream board.

This season, I’ve discovered something invaluable. Choosing a single guiding word grounds my intentions for the year ahead. A meaningful scripture serves as my plumb line.

Where are you in your journey of setting a plumb line?

 Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who expressed her struggles. “Honestly, Peg,” she said, “the past year has been incredibly tough. It was filled with so many losses. There was also the looming threat of a life-altering disease. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

I share this with you because establishing New Year goals, routines, or resolutions isn’t meant to create feelings of inadequacy. It’s not to burden you with overwhelming expectations. Instead, it’s about connecting with God and finding comfort in His strength and presence. You can do this through prayer, with the Lord. He sees you, knows your struggles, and loves you unconditionally. This could be the most profound plumb line you could ever embrace.

Dear Lord,

Show me your ways each morning. Teach me to listen to Your word when I am tempted to be swayed by louder voices.  You are the God who loves me more than anything, help me put my trust and hope in You! Amen.

Thank You for your encouragement and support!