Author: Julia Hallum

For many, the first month after the most wonderful time of the year is the most refreshing time of the year. January often brings a new start, a reset button, and a sense of rejuvenation. It’s a great time to look at the areas of your life that may need a little kick-start.

In 2022, I recognized I had become complacent in my faith, and it wasn’t a good feeling. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but the fire and excitement of being a child of God had dimmed a bit. Even worse, I had let my time spent in God’s Word become routine rather than engaging. It was time for a kick-start.

That kick-start came on January 1, 2023, when I was re-baptized in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in the very chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The cold water ignited my lukewarm faith, and the fire I felt for God was back. I couldn’t wait to get started on what He had in store for me, whatever it was. One month later, I started writing for His Kingdom.

God’s love for us never fails; it is relentless, unwavering, and steady. Lord, thank You that Your love for me is never routine or lukewarm. Thank You for the refreshment and rejuvenation I can find in Your Word every day.

One of my favorite smells of the Christmas season is vanilla. Whenever I use it in baking sweet treats, I always take a moment and hold the vanilla extract bottle up to my nose, close my eyes, and breathe in the rich, comforting aroma. It doesn’t matter if fifteen people are coming over for dinner later or if I’ve got all four burners on my stove going. That smell takes me back to when I used to repeat that same procedure while helping my mom cook in her kitchen. It didn’t matter what else was going on; we shared that ten-second pause to enjoy a whiff of sweet tradition and togetherness. It’s a tradition I’ve happily shared with my daughter.

Gifts to wrap, grocery lists to make, decorations to hang, and errands to run make it so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the Christmas season. Many things compete for our attention, and the demands we place on ourselves can crowd out the real reason for our joy – the blessed birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Stop and smell the vanilla. The twenty-five things on your to-do list really can wait. Spending even just a few moments thanking and praising God for the lavish gift of His Son can provide so much more than a pleasant scent; it can bring feelings of warmth, togetherness, and comfort. So, pause for a moment or two, close your eyes, and take a whiff of the extravagant love God has for you.

We celebrated my husband’s retirement by having a romantic dinner at a fancy, intimate restaurant. I made our reservation several months in advance, since this wasn’t your typical “meat and potatoes” place. The ambience was elegant, and a lady in an evening gown played the harp while we dined. The food was delightful. Each item we ate was adorned with swishes of exotic sauces and edible flowers, and looked like art arranged on our plates. The dessert was almost too pretty to eat. The level of attention we received from the wait staff was top-notch. We couldn’t call this a meal; it was a sophisticated dining “experience,” and I spent a fortune on it. We enjoyed it and were full when we left, but my tummy has been just as satisfied after a meal at our favorite “meat and potatoes” place.

I’m a foodie, and I love that the Bible speaks of God preparing a feast in heaven for His followers. There, I can dine with my Heavenly Father at an elaborate banquet table without worrying about needing a reservation, keeping my elbows off the table, or using the wrong fork. Though I don’t know what the ambience will look like, I’m sure it will be better than anything I can imagine. I know I will be comfortable and welcomed. I’ll be in God’s presence, sitting at a table He prepared for me. Maybe the table will include all my favorite foods. But more importantly, I’m sure to enjoy endless spiritual food, and I will savor every morsel. No meal here on earth could ever be as satisfying.

In Acts 20, Paul warns the early church of “wolves,” who will come in among them to cause disruption and draw them away from Christ. We discussed these wolves recently in the ladies’ Bible study I attend. Of course, these are metaphorical wolves that present themselves in a bold or even subtle way, attempting to put up an infinite number of barriers between us and God.

I often feel like those wolves are out to devour my time with God. I never see any snarling teeth or hear vicious growling, but these wolves come in the form of texts, phone calls, to-do lists, worries on my mind, and the lure of social media.

Whenever I perceive the wolf prowling around to consume my time with God, I first seek the peace of His presence. I picture myself sitting at His feet, ready to receive His word. Then, I ask for His help keeping the wolf at bay so that my time with Him is uninterrupted.

At the beach recently, I saw a woman lying in the sand, just at the surf’s edge. I thought maybe she had fallen at first, but she was fine. She was more than fine; she was living her best life, relaxing and letting the waves gently nudge her body to and fro. I thought I would love to be that level of unbothered. But events happening in the world these days made me think that being unbothered is nearly impossible, which bothered me.

I sat in my beach chair and pondered what was bothering me and why. Was it something out of my control? Were they things that don’t actually matter? Things out of my control? Something I’ve prayed about? Giving what bothers you to God is a gigantic step in becoming unbothered. God wants us to lay our worries and fears at His feet.

Beyond unbothered, you can be joyful. A relationship with your Heavenly Father can bring a deep-seated joy that is not dependent on your circumstances. You are a child of God and have the promise of eternal life in His glorious kingdom. When the waves of this world nudge you to and fro or even knock you down, God wants us to give our worries to Him, remind ourselves of the joy we hold deep inside, and look past the waves to Him with an eternal perspective.