Michael here…

OK, we are only two blogs in to the new year and both have mentioned nude photos in some way, I am putting a stop to this madness! No more talk of nude photos…at least until the summer…

A new year means a fresh start and for many of us it also means a time of reflection, organization, and planning for the future. For me that tends to mean adding things. Adding new disciplines, hobbies, family and career goals, but the adding doesn’t really work, until I’ve taken something away. Perhaps one of the most beneficial disciplines of all is the art of taking away. What things exist in me right now that clutter my mind and my soul? Where am I doing too much just for the sake of doing? Where am I buying too much just for the sake of owning? Are there places where I am pursuing too many shallow relationships to avoid seeking depth in other relationships?

I need space open in my life for GOD to pour whatever He will in. It’s so hard not to try to fill that space myself though, with things that I think will fit.  May GOD grant us ever increasing grace as we seek to take away in good and holy ways.