Don’t you love the start of a brand new year? Everything feels fresh and new. Our God is a God of new things. Over and over in His Word He speaks about fresh starts. As believers, one of the most important verses for us to grab hold of is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

God has made us new. The word “new” used in this verse means “of a new kind; unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of.” When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are made into a new creation that has never been seen before. You may look the same physically, but you are a brand new version of yourself. The enemy works overtime to keep us stuck in the old patterns of thinking so that we won’t walk in the truth of who we are in Christ.

Let 2025 begin with a fresh look at your identity – not the false identity the enemy has slapped on you. Not the identity that other people have spoken over you. Not the skewed view of ourselves that we have adopted.

Turn to the Word and see what He says about you and invite Him to renew your mind with the truth so that you can embrace your true self – the one uniquely designed to bring His light to a broken world.

RESPOND to the Word

1. Do you feel like a new creation? Do you feel like the old you is gone and a new you is in its place? (There’s no right or wrong answer here – this question is to help you see where you are.)

2. Who is Paul talking to in 2 Corinthians 5:17?

3. What truth is God speaking to you about who you are?

4. What lie is the enemy using to distract, discourage, or defeat you?

5. How will you walk in the truth found in this verse?

PRAY the Word

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me new. Thank you that I am no longer bound to the old patterns, the old ways of thinking, or my old life. Would you reveal to me any areas where I am not seeing this truth? Would you open my eyes to see how the enemy is lying to me? Holy Spirit, guide me into truth. Empower me to walk according to the truth of the Word. Thank You for fresh starts and new beginnings. In Jesus’ name, amen

One of my goals for 2025 is actually a habit I want to develop and that’s the habit of no social media before my time in The Secret Place (aka “quiet time).

It has been a (bad) habit of mine to grab my phone as soon as I wake up and start scrolling social media. I tell myself that it’s because my brain isn’t fully awake to dive deep into the Word and prayer. And while that’s somewhat true – I am pretty groggy until that Diet Coke kicks in – social media can way too quickly take over my thoughts and before I know it, I’ve wasted too much time and then everything is off schedule and it’s too easy to procrastinate on what is actually the most important thing I can do.

Also. Stop judging me about the Diet Coke first thing in the morning. Thank you. So here’s how I’m replacing the habit of picking up my phone first thing.

With the help of my iphone’s Screen Time settings, I was able to set a DOWNTIME schedule. This allows me to turn off specific apps on a set schedule. I chose to turn off almost every app (including ALL social media) from 12:00am – 9:00am. Now when I pick up my phone first thing in the morning, almost all apps, including ALL social media are greyed out. If I try to choose it, it tells me that I’ve reached my time limit.

Yes, technically, I can then press the “Ignore Limit” and continue down the social media pathway, but the time limit reminder stops me from mindlessly beginning the morning scroll of distraction and forces me to make a choice.

Choosing to greet the Holy Spirit first thing is not a habit yet – my groggy brain hasn’t quite rewired itself yet to this new way of living, but the downtime function on my phone is holding me accountable while I’m being reprogrammed! If your first instinct in the morning is to pick up your phone and check email, the news, social media, etc., I challenge you to begin developing a new habit of time with Him before anything else. (OK – go ahead, hit the bathroom and grab your Diet Coke – but put down that phone until you’ve spent quality time in The Secret Place.) I GUARANTEE it will make a difference in your relationship with God!

PS: If your kids have an iPhone, there are parental controls that will allow you to block apps. Whether you want to limit screen time or completely block apps, this is worth learning about. I’d try and explain it, but YouTube university is your best friend and will show you how!

This Cheesy Tortilla Soup from Taste of Home is definitely not the most healthy one on the list, but oh my goodness! It’s lovely! The recipe calls for adding tortilla chips, but I can assure you that oyster crackers or homemade bread will NOT disappoint!

We can’t decide if we like this Broccoli Cheddar Soup from I Am Homesteader better or not, but you can’t lose with this soup! I’m not a big broccoli fan, but this soup is *chef’s kiss*

And finally this Potato Soup from I Am Homesteader is a crowd-pleaser that I’m up for any time of the year! Definitely add some homemade bread to dip in this bowl of coziness!

Side Note: I haven’t made one recipe from I Am Homesteader that we didn’t love!