January is always an interesting month. The first part of the month is usually quiet as people are still on vacation. The Christmas tree comes down and Christmas decorations get put away. School doesn’t start up until the middle or end of the month, so kids are off school right when we are in the midst of starting up routine and ministry. It’s time to plan and begin meeting about ministry plans for the upcoming months. It involves phone calls and reconnecting with ministry partners, as well as looking at goals and planning out the calendar. This year it includes starting to plan for a short summer home assignment and all of the details that go along with that. It has also included, for me, hours at the computer as I’ve been working on a writing project for Covenant World Relief. They invited me to help write/create the Kids helping Kids curriculum this year. This week that has meant the children are finally off to school and by 7am I have my cup of coffee and am at the computer writing.

January, it’s a different kind of month. And I’m thankful for the slow start as I look at the calendar spread out before me and see all the movement in the upcoming months. The year has begun and we are moving forward. Thank you for your prayers.

A beautiful January sunset