<\/p>\n
\u201cSee, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?\u201d (Isaiah 43:19)<\/p>\n
When holidays roll around, we\u2019re likely to be introspective and think about years gone by. We might remember childhood traditions and recreate special memories in our minds. But holidays are also opportunities to look forward to something new. Consider these possibilities:<\/span><\/p>\n -What is God doing in your life to deepen your faith and give you courage for the days ahead?<\/span><\/p>\n -What is stirring in your heart regarding ministry or Kingdom work?<\/span><\/p>\n -If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why?<\/span><\/p>\n -What new habit could you implement to bring greater health and joy?<\/span><\/p>\n Allow yourself to daydream about what the future holds. Tell God about your hopes and dreams. Don\u2019t hold anything back! He loves to hear from you, even though He already knows what\u2019s on your heart. Trust God to do a new thing. Ask for open eyes to see the opportunities He provides. Watch for open doors and be brave enough to walk through them.<\/span><\/p>\n Make these holidays spent alone a wonderful time of reflection and renewal, imagining a bright, beautiful future ahead. God bless you and keep you, my friend.<\/span><\/p>\n An honest prayer to take with you:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Lord, I\u2019m spending the holidays alone this year, and I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I\u2019m grateful for the time to rest and reflect. On the other hand, I\u2019m worried I\u2019ll be sad and depressed. Please meet me right where I am, leading me to find joy in Your presence. Help me look forward to the peace and quiet. Turn my thoughts to the true meaning of the holidays, and keep my gaze fixed on You. I look forward to all You have planned for me in the near future, and I know You are with me now. In Jesus\u2019 holy name, amen.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n More Resources for Spending the Holidays Alone:<\/strong><\/p>\n How to Stay Positive When You’re Spending the Holidays Alone<\/p>\n 8 Things to Do if Spending Thanksgiving Alone<\/p>\n 10 Things to Do if You’re Spending Christmas Alone<\/p>\n A Guide for Spending Any Holiday Alone<\/p>\n Photo Credit: \u00a9iStofk\/Getty Images Plus\/Drazen Zigic<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cSee, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?\u201d (Isaiah 43:19) When holidays roll around, we\u2019re likely to be introspective and think about years gone by. We might remember childhood traditions and recreate special memories in our minds. But holidays are also opportunities to look forward to something<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[721,719,720,351,154],"class_list":["post-9050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-living","tag-autumn","tag-holidays","tag-spent","tag-thanksgiving","tag-ways"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}