Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
[Psalm 1:1–2]

Did you miss me? 😊

After the business of the Christmas calendar and programs and then coming down with a bad case of the crud, I have had no chance to put my thoughts and creative juices to writing this blog.

Until now.

How is your 2026 starting out? How is your 2026 going to be different than last year? And the ten years before that?

Here’s a thought: To ensure a better (or at least different) year, start with the things you won’t do in 2026. Or stop doing the things that you know are detrimental to you and your health (spiritual and physical and emotional). I get that bit of advice from Psalm 1 above. Look at those verses again. The wise, spiritual person lists the things he won’t be doing. He will not go to particular places nor participate in particular activities and he won’t hang out with particular people. The things he doesn’t do are a big part of what defines his spirituality and his walk with God.

Now before you get all worried that Paul is becoming some kind of a legalistic monk or recluse, hear me out.

I think it would be wise, if you want 2026 to be different (better) than last year, for you to honestly assess how you use your time and where you devote your attention. What can go? What should go?

Maybe it’s that addicting newsfeed that only brings you down. Maybe it’s that community organization that you said “yes” to that never gets anything done. Maybe it’s that unhealthy food you are drawn to. Or those unhealthy people whose opinions are becoming yours. Maybe it’s screen time before bed or sugar or the book club that you wish you could quit.

You decide.

And while you’re at it, start thinking about the things you really do what to accomplish in 2026. What do you need to do (and get rid of) to make that happen? Most leadership gurus talk about four or five goals that we should have for the year—more than that and we lose focus.

Who do you want to become in 2026? What really matters?

I was in the hospital room of a dear friend on Sunday evening. Serious stuff. After the nurse left and we finished talking about the NFL playoffs and Venezuela nonsense, we talked about the things that matter. My friend knows he could be running out of time. There are really only a few things that matter and need to be talked about. So we did.

2026 is here! And life is too short, no matter how young you are, to live frivolously and not for the things that really matter. 2026 can be a good year. A different year. We can start becoming that different person. But we’ll have to make different choices. We are going to have to stop doing the same old things and actually do different things.

Oh no, not Philip Yancey, too!
When I heard the news of Philip Yancey’s eight-year affair, something inside me simply collapsed.

This wasn’t one of the many megachurch pastors who believe their own press releases as they build their own kingdoms. Their falls are almost predictable.

This was Philip Yancey, the humble, articulate author who wrote so poignantly about pain and grace and the amazing mysteries of God. He helped form my faith by putting into words the anomalies and experiences that seemed so personal yet inexplicable.

When Sue and I met Philip and Janet, he was just as winsome and humble as one could hope for. His confession and remorse and withdrawal from ministry are in keeping with his authentic voice that we have come to know.

For all who know of him and have read his books, I would encourage a spirit of grace and not judgment. There but the grace of God could go me or you.

I was talking with my Indian friend and leader of DFN Joseph D’Souza about this sad news. Joseph and Philip are long-time friends. Joseph just published an article on the “fall” of Philip Yancey. I share with you Joseph’s wise words to me:

“The Person of Jesus is who we need in all stages of our lives and a deeper, more fuller understanding of grace which not only forgives but transforms. The ‘idolatry’ of the superstar Christian that has been fed to us over the years is not at all helpful.

“One other thing I don’t get is the cancel culture that has got into the evangelical scene when there are those who take the line that all the stuff that Philip wrote is invalid and should be pulled off our shelves and bookstores. Philip’s struggles and working out complex issues of the Christian faith are profound and the Lord who knew what was to come used it.

“What if God had decided that all of the Psalms that David wrote should not be in Scripture because of his massive failure?”

Quick hits
Have you gotten sick this year? There have been more that 15 million flu cases this season, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control. This year, outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms reached the highest recorded level since the agency began tracking cases more than 30 years ago.

I saw and was entertained by both Hamnet and One Battle After Another. They each took home prizes at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

When a child leaves the family’s faith it can be quite traumatic. 56% of Americans have stayed the course. Here is some interesting data.

A return to my new year thinking
“The first half of life is discovering the script, and the second half is actually writing it and owning it. So…” [Richard Rohr]

In Falling Upward, Richard Rohr writes that the first half of a person’s life is spent finding a container to fill. The second half is about what will fill it. And unfortunately, too often, the second half of life is hijacked by first-half trajectories. We assume that a bigger container is the answer; that size itself gives meaning and purpose. So we strive for more and bigger. And then…

If you’re in the first half, take your time. Pace yourself. Think a lot. Choose deep, not wide. Choose joy.

If you’re in the second half, you may be in a panic, asking yourself, “Is this it?” Well, sort of. Receive it. Embrace it. Massage it, work at it for all it can be.

The finish line is not a Hollywood happy ending. The end is dependent on the choices of the first half and the second half adjustments.

When one embarks on a new year, he thinks about where he has been and where he is going.

Our Tuesday Afternoon prayer
“God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
whose years never fail
and whose mercies are new each returning day:
let the radiance of your Spirit renew our lives,
warming our hearts and giving light to our minds;
that we may pass the coming year
in joyful obedience and firm faith;
through him who is the beginning and the end,
your Son, Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.”