Welcome to the 2023 edition of The Stir

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…Genesis 2:7

By Melissa Meyers

New beginnings and fresh starts and healthy rhythms. Nothing says this like a newborn baby. As a NICU nurse, I have the privilege of attending high risk and preterm deliveries. I have lost track of the number of babies I have seen enter the world. But at every birth, when their slippery bodies emerge, via the birth canal or a cesarean, there is always a pause. A silence. A waiting for this new child to cry.

When that cry comes, the whole room relaxes and breathes with this new life. Sometimes, the crying doesn’t come, and a little help is needed. We clear the airway, and help the breaths go in. The baby turns from blue to pink. For breath is life. Usually, when a baby gets help with their airway it isn’t long afterwards that they too are crying, and the room relaxes and breathes with this new life. From that moment on, this baby’s life stretches out before them with endless possibilities for what their future holds.

The beginning of a new year can be like a new baby. We stand on the edge thinking of all the hopes and possibilities for what lies ahead. But, for it to be a year full of life, we need room to breathe. Literally and spiritually. Sometimes that takes a little life planning. In this edition of The Stir, we bring to you some ways to find that breathing room. Jill Swanson shares with us in a fun post on helping your closet that is suffering with Attention Deficient Disorder. Jill Pearson writes about ways to find your rhythm in kitchen, along with her recommendations on how much garlic should or should not be put in a meat ball. Kathy Martin opens her front door and lets us peek inside to see how a well-organized house can be run. Kristi Muston has collected ways to get the wiggles out of those little ones in indoor spaces in Rochester and reviews Kate Laack’s new book, In the Shade of Olive Trees. And I share about how you can design a mini retreat that focuses on how to reflect on the past year and how to look at what God is doing in your life in the year to come.

Perhaps, you are in a stage of life, like a premature baby, where you need a little help to breathe. Let me tell you it takes a whole team of skilled people to resuscitate a premature baby. Fortunately, here at Calvary there are women all around you that want to be there for you and give you some oxygen. Renovare will be kicking off on January 19. Consider joining a Bible study group of Thursday mornings or Monday evenings. Be encouraged as you read the wisdom for moms, that Marilynn Moe, age 87, has taken the time to share with us. You’ll also hear from three Calvary women who have had some fresh starts in their lives.

Here’s to new starts, fresh beginnings and healthy rhythms in 2023!

Which, I have now named, the year of breath.