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Hello, dear one. How has your week been?
Take the next few minutes to check in with yourself and enter into the presence of God’s Spirit. If it helps to light a candle or adopt a prayerful posture, do so… let’s take a deep pause.
Let's begin with,
Page: An Invitation to Reflection
This month, we’ll be meditating on Proverbs 3:1-12 (MSG). Read the passage three times.
Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.
Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
God’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this
Spend a few minutes journaling in response to this passage:
- What stands out to you most? Is there a particular word or phrase?
- As you read through it a second time… ask God, “to what area of my life does that particular word or phrase connect?”
- And as you read a third time, be asking God, “Is there an invitation for me?” Is there a response of some kind that God is inviting you into?
This month’s theme: MAKING PLANS.
To plan is to imagine a preferred future, and this act of imagining is an expression of dignity and love. God designed us with vision, memory, longing, and hope. In Advent, these stir within us in deeper, more visible ways. These qualities allow us to consider not only what could be, but what should be.
Yet planning is also vulnerable.
Plans reveal our desires. They expose our fears. They require us to trust that God is at work in the unseen even as we work in the seen.
Next up is,
Person: An Invitation to Connection
This season brings an abundance of plans, almost all woven into our relationships… holidays and family gatherings, parties, gifts to prepare, and hopes for the year ahead.
- When has a plan you made been a quiet act of love for someone else?
- When have you sensed God orchestrating circumstances ahead of you?
- Where do you most often get stuck: starting, communicating, or carrying through a plan?
Take a minute to imagine... visualize yourself interacting with others throughout this season with kindness and care. Please remember the best thing you can plan to give someone (including yourself!) right now is love.
Finally we have,
Plan: An Invitation to Intention
“But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.” (Isaiah 32:8)
- Become aware of God’s presence. Slow your breath. Remember you are not alone in your planning.
- Review the past few days. Where did you feel drawn toward something good? Where did you feel resistance?
- Notice your desires, the ones beneath the tasks. What are you actually hoping for? Connection? Safety? Joy?
- Notice your fears. What fears held you back, nudged you, or shaped your choices?
- Ask God to show you a “noble plan”: not necessarily large, but aligned with His love.
- Rest in gratitude for what God is already shaping within you.
Take one desire that surfaced and simply name a small, practical next step.
Not a full plan, just the first faithful movement. Examples: Send a text of encouragement. Revisit my calendar with honesty. Set a boundary that honors what matters.
As you choose what to say yes to, remember: every yes implies a no. And every no creates space for a stronger yes.
Take a few minutes in closing to turn all your reflections, feelings, and concern for others into a final prayer.
Closing Breath Prayer:
Inhale: “Guide my plans…”
Exhale: “…and steady my steps.”
Thanks for checking in today!
-Team Soul Care
