It’s nice over summer to have a few less balls in the air…  To slow down and smell the roses.  We went hiking down at Kosciusko National Park last week, so it was more like slow down and get bitten by the March flies, but anyway, that’s another story!
January is traditionally a time to reflect on the year that’s been and prepare for the year to come.  It’s a time to reconsider our commitments to our workplaces, sporting teams and social clubs, Church ministries and Bible Study groups.  These commitments that we make often lock us into and out of certain things.  We don’t always realise that saying yes to one thing, means saying no to another.  Saying yes to Sunday morning sport, means saying no to Sunday morning Church, and saying yes to teaching scripture means saying no to working an extra shift at McDonalds.
It’s important at this time of year to step back and reflect on the big picture and make some decisions about what our yes’s and no’s will be this year.  To be careful to not overcommit ourselves and get a good balance between work and family, Church and community. 
But balance is the wrong word.  We live all of our lives for Jesus: ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him’ (Col 3:17).  The question isn’t have I got enough ‘Church’ stuff to go alongside my ‘other’ stuff, but does everything I do and commit to this year bring glory to Jesus?