There Is Nothing Sacred About January 1st.
We have a habit of attaching our spiritual fresh starts to major milestones.
We tell ourselves, 'I’ll open my Bible again when the new year comes, when the new journal arrives, when life finally slows down, or when I have a quiet morning.' We put off drawing near to God, waiting for a clean slate that, if we’re honest, rarely comes.
But friend, there is nothing sacred about January 1st.
And there will never be a perfect moment to begin again.
Right now, I am working on two separate Scripture-writing projects.
I am inscribing the Word daily with our community here through Inscribe the Word Monthly. At the same time, I am handwriting the entire Bible by hand as a legacy gift for my son, Asher. On August 10th, I sat down at my dining room table to write the very first lines of the Book of Matthew.
And right on cue, life became completely unscripted.
That exact same week, a very sick trio of kittens showed up on our back deck. They were tiny . . . no bigger than the palm of our hands. Steven and I are not “cat people.” But after two of the kittens tragically passed away, we looked at the third and knew we couldn’t let this last little one pass away, too.
What followed was weeks of messy, exhausting, sleepless nights as we worked around the clock to keep this kitten alive.
Yet every single morning, amidst the medicine schedules, alarms, and exhaustion, I still pulled up my chair to inscribe the Book of Matthew… with a tiny kitten in tow.
Our little rescue is doing so much better today, and I just finished writing Matthew chapters 1 through 11.
The Myth of the “Clean Slate"
I share that story with you because it reminded me of something simple and profound: there is no perfect time to start and no perfect “quiet time” to begin.
We like to tell ourselves that we will open our Bibles when life settles down or when work eases up. But something will always come up to compete for our time, energy, and attention. Life will always be a little loud, a little messy, or a little unpredictable.
God does not require a quiet house, a 10-step routine, or an uninterrupted hour to meet with you. He simply asks you to pull up a chair right where you are… sleepless nights, busy mornings, messy desks, sick kittens, and all.
When we let go of waiting for the perfect moment, something shifts.
Inspiration From Scripture.
Ezra & The Reading of the Scroll (Nehemiah 8). After decades of exile, Jerusalem was in ruins, and the Book of the Law had been largely forgotten. When Ezra stood on a wooden platform and opened the Scroll before the people, they wept out of grief for how far they had wandered. But Ezra and Nehemiah stopped their mourning, saying, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." God didn't want them drowning in shame over missed years; He wanted them celebrating that the Word was open again.
Jonah & "The Second Time" (Jonah 3:1–2). After running in the opposite direction and hitting absolute rock bottom, Jonah ended up back on dry land. The narrative resumes with one of the gentlest lines in Scripture: "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time." God didn't lecture Jonah about the time he wasted, his failed detour, or his poor attitude. He simply restated the invitation and let him pick up right where he was.
Elijah under the Broom Bush (1 Kings 19). Exhausted, overwhelmed, and convinced he was a total failure, Elijah ran into the wilderness, collapsed under a tree, and wanted to give up. God didn't give him a lecture or a high-pressure to-do list. He sent an angel with baked bread and a jar of water, telling him to eat and sleep . . . twice. God honored Elijah's physical and emotional limits first, and only after he rested did He speak in a gentle whisper, giving him simple steps to start over.
The Son Coming to His Senses (Luke 15:17–20). When the prodigal son finally hit rock bottom, he rehearsed a shame-filled speech about how he was no longer worthy to be called a son—expecting he'd have to work off his debt. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, was moved with compassion, and ran to meet him. Returning to God is never about earning your way back into good standing; it is simply about taking the first step home while God runs to meet you.
Starting Right Where You Are
If you are reading this on the last day of August, the middle of March or the first day of January, wondering if it’s worth starting something new when life feels full, remember this: today is a good day to begin.
You don't need a new year.
You don't need a flawless routine.
You just need an open Bible, a pen, and a place to write.
Inscribe the Word Monthly was created specifically for seasons like this . . . to give you a simple, quiet, doable path back into God’s Word. No performance. No pressure. Just a pen, a passage, and space to listen.
Each month, you'll receive one curated Scripture-writing plan, one devotional guide, a downloadable PDF, and subscriber-only emails and journal content to help you stay consistent and keep your focus on God's Word.
You don't have to wait for January.
Pull up a chair and join us right where you are.