looking backward & forward as a new year begins

I'm not really one for formal new year's resolutions, but I typically enjoy taking advantage of the start of a new season (ie - a new semester of school, birthdays, a new year) by using it to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future.  In case anyone is a) actually reading this blog! and b) would like use the start of 2014 as a reason to pause and reflect, I thought I'd share a couple of quick resources in case they might be helpful to someone else.

Conversation with God has never been a struggle for me - probably because I'm a verbal processor ;-)  But I find that the listening side of prayer is not always easy or comfortable for me - and lately I've struggled with connecting with God through the Word.  I recently pulled out a book I got a long time ago called Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship.  The Holy Spirit knew exactly what I needed!  I have really been enjoying the Scripture passages & how they speak directly into my real-time circumstances, as well as the general structure the book is providing to my prayers.

Another resource that I haven't gone through point-by-point, but find helpful to frame my thinking at this time of year is something put out by the C.S. Lewis Institute called a Spiritual Checkup.  The exercise is framed under two primary categories: Loving God & loving your neighbor.  Good, thoughtful checkpoints.