I have always loved “new”.

I have always been inspired by freshly-sharpened pencils … a never-been-used notebook … a new, stylish dress … and crisp sheets on my bed.

What “new” things do you delight in?

I have always been rejuvenated by a bouquet of freshly-picked flowers from the garden … a book with an unbroken spine … the sparkling possibility of a brand-new friendship.

There have been stellar and unmatched moments in my life when I embrace the glory of the “new” just like a two-year old splashes in the puddles of a spring rain!

My adrenalin jumps when I experience the glee of a pair of spotless white tennis shoes … a red, ripe tomato still warm from the sunshine in a summer’s garden … and an empty calendar ready to be filled with the activities of a new year.

As a mother, I’ll simply never forget the greatest “new” moments in my life.  

I, in fact, have experienced this particular “new” 5 times over.  

As long as I am living and breathing this side of heaven, I will always poignantly remember the sensation of holding a newborn baby in my arms … so fresh from heaven … so untouched by the world … so miraculously unblemished. 

5 times I have experienced the gift of a new life … a red, wrinkled face and 10 perfect little toes … clear, innocent eyes ready to explore the life that was ahead.

When I placed my nose up to the perfection of their little mouths, I could almost smell heaven in their baby breath.

There is absolutely nothing that compares to the gift of a new baby.

However, there is another “new” that brings unexplainable joy to my heart! 

This unforgettable, too-good-to-be-true, “let’s change the world” celebratory experience is the “new” of a fresh start! 

A do-over! A second chance!

I love the crystalline possibility that comes with being able to start over again … to begin again … to take a deep breath and to set my gaze toward tomorrow in spite of what lies behind me.

A new day … an untouched tomorrow … a pioneer spirit.

“Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” – Isaiah 42:9

isaiah 42:9 new things

Several years ago, I recall talking to a young woman who was about to jump off the diving board of safe and protected family life into the pool of exciting collegiate living.

I said to her, “You can be anyone you want to be!  Decide who you truthfully are in the deepest part of your soul and then be that girl! Don’t let anything or anyone hold you back from being the person you have always longed to become!”

And as I spoke those words over her novice life, I realized that the same possibility was just as true for me as it was for her.

It didn’t matter that she was a fresh 18 year-old and that I was a 60-something experienced and wizened woman.

It didn’t matter that my body had been marked by wrinkles, stretch marks, knee replacements and the scars of cancer … and that she is beautifully young.


It didn’t matter that she had more of life in front of her than behind her while I have more of life behind me than in front of me.

It didn’t matter that she was about to become a college co-ed and I am a grandmother 10 times over.


It. Doesn’t. Matter.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” – II Corinthians 5:17

barren desert new life quote

Christ loves to give fresh starts to wrinkled, spotted, scarred and tired bodies.  

He loves to speak new life over the dead, barren places in our hearts.

Christ came to make us new … He knew there would be seasons in life that would just wear us down with weakness and worry. He came to give new power and new strength.

Christ came to make us new … He understood that discouragement and disappointment would age us into decrepit versions of ourselves long before He was done using us.  And so … He came to give fresh hope and renewed joy.

Christ cares not what the date on your birth certificate might be … how many wrinkles you have accumulated on your formerly newborn skin … or how much of life has past you by.

He came to make you new! He longs to hold you in His arms and gaze at your potential.

His heart is overwhelmed with the complete joy of giving life to you whether you are 18 or 32 … 47 … or 69!

He loves gazing into your eyes and celebrating all that is yet ahead!

So today is your day for a fresh start … for a new beginning … and for a divine make-over.

You see, the God Who is an expert at making all things new, has made you! 

He is the God who is making all things miraculously new … and that includes YOU!

“And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” – Revelation 21:5

What new thing would you like to accomplish? What new beginning would you love to embrace? I’d love to know!

Thanks for listening to my heart this week.  As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me.  And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!

We know that Scripture calls us to renew our minds, but what does that actually look like in real life? My guest today is Dr. Alan Weissenbacher who is going to help us understand the incredible power of our brain’s plasticity – how it can change, reorganize and rewire. It’s a simple, powerful capability we can harness to convert harmful thoughts and behaviors into helpful ones, allowing us to shape and reshape who we are and who we can become. If you want to improve your mental health, strengthen your spiritual life, and learn how to produce Christlike character, lean in and listen.

Carol McLeod

Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!