Room to Breathe ... Thoughts for A New Year

Sometimes in life, you can feel out of breath.  You may feel squeezed and under pressure, unable to move. Maybe you don't have time or space to even come up for air. 

If you do have room to breathe, maybe your environment is toxic and negative.  What can you do?  

Right before I traveled to the US for the holidays,  I couldn't catch my breath in my home. It felt like asthma.  Was I allergic to something?  It's scary when you can't breathe.

This was on my mind as I traveled home for Christmas.

Now, back in Ethiopia, I took a ton of time this past week to REALLY deep clean my house. I called in help.  I hope this will remedy things in my house. It had me thinking again about the importance of making sure we have room to breathe and good air. 

Deep cleaning my house

Many people, I believe, are living with little room to breathe. Time is tight. Money is tight. Schedules are too busy. This lack of room to breathe can make you feel sick and can lead to so many problems. When you don't have time and space to breathe, it's easy to lose your life,  your health, your peace, your joy, your perspective, your family, your friends, your courage, your hope. You can also overreact, or not react as quickly as you need to. You can make poor decisions.  

Also, what we breathe into our lives can also be toxic if we are not careful. If we do have room to breathe or come up to get a breath, we can breathe in negativity. We can also breathe in nothing that really helps us get renewed.   Breathing in wrong things can also cause big health issues.

The Bible tells us that  ...

God created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone  .... Isaiah 42:5

God gives life ...Romans 4:17 

we are stewards of life and what's He's given us... Psalm 24:1; 1 Peter 4:10

God can help us ...

He is the sustainer of life ... Psalm 54:4

We also read that...

In Him, we live and move and have our being...Acts 17:28

and that 

Jesus came to give us life, life in abundance  ... John 10:10

I believe most of us want to honor God with what He's given us.  We want to move as He leads us. But sometimes I think we get off pace and quickly lose our room to breathe and this can be dangerous.

If you're struggling already in this new year, here are some easy steps God has been challenging me with that I wanted to share:

Check your breathing.  Are you struggling?  When people ask us often if we are good, we usually say we are, but are you REALLY? Look at your life. Look in the mirror. Are you taking care of what God has given you? Is your relationship with Him growing and prioritized? What does your life look like? How is your family? Your work? Your finances? Your quiet time with God?  If you're not sure how you're really doing, ask those around you.  They can usually tell you. God's Spirit and His Word can also help us really see how we are and what we are becoming. God wants to have wisdom with our life and to live it well, in honor of Him.  Thankfully, He can help us!

Teach me to number my days, that we might have a heart of wisdom ... Psalm 90:12

Check your "spaces." Do you have space to breathe?  Do you have time and space DAILY where and when you can just "be" with God?  We can't make it without Him.  We see Jesus getting up early in the morning to be with His Father.  We see Him making space for his disciples to get away for awhile. He modeled what we need to do. Relationships are built when time is spent together.  If you only meet God in church on Sunday or a few times a week, it's NOT ENOUGH. He is our life, our breath.  The more intentional time you spend with Him, the more He breathes into you the ability to go on. 

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus went away to a solitary place where He prayed ... Mark 1:35

Come away with me to a quiet place (Jesus to his disciples) ... Mark 6:31

If you seek me, you will find me if you seek me with your whole heart ... Jeremiah 29:13

Remain in me ... John 15

Check your air. What are you breathing into your life? What are you looking at? What are you watching? Listening to? What are you spending time doing and who are you spending time with? Input leads to output. What you put into your mind and heart will come out of you. Is God first and most? Are you breathing in His Word, His promises, His truth? What you breathe in matters.  Many times we try to rest and what we end up putting inside of us actually makes things worse. We look at things just to divert our attention.  Other times we can empty our minds without letting God reset us with His truth and refresh us in His presence. When we come back from the vacation or time away, we almost need another vacation from our vacation. We're not better or ready to face what is still there.  When you are squeezed, what is deep inside of you comes out.  God wants us to put His Word and His truth inside of us. It has power to change us with the help of His Spirit.  We can be renewed, cleaned, restored, refreshed... if we're plugged into the right thing. If we're breathing in God's Presence and Word and truth into our lives all the time, what comes out of us, even under pressure, will be His truth, His love, His perspective, His character.  What are you breathing in? If it's negativity, hatred, lies... those will come out of you.  If it's nothing, you will stay downcast and without energy. No change will come.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fares ... Isaiah 55:2

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be ... Matthew 6:21

Set your thoughts on things above ... Colossians 3:2

What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth ... Matthew 15:11

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path ... Psalm 119:105

Seek first my kingdom ... Matthew 6:33

Change anything that God leads you to. That might mean deep cleaning. It might mean quitting some things. It might mean big decluttering. It might mean adding some things in. It will probably involve reprioritizing things in your life as the Spirit leads. Do you need air? Space to breathe? God Himself? He's ready to be all you need and to fill you with His presence!  

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you ... Ezekiel 36: 26-27

Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives. And humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls ... James 1:21

Mary has chosen the better thing and what she has will not be taken from her ...(story of Mary and Martha)... Luke 10:38-42

Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me ... Psalm 51:10-12

If you purify me from my sins, I will be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow ... Psalm 51:7

Let God check your breathing, your spaces, what you're breathing in.  Let Him show you changes you can make so you can know Him more and be more healthier with Him in the new year. 

He is ready to walk you and me into a new chapter!  Let's trust Him!

Praises

-I had an amazing but busy December in Ethiopia.   I was privileged to give training to our 1st and 2nd year EvaSUE staff. We also had our Regional Coordinator Consultation training.  I love my EvaSUE teammates so much and feel humbled to be with them in the work here.

Most of our EvaSUE National Service Center team based in Addis

-I was able to travel to the US for Christmas and had an amazing time with my family. I praise God for this time.  I was able to breathe and reflect!  God did so much in 2025! I'm so grateful!

-I was able to attend the Urbana Conference in Phoenix, Arizona- with my sister and some of my EvaSUE teammates in late December. This conference was a breath of fresh air for us all. The missional teachings and worship by over 7000 college students was deeply moving. The interviews, testimonies, all were huge blessings. I'm so thankful I was able to attend.  I will be sharing more in another blog post soon about Urbana.  I'm still processing and reflecting on it all!  

Some of our EvaSUE teammates at Urbana in Phoenix

I returned to Ethiopia a week ago and have been settling in for the year ahead.

Some other praises / prayer requests for the new year: 

-for EvaSUE- pray for us as prepare for regional events that begin in one week and continue into March, that God will bless these events. We pray an outpouring of God's Spirit on young people that will push out from here to the ends of the earth! 

-I was short on fundraising goals for this year. If you'd like to make a one-time donation to help cover my time at home or to help with my ministry expenses for 2026, it's not too late to give, you can make a donation through this link:

 https://www.globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/holly-garrett         

Thank you for those of you who have given and continue to give. I'm so grateful to get to continue to represent God here!!!

Pray for EvaSUE again- that God will unify us and give us wisdom to serve God and students with excellence in every way.  May this be EvaSUE's greatest chapter yet!

Please join me in praising God for my amazing Dad, the handsome and charming -Jim Garrett. We are so thankful for his leadership of our family! He's a role model for us all and for so many others.  We wish him a very happy birthday on January 23rd. We love him so much! He loves us all so well!  

Happy B-day Dad on January 23rd

How can I pray for you in the new year?  I'd be honored to pray for you.

Again, may this new year be a new chance for us all to know God more deeply and share Him with the world! 

Blessed New Year to You All!