New Year’s resolutions: exercise more, spend less, be happier. But why do we really do this, and where did it start? Spoiler: it’s ancient, pagan, and all about self. It’s not new. Years ago, the Babylonians made promises to their gods; to repay debts, return what you borrowed, hoping for favor in the new year. January 1? That comes from Roman religion. Janus, the two-faced god, looked back at the old year and forward into the new. Romans gave sacrifices and gifts, not out of obedience or...

Every year, they call this season "holy." Lights go up, trees get decked out, music plays, gifts pile up. People suddenly act kinder, for about as long as it takes to unwrap a present. Then it all crashes down. Decorations come down, gifts are unwrapped, bills show up, and suddenly everyone’s exhausted, stressed, or just plain disappointed. Some get stuck in debt trying to keep up. Others turn irritable or bitter. Warm hearts go cold. Promises and Priorities Forgotten. And haven’t you...

Something I need to share with you. We’ve been doing things for so long that we stopped asking the most basic questions: “Where did this come from?” “Does this honor YHWH?” We were taught to celebrate this day like it was sacred. Told it’s about “family” and “gratitude,” so we just went along with it. But when you strip away the feelings, the tradition, the cute little stories, the truth is raw: YHWH never commanded this day. Not once. If He didn’t establish it, nothing we do; no meal, no...