When Happy New Year Isn’t Enough

January 1, 2025
by Rodney Olsen
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It’s over. 2024 is gone and 2025 has arrived.

Over the last few days, there’s every chance you’ve been exchanging the customary greeting of “Happy New Year” with anyone who happens to cross your path.

Even while you’ve been trying to grab a bargain at all the post-Christmas sales you’ve probably had complete strangers not only hurriedly scanning your discounted items from the other side of the counter but wishing you happiness for the next twelve months.

We wish each other happiness as we draw a line under the year that has gone and look forward to the fresh beginnings of a new year.

We want the next year to be better than the last.

Each year I hear a lot of people talking about how tough their year was personally. Reading through Facebook I see so many describing 2024 as one of their hardest years ever. Some have described it as a roller coaster with some real highs as well as deep troughs.

I’ve heard many people despair at happenings around at home and the world with everything from the massive fires of the recent weeks in Australia to wars, natural disasters, political instability, cost of living increases and other difficult situations.

Others have spoken of the many great lives we’ve lost during the past twelve months.

I’ve got to admit that we’ve faced our own difficult days with the kid of news no one wants to hear.

It’s no wonder we want a little bit of happiness in the new year.

But is happiness what it’s really all about?

Of course, I want to wish you a happy new year but I don’t want it to end there. I want more for you than happiness as you launch into 2025.

Happiness comes and goes and we all know that you’re not going to sail through 2025 with a smile on your face the whole time. There will be struggles and disappointments.

I’m not wishing you difficulties but I’ve been on this planet long enough to know that each year will bring a mixture of good and bad.

Sometimes there’ll also be extreme highs and devastating lows. With that in mind, my wish for you goes deeper.

I wish you joy for 2025.

Joy is different than happiness. It’s more. It’s not so dependent on circumstances. There’s a strength in joy that goes beyond the happy times. It’s a confidence that no matter what we’re facing, we can go on.

I wish love for you in 2025.

Love means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. We’ve all been let down, even by those closest to us. That’s not the kind of love I’m talking about. The kind of love I wish for you in 2025 is a deep, abiding love that never changes, leaves or disappoints. That’s the kind of love we need during the tough days in 2025.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below, indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

I wish grace for you in 2025.

What is grace? It’s been described as undeserved favour but there’s more to it than that.

Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us.

God’s grace was God’s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard. So when Paul says, “Work out your salvation,” he adds, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us. – John Piper

And more than wishing … I pray these things for you in 2025

I could pray for a happy year for you. I could pray that whatever you do, all runs smoothly. A great job, a close family, healing from illness are all wonderful things that I want for you, but more than that, I pray that 2025 will be a year that draws you closer to the one who created you.

I really can’t go past this prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesian church.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:14-19

Wow. Being filled with all the fullness of God? That sure beats ‘Happy New Year’.

There are many other things I could wish for you in 2025 like hope, peace, strength, and wisdom but I’d be interested to know what you’d like to wish for others as we begin a new year.

(This is an updated post from previous years.)



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So, This is Christmas

December 24, 2024
by Rodney Olsen
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(This is based on a post that I have previously published around this time of year.)

While you’re unwrapping your gifts this Christmas I wanted to take a few moments to unwrap the real Christmas story.

We all enjoy giving and receiving gifts on Christmas Day but it’s important that we take time to remember what Christmas is really all about. It’s more than just the gifts and the jolly man in the red suit. It’s more than a ‘feeling’ or ‘spirit’ that makes us feel warm inside. It’s more than time with family enjoying good food and good times.

I find it interesting that any time someone suggests removing the word ‘Christmas’ from our celebrations at this time of year there are cries of ‘political correctness gone mad’ yet we still pay so little attention to what that word actually signifies.

While it’s generally accepted that the 25th of December isn’t likely to be the actual date that Jesus was born, it’s the day that has been chosen for celebrating Jesus’ birthday. That means Christmas is really a big birthday party.

So why should we be invited to the birthday party? Jesus was born over 2000 years ago. Why do we still celebrate his birth?

Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact, and this is where it gets tricky, according to the Bible, Jesus is actually God in human form so this is no ordinary birthday.

Here’s a little bit of the Christmas story from the Bible. This account is from a book of the Bible written by a guy named Luke.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no vacancy for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Aha! So that’s where the manger and the shepherds come in.

That’s pretty much the story of Christmas. God living among the people he created. It’s an amazing thought but it’s even more amazing when you thread the whole story of Jesus’ life together. After all, usually when we celebrate someone’s birthday we don’t just remember the day they were born, we celebrate who that person has become and what they’ve brought to the world.

If we’re still celebrating the life of someone born over 2000 years ago, we’ve got to assume that they lived a remarkable life. If you want to find out more about the remarkable life of Jesus, I’d encourage you to grab a Bible in an easy to read translation and then read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) to find out about Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection.



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Allen C. Paul – Faithful Creativity

August 12, 2024
by Rodney Olsen
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In this week’s episode of Bleeding Daylight, I welcome Allen C. Paul, a seasoned musician, author, and advocate for Christian creatives, to discuss the intersection of faith and the creative arts. Allen shares his journey from a childhood surrounded by music, influenced by his mother, a music teacher, and his father’s diverse record collection, to navigating the complexities of being a Christian creative. He explores the tension between pursuing a career in the arts while maintaining a strong Christian faith, offering insights into how he balances these aspects of his life.

Allen also delves into the broader topic of creativity, arguing that all people are inherently creative, made in the image of a creative God. He emphasises the importance of recognising one’s identity beyond just their talents, highlighting the need for Christian creatives to ground themselves in their faith first and foremost. Through personal stories, including an intriguing tale about his resignation and unexpected promotion within his church, Allen provides valuable lessons on embracing creativity without compromising faith.



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John ‘JR’ Rennie – Discovering Joy Through Purpose

July 1, 2024
by Rodney Olsen
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In this episode of Bleeding Daylight, I host a profound conversation with John J. R. Rennie, a seasoned entrepreneur who transitioned from running a successful business software company to founding Brushfires Ministry. John shares his journey of discovering true joy and fulfillment in life by aligning his personal agenda with God’s purpose. After nearly 40 years in the corporate world, a series of unexpected events led him to realize his calling to help others uncover their God-given purpose and experience genuine joy, despite life’s challenges.

John’s story is a testament to the power of obedience and the fulfillment that comes from doing what God created you to do. He discusses the lessons learned from his corporate career that have been instrumental in his ministry, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and utilizing one’s unique gifts. The conversation delves into the often-overlooked concept that true joy stems from living out one’s God-given design, and how John now dedicates his life to guiding individuals, families, and ministries towards this fulfilling path. Join me as we explore the transformative journey of finding purpose and joy in Christ.



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Eric Stephens – Rejection to Redemption and Purpose

June 24, 2024
by Rodney Olsen
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In this episode of Bleeding Daylight, I interview Eric Stephens, a pastor, life coach, and founder of Redwood Christian Ministries. Eric shares his powerful journey from a difficult childhood marked by the absence of his biological father and struggles with addiction and depression, to a transformative encounter with the love and acceptance of Jesus Christ. Through candid storytelling, Eric reflects on his past, including the pivotal moment when he prayed for God’s presence during his grandmother’s battle with cancer, leading to a profound spiritual awakening.

Eric’s testimony highlights the themes of redemption and purpose as he discusses how his faith reshaped his identity and mission. Now, he passionately dedicates his life to equipping and inspiring others to live fully in Christ. Through his ministry and podcast, Rooted in Christ, Eric reaches out to those seeking hope and transformation, demonstrating the power of authentic faith and community. This episode is a moving exploration of personal healing and the relentless pursuit of a life dedicated to God’s calling.



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