Hot tea is my favorite drink. Teas have a wide range of flavors, and some teas have health benefits. 

My love for tea began in my childhood, so drinking tea is a bit nostalgic for me. My great-grandmother would serve hot tea, ginger snap cookies and cucumber sandwiches. Back then, our tea had one flavor and it was always piping hot. My love for tea goes well beyond the taste, however. I collect ornate teacups and saucers as well. 

As a regular tea drinker, one thing I’ve learned about hot tea is that the tea bag is good for the first few minutes in a hot cup of water, but if left to steep too long it becomes bitter. I’ve tried it with different flavored teas and no matter what flavor is chosen, a bag that sits too long will leave a nasty taste in your mouth. You must remove it from the cup at the right time for the best flavor.

Growth and change

This made me think about things in my life that I’m holding on to that are no longer useful. Things that once served me well, but I’ve since outgrown. Life is about growth and change, but growth can’t happen if we’re allowing things in our past to hold us back. I will even go so far as to say there may be people in our lives we should say goodbye to because they might not be good for us any longer. 

I love the verse in Isaiah that talks about beginning anew, a fresh start. No matter our past we can begin again, and a new year is a great time to start.  

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).