When I was five, my parents surprised me with piano lessons. Let's just say Mom and Dad were waaaay more excited than I was. Every week I trudged next door to Mrs. Tabor's house, struggled through a lesson, then dragged my feet back home to practice for next week.

Oh, how I hated piano!

If my little five-year-old brain had known enough words, it would've cried, "Loathe! Despise! Abhor!" all the way to lessons and back.

It wasn't poor Mrs. Tabor's fault. She was a kind, patient soul who made us cookies each time we had a recital.

It was me.

Happy New Year!

As we contemplate God’s grace at the start of another year, it’s important to know what we're looking at. Christians have long known the word "grace" and used it freely. But ask us to explain it and many of us pause and "hmmmm" and find it hard to define.

Thankfully, Scripture has much to say on the subject. Here are 10 truths of grace to encourage and teach our hearts what this beautiful concept actually means and does in our lives!

Not far from my house is a path with a little stream flowing right beside it. Trees grow all along this short path, and in early fall it’s a glorious scene of vibrant colors reflecting on the water.

I love this path. It’s not too peopley, which makes it peaceful. And while it’s smack in the middle of suburbia, the trees block the houses fairly well, and the stream makes enough bubbly noises that you feel you’ve snuck away to a secluded spot.