The Lord will give strength to His people;
the Lord will bless His people with peace.
~Psalm 29:11
the Lord will bless His people with peace.
~Psalm 29:11
One of the best things about living in Ohio is getting to experience the four seasons as they should be. Growing up in the south, I knew first-hand of one-and-a-half seasons; summer and sort-of-not-summer. I love how the seasons change here; four times a year we start a new chapter and four times a year, a chapter comes to an end. It's very easy to mark time by the seasons; there's definitely a beginning and an end and each to his own looks forward to one of those things and, in some cases, maybe both.
The seasons are a great reminder to me of how our Lord is a God of new beginnings. Each day is a new day in the Lord, a chance to love Him more than the day before, a chance to serve Him in bigger and better ways, and a chance to experience Him on a new level. I'm not usually one to make New Year's resolutions, as a year is a long time to try and stick to something new. Amen? However, I am feeling a "tug" in this new year to make 2011 a year of more of Him and less of me.
I struggle with the sin of passivity, the sin of the "I shoulds", the sin of the "maybe laters". I am as busy as the next person and definitely use my busyness as an excuse to not do more. I am also one that feels as if I need time alone on a regular basis and am very protective of "my" time. I am a perfectionist through and through. (I mean, really, I came from two perfectionists, it's not my fault; I can't help it!) It's easy for me to place importance on things that may not necessarily be that important.
But, I want this year to be different. I feel a "holy stir" in my soul and I'm not quite sure what it is just yet, but I know that God is beginning something in me and I better get myself ready for the job!
Well, ok, if I were to make a list of New Year's resolutions, it would probably look something like this:
These are truly what I long for, not just goals to check off with a gold star at the end of 2011. Authenticity is the word that keeps ringing in my head. I don't want to just have all the answers, I want to live them. I want to feel them. I want to share them.
I pray that 2011 is an exceptional year for you. 2010 has been a difficult year for many people. Cancer is a frequent word spoken around our dinner table as more people than I ever hoped to know personally with cancer have cancer. I pray that 2011 is the year of healing for those near and dear fighting this dreaded disease.
Here's to 2011! May it be a year of richest blessings!
The seasons are a great reminder to me of how our Lord is a God of new beginnings. Each day is a new day in the Lord, a chance to love Him more than the day before, a chance to serve Him in bigger and better ways, and a chance to experience Him on a new level. I'm not usually one to make New Year's resolutions, as a year is a long time to try and stick to something new. Amen? However, I am feeling a "tug" in this new year to make 2011 a year of more of Him and less of me.
I struggle with the sin of passivity, the sin of the "I shoulds", the sin of the "maybe laters". I am as busy as the next person and definitely use my busyness as an excuse to not do more. I am also one that feels as if I need time alone on a regular basis and am very protective of "my" time. I am a perfectionist through and through. (I mean, really, I came from two perfectionists, it's not my fault; I can't help it!) It's easy for me to place importance on things that may not necessarily be that important.
But, I want this year to be different. I feel a "holy stir" in my soul and I'm not quite sure what it is just yet, but I know that God is beginning something in me and I better get myself ready for the job!
Well, ok, if I were to make a list of New Year's resolutions, it would probably look something like this:
Spend more time in the Word and in prayer.
Serve my family with a greater willingness and greater gladness.
Get involved in something that will make a difference in someone's
eternity and point them towards Christ.
These are truly what I long for, not just goals to check off with a gold star at the end of 2011. Authenticity is the word that keeps ringing in my head. I don't want to just have all the answers, I want to live them. I want to feel them. I want to share them.
I pray that 2011 is an exceptional year for you. 2010 has been a difficult year for many people. Cancer is a frequent word spoken around our dinner table as more people than I ever hoped to know personally with cancer have cancer. I pray that 2011 is the year of healing for those near and dear fighting this dreaded disease.
Here's to 2011! May it be a year of richest blessings!
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