NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Happy New Year! Today is the day that we all make resolutions for the new year. We say we will lose weight, quit smoking, get out of debt, be kinder to our families and friends, just become a "new person"! But most of us rarely keep our resolutions. Usually within a few weeks we have quit our diet, started smoking again, pulled out the credit card and bought something we really wanted but truly didn't need, yelled at our kids, took our bad days out on our spouses.

But there is a way that we can start fresh and become new and that is through Christ Jesus. We can turn to Christ who truly gives us the opportunity to forget our past and truly become new. The thought of being able to do this truly fills me with joy! It means that we have a never ending supply of hope and endless opportunities to move forward! We can have the courage to deal with our past failures and move forward in Christ. We have the opportunity to lead more meaningful, Christ-centered lifes. We can look forward to a future of peace and security and hope that only Christ can give.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to start this year anew with the hope that only you can give. Thank you for forgiving us our past defeats and helping us to live the life that you want us to live. Thank you, Lord, for your never ending supply of hope. Help us to live this year as you would have us live - showing you in everything we do and giving you the glory.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

DO ALL THAT YOU DO FOR HIS GLORY IN 2008

Wow! It is 2008 - hard to believe! Another year gone by! My 2008 started off great. I went to the party and met some wonderful people and had a great time! So glad I went!

Now it is time to make my New Year's resolutions! I actually started last night - one of my resolutions is to listen more closely to what God is telling me and to obey what He is telling me. He had been telling me to go to this group and I had said on several occasions that I was going to go, but then I backed out. I found out last night that they had been praying for me to come. That made me feel so good, that they cared enough about me before they even met me, to pray for me! I am so glad that I finally listened to God and did what He was telling me to do!

There are so many other resolutions that I hope to keep this year - the typical lose weight, exercise more, etc. But more important are the ones like be kinder to others, make sure everyone I love knows how much I love them every day, spend more time in prayer and really listen to what God is saying to me (not just what I have to say to Him!), share Christ more with others, and I have promised myself (and God!) to read the Bible in its entirety this year! (I did start today!).

Whatever your resolutions are, do all that you do in 2008 for the glory of God!

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16