Beginning of 2014!!

Happy New Years everyone!!! I hope everyone had a great New Years, and has had a great start in 2014!!!  What is your resolution?  Many people make a resolution because a new year means a brand new start.  We are able to learn from the previous year and reflect on what we can do to improve next year. So what is yours?  Did you even make one?  I remember in my past my resolution was always to lose weight.  I have always wanted to improve myself physically and be strong, so that was a resolution that always repeated itself.  I can honestly say that my resolution this year is one that my Husband and I made together.  We have decided to read Gods Word together each night and discuss what we read.  In the past we have done this before but this is something that we would do on a nightly basis.  There are many nights to where we both read the Bible, but we are in different places.  We have really enjoyed doing this because we read the same passage and then we discuss it out loud.  I want to encourage you if you are married to start reading with your spouse, there really is something powerful about it when you both come together as one and submit yourselves to God and seek him in one accord.  On New Years Eve my family and I were all in bed way before midnight.  I could hear all of the fireworks go off at midnight, so I knew it was the start of a New Year!

I wanted to give some insight to everyone who is reading this.  Whatever your resolution is, ask yourself if it is eternal or temporal?  Many times we focus on things that only matter in "this world" and we know that everything will pass away.  So why do we spend so much time focusing on the "Now" and now "Eternity?"  I can tell you why..... because the devil keeps us busy and he keeps us deceived.  He shoves so much in our face, that we are constantly moving our heads and our eyes to keep up.  It can distract us, and if we are not careful we can slowly adapt to this culture.  We can slowly start to walk away from God and have our head in every other direction but up.  So it is the start of a brand new year, what are you believing God for?  We serve a God that can do ANYTHING and loves to show himself!  Take time each day and give God thanks and praise, for all that he has blessed you with.  We need to remind ourselves that it isn't our work, it is Gods work and it gives glory to him!!!

So I want to encourage everyone to take some time and reflect and see where you heart is at.  If you could work on one thing on the inside, what would it be?  Do you have a short temper?  Are you judgmental? Are you prideful? Stubborn?  These are fleshly traits that are in all of us, but if we seek God and submit these areas to him.  We need to expose these areas to him and repent so Gods light can shine on these dark areas and they can finally surface.  Happy New Years to you!!!! I pray blessing upon you and your loved ones and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ shines throughout the entire world this year like never before!!