Be Afraid but Don’t Live in Fear

 

Hmm.  With a title like this you are probably thinking I am crazy.  In the words of Lucille Ball, “Let me explain.”

I think Christians have lost sight of the idea that God is holy and that he cannot and will not tolerate sin.   We live with the philosophy that we can do anything we want and just confess it later.  We don’t have a healthy fear of God.   In Deuteronomy 5:29 God tells us to fear Him and to keep his commandments.  The relationship that you entered with God when accepted Christ as your Savior should be one of love but also one of obedience, reverence and fear.

Psalm 19:9 “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.”

Psalm 33:18 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him”

Psalm 34:7-11 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

I could list a lot more verses like those above.  It seems very apparent to me that Christians have lost sight of the power of God, the holiness of God, and the idea that God is to be feared.

I know that some of you are thinking that this was just for the Old Testament people and not for today.  After all doesn’t Jesus love me?  Shouldn’t that remove the fear I have?  The writers of the New Testament continue the theme of fearing God.

Acts 9:31 “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

Acts 10:34-35  “Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians 5:11  “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.”

In Philippians, Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

I’m afraid that today’s Christians do not fear God.  They do not fear Jesus.  They do not fear the Holy Spirit.  They come to Jesus for what He can do for them.  They come for what they can get out of it.  It is a need-based relationship.  That kind of gospel will attract lots of people but it will not transform their lives.  It is not until people realize the holiness of God and their need to fear and reverence him that their lives change.

Now let me balance that with a few other ideas. I don’t think God wants us to live in fear of the future or of others.

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We conquer fear in our lives with the Word of God.  When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus simply quoted scripture. 

Hebrews 4:2 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword”

Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Let me wind this up by saying, study who God is.  Understand his character and his attributes.  When you begin to understand who God is, you can’t help but fear Him.  In that fear, you will also develop a great love for Him.  In his perfection and holiness, He loves us – his fallen creation.  How He can love someone like me is something I will never understand.  I live by faith in the God.  I love him and I trust him to go before me and to take care of me.  However, I must never lose sight of his holiness and his character and that demands my obedience and worship.

You Lost Me

I am reading the book You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith.

The main idea I have gotten from the book so far is that the problem is a disciple-making problem.   The church is not adequately preparing young people to follow Christ faithfully in their rapidly changing culture.  “Teenagers are the most religiously active group in America.  American twentysomethings are the least religiously active group.”  What has happened to them?  Why have they not remained faithful.

Young Christians are describing Christianity as hypocritical, judgmental, too political, and out of touch with reality.

Survey of Protestant young people ages 18 – 29

• Ever dropped out of attending church, after going regularly - 61%
• Ever personally been significantly frustrated about your faith – 51%
• Compared to age 15, less spiritual today – 31%
• Compared to age 15, less active in church today – 58%
• Went through a period when you significantly doubted your faith – 41%
• Went through a period when you felt like rejecting your parents’ faith – 35%

The author (David Kinnaman) breaks this group of “lost” young people into three groups.

• Nomads – walk away from church engagement but still consider themselves Christians
• Prodigals – lose their faith; describing themselves as “no longer Christian”
• Exiles – are still invested in their Christian faith but feel stuck between culture and the church

These lost young people have a favorable view of Jesus but they aren’t personally committed to the faith.  Many have not lost faith in Christ but have lost faith in the church.  They see the church as not culturally relevant. 

“They read and respect the Bible (for information) but they do not perceive that its words lay claim to their obedience (wisdom).”

I will continue to pray for our young people.  They are our hope for the future.

I’m a Quitter

I have been working long hard days this year.  Most have been 10 – 12 hour days and lots of nights and weekends.  I’m exhausted but that is what is required for me to do a good job at my work. Now we are working a man short and so instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, all I see is more long nights and weeks.  I am frustrated.  I am tired.  I can’t keep going …

I searched my life for things I could eliminate in order to make more space.  I needed to find some relief.  I know my decision is not a good one for the long term but for the short term, it is what it is.  I quit church choir.  I love to sing and choir is usually an enjoyable time for me.  However, practices are at 4:45 on Sunday afternoons.  I would get home from church, change clothes, eat lunch, do dishes, and it was time to go back to church.  I had to make some free time in my life.    Now I am taking Sunday nights for some “me” time.  Is that selfish?  Time to read a book or take a nap. Time to catch my breath before starting the next hard week.

I know that I need to be involved in ministry and I know that I am not currently doing much – outside of working with my students at school. My quitting was not because I had my feelings hurt.  Quitting was not because I was mad. I am not quitting church, just the choir. 

Is this a lack of commitment on my part or is it just necessary for my survival?  Am I justified in this decision or am I letting others down who were counting on me? 

I am still committed to the Lord and I am still committed to my church.  I just need a break for a while.  Am I taking the easy way out?  Why do I feel guilty?

Steve Jobs is dead …..

Steve Jobs is dead at the age of 56.  His death was a global news story.  He is known for  impacting the world through Apple computer.  He is largely responsible for the creation and evolution of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.  He had great wealth and vision.  What did he do that will affect eternity?  How did he spend his time? What can we learn from this man?

 

Steve Jobs was an amazing man.  God gifted him with creativity, drive, ambition, and a vision for the future.  He changed the way people interact with each other and with the world.  He was a college drop-out but a genius . After dropping out of required college courses, he “dropped in” on the ones that interested him.  Courses like graphic design and art.  His understanding of aesthetics and his love for art and calligraphy greatly impacted the technology that we have today.  Do all of his accomplishments mean that the world is better off today?  We have unprecedented access to information  but do we have greater understanding?  I don’t think so.  Mankind still struggles with the same things they have since the beginning of time. 

Below is an excerpt from Steve Jobs’ 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford.

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

While I have seen no evidence that Steve was a believer, ultimately that is between Steve and God.  We have no idea what went on in Steve’s heart, especially in his last days as he faced his own mortality.  It is important for us to know that it is possible to lead a successful life, to be the creator of incredible inventions, to impact the world and the way they communicate,  and yet that none of these accomplishments can earn him one minute in heaven. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. “ Ephesians 2:8-9

Let Steve’s life and words remind us that life is short.  Don't waste it on things that don’t matter.  Pray that God will help you know what does matter.  Pray that the Lord will help order your steps and your priorities. 

Be thankful to God for giving us Steve Jobs.  There is no doubt that he had many gifts and talents.  Be thankful to God that he used those talents to provide us with wonderful tools and gadgets.  Then seek ways to use those tools to impact the world around you.

Being a parent is a tough job …

“Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it. “ - Proverbs 22:6

We have worked hard to bring up our daughter in the ways of the Lord.  We’ve taken her to Sunday school and church.  She did AWANA when she was younger.  She’s been in Christian school since kindergarten. 

She accepted Christ when she was five years old. She’s been an easy child.  She has always wanted to do the right thing.  We’ve never really struggled with her breaking rules or being defiant.  She is now 18 and a half years old.  She is a senior in high school and struggling to be independent.  She wants to make her own decisions and we are trying to allow her to do that.

She has been going to Passion City Church on Sunday nights with some of her friends from school.  We’ve encouraged this.  We were excited she was choosing to be in church.  She loves this church.  She said she gets a lot more out of the message and the worship than she does from our “home” church.

Now here comes the hard part, she has asked permission to go to Passion on Sunday mornings.  There is a part of us that wants to tell her that she needs to be in church with her family. You know, lay down the law.  As long as you live under our roof you will be in church with us.  Then there is the other part of us that is so excited that she has found a church that preaches the Word and meets her needs.  She loves the Lord.  She’s been on two mission trips and is going on her third one this spring.  Should we allow her to choose a church that she wants to attend?  She will be getting ready to go off to college soon and making all of her own decisions.  Is this a decision that we should allow her to make now? She has a peer group there. Our home church is small and there isn’t anyone else her age.

She has done everything right.  She respectful asked our permission to go.  She was honest and upfront with us.  She gave her reasons and they were good ones.  I desperately want her to be with us but I know I should encourage her to go where she feels the Lord is leading her.  Anyone have any thoughts?

Grace is not cheap

Years ago I read the book “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I was reminded of this book in church on Sunday morning when our pastor spoke about people taking for granted what Jesus did for us on the cross.  He spoke about people wanting salvation on their terms.  They want the salvation without repentance, sacrifice, or a changed life.

Here’s what Bonhoeffer says "cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Cheap grace is belief without obedience.  It is hearing without doing.  It is intellectual agreement without life changing commitment. 

Cheap grace says that you don’t have to worry about purity or holiness.  Jesus did everything for you and so you don’t have to do anything.  This is far from the truth.  Jesus died for us so that we could then live our lives for Him.

God’s grace enables is to have a relationship with Him.  It is His grace that makes us a new creation.  His grace makes us a child of God.  Cheap grace can never do any of this.

Cheap grace has you trying to justify your behavior.  Cheap grace will have you focusing on things in your life instead of God.  Cheap grace does not require that you die to sin or to yourself. 

Grace was not cheap to Jesus.  It cost him his life.  The sinless son of God was beaten and crucified for our sin.  It cost Jesus his pride, security, friends, and his connection with the Father.  Yet He lives to make intercession with the Father for us.

Jesus warned, however, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

Obedience is an expression of a right relationship with God. It's a relationship of love.  Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). If one really knows and loves Christ, it's bound to show in their actions.  When someone doesn’t live his life in obedience to God, there is ever reason to question whether that person is truly a Christian.

Paul taught, “"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:9-10).

Without question, we are saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus and what he did on the cross for us.  However, a genuine conversion experience results in good works -- obedience to what God commands us to do.

Anything else is just cheap grace. And cheap grace is no grace at all.

Blessings

 

I’ve had a hard month.  Sometimes I wonder why things happen.  Listen to the lyrics …

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching(s) of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Lessons from the Three Little Pigs

 

Watch the whole way to the end …

You are more ....

I've heard the song before but this video tells a deeper different story ...

Where are your friends?

Do you have a couple of special friends that you believe will stand with you no matter what happens.  Jesus had friends like that or a least he thought he did.  Jesus was tight with Peter, James, and John.  They went a lot of places together.  They were together at the transfiguration. Jesus called on his friends when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane.  He was at a low point in his earthly life.  He needed the support of his friends.   He needed them to be with him and to pray for him.  As they entered the garden, he asked them to wait and to pray as he went on.  When Jesus came out, what did he find?  He found his closest friends had fallen asleep. They couldn't even stay awake and pray for him for an hour.  Jesus was upset.  He felt left down by his closest friends.  

Two thoughts immediately come to my mind. 

1. Would my friends stay awake and pray for me if I asked them to?  Have I chosen good friends that can be counted on? Do I have friends with that kind of relationship with God?

2. Would I have fallen asleep when Jesus was counting on me?   Do I spend time praying for the needs of others?  Can I be counted on?

What about you?  Think about who your friends are?   Have you ever had to go to them and ask them to pray?  Who is the best prayer warrior you know?

How much time do you spend praying for others? 

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Can’t see God

God is always there.  God is always good.  God loves you.

Sound familiar?

Do these kind of sayings comfort you?

Sometimes I feel like I can’t see God.  I can’t feel his presence.  Guess whose fault that is? 

When I can’t see God, it is because I have closed my eyes.  It is because I have refused to look.  God is all around me all the time.  His creation shows his majesty. 

The world teaches me things like – “I am the most important thing.”  “It’s all about me.”  “There’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you put your mind to it.”

All of that sounds good but is not true.  It’s a form of humanism.  It’s no wonder when we encounter problems that we try immediately to solve them ourselves instead of turning to God. 

The Bible is full of stories about men and women who thought they had all the answers.  Then they discovered they couldn’t make it on their own.  God’s hope for all of us is that we will will eventually realize that we need him.

I don’t have to look far to see faithlessness.  I simply need to look at my own life.  I need to trust fully in God’s presence in my life and his love for me.  I need to seek immediate and constant help from God. 

The Bible describes faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:11) 

Get to know God.  Get to know his character.  Then cling to tightly to the promises that he has given you.  He who has promised is faithful.   (Hebrews 10:23)

Now to press on with the journey.  I am sure lots of opportunities will present themselves along the way.  Opportunities to show my faith.  Opportunities to choose to see God and to seek his plan and his wisdom.  Help me keep my eyes open and see God in the midst of everything.

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Grace

I’ve been giving some thought to the idea of God’s grace.  I’ve heard about grace for my entire life but I am not sure I really grasp it completely.

I’ve heard the definition that grace is God’s unmerited favor.  Something we get that we don’t deserve…like a gift.  Grace then ties into forgiveness and eternal life.

It is through the death of Jesus on the cross that we obtain eternal life.  Do I really understand what Jesus did for me?  Do I grasp that Jesus willingly gave up his life on the cross for me.  He never sinned and didn’t do anything to deserve death. 

Take a look at what Paul has to say to Timothy:

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”  2 Timothy 1:9-10

We are saved because of his grace!  What does that mean to me?  Am I thankful for grace?  Do I live like I am thankful?  Do I extend grace to others?  Just like I need grace from God and forgiveness, others need me to extend grace to them.

Today’s challenge is to look at your life and see who you can extend grace to. 

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K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S. stands for “keep it simple stupid”.

I am some times guilty of making things too complicated.  The Christian life isn’t meant to be complicated.  We make it complicated with our systems of rules.

Every moment of every day, my life goes on.  I need to make the most of it.  Don’t spend my life waiting for the next thing to happen.  Don’t waste a single moment.  Make plans and goals but live in the present.  However, my plans and goals are important as they help give direction to my life.

Seek God every moment of every day.  Make the most of the opportunities I have ,  Find ways to love and serve others.  Be thankful as I live my life.  Delight myself in your journey.

Simplifying your life is not about how much money your do or don’t have.  It’s not about the stuff you have or don’t have.  It has nothing to do with material things.  It really has to do with learning to have my needs met in Christ.

It’s hard to keep my life simple because I am constantly hit with the idea that I need more, more, more stuff.  Do I have the best iPod, iPad, iPhone, XBox, Wii, Kindle, Nook, etc…  Americans are the ultimate consumers.  We buy and buy and buy, thinking that these purchases will make us happy.

When I feel like my life is out of control, I need to look at the details of my life and find a way to simplify. 

• I need to live humbly before God.
• I need to trust God to meet my needs.
• I need to ask God to help me identify my real needs.
• I need to look for beauty and value in everything around me.
• I need to do my best at whatever I do.
• I need to accept where I am in my life and try to see God’s plan.
• I need to love my family all the time.
• I need to give away anything that is in my life that is keeping my attention away from God.
• I need to focus on things that help me in my walk with Christ.
• I need to remember that I am on a journey that ends in heaven.  I am not long for this world.

Does that help you to think about how to simplify? 

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Are you afraid to die?

I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog lately.  We lost Aunt Dorothy just over two weeks ago.  Aunt Dorothy was more like my mother-in-law than an aunt.  My husband’s mother died before we were married and so I never really had a mother-in-law.  Aunt Dorothy was who filled that role in my life.

It’s hard to lose a loved one.  We miss her dearly. She was a Christian and so we mentally know that she is in a better place.  It is that human part of us that misses her that makes it hard. 

For the Christian who dies, it is a wonderful thing. It is to be with Jesus.  It is the end of the race, achieving the goal we have been living here for.  Jesus told the thief on the cross “Today you shall be with me in paradise".”  (Luke 23:43)  Paul said that he desired to depart this life and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23).  He said that would be far better.

In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul writes that “to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”  This refers to being in the presence of the Lord. 

It is important for each of us to come to grips with our own mortality.  I have really been thinking about this a lot lately.  Perhaps because I am approaching 50 years old and so I know that I have more years behind me than ahead of me.  I don’t think I am afraid of being dead.  The process of dying can be a little scary.  Also, I worry about the people I would leave behind.  People who need me.  I think that was what Pail was referring to in Philippians chapter 1. 

Death is a part of life.  From the moment you are born, you are on a path that leads to death.  It comes quicker for some than for others but all of us will reach that end sometime. The best thing we can do is prepare for our death by accepting Christ.  Everyone dies and there are only two choices at that moment…. eternity in heaven or eternity in hell.  What you do now determines what happens then.  I have chosen to place my faith in Christ.  So did Aunt Dorothy.

Grief is painful.  Jesus grieved.  I don’t feel sorry for Aunt Dorothy.  She has finished her journey and earned her reward.  I feel sorry for Uncle Robert.  Going on without her will be very difficult.  I feel sorry for my husband.  It was like losing his mother all over again. 

I see death as a transition point.  It is the transition between serving the Lord here on earth and now serving Jesus in heaven.  I hope there is a big piano in heaven and Aunty Dorothy can once again use her musical gifts to play praise songs for the King of Kings.

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Tough Day

Listen to the kid

My daughter is a junior in high school and is beginning to look at colleges.  We’ve been looking at state schools.  She wants to study biology.  She will probably get a teaching degree.  She told me last week that she thinks a Christian college would be a good idea.  I immediately thought about cost.  I don’t know how we will afford the tuition at a Christian college. 

So I asked the obvious question – Why do you think a Christian college would be the best?  Keep in mind that we’ve been paying tuition for Christian schools since she was in kindergarten.  She thought of something that I never thought of.  She said she knows that studying biology means she will have to study evolution.  She doesn’t want to go to a college that will make her compromise her faith in creation just to pass a test.  Pretty good reasoning for a 17 year old!

If Christians were more concerned about staying away from things that would make them compromise their faith and beliefs, I think we’d all have a better reputation in society.  One of the major problems that exist today is that Christians don’t look or speak differently than the world around them.  They don’t take a stand on the issues.  They are willing to do or say whatever is necessary in order not to cause a problem. 

My kid continues to amaze me with her faith.  I can’t thank God enough for her.

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How big is your God?

I have been struggling with making myself write the last couple of weeks.  I’ve given quite a bit of thought lately to how “big” is my God.  Do I act like He can do anything?  Do I pray like I believe He can do anything?  Or, do I pray like even He has limits.  Or that perhaps He is too busy for me?  Do I really cast all my cares on Him.  Do I treat Him like he owns the cattle on a thousand hills?  Do I really understand how much He loves me?  Do I trust him for things I can’t just handle on my own?

I think a lot of people (me included) only pray for things we can actually accomplish ourselves.  With these kinds of prayers we never really see what God can do.  We never really see His power.

We’ve got a lot going on in our family right now and we really need God to intervene.  My husband has a very special aunt who is intensive care following a stroke.  She’s been in a coma like state for a week and they can’t waken her.  They can’t get the pressure down in her head enough to wake her up.  If and when they do waken her, we are told she won’t be the same.  We are praying for a miracle from God.  I believe that He can choose to heal to her completely.  That is something completely out of our hands.  Do you have anything going on in your life that is completely out of your hands?

 

Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

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Needed a Break

I haven’t written for a couple of weeks.  I felt like I needed a break from writing.  It was becoming too much of a “to do” and was lacking passion on my part.  I needed to take a couple of weeks and just read the Word and try to soak it in. 

Have you ever felt like you just wanted to read and read the Word?   Psalm 1 talks about meditating on the Word day and night. 

Spending time in the Word should be an important part of every Christian’s life.  Soak it in and let it affect every area of your life.  The Word contains everything we need to know for living our lives.

 

Psalm 119:105 – “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”

Hebrews 4:12 says – “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Isaiah 40:8 -  “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”

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Happy New Year

I’ve thought about writing and have just not done it. 

I finished my graduate degree.  I finished my semester at school.  I enjoyed a week in  PA over Christmas visiting my parents.  I enjoyed a week at home over New Years.  Soon it will be back at the routine of life. 

How is 2011 going to be different for me than 2010?  I really don’t know.  I am hoping and praying that we sell our property on St Simons Island.  That is the only thing standing between us and our plans to move.  I am hoping and praying that my daughter will finish her junior year strong and make her decision on a college major and a school.  We will be preparing our home to be put up for sale in about a year.  So, lots of “big” changes coming up for us as a family.

New Years is a common time for people to think about change.  As I am sitting here today I am thinking about things I need to improve.  Some of those are “no brainers.”  I need to improve my fitness level.  Now that my foot is getting better, I need to start a walking regimen. 

I need to improve how I spend my free time.  I have stacks of books that I’d like to read.  Now that I am finished with grad school I have time to read. 

I need to continue to work on quality time with God.  I think this will remain on my list for years to come.  Not just time but quality time.  I need to set aside time when I am alert. Too many times my time with God is when I am exhausted.  When I have nothing left to give to anyone else, that’s when I sit down and pick up my Bible.  Isn’t God worth more than that?

What about you?  What are you resolving to change in your life this next year? 

One thing I intend to do in the next day or so is to set specific goals in how I am going to accomplish these resolutions.  Without a specific plan, these are just words. 

 

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13-14

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