Ah, so we've come to the end of yet another year! What has your year been like? Did you accomplish anything that you set out to do? Did things happen to change you or your life's path? Can you look back and count all of the blessings that God has bestowed on you this past year?
My year was pretty eventful and full of changes. It started with my surgery in January-a hysterectomy for health reasons. The Lord brought me through wonderfully, although I still struggle now and then with the emotional sadness of the finality of such a surgery.
There have been struggles and trials through the church, but the Lord has seen us through, and I have grown spiritually because of these. I have learned to lean more on the Lord, and not my own understanding.
Hurrican Irene hit us in September with quite a punch. How blessed we were that God took care of us and kept us safe!
The original "First Lady" of our church, our previous pastor's wife, passed away this month. I know that she is now at peace and is in heaven.
When we look back at the past year, we can see how God has blessed us in so many ways. We see all that He has done for us.
Now, look back again.What have you and I done for HIM? Did we do all that we could? Were we the best witnesses that we could be, telling others about Christ and His saving grace? How about that ministry in the church that you know He is calling you to do, but you keep putting it off with excuses (fingers pointing back at me, too!)? Hmmm.....
Just about everybody makes "New Year's Resolutions". I actually call them goals. This year, I want to definitely work on being more consistent with my personal and our family devotional times and witness more for the Lord. I also want to be more "natural" this year-I am going to try my hand at making my own soaps and lotions (in my "spare" time, ha!) and make more of our snacks that I put into the boys' lunch boxes and for our family snack times. The Lord has been dealing with me for sometime about starting a group for the young girls in our church. Even among the children of our church members, modesty, home skills, etc are quite lacking.
If we are serious, let's start praying that God will use us in a tremendous way to reach others for Him. Pray, then go ahead and get into that ministry that He has been calling you to do. Put some Bible tracts in your purse, and when you go out in public, leave one on the bathroom counter, or leave it on the table with your tip money. When you visit someone in the hospital, place one on the table in the waiting area. Plant that seed! Make this the most fruitful year that you have ever had for the Lord!
Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)
