New Year  

Well I've been meaning to write this post since New Year's Eve but just haven't sat down to do it until now - so here goes. :)

I've been thinking about 2013, and looking forward to the new year of 2014.  A lot happened in 2013 that has changed my life, let me rephrase that GOD has changed my life!

The year of 2013 was not much of outward change in myself or environment so much as it was a change within, a change of perspective and heart.  It was a year of realizing my pride, selfishness and laziness. A year of searching for God's will, trying to figure out what "big" ministry God has destined for me to be in. Studying of specific doctrinal beliefs that I'd been raised to believe but had to test myself to see if it is really what God's Word teaches.

A year of realizing how little I really know the Bible and how prideful I've been in believing I know so much and how I have dogmatically stood for trivial things of the Bible that was a waste of time and only fed my ego and caused division rather that bringing glory to God and unity with my brothers and sister in Christ.  It was a year of fanning the fire within me for God and His truth because I'd smothered it with self interest and fulfillment rather than others and God.

Some more tangible change of 2013.
It was a year of making many new friends and strengthening the friendships I already have.
It was the year I went on my first foreign missions trip (a future post on this will be coming), the year I have finally been able to teach from the Bible in church and to a group of homeschool friends.

I knew from the very beginning of 2013 that it was going to be a year of Change, God had told me this.  Yet it was not in ways I was hoping for or expecting, it was not in the form of great revelations but a slow and steady transforming.  In fact I think that was the biggest realization of 2013 was that God usually doesn't work in big sweeping changes and that before He can work in big ways He must first work on the heart to prepare it use for future work as Jesus said:

 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

I've cried out I don't know how many times in 2013 for God to use me to reach out to those around me to give me the words to say to others that are lost, hurting and need hope and yet for the most part that prayer seemed to go unanswered.  Notice I said seemed, it's not that God didn't want to use me but that my heart and mind wasn't ready for it.  There was still too much evil treasure in my heart to and not enough good treasure to pour out of my heart through my mouth.



Christianity is a process that takes two active components moving in the same direction to create change and results.  This leads into the year 2014.   God has told me that this year is going to be the year of New Beginnings.

In years past I've set goals like I usually do and rarely meet those goals because I don't have plans or a process to reach them.  This year, I've set up plans on how to reach goals that I know God has for me. I'm not good at making and keeping schedules because honestly I've always been too lazy to stick with them.  But if this is going to be the year of New Beginnings as God has said new habits must be created, and old ones must die.  This will take discipline, dedication, accountability and last but certainly not least the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

See the life of a Christian is not about living life however you want and expecting God to miraculously change your thinking, attitudes and actions. It takes our cooperation, our submission to Holy Spirit in our hearts.  We are coworkers with Christ, anytime we try to create change and produce righteousness in our lives apart from God we will fail (believe me I've tried!).

So, while last year was certainly a year of Change (mostly on the inside) this year is going to be the year of New Beginnings as those changes of the heart become visible changes in habits, attitudes and actions! Hard decisions will be made this year, sacrificing and suffering will take place to produce the outcome that God desires to mature and produce fruit in my life. If I want to be like Christ who suffered these are things that I will gladly do to be the son of God that He has created me to be and accomplish the work He  prepared for me from the foundation of the earth!

I would challenge you to ask yourself and what changes God would have you make this year? What new beginnings does He want for you and what is your part in making these things happen?
Who are you in Christ?  What are you gifts, talents, personality, weaknesses, strengths and how you going to use them this year to farther the Kingdom of God this year?

Finally remember this is all a process, it's not going to happen over night for me or you, so focus on today and making the most of it right now! Don't let the things of this world get you down, the worries, stay focused on God and He will take care of all the little worries of this life!

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (our needs that we worry about in this life) shall be added to you.  (Matthew 6:33)