A New Year: New Opportunities For a New You

Millions of us will make resolutions for the new year. Most of us will not keep them. Some of our resolutions will survive less than a month before life distracts us and our good intentions fall to the wayside.
Rather than making resolutions that you may or may not keep, in 2013 why not try making improvements in your life you can and want to keep long-term? I'm not talking about taking up golf or running, although either of those would be great if you enjoy them. I'm referring to being a better you. 
Here are some of my suggestions. Designate one night each month as family night. Go to a movie or rent one and make popcorn at home; play board games or video games together; or go to a local sports event.
Find a place to volunteer a few times throughout the year. Look for local charities that you're interested in and find out how you can serve. Volunteer opportunities are abundant and usually take only a few hours. Take your family or a couple of friends along and make it a fun experience.
Go somewhere you've never been before. Read an interesting book. Try a different hairstyle. New experiences are uplifting and you will have the memories that come with them forever.
Remember to always, always, be nice to everyone you meet. You never know when a kind word to someone could be the game changer for them when they're having a bad day. We are created with DNA that thrives on relationships. Let someone know that they are not alone.
Go a step further; talk to a stranger when you're in the check-out line at the store, or the next opportunity you're given, wherever that may be. The conversations that ensue could be interesting and enlightening.
Finally, take time to invite someone to church. And if you don't attend church yourself, I invite you to check out some churches this year. There are lots of options available from conservative and traditional churches to contemporary church services. There are many churches that offer podcasts and downloads so you can get an idea of what their services are like before you step out your door.
I encourage you to embrace the new year with optimism. 

Revelation 21:5

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

A Cure for the Post Christmas Blahs

Christmas and all the festivities that come with it have come and gone. The neighbors are taking down their decorations. Perhaps, you're thinking as I am, "I promise, I'll put mine away soon!" 
Are you beginning to feel the let down shared with so many that follows the shopping, travel, festivities and excitement of Christmas? I have a suggestion. It may not be a cure-all snake oil, but it can't hurt. 
Write down you blessings. Put them in a notebook, a journal, enter them as a note on your iPhone, or or track it however you choose. Remember to write down the good things that happen in your life. Try it for the next year. You'll be surprised at how many entries you'll have.
Then if you have an off day, or if you have the blahs following a holiday or vacation, you can look back at all the good days you've had. I can't make any guarantees, but If I had money to bet, I'd go for the trifecta on this one. Why, you say? First, you're going to have more blessings to enter in your journal than you think. Second, writing them down gives you a better perspective on your life. Third, reading and remembering your blessings when you have an off day will give you hopefulness and joy. 
At the end of the year, reach through your journal as a reminder of all the blessings you have received. If you're comfortable in doing so, share some of them with a friend or relative. It may inspire them to do the same.

Revelation 21:6-8

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Merry Christmas!

I don't need to remind anyone that today is Christmas Day. Whether you believe today is the celebration of the birth of Christ or not, 93% of Americans and about half the world's population celebrate Christmas. For most of us who celebrate Christmas, today will be filled with gifts and time with family and friends. 
Despite the massive numbers of people who celebrate Christmas, there is a growing trend to remove the religious principles from the holiday. It's a sad reminder of the choices the Israelites made in the Old Testament when they turned from God. 
My prayer for each of us today is that we take time to remember why we're celebrating this season. Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

It's a Wonderful Life

The classic Christmas movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' will be shown tonight on NBC at 8 pm. This has been one of my favorite Christmas movies for many years. It's so nostalgic and yet still has such a great moral that is timeless.
A short recount of the story is a man named George Bailey finds himself in financial trouble and contemplates suicide, thinking his family would be better off with the proceeds from his life insurance. In his desperation, he says he wished he was never born. So God sends an angel named Clarence to show George how different his family and friends' lives would have been had he not been there. George soon realizes that he was needed. He prays, "Please, God, let me live again."

In the movie, George lost sight of the fact that no matter how dire our circumstances may seen, God is always with us. At times, we have a tendency to put God on the sidelines until we're in a situation that makes us feel as though he's no longer there; then we cry out for his help.
As our pastor said yesterday, we often assume that if God is with us, then nothing bad, evil or painful will happen. In reality, in the midst of the evil and pain, God is most present. We often see and sense God the most when we are enduring painful times in our lives.
We read in Matthew 1:22-23: All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Jesus on the cross is the biggest and most vivid picture of God being with us. Believing in that gives us a wonderful life, even in the most painful moments.

Matthew 28:20

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Revelation 21:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them."

The True Meaning of Giving

My heart was warmed this morning by an email from relatives who joined a group to support a family for Christmas this year.
The family was given coats, gloves and warm clothes for the children, as well as coats for the parents. They were also given groceries, cleaning supplies, wrapping paper, a gingerbread house kit, toys and crafts for the kids, and more. I can only imagine how amazed and grateful the parents were as they received these gifts of love.
This family was chosen because both parents had been out of work due to medical issues. The dad is now working two jobs in an attempt to get their bills caught up. I'm certain that when this family is financially able, they will pay this forward.
The group of people who chose to give to this family will remember  this Christmas for many years. This is the kind of giving we're taught in the Bible. 
We also received an update from our friends, the Martin family, who are now living in Nicaragua. The Martins are ministering to the Nicaraguans via working with a local Compassion center, a local orphanage, a preschool and with a vocational school. You can learn more about them at www.facebook.com/ImpactNica or www.ImpactNica.org
This is the first Christmas the Martin family will spend outside the U.S. Their four children have learned so much in the nine months they've been in Nicaragua. When given the option, all four of their children chose to buy presents for 13 orphans who live nearby, rather than receive gifts themselves. They too, are living out the teachings of the bible.
To quote Andy Stanley, "When we come together, when we're generous, we can change our communities and the world."

1 Timothy 6:17-18

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁷ Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.