A New Year With The Same God

A New Year. They only come once every 365 (or in the case of Leap Year, 366) days. For many, the New Year is a time for a new you. A time to completely remake yourself due to the stroke of midnight. One minute is the cause for you to want to change yourself. Seems kind of silly, or ridiculous if you put it like that, don't you think? Don't get me wrong, I think that we should always want to improve ourselves, and if it takes a New Year, so be it. But, wouldn't it be nice if we focused more on improving ourselves daily, even far past giving up on your New Year resolution?

I have never really been a New Year's Resolution kind of girl. I guess that I have never really thought about it, because honestly, January 1st just feels like any other day of the year. I didn't feel new, like I have heard so many other people claim. This year, 2016, I do think that I would like to make a resolution, one that I hope will last me far past January all the way to December! Instead of a resolution, (which I think is cliched with quitting) I think that I shall instead call it a pilgrimage.
                           
     pilgrimage (n): a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion

Now that we have that settled, we can get to the part where I tell you my first resolution/pilgrimage! Okay, here I go:

My two-thousand and sixteen resolution is.... Drumroll, please! (Just kidding)

                                               I want to grow in faith. 

This year, 2015, has been the year that I have grown closest to God, I feel. I want to grow closer, closer, closer. I am not there yet, and perhaps I will never grow as close to God as I would like to, but this year I want to focus everyday on growing in Him. Will it be easy? No. Will I want to give up? Probably. Will I need God's help? ABSOLUTELY! Will it be impossible? No! Nothing is impossible with God! Will it be worthwhile? Undeniably. 

So, this new resolution, will I be a new me after this year? Who can say. But, I don't want to be a new me, though. I want the relationship between God and I to be a new us (Me being the one who changes, of course, because if you remember the words of Isaiah 40:8, God does not change- he is perfect!). 

             

I am excited to start this pilgrimage with God. I pray that you too will grow in God. Here are some verses to start you off with a new year, a new beginning.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"                                                                         2 Corinthians 5:17

"Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God-- truly righteous and holy."                    Ephesians 4:22-24 

"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!"   Revelation 21:5 

Happy New Year! Now is a good time to remind you the purpose of my blog: to tell you that God never fades! He is there guiding you every step of the way, day of the year, and second of the day! He is unchanging, and even though this is a New Year, we will always have the same God guiding us!

Numbers 6:24-26

24 "The Lord bless you and keep you;

25  The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift His countenance upon you and be gracious to you, 

And give you peace."  

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A King Born in a Manger

Merry CHRISTmas!  (Okay, yeah I am a little late, but the message is still the same!) I love Christmas... it has that magical feeling to it that no other time can compare to. I bet that Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, and Wise men would have to agree. Can you imagine the scene? A star so bright, a multitude of angels and voices singing above in heaven; "Glory to God in the Highest!", and a little baby, a King, who humbled himself enough to come to earth as a poor baby, when he could have presided in a palace. It puts me in awe every time I try to picture it. I have seen nativity scenes for my entire life, but to have actually been there... And to catch a glimpse of our baby King.

Wouldn't that be a day to hold in your heart forever? Isn't it positively amazing that a little manger could have so much meaning? That is what is my favorite part. I mean, sure, it would have been just as nice to read a story about this little King being born to a princess in a palace with riches, but the setting is what really makes the story. A MANGER: noun, a trough used to hold food for animal; mostly used for livestock raising. Our King came down from the glory of Heaven to live in our sinful earth, in a dirty barn for cows and sheep. He humbled himself for me. For you. Jesus took the place of a peasant to relate to us.We are poor sinners, in need of love, comfort, and acceptance. Had Jesus been born in a palace, would we relate to this story? Could we relate to a King born to luxuries? Probably not. This little baby Jesus was born to save us from our sins. Honestly, the words in Luke say it better than I ever could. So, please, read the story and hold it dear in your heart, because this is the story of the birth of our Savior.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

And in the same region there were shepherd out in field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning the child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherd returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and see, as it had been told them. 

Luke 2:1-20

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

                                                            

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