I love the New Year!

I love New Year's! I love the parades. I love watching the ball drop. I love making resolutions even though I know I will not be able to keep them, and I love the chance to start over again. For many years, it has been my goal to read the Bible through in one year. As a result, I am an expert on Genesis. Nevertheless, the New Year is filled with hope. One of my favorite songs is "Long December" by the Counting Crows. "Long December and it's easy to believe maybe this year will be better than the last."

I have several resolutions - most are the typical eat less, sleep more, spend less, exercise more. My top two are as follows:

1. Learn to be happy in the present - to enjoy each moment.

2. Do what is best for me and my family.

You would think those would be easy, since I am a grown woman of 35. You would think I would have that figured out by now, but I do not. This is my year! I am hopeful that I can do these.

And as of yesterday, I am adding one more to the list. Pastor Jack's sermon yesterday was great. He explained (far more eloquently that I am going to) that God wants to grant our wishes on one condition - that we are bearing fruit for him. As a stay-at-home mom, I feel like I bear very little fruit for God especially since I loose my patience with my dear child at least once on almost any given day. If Jesus were me, I am sure he would always be graceful even when he is angry. So my goal for today is to uplift you and give share some joy with you. Maybe in some way, it could count as fruit for God.

Somewhere along my path in life, I lost the ability to dream. Lately, thanks to the counsel of some wise friends (Dale, Mickey Mouse, Jody and Pastor Jack), I am starting to think that I can have dreams. God can conquer anything we are facing. In the Old Testament alone he parted the Red Sea, made time stand still, saved Daniel from the lions den and protected those young boys from the fiery furnace along with countless other miracles. If God can do all of that, surely he can help us in our problems today.

John 16:33 - "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Don't you think there should be an exclamation point at the end of that? Now, start making your wish list and start looking for things for God to overcome!