New Beginnings

Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since. ~Dave Beard

Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

Moral of this weeks story is, working on 5 blogs at the same time ensures that none of them will be done on time. What can I say, I caught the bug this week. SO I’m scrapping everything (for now) and starting anew.

Maybe it’s the New Year approaching that’s got my creative juices flowing right now. This is the perfect time of year to reflect and set goals for next year. It’s like a clean slate, spawned by the renewing promise of Christmas to the passing of this year and the start of the next. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I love this notion of a clean slate. It’s freeing and full of possibility, it allows you to dream and hope and let go. I don’t think that this feeling should be reserved only for New Years. I believe you can wipe the slate clean whenever you want. But in the spirit of New Years, here for your enjoyment, is my New Years Resolution.

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice” Ephesians 4:22-31 That right there is real Christianity!

This year I will put away the old me and put on the new me. Not all of me, some parts are pretty neat, but the parts that are no longer serving me, the parts that aren’t serving anyone, and especially the parts that are hurting me and the ones I love. And I will replace those parts with parts of me that do good, that love, that are happy, that are moving forward, reaching goals and working towards achieving emotional, spiritual and financial stability for me and my family.

I will put off deceitful lusts, those people and things that I falsely feel like I need. Wants that don’t serve the purpose of helping me to reach my important life goals. Things that are holding me back. Junk that is weighing me down, I will put those aside and make room to let in the things that I need.

I will be renewed in the spirit of my mind and get to know me again. One thing I learned this past year is the person I know the least about is myself. I have spent a lifetime getting to know other people and how I might be able to help them get what they want and now I’m wondering what it is that I want. I’m not quite sure about that one yet but I’d very much like to figure it out. Zechariah 2:8 says that we are all God’s favorite “For he that touches you touches the apple of his eye.” Think about that next time you need an ego boost. Seeing how I am God’s favorite and all I think I’m worth getting to know a little bit.

I’m worth taking good care of too, I’m not only God’s favorite I’m also his house, ya know. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” 1 Corinthians 6:19 and no New Years resolution would be complete without the good ol’ loose 40 pounds goal. And speaking of taking care of myself, besides the debauchery that inevitably ensues a night of drinking (see Ephesians 5:28) I also kind of enjoy my liver being in working order so for those who laughed at me for bringing root beer to the party, I may be doing that a lot from now on.

The sun will not set on my anger, I will put off all bitterness and forgive those who have wronged me in the past. Bitterness and anger have never been my thing. Not because I am such a holy and righteous person, it’s just never appealed to me. I’ve never understood the draw to war and hatred we humans seem to have. The only person it hurts is the one harboring the ill will. But this year that all changed. I felt betrayed by someone who I loved very much and was filled with anger and resentment. Even though I knew it was eating away at me and it was serving no greater purpose I could not seem to let it go. So my New Years resolution is to let it go, forgive, forget and move on. Everything happens for a reason “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. “ Romans 8:28 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

This year will be a year of rebuilding. A year of hard work and labor and I will do my best to bear each burden with a smile. I will pray for the strength and energy to face each challenge as it comes my way. “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.” Phillips Brooks (almost a thousand years before JFK, but he was pretty cool too…good thing I looked it up.)

So there it is, a revamping of the old me in 2011. Wish me luck. And above all “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32