Sunday, December 28, 2008

Holiday endings, New Beginnings








The past few days we have been busy taking down the Christmas decorations and packing it all away. We actually enjoyed getting our house back as it's usually a little crowded with the tree and Christmas decorations. The girls love having the tree in front of the picture window instead of in the corner of the living room so we give in and live with the furniture crowded for a few weeks to please them.
Above I have posted a few pictures from our Christmas pictures.
From top to bottom: My girls with cousins, hubby Christmas morning, my sis and mom with one of her wonderful baked delights, Christmas gifts: my sweet little Electrolux vacuum, new tea pot from my MIL which I love!

We did have a wonderful Christmas and as always I'm excited to begin a new year! Each year I ponder the journey of the previous year and my goals and anticipation for the new year ahead.
I love to write out my list of blessings from the previous year and the goals for the coming year.
God has been so good to us this past year and I'm so thankful for his love, mercy, protection, and blessings during 2008!!

One of the things I have done is claim a VERSE FOR THE YEAR, as suggested at HEART OF THE MATTER. I spent a while this afternoon praying, reading, and journaling in some quiet time with the Lord! Oh, my goodness, it's really difficult for me to choose ONE verse! I love so many of God's precious promises!

But..........I have prayed and chose two verses..........

"But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
Isaish 40:31

also.......

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaish 41:10



As I read from Beth Moore's devotional book, Voices of the Faithful, my heart was truly blessed as I read her words.

She says, "Our souls crave new beginnings. Fresh starts. Calculate with me just how willing our compassionate God was to accommodate."
"God Himself came up with the concept of an annual New Year's Day when He ordered creation and gave the sun and moon their instructions" (Gen. 1:14).
"God didn't think an annual new start was nearly enough. He who created the human psyche also compartmentalized those hundreds of days into 12 months. Every month we get another first. But 12 new starts were not enough, either. The very first verses of scripture unfold a seven- day period of time we call a week. Think how we look forward to a "weekend" and a subsequent new beginning on Sunday. Fifty-two new beginnings a year sounds like plenty, doesn't it? Ah, but not to God, He who configured our needy souls ordained the sun to rise every single morning and set every single evening. A curtain of darkness falls systematically on the scene of every single day, calling it history."

Lamantations 3:22,23
"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness."

Praise God for New Beginnings and his compassion each and every morning!!

3 comments:

cakeandcam said...

You are so awesome my friend!!! Love ya bunches!

Betty

Anonymous said...

Great post...I love the scriptures. And your photo!

Samantha said...

Gee that Scripture from Lamentations is the same one I put on my blog today (you beat me to it!)

That is a good idea, to choose a verse for the year- but you're right, I don't know how I'd ever choose just one...