Happy New Year...What Will You Make of It?

Well, it is already the 12th of January. I was not sure how the early part of the month would go with the one year anniversary of our daughter, Dawn's death from CML last January 8th. It certainly helped to be together as a family unit with Steven in from Hawaii and Matthew and Kristen in from MO. A number of people reached out to us specifically on that day and others thought about us and prayed for us but didn't want to disturb us. Calls, letters, flowers, texts and facebook messages all played their part in making it easier for us to deal with our loss. Thank you for being there with and for us. I am so thankful for the grace of God in my life and in the life of my family. Each of us had a hard time, together and alone. Busyness helps in some ways. It also keeps us apart from caring for each other as we might. Psalm 90 tells us to get a heart of wisdom in dealing with time. I wish I could tell you that I am always wise with my time. I sometimes fail to say things or do things to make it easier on people that I care about and love. I think that there will be time...there is always another time isn't there? But there are times when that is not true. I know that as a pastor, as a father and as a man. Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to, Trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge him and he will make our path straight.
As we face this New Year, each of us needs to gain that heart of wisdom by trusting in the Lord. We can help make this a great year by seeking God and his kingdom first...by trusting in him with our WHOLE hearts...our WHOLE being. Losing our daughter helped me to re-evaluate and take another look at my life and how I do as a God seeker and people lover. We can approach this new year passively as victims of what it might bring us or we can step into it as people who have discovered the secret of living in the now, God moment...as people determined to praise our God, who alone is worthy of praise.
I pray that this year will bring you a great year of "Thy Kingdom Come...Thy Will be done...moments" (and I don't mean our kingdom or will be done but God's). I want to be more wise and more present in the God moment...I want to be faithful. God help me and you too. Blessings in the House.