Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
|
Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
|
|
New Year 2009 1/4/09 Happy New Year 2009! This is our first worship service of the new year. By now we have problem broken at least two of our new year's resolutions and may be "Oh well, it's just another year". We have come through a year of financial depression as a nation, see the price of gasoline reach $4.00, and for some of us wondering will be have enough money to make it to the next pay check. Many of us have faced difficult personal challenges this year and might even be glad that a new year has come. So what is it that we can say about the year that stands before us. This is a great time of the year to consider what is our purpose in life. Marilyn, Sarah, and I were driving to the nursing home to visit one of our neighbors this past week. And I asked the question “What are you thinking about?” Marilyn responded by saying she was thinking about the people in the houses we were passing -- is someone sick -- is the family having a nice dinner together -- are they happy or sad? I was thinking about all the beautiful scenery we were passing -- the pine trees, the fields covered with a bit of snow -- the sun starting to set. And asked Sarah the question "what are you thinking about?" I expected her to come back with a current song that she was singing or about the crush she has on the Back Street Boys. But she didn't -- she said she was thinking about how God was taking care of the world, was there a heaven and a hell. That of course led me to think "who’s the philosopher in this family". We each have our own way of viewing the world and our part in it. What is it that gets you up in the morning? What fuels your soul and gives direction to your life? Lewis Carroll said "If you don't know where you're going any road will get you there." For years now the book "The Purpose Driven Life" has been on the best sellers list. We need to have purpose in our lives, we need to have a reason to get up each morning. We all want to believe our lives have meaning to someone and that we make a difference. So I invite you to start to pray about what is the purpose of your life for 2009? The next part of that question is what are your resolutions, your goals for 2009 that will fulfill your life's purpose? Having a plan will help you to be focused about the changes, the direction you would have your life go this year. Without direction we can just drift through our days, our months, and before you know it it's 2010 and we find ourselves in the exact same place we are right now. What do you want to be different in your life? Is it to be rid of something that is unhealthy? Is it that you want to have a more positive outlook? Is it that you want to really enjoy life and not miss it by being distracted by a million things that really don't matter anyhow? I read an article about new year's resolution and the writer suggested picking a word for the new year to be your focus such as gratitude, love, work, friends, prayer, etc. And using that word to remind you what is important for this year. When you make a decision how to use your time, talents, or money does it support your word for the year. For instance if your deciding what to do this evening and friends is your focus word then you might want to consider calling someone up and having coffee with that person instead of spending the evening watching TV by yourself. If prayer is your word for the year, then you make time in your life for prayer to happen and be the focus. So what are the goals, resolutions, what is the word that you want as the direction for your life this year? The year 2009 stands before us as an open book waiting for us to write the sentences, the chapters that will be important for our life this year. What will you write? There is nothing that we can't accomplish with God as the One who directs are days. Pray about what God wants for your life this year and what you need to make that happen. A famous monk said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (lao-tzu). What is that first step you need to take? Who are the people who can walk with you on the journey? Each day we are offered a new beginning. We can take a few steps and if that is the wrong direction or we make a mistake -- we can learn from it and move on tomorrow. Really every experience in life offers us something that we need to know or that we can use to make things different. Some times those learning experiences come through positive happenings in our lives and other times they come through the challenges we face. However the lessons come we are learning something that will make us a better person for the future. And so happy 2009! May we each find our God given purpose for this year. Pray diligently about what God would have you do. Take the time to look at what will be your goals or resolutions for the new year that will bring about the changes you desire in your life. As write the next chapter of our lives may be take the necessary steps to lead us on the journey. May God bless us and keep us and give to us everything that we need as we move forward into 2009. |
|
Send comments or suggestions about this website to webmaster at lpmartin2@verizon.net. |