New Year's Resolutions and Reflections

 

Considering New Year's Resolutions and curious about past resolutions,

Mom's Diary

I pulled out my mother's diary.


January 1, 1955:  Left home at 8 a.m. We all went to Carolyn's in Sioux City to watch the Rose Parade on TV. A nice warm day. (We had no TV at our own home.)
January 1, 1956:  Church and Sunday School.
January 1, 1957:  We all went to church. Dad came out to watch Rose Parade and spent rest of day. I ironed all afternoon and washed eggs. (TV arrives and times have definitely changed.... washing eggs? Ironing?... did Mother even get to watch the parade?)
January 1, 1958:  Went to church and then to Art's for dinner. Plautz's and Kaylen and Lorraine were there.  Lorraine got a diamond for Christmas.

My mother was a daily and weekly list maker.

I checked the days before January 1 and the days following.   

           No record of any New Year's Resolution!

I pulled out my own diary.
This is what I discovered written on January 1 --on sporadic occasions.

1980: New Year's Resolutions?  I used to have a list of 5 - 10 and now I have trouble thinking of some. There are a lot to be made, I guess, but I'm busier than ever and don't have time for reflection. (Pity trip?)

1987 Resolutions*

  1987... Daily Bible reading. Physical exercise daily. (There was also mention of saving $100 a month for a kids' college fund and plans of growing-out my hair.)

1991: I made some resolutions but don't have time to write them down. . .  Isaac has a cold, again.  Found out we'll be moving in the spring. (We didn't move in the spring, and at this time (2016), I have no idea where I thought we would be going.)  (Ugh?)

Perhaps when talking about where am I going,
I need to establish where I have been and where I am now when thinking about a new year.

 

 



 

My resolutions made at the beginning of a 

new year have matured along with me.  

As I've grown older, I've become more 

comfortable with myself.  

I can stop kidding myself about who I am and 

embrace the me that evolved because life 

was not always easy, take that life,

and blossom in other ways. 

 

According to Wikipedea, less than 1/2 of Americans make resolutions. Of those that do, close to 90% fail.
Telling?
Is it possible we're directing our attention or focus down the wrong path? The "me" path?

Dear Lord, 

the Christian life is a forever adventure--

may I, this year, 

share my zeal and blessings with others....

 

 

Wishing you the best with your end of the year and beginning of the year thoughts and reflections....

 

 



Too Good To Be True?

Hundreds of people huddled together in church on Christmas Eve. We had to squeeze together and, then, put out chairs to seat everyone. After scripture readings, a message, and ending with "Silent Night" as candles twinkled, we said our goodbyes along with a Merry Christmas. Babies cried during the service; no one cared. Families gathered to worship and celebrate the birthday of a king, a savior, a baby born--Son of Man and Son of God.

A nice story?
--a baby born in a manger to an unwed mother, a magnificently bright star in the sky, shepherds who came to worship him--alerted by angels, ...A Savior who would eventually die so that we might be forgiven for our frailness, disobedience, etc. and have life eternal?

Too good to be true?
Many prophetic verses from scripture foretold of the Christ Child's birth. Isaiah 7:14 reads, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah, the prophet, a man of royal blood and high standing with the people of Jerusalem prophesized this birth over 800 years before Jesus was born. Some say there are over 100 prophesies--many of them in Isaiah, but also in Micah and Zechariah.

Too good to be true?
It's true and it's good!
Because God sent his Son to earth to be one of us, we can have an abundant life. Yes, I know the world is a mess right now. But, it's all in God's hands. One day, His kingdom will come. We will have that blessed eternal life. How do I know? It's been prophesized. John 3:16 says it best: For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Tell Your Story...

A little over 2000 years ago, a very pregnant Mary was riding a donkey on her way to Bethlehem--the city of David. Bethlehem was the place where God first's appointed earthly king, David, was born and raised as a shepherd boy 1000 years before Mary took her journey.

Because Mary and Joseph were both of the lineage of David, they made this trip to take part in a census as was the law during the time.

We know the story: they ended up in a stable because there was no room in the inn. A stable with noisy and smelly animals. A stable where the Christ child was born. Can you imagine Mary's thoughts? Gabriel had told her she would give birth to a son, that his name would be Jesus. He would be called the Son of the Most High; his kingdom would never end.    

....Talk about over-whelming....

Listen to the song, "Mary Did You Know"... just google it. It will help you understand the magnitude of all this: Jesus' birth!

2000 years later, here we are. It's our story, too, because we are all of the family of Christ.

Some stories are told. Some stories are left untold. Tell your story. Tell what it means to believe in Christmas.

It's a Matter of Life and Death

Although most things in life are not matters of “life and death,” I sometimes act that way. On the day of one of our daughter’s wedding, I assigned a few simple chores to our teenaged son. He left to do them, returned, and hadn’t completed what I thought he should have. Because of the stress of the day (my only excuse), I laid into him about being responsible. He looked at me sympathetically and basically told me that I needed to settle down. I could have gone off on him again; however, I knew  that he was right.

It’s the season of busy-ness and we can get caught up in “life and death” matters. For example, you weren’t able to find the perfect gift for Jimmy (the thing he really wanted); the ham was too expensive so you’re doing turkey again; grandma and grandpa can’t come (it will never be the same); his family’s Christmas get-together conflicts with mine…

The only thing that is really a matter of life and death is your love for Christ. Romans 14:8,9 tells us “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord…” ... need a :-) here

Instead of things being a matter of life and death... in Christ, things can be a matter of life and death and life again. Because that is what God has promised—an eternity with Him. People long for answers. They long for hope. ...Advent is the season of hope. They long to believe this life is not all there is. And, it is not. It is a matter of life, and death, and life again.

And the story of all of this “life again” started over 2000 years ago when a baby, the Christ Child, was born in Bethlehem.

... And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 

You Can Tell a Lot By a Book's Cover....

Book covers are interesting. At times, they seem not to be related to the book at all. Sometimes, they give a clue as to what the story is about. In the novel, DO NOT BE DECEIVED, there is an evergreen along with grasses on top of a house. We first learn of the evergreen when Donna Verrill, a new student, introduces Cassandra, her friend, kiddingly with, “This is Cassandra. Cassandra Walwyn. She lives in the house with a tree growing out of it.” Others picked up on it, but were not as kind, ending the statement with, “She’s weird.”

Several chapters later, Cassandra asks her dad if they can take the tree off the house and decorate it for Christmas.  Her dad explains that if the tree is uprooted from the roof, snow will drift down on her sleepy head. So, the tree stays until much later in the book when something explosive happens.

The tree is significant to the story. Cassandra lived a desperate life. Desperation digs a hole, something gets planted (maybe for good; maybe for bad). The tree had roots on the roof, but, of course, they were shallow roots; nevertheless, it thrived. Like Cassandra’s life, her roots in love were shallow. Her roots in God’s grace were shallow. But, they were thriving nevertheless because of her perseverance.

I hope you read the book and find out what happened to the tree and to Cassandra….

 

 

 

The Busines of Living and Rest

It’s that time of year. My list is lengthy, and there are piles on my kitchen countertops. Let me see, there’s the cookie recipe stack, the gift wrappings, the ingredients for Chex Mix, empty prescription bottles that need to be called in for re-fills, bills waiting to be paid. While I consider all this, the washer spins downstairs and the dryer clunk-clunks several pair of heavy jeans. The turkey broth (from Thanksgiving bird) sits on the frosty deck table waiting to be made into soup.

I look at the clock: 7:30 a.m. With granola and a cup of coffee already inside me, I consider my day. Do I really have to do all this? Jesus tells us, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” What I’m thinking is -- I want all this stuff done, and, then, I’ll rest. But, if you’re like me, once the jobs are checked off on your list and a new day begins, there’s a new list with more things to be done.

The busy-ness will never stop. It’s a part of life. If you’ve ever been bored, you know that busy-ness ain’t all that bad. Perhaps the rest Christ speaks of is that we know that whatever happens, whatever gets done or doesn’t get done, we are secure in Christ’s love for us.

If you don’t have that perfect Christmas cookie tray, your kids may be disappointed, but they will still love you. If you didn’t have time to wrap your gifts to others, the scene beneath your tree won’t be as colorful, but the gift was given with love. If you burn the Christmas ham, if you slip and fall on the ice and others have to wait on you this season, there is still love. No matter what.

So, amidst your busy-ness, find time to rest. It’s okay. God wants you to.