Happy New Year!

Another year...

I think most people fall into one of three categories when it comes to the new year:

• Excited to make New Year's Resolutions and work diligently to achieve a few
• Excited about the idea of a "fresh" start, but rarely does the re-start last
• Excited about the festivities of the New Year, but have NO desire to make resolutions nor do you dream of a fresh start

I ENJOY the New Year...I enjoy making resolutions and the idea of a fresh start makes me feel renewed and full of hope.  The same thing happens ever year...I am full of good intentions and desire to make positive life changes, but two weeks into the year and I realize that I am back to my old habits and no REAL changes have occurred.

Here was my "ah-ha" moment this week...a fresh start is found in no one and nothing, but my Jesus.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."  2 Corinthians 5:17

"Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.  Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth"  Isaiah 43:18-19a

My fresh start...my excitement in the New Year should...no, it must be about my relationship with my Savior and being about the business of Christ.  Instead of thinking of the past and the long list of "would-have", "should-have" and "could-have", I commit to waking each day and telling the Lord "start with me".  I want to love my husband the way you intend a wife to love her husband.  I want to love my children the way you desire a mother to love her child.  I want to love others the way you command me to love others.  I want 2012 to be about LOVE. 

"We love, because He first loved us."  1 John 4:19

Start a new thing in me....may I start to love the way God loves!!

Happy New Year!