Skip to main content

The First and Most Important New Years Resolution

blog_post



Christmas is not here yet, but it's coming fast!  It will be quickly followed by a New Year.  While it is very important this time of the year to be intentional with our time, talents and making memories, it is also a time to peek a little bit ahead.

The New Year is a wonderful time to gain a fresh perspective on life, to ponder plans, to move toward goals.  There is much momentum behind us urging us on, but it is also a deep time for soul searching.  

Most Christian woman have the same basic vision, for growth in the Lord.  To know Jesus more, to be more Christ-like in our actions, words and attitudes. We long for those characteristics found in Proverbs 31...kindness, wisdom, dedication etc. to be evident in our lives. While the basic desires of Christian women may be the same, there are many, individual areas each of us look for growth in. 

The best way to achieve these goals, big or small is a daily quiet time. Yes, this is the term we hear in our Sunday School classes, Bible Studies and from our pastors.  It is a consistent time set aside each day to focus on God. Although each quiet time will look different, it is the powerful components of prayer, Bible Reading and meditation that bring the desired attributes we are seeking in our lives. 

A quiet time does not 'just happen'.  It takes time, dedication, scheduling changes and will probably constantly have to be revamped.  Spiritual growth doesn’t happen overnight. Knowing God’s Word, there are no shortcuts, no quick fixes to that, but you’ll notice over a period of time that you are growing and that it’s been God’s Word that has had that influence in your life. That is the importance of sticking with it. 

I've found a fabulous resource to get the year started off right in the Word.  40 Days of Prayer and Scripture. Here is the description: "For the first 40 days of 2017, we are committing to read a short passage from Psalms and pray each day. And we want you to join us."

After the 40 Days of Prayer you will have:
✓ Read through the Book of Psalms
✓ Prayed every day
✓ Developed a habit
✓ Set the tone for 2017

If you would like to participate in this free reading challenge, click 40 Days of Prayer to sign up. Once you sign up for this free plan, you’ll get a downloadable PDF of the complete 40 Days of Prayer Guide as well as beautiful art. Beginning January 1, each day you’ll receive an email with the day’s Psalms reading, prayer, and a pretty inspirational image to keep you motivated and help you focus.

This is the most important resolution you can make for the New Year and here is some encouragement to keep it!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more