Blank page before us

Well its that time again… apart of me feels like there is a sense I look forward to Christmas with joy and anticipation, then, almost too quickly, the New Year abruptly arrives only a week later. Leaving me wanting to catch my breath. 

Reality tells me whether we like it or not, time hurls us forward. There is an air of delight about the New Year ticking over, like a blank page before us awaiting with wonder what marks will be carefully or recklessly marked upon the page.

This year, I welcomed the New Year by dancing among friends, sisters, - our church community. As we counted down the end of what was we embrace the new beginning to be. Embracing loved ones as we exchange blessings, wishes and a sense of joy in what is to come. 

Over the first week of January a familiar story will be - 

Dear new beginning, 

This will be the beginning of all happy endings, 

embrace the treadmill, 

or go for a run,

or restriction of foods that delight the tastebuds,

or sort through the closet of multi jeans just different sizes or shades of blue, 

or tackle the shed, or the project that lingers over you like a tonne of bricks, 

or do that big thing that feels like an impossible thing…. 

This is the beginning of all beginnings to create that good-intended resolution with a well meaning heart. As life gets busy, challenges arrive, comfort zone pushed leaving the self to retract, easily falling back into old habits that don't require so much sacrifice. 

I personally, have never been big on resolutions, I take more an approach that everyday is like a New Years Day in this respect; we get a blank page everyday, thank you Lord. 

Leaving me unable to write about the new years resolution I have made, or planning to under take, or any view on this. Rather I think all I can do be still in a moment and begin from the very bast place I can… God's Word. 

Romans 12:1-2 would possibly where I would start. I have not fully unpacked it yet would think by reading this passage the words jump out, like mercy, offering, perfect will, Do not conform, pattern…. 

In a way it is saying that here is what I want you to do; God helping me; to take everyday, every aspect of the day from work, sleeping, eating, walking around. Take all this and place it before God as an offering, to fix attention on God you will change from inside out. This will become easy to recognize what the Lord is calling me to do and will become quick to respond to it, after all the Lord brings out the best in me, developing a well formed self. 

Yet baby steps… first step will be a new year prayer I think ;o) 

Our Loving Lord, I stand at the beginning of this new year with a heart delighted in the knowing that You are the author of my life, You are the strength of my heart giving me the certainty that all I need (we need) is you. My heart's desire in this New Year is to grow closer to You. In knowing you Lord better, I will know myself more as my identity is found in You and a reflection of You. 

Beginning this new year with hopes, expectations that are ahead of me, yet taking heart that You alone know what the journey holds for me, and You alone gives me the strength, wisdom for all I need to meet its challenges. So help me to humbly put my hand into Yours, trusting You and seeking Your will with all my heart. 

I want to become a women after Your own heart. Lord, I ask you to help me each day to be still in your presence. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to receive and a mind to understand all you teach me. Make my heart tender to hear Your voice each time I meet with you or witness you. Taking your Word and penetrate straight to my heart creating a hunger deep inside my soul for more and more of You to enter. 

Filing my heart with truth, empowering me to live out what I hear, learn. Moving me, changing me, transforming me. 

In the midst of life's uncertainty, disappointments, rocky paths that lay before me, I give thanks for the certainty of Your unchanging love. 

I ask to open the worlds eyes to the sorrow and injustice that is hurting the world, asking to shine your light on people helping us all to respond with compassion. Please bring our divided nation together, give us vision of what You would have us all be. 

Looking back over the past years with gratitude for Your goodness to us all, far beyond what we have deserved. We thank you Lord for the promise and hope of this new year as we look forward with expectancy and faith. All this I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come. 

Amen

New Year Lunch with the priests, Sister n my table deco skills at their best