Out with the old, in with the renewed

On what has been a challenging year for many financially and personally, a very happy New year to everyone.

For myself, I am grateful to God for another year to serve. By the goodness of God our church has grown, spiritually and numerically. I feel I have also grown through the experience, as well as personally through other trials along the way. I have undoubtedly made mistakes, but hopefully I have done some right too.  So I can't think I will be making any new resolutions, but rather simply renewing my promises and keep on keeping on.

Tonight, on New Year's Eve, I'll be taking it easy with the family. Maybe it is just an age thing. I came across this quote today:

"Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." - Bill Vaughn.

But here is, perhaps, a slightly deeper, more thoughtful quote from GK Chesterton:

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made new year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."

Wherever you are in your own personal journey of faith, may you know His peace and mercy in 2010. Let's continue the conversation then.

ASD