New Year Resolutions

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

Do you ever ask yourself why we "make" New Year Resolutions?  Most of us do it, and they are usually things we want to change about ourselves for the new year.  Maybe we are going to workout more, or eat less, or spend more time with our families.  Or maybe it's to make more money or spend less money, get on a budget...  It's as if the calendar year changing gives us all a fresh start. 

But - as is our nature I guess, we also tend to break our resolutions before the end of January.  We get motivated, start that direction and then life gets in our way.  We too easily fall back in to our old habits.  Not everyone is this way, of course, but I'll step out and say that a large majority of those who make the resolutions never see them to the end of the year.  Personally, I have countless failed resolutions over the years. 

So for me, I am not making any resolutions this year.  I have a lot of hope and excitement about the coming year.  But that is based only on my anticipation of what Father is going to do with and for us this year.   I have hope that I will be a healthier person, but that's my hope no matter what day of the year it is.  We were really good at running and working out for a while and let up over the fall.  We've recently renewed our gym membership and are going to start working out again.  This was something we did not because of the new year, but because we both have gained weight and want to stay healthy for our grandchildren. 

I try to renew my commitment to living a faithful life true to my Father on a daily basis.  I look for the Holy Spirit to guide me each day, as a new day with new hopes and dreams.  "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24  (Or as we like to say, "I will CHOOSE to rejoice and be glad in it!")  This is not something that has any bearing on a calendar day.  It has to do with my commitment to my Father.

I hope that whatever resolutions you choose this year, that you are blessed abundantly and that you use this time not to dwell on the past year but to anticipate what is coming in the future - the streams in the wastelands.

Living the Blessed Life,

~ Jessica