A NEW BEGINNING!

                 

Two of my favorite Scriptures as I contemplate a New Year are:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

I love the fact that God delights in doing something new and He delights in involving us in His new plans. Every day presents us with a new opportunity to discover and experience more of God's love. Our faithful God who loves us greatly has given us an everlasting hope, and each day, a new beginning.

If we treat each day as a new day to do new things in a new manner, we will be amazed at how many new opportunities will come our way. The most beautiful thing about this concept is that we don't have to do it on our own. It is the Lord's mercies that are new every morning. Every morning we have fresh instances of God’s compassion towards us. So as we begin a New Year my prayer for you is:

                      

May God make your year a happy one!

Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;

Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;

Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;

Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most, and by making you anxious to be there to help.

God's love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.
Sue