A NEW YEAR!

It has always been a practice to make new year resolutions. I remember as a kid making them and even as an adult. My sister Jean and I use to throw wonderful New Year parties. We would invite all our friends within the young people at our church. Ages were from my age up to Jean's age which was a span of 15 years. Jean would prepare slips of paper for writing down our new year resolutions. The next year she would pass around the old year resolutions after we had written our new ones. My what a difference a year makes! However, we would laugh a lot!

Have you ever written a resolution that you actually kept? Have you ever written a resolution and within a few months let it go by the wayside? Have you ever thought this time I am going to keep my resolution? I assume since I have done this, you have too.

Jim said this last year; "How would you like to go to Iowa and visit with your brother Lisle and his family next year?" I haven't been to Iowa since I left as a child of 9, and the thought of visiting with Lisle and Harriet could set me up for possible disappointment. I have mental scenario's! I know things happen and plans don't always fall into place as you want them to. So I don't want to get my hopes up by planning as a resolution, but with reservations.

"Come now, you who say; "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain." In reality, you do not not know about tomorrow! What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say; "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." James 4:13-15 I guess I always have this scripture in the back of my mind when making long range plans.

One of the things I always set out to do for a new year is to be organized. At work I would make new files for the new year and move all the old ones to a different, less used file. However through the new year I found myself going back to the old year for something or other. I never could quite leave them out of the current picture. But the new files were always fresh and easy to begin using. I liked new and fresh files!

In my mind I am always beginning to clean drawers, cupboards and rooms. Last year I made a good start but somewhere along the way I discovered I never finished. So a few weeks ago, I heard Jennifer say; "I need to clean this room, meaning the linen closet!" Of course, I remember thinking that, at the first of last year, but Jennifer is more apt to do it. I am thankful for Jennifer!

Keeping in mind that I want to always be in God's will, I need to think of the things I need to be doing. I know that God's will is for me to be about His business; to put my trust in Him; to pass His love onto others; to teach His word and to keep His commandments. I realize that some things I need to be doing, should not take the place of my servant hood. I have learned that I can leave many things undone so that I can do what He needs from me today. My tomorrow may or may not come but someone so beautifully said; "Only one life will soon be passed; only what's done for Christ will last!"

Where are you today in your walk? Where are your priorities? When you arise in the morning are you looking toward the heavens or feeling your way among the briars and the thorns. Do you still seek the one who came to save the lost? Someone said and I love to repeat it year after year, but in different ways to be able to rhym with the new year; "In 2010, I have all the time; to do, all that God wants me to!" Our days are numbered; let's use them wisely, for as the Psalmist says; "My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass." Psalm 102:11 Let's be mindful of our days and plan as if there is no tomorrow! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/26/09