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With grateful hearts, we share our thoughts on redemption through Jesus Christ and His saving blood and what it looks like in our daily walk.

We gladly welcome your comments and input.
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AND since we hold our conservative values dear, we might have a thing or two to say about politics... and we can almost guarantee it won't be politically correct.



Tuesday, January 1, 2008

2008

As the memories of 2007 turn into looking forward to 2008 we can't help but think of ways to improve and goals to set and progress to make. My mind is full of all the things I want to accomplish this year-- spiritually, naturally, physically and emotionally. Not in a bad, overwhelming sense but in a "it's a new day" sort of way.

I've never been one to make much of New Year's Resolutions. I am all about setting goals, however, and every year I attempt to realistically do so. As I seek God's guidance I write down the ideas He affirms in my heart.

What do you do to signify the new New Year? Are you a 'resolutions' person or do you treat it like any other day of the year?
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Daily in my "Inbox" arrives a brief devotional from Ed Young. When I read through them I often think "that would be a perfect post for Walk Wisely". His edifying words are most often concise and yet thought provoking. On this New Year's Day I am going with it... I'm giving Ed his time here with words I wish I would have written myself on a subject dear to my heart.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."Luke 10:38-42

Everyone is busy these days. We've got a million things to do. We have so much going on that we can barely focus on what we are doing right now. Some of you are even trying to focus on the verses you just read while fighting thoughts of work, family, and other responsibilities. We all have moments when we are extremely busy, but we cannot be so consumed with a "million things" that we forget about the most important thing.

Martha had a million things to do when Jesus came. She was responsible for making Jesus' stay at her house comfortable and enjoyable. Martha wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus, but she had so much to do for him before she could sit with him. Can you relate? You would like to sit with Jesus, but there are so many things that need to get done first. A lot of those things are good things. Some of them may even be things you want to do for Jesus. But Jesus doesn't want us to get so caught up in doing good things that we forget about the greatest thing, which is spending time with him.

Don't wait to accomplish your "million things" before you spend time with Jesus. Learn from Mary and sit at Jesus' feet. When you spend time at the feet of Jesus, he will help you sort out your "million things" and protect you from being fragmented in so many directions.


What better way to start the New Year than to spend time with the lover of our soul, Jesus Christ?

I pray you each have a very happy, prosperous and healthy (spirit, soul, and body) 2008!

8 comments:

Pascalian Awakenings said...

Thanks for this reminder, and a Happy New Year to you.

Yvette

Anonymous said...

Good post meems.

I am not a resolution person. I prefer having goals like you. In business we set goals for each year and I try to do the same in my personal life. What do I want to accomplish? What can I improve upon?

When I read that Ed Young daily I thought you would like it. I sure did.

One of the things Ed says a lot that I really really like is

"But Jesus doesn't want us to get so caught up in doing good things that we forget about the greatest thing"

I love it. It can be used in so many instances and so many ways. Ed likes to use it for many situations, don't settle for a good marriage when you can have the greatest marriage, don't settle for being a good parent when you can be the greatest parent, don't settle or get caught up in good and MISS what is great.

How do we attain the great, by putting our focus on Jesus and letting him be our guide and shine His light on all our situations. If we take time for "the greatest thing" and put Him first we will experience greatness.

Jane said...

I'm not much of a resolution person either. Mainly because I never keep them and I don't like not living up to my word. I do like the idea of setting some goals for this new year. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

MLM said...

good post, meems, and thanks for starting the new year off with a Walk Wisely post! :o)

Anonymous said...

A resolution can be a good thing. It signifies the changing of, or the solving of a part of your life that has not been satisfactory in the best sense. According to Webster "(a) a resolving; determining; deciding; (b) the thing resolved or determined upon; decision as to future action; resolve."
Whereas a goal, per Webster, is "1. the line or place at which a race is ended; the mark. 2. the end or final purpose; the end to which a design tends or which a person aims to reach or accomplish."

It seems to me that the New Year offers an opportunity to critique last year's goals and make new resolutions in how to complete or end those goals. So many people want to start all over each year, because they did not accomplish what they set out to do the previous year. Actually, one can reassess his/her goals and resolve to finish what they started, giving them a sense of accomplishment instead of repeated failure. Reaching your goal can be an ongoing process, especially if your goals are set too high for quick completion.

I think people should have short term & long term goals. Every one needs the satisfaction of having crossed their goal line when a project or purpose has been finished. If you set some short term goals, such as reading a book or cleaning out a closet, then you can stay resolved to master more of your long term goals. So whether you set new goals, or resolve to finish some already started ones, the New Year allows the opportunity to do so.

Happy New Year 2008 to everyone!

P.S. I want to add a note on the Mary/Martha story but am too rushed to do so now, so more on this post later ;-)

Meems said...

pascalian: Have a wonderful 2008! Hope to see you around.

nt: It IS a good idea to set goals for personal & business- I like it.
I also liked what you stated---don't settle or get caught up in good and MISS what is great. Certainly an easy thing to do in every area.

We kind of have to know what the difference is don't you think? Sometimes I settle for good thinking it is the best-- only to find out later that God had something so much greater as He reveals it by His Spirit and/or Word. Soooo.... I learn hopefully and at each level have a better standard to measure good and great.

jane: I think we all too often just don't set goals/resolutions for the very reason you mentioned. Only what is worse. To never try to achieve or to fall short of achieving what I set out to do? OR to settle for "whatever happens, happens." I have done it every way. My take:I'd rather fall short than to never put myself on the line trying. Goals are achieved with some stumbling along the way... but if I never set the mark I won't even have direction or a pathway to follow.

MLM: no problem... happy to espouse all my ya-da ya-da's on the internet... LOL

Pilgrim: well-done on the resolution/goal research. Someone actually asked me after I posted this (they were kind enough not to do it on here by but a phone call)"What's the difference in a resolution and a goal, I thought they were the same thing?". To which I gave an amplified version of my idea of the differences. LOL

In actuality, they are very much the same.

Only I (this is just me) see the goals I set as exactly what Webster describes as "the end or final purpose; the end to which a design tends or which a person aims to reach or accomplish."
ONLY along with the final purpose/goal I determine I also set up steps to reach each goal. That way I am accomplishing steps along the way and carving out a path in order to make it to the finish line.

Resolutions on the other hand seem so... well, willy-nilly almost. Grand statements of what I would like to do or perhaps need to do but without the steps to acheive.

In the end I'm sure it is a matter of semantics. In any case, thanks for the research and the ideas of setting short term/ long term goals.

On a positive note I was reminded this morning by a wise friend that I have 363 days left to accomplish my goals... WHEW! That was comforting.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I didn't mean to be unkind! If it came across that way, I apologize.

Meems said...

pilgrim: when I read your comment about being unkind I thought "huh?" I wonder how what I responded came across that way.

I am the one to apologize after I re-read my response to everyone's responses. Yikes... it DID sort of sound like I was saying what you did with your research was the opposite of the kind thing which the person before you had said to me in a phone call... WHEW! This can get difficult trying to explain this in writing.

ANYWAY... NO!!!!!! I wasn't comparing I was actually making fun of myself but I don't think it came across that way... and for that I APOLOGIZE... to you and to everyone! I loved your comment and I appreciated your definitions... To which I was light-wittedly responding and it doesn't look as if it came off that way.

Please forgive me and please let us hear your note to the Mary/Martha story--- I've been waiting for it.