Good Habits...

Good habits are not made on birthdays, nor Christian character at the New Year. The workshop of character is everyday life. The uneventful and commonplace hour is where the battle is lost or won. ~ Mattie Davenport Babcock

Rely on the Grace of God

 The New Year is a time to learn to rely more heavily on the grace of God. Now I've met a few self-made men and women and so have you, but so often these people seem proud, self-centered and driven. There is another way: beginning to trust in God's help. One secret from the Apostle Paul: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength," he said. (Phil 4:13) And God's strength saw him through pain, joy, and accomplishment. ~ Anonymous

Fresh Start... Each Day...

We should take advantage of His faithfulness and make every day a fresh start. Resolve to make each day the beginning of a new year, a new morning, a new adventure. He wipes the slate clean and goes back to zero so we can be filled up again with His spirit and give it out all day long. Enjoy the blessings of a new year, in Christ, one day at a time! ~ Debbie Carroccio

New Year...

If we will let God get as close to us as God wants to, we will see the world more like God does, and we will live by God's power a life we could not live by a lifetime of New Year's resolutions. ~ George G. Hunter III

New Year...

 If this is to be a Happy New Year, a year of usefulness, a year in which we shall live to make this earth better, it is because God will direct our pathway. How important then, to feel our dependence upon Him! ~ Matthew Simpson

New Year...

 A New Year's Prayer

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.

~ Anonymous

Resolutions...

As You Start This New Year... is one of your resolutions to start reading your Bible every day? Is this an area where you’ve been on-again, off-again, and you’d like to become consistent and regular in reading God’s Word every day this year? If you’ll allow the Holy Spirit to help you this year, you can win this victory in your life. And if you lapse and unintentionally skip a few days, don’t let the devil condemn you. Ask for forgiveness and get back on schedule. ~ Rick Renner

Prayer for the New Year - 2022

Dear Lord, please give me… A few friends who understand me and remain my friends; A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be the poorer; A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed; An understanding heart; A sense of humor; Time for quiet, silent meditation; A feeling of the presence of God; The patience to wait for the coming of these things, With the wisdom to recognize them when they come. Amen. ~ Anonymous

New Year - Book of Blank Pages... 2022

 A new year – a book of blank pages waiting to be filled. It is easy to fall prey to doubts and questions about unknown days before me. But maybe God’s will for my life is far greater than knowing what path my life will take, what career choice I will make or what job change will occur. Maybe God’s will is simply for me to serve Him and love Him and share His love with others. So simple, yet so complete. There is no need for lofty resolutions, no need for fear – I will begin my days with prayer; I will listen, and God and I will walk together. He will help me through the rest, one day at a time. ~ Author Unknown

Be at War...

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

Commitment...

Success does not come without commitment. If you are going to do better this next year than you did this year, then you must make a decision to give it your very best shot! A haphazard, “take-it-easy-and-don’t-be-too-hard-on-yourself” approach will not cause any significant changes to take place in your life. If you are really committed to reaching new objectives, then you must ask the Holy Spirit for His help, and then start reaching forth toward these goals with every ounce of your mind, soul, and strength. ~ Rick Renner

End the Year...

I do not advise that we end the year on a somber note. The march, not the dirge, has ever been the music of Christianity. If we are good students in the school of life, there is much that the years have to teach us. But the Christian is more than a student, more than a philosopher. He is a believer, and the object of his faith makes the difference, the mighty difference. Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation. ~ A.W. Tozer, The Warfare of the Spirit

Time for Reflection & Celebration...

This is a time for reflection as well as celebration. As you look back on the past year and all that has taken place in your life, Remember each experience for the good that has come of it and for the knowledge you have gained. Remember the efforts you have made and the goals you have reached. Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you have brought. Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears. And as you reflect on the past year, also be thinking of the new one to come. Because most importantly, this is a time of new beginnings and the celebration of life. ~ Taylor Addison, Blue Mountain Arts, 1989

Post Christmas Prayer

Long after the angels disappear into the heavens, the shepherds return to their flocks, the magi journey home and the great star sets, Jesus remains.

The Child in whom we rediscover God’s great love for humanity becomes the adult Redeemer who challenges us to imitate his selflessness and compassion in order that we might transform our world in love…

May we allow the miracle of Christmas to continue long after the holiday trappings have been packed away;

May we welcome the adult Messiah and his challenging Gospel to recreate our lives, making the peace, justice and hope of this holy season a reality in every season of the new year.

~ Post-Christmas Prayer: CONNECTIONS, Jan.1, ‘95