A New Year: 2012

Old year's day is a day to reflect on the year that has passed and remember all the mercies God has bestowed on us.  I listened to Rev. Gerald Lewis from the Pompton Plains FRC last night while I stayed home with Aaron and I would like to pose to all of us the two questions he asked in his sermon (in reverse order):
     1.  Where are you coming from?
     2.  Where are you going?
Other questions to consider:  Have I attributed all the good and perfect things God has given me to His goodness or my own initiative?  Have I let the things of this world run away with my heart?  What investments have I made in the kingdom of God and for eternity?

We are not residents here.  Life seems to last a long time, but really its a fleeting breath.  So difficult for the human mind to comprehend.  But remember, even the good things of this earth are temporary and will fade to dust.  The only things that last are the things of heaven.  So let's remember to spend this year storing up treasures for eternity, not our earthly journey.

A good practice that our family has implemented on New Year's Eve is to make goals or resolutions for the coming year.  We even helped the boys each make one.  Andrew is going to follow along in the Psalter at church without prompting and Noah is going to do his computer reading program every day.  Joel's resolution escapes me at the moment, which brings up a good point.  Write down your resolutions so you can periodically refer to them and evaluate how you are doing.
Here are 4 of my resolutions that I want to share with you:
1.  Listen to one extra sermon during the week while the boys have quiet time (spiritual goal).
2.  Exercise 3 times per week (physical goal).
3.  Read one non-fiction book per fiction book (mental goal).
4.  Train boys to do chores by practicing with them so they learn (mothering goal).

I have a few more and I hope that I haven't been too ambitious.  I've read a lot on blogs lately about making goals and tracking your progress so that you see accomplishment, and the new year is a good time to start this practice.

May the Lord bless each of you abundantly with a love for Christ and a willingness to serve Him above all else in this coming year.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14(NIV)

And another version:

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Philippians 3:13-14(NLT)