As a progressive, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to a loving God; this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
Happy New Year! My prayer is that this New Year will be filled with good health, joy, abundance, wisdom, peace and lots of laughs!
Each New Year is a time for beginnings, for a fresh start. We have an opportunity to reflect and maybe adjust our course. Life is made up of a series of choices. Each choice you make takes you in a certain direction. Have you thought about where you want your life to go this year? How can you better your relationships and even your finances? How can you live your life at your full potential?
Why is it that some people grab life with enthusiasm and take control of their future, even in the midst of sufferings and setbacks, while others let the future and their fears control them? We have the choice to live our best life now.
Happy, successful, fulfilled people make the most of the present moment, determining to make their future brighter and making the lives of others better through their generosity and acts of compassion. You can too! No matter where you are or what challenges you are facing, you can enjoy your life right now.
You don’t have to wait for “someday.”
Someday things will be better in my life.
Someday I won’t work as much and enjoy making memories with those I love.
Someday I’m going to exercise, again.
Unfortunately, someday never comes. Today is the only day we have. We can’t do anything about the past, and we don’t know what the future holds. However, we can live at our full potential right now!
What you keep in your thoughts will affect you. You’ll produce what you’re continually seeing in your mind. If all you see is an image of defeat and failure, then you’re going to live that kind of life. And if you develop an image of victory, success, health, abundance, joy, peace, compassion and happiness, nothing on Earth will be able to hold those things from you.
Too many times we get stuck in a rut, thinking we’ve reached our limits. We don’t really stretch our faith; we don’t believe for anything bigger. God wants to increase you in wisdom and help you to make better decisions. God wants to increase you in the area of finances, health and creativity. God wants to increase your level of compassion.
Mother Teresa is a wonderful example of compassion. Someone once accused Mother Teresa and the Sisters of Mercy of not accomplishing very much. Mother Teresa responded, “I told my sisters that even if they helped one person that was alright. Jesus would have died for just one person.”
“I don’t think the way you do,” she would say when it was pointed out to her that her efforts were but small drops in the ocean of need. Her mathematical calculations, like her geography, were based only on principles of compassion: “I do not add up. I only subtract from the total number of poor or dying.”
Every prayer makes a difference. Every act of compassion makes a difference. Your thoughts make a difference.
Scripture says, “Set your mind and keep it on the higher things.” (Colossians 3:2) Each day choose to live with an attitude that expects good things to happen in you and to you. And even when things don’t go your way, don’t let that get you down. Keep your mind set in the right direction, on the higher things.
No matter what you’ve gone through in the past, no matter how many setbacks you’ve suffered or no matter who or what has tried to stop your progress, today is a new day, this is a new year and God wants to do a new thing in your life. You have an opportunity for a fresh start!
Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it?” God is always ready to do new things in our lives. The question is: Will we believe and cooperate?
One of the names for God is El Shaddai, “The God of more than enough!”
It doesn’t matter if you come from a family of alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, depression, anger, low self-esteem or whatever, God can change you from a victim to a victor. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
We all know people who have gone through tremendous loss and suffering in their lives. Some choose to stay a victim for the rest of their lives and others go on and overcome and grow through the obstacles!
No matter what happens in our lives, we have a God who loves us and who has promised to always be with us. Stand on God’s promises for you and you can say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”
You are invited to join us as we begin offering “A Course in Miracles” on Wednesday’s at 6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m. in our Community Room on the first floor, right off the parking lot next to the church. Admission is free.
