Wednesday; January 2


          Well, it’s all over for another year.  It’s January 2 ... it is time to get back to work, back to school, back to reality.  On one hand, I will miss the holiday season, but on the other hand, there is something special about this time of year, too.  I realize that the New Year (wedged somewhere in mid-winter) is an artificial new beginning but, in our society, it presents us with a chance to start over.  No, the problems we have been struggling with, the bills we have accrued, the aches and illness we have been facing are still with us; but, we can use this time to get refocused.  It’s almost like society is giving us a reason to reboot our lives.  We have been enjoying some relaxation for the past few days, now it is time to get back after it. 
          There are certain passages that really inspire me and one of them comes from Philippians 3.  As Paul reflected on his life he wrote, “... I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).  I realize that Paul was not providing us with a New Year’s resolution, but his words can inspire us to renew our vision – whatever it happens to be!  What is past is done – our hope lies in what is ahead.  This applies to our goals, our dreams and, most important of all, our spiritual lives.  We can either be tied to the past or we can find the freedom of future.
          As we get back into the swing of things, let’s not lament the end of the holiday season, let’s enjoy the spark that can lead it into a bright future!  Where do our lives go from here – let’s live them to the fullest and find out!
          Think About It!

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