HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Original I know ... but sometimes the classics are too good to pass up! Hope you had a memorable time of celebration in this last week ... I still am ... have had almost a week's break & on Tuesday am looking forward to another 2 & a half weeks!!! WOOOOO!!!
So on January 1st, for the last 15 years now I've taken some time out to get some perspective for 2009 & hear what God is saying ... or attempt to ... attempt to as in up till last year I would be hearing more based out of what I wanted to have happen in the coming year as opposed to just listening if God had anything to say about the coming year - so I've just concluded this time & thought it would be good to use as my blog for January 1st 2009 - at 11am I went to find my daily devotional, that I've used for the past 16 years & discovered it was missing - can't find it anywhere - & so i thought ... well maybe instead of using the same pattern that I've used for a decade a half it's probably time to try something new .. & this is what came out from.
I believe 2009 is ... THE YEAR TO CARE - Caring for others, caring for ourselves & receiving God's care to live in & out of both!
Sounds silly I know cos every year is a year to care & a year to live ... it's not rocket science or incredibly exciting ... not like breakthrough, miracles (although I'm sure all those will be our portion this year) ... but i feel like it's a real time to focus on Caring ... in the normality of our everyday lives ... at home, work, church & personally for ourselves - loving people, loving ourselves & loving God ALL FROM RECEIVING & KNOWING HIS LOVE FOR US!!!
I feel like the word VICTORY is a key word this year - Going beyond in care for others & ourselves, overcoming in ourselves to care for others through the LOVE of Jesus. It's a year to LIVE!
"When I live to love, I live to God, with God, for God & through God"
My Key Verse for 2009 - 1 John 4:11 "Dear ... (put your name here), since God loved (& loves) you (& sent Jesus, His Son, to be the sacrifice for ALL our sins), you surely ought (must) LOVE PEOPLE!"
In 09, as we come to our Father, not firstly for strategic purpose but for intimate relationship our trust in Him will automatically mature. As we live intimately in His love the best we know how today, our love for people matures - 2008 for me was a manifestation of maturity & I feel like 2009 is going to be the next step in this - step by step, line by line - normal by normal. Our love-life & care-life, our steadiness & depth in God will be seen & measured by our love & care for people. Watch for certain things that have taken time to take up far less of your time so you can be with people!
I'll close with this thought ... In the Greek 1 John 4:11 is pretty much translated as one word -AGAPAO - many of you would know the word AGAPE - which has exactly the same meaning as AGAPAO except for one difference = Both Words mean "the active love of God for His Son & His people & the active love His people are to have for Him, each other & even their enemies." The only difference is that AGAPE'S literal mean is 'THE LOVE FEAST' (extraordinary, unconditional, unfailing love) - whereas AGAPAO doesn't have that ... it's like "The common Love, the Normal Love" It's the Love that says
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TOO DIFFERENT ... JUST LOVE AS YOU LIVE!" or maybe JUST LIVE & LOVE AS YOU GO ... help us Lord to know you love & care for us because it all comes out of this
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Much Love!!!
Might be a few weeks with no blogs as I go on holiday ... spread the love to some of your friends & family if these have helped you ... or maybe get your own thoughts out there!!!
TILL AFTER HOLIDAYS!!!
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