New Beginnings

Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21:5

In two days we will celebrate and usher in a new year. In so many ways, nothing changes. I will wake up on Friday and go to the same job I’ve gone to for the past 20 years. I will owe taxes again this year, I will dwell in the same residence, I will be married to the same great wife, and I will drive the same cars – one of them having the same need of new brake rotors that it has had for awhile now.

But what the New Year does do for us is to allow us to take stock of where we are, to re-evaluate, and to commit to making some changes. Not that we can’t do this at any time, but the New Year just seems to lend itself to that. It’s like a natural trigger mechanism in our wiring.

On a personal level, I have four things I will be seeking to accomplish.
1. To better fulfill the Great Commission. I admit it; I am really weak on personal evangelism. I do OK in group settings with some type of a “program,” but to simply share my faith with someone off the street? It rarely happens.
2. To better fulfill the Great Commandment: “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37) This one can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The two I’ve chosen for this year round out my list of 4.
3. To be a Micah 6:8 man. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Emphasis mine.)
4. To strive for utmost integrity in everything I do. I know that my life is a reflection of Christ in me. If I am not living with utmost integrity, if I am not striving to “be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 19:2), what statement does that make?

For Great OutDoor Endeavors, that means some exciting new opportunities. We are planning a full schedule that includes a wide variety of diverse activities. We will be making overnight canoe/kayak camping trips, as well as some day trips. We will be watching the stars. We will be hiking. We will be camping. If time and opportunity allows, we will be making another trip to the Creation Museum. And of course, we will be making our long awaited trip to Arizona this summer. Keep your antennae up, and watch for some great chances to Meet Your Maker.

Of course, God doesn’t have to wait for the New Year to fulfill His promise, quoted above. That will be the subject of my next post. I hope, and pray, that your Christmas was merry, and that your New Year will be prosperous and happy. Most of all, I pray that you will put some thought, and effort, into making some “new things.”

God bless!