New Year's Eve

Well it is the day before the New Year. I have spent it waiting for the phone to ring to tell me if my best friend is going into labor, watching the ISU game that was deeply saddening, and talking more about the book of James how things tempt us in our daily life.

Some of the great wonders of the year I’m going to bring into light with a few words from the New Testament. The key words to focus on here are freedom. Freedom that Chris has set us free. Galatians 5

Last year was my first year for a New Years resolution….it wasn’t about getting thin or eating healthy…it was about focusing more on Christ. This year my resolution will be that of running the race. I don’t mean running the race like a marathon like my friend Mr. GQ, but running a race of truth, running the race with endurance toward Christ. We have been talking a lot about good works in the book of James and one of the verses we look at as Lutherans is from the book of Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8-10 “For it is by Grace you have been save, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
A lot of what we talked about this weekend, put us “Lutherans” in our place, it helped us to remember that when we say that it is by Grace we have been saved, by faith we have been saved….but those actions that we aren’t required to do….are things that we should be doing. Actions like helping your neighbor scoop the snow or the kindness of cleaning up trash in a local park as you walk on the sidewalk. I know that like most people I have this split personality…I go to church but then I leave and some times my actions don’t reflect that. Does it mean that as a Christian I’m not going to mess up…I’m a sinner just like everyone else. Have I gone to the bar on a Saturday night and gotten up for church the next day knowing that there were things I did and said that were wrong….you bet I have. This year I’m going to focus on my actions…how do people see me as a Christian?
New Years resolution: remind myself daily of the actions I should be portraying to help me grow in my faith and to show others my faith…(not just telling them) What does telling some one something going to prove…is giving someone a Bible going to help them or encourage them to want to come to know Christ ( I think not)
In our lesson today we talked about how in most cases we are defined by what we do….is that always true tho? Is what we do something that makes us who we are. It may seem that way, but shouldn’t it be who we are defining the kinds of things we do? I am a Christian so shouldn’t that define the things that I do in my life? Some words to ponder.
Right now is the time were we take about an hour and meditate on things like God’s word and how things have been building up on our hearts we have been putting our sins into the sin box and are getting ready to burn them up to help us recognize how God takes our sins and forgives them…we don’t have to hold on to sooooo much in our lives. God takes all of our burdens.

May God’s blessings be with you on this up coming new year! The Lord has set before us all a race that we can finish with His help. He isn’t going to put something in front of us that we cannot handle. We may walk into a situation where we might not think that we are the right person for the job, but he will equip us with the mean of making it through things. “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

Dear Lord, I know that I have so much on my mind…there are people that I wish I could be with, but can’t be this holiday season. This up coming year I pray that I have the opportunity to know love, Romans 12:9 I feel I have a lot of it in my life, but some times I take it for granted. Lord I ask The to help me show the love I have with others. Lord I pray for those I have met this weekend that are new into my heart may you bless them with safe travel home. May you be with Karin as she travels back to Ghana in January. Please be with Mark as he is serving you in Taiwan and our friend Drew in Kenya. Lord I also ask you to be with those who are like me and are getting ready to go out and student teach. Be with us and we trend in unfamiliar water Lord. May this year bring us al hope and happiness, but yet may we find some struggles and some hardships along the way that will help us grow in our faith in you oh Lord. Thank you for all the blessing you have poured out upon us on Lord. Amen.



*Warning if eye contact with other person screaming must be intense! *