changes in 2010

In the past few days I've been reflecting on my life and why I do the things I do. As part of that, I've been reflecting on why I have blog, why I write what I write, and if changes need to be made in regards to my blog. It's been interesting to go back and think about the reasons why I started blogging in the first place and to reread some of my first posts. I enjoy blogging . . . sharing what God is speaking to me about and challenging or encouraging other through what I post here. (At least, I hope that is what I do.)

One of the things that God is really challenging me with this year is to get back to the Bible. I love to read, and I'll read almost any non-fiction Christian book I can get my hands on. But, sometimes that means I get caught up in what others have to say about the Bible and life as a follower of Christ. Not that I need to stop reading books by Christian authors or anything like that . . . but I think I need to learn how to more often put down that new book I have and just pick up my Bible and start to read and allow God to speak to me through His Word.

Since most of my blogs as of late have come from things I have read in other books and then have been thinking about, I've come to see that this may begin to change what my blog looks like to some degree. I'll still be posting "thoughts on life as a follower of Christ", but I'm starting to think that it may look a bit different, at least some of the time. My hope and prayer is actually that rather than beginning with a quote by an author, more blogs will begin with a passage of Scripture - with God speaking to me through His Word.

I guess for you, the reader of this blog, things won't change all that much. You'll still be reading someone else's thoughts on something to do with life as a follower of Christ. But, for me it will be a change I'm looking forward to in this new year . . . getting back to God speaking to me through His Word and my writing flowing out of that.

and a new year begins . . .

So, just a few hours into the year 2010 and I really should be sleeping, but I feel like sleep is still a long way off for me. I have far too much going through my head right now.

I've been thinking a lot about the past year - what it brought in my life. The events - both good and bad. The people and relationships that changed. The lessons that God tried to teach me. The lessons that God tried to teach me that I actually paid attention to and sought to learn. The lessons that God tried to teach me that I really didn't want to learn and resisted learning (those ones will be coming back again and again until I learn them, so maybe that would be the best choice).

I've also been thinking a lot about this year that has just begun. It always seems like there is so much opportunity and so much to do at the beginning of each new year, but then as time races by I sometimes wonder if I'm missing some of what I could be doing because I'm being lazy or I'm tired or I'm scared or I'm not paying attention.

Yet, I'm beginning to realize that what matters most is that I'm open and responsive to what God has for me to do. No matter what my plans, thoughts, dreams are for the next year they pale in comparision to what God could and wants to do through me. Not that my plans, thoughts, dreams aren't good, or that I won't get to do some of them this year, just a reminder to myself that if they don't all happen because of what God has for me, that's for my good. Doing something specific God has for me will always be of greater benefit and good for me and others, than doing what my plans are.

This isn't something I do well. I like to have the next few years planned out exactly as they will happen well in advance. And then I don't want them to be changed. But, I'm discovering that, while God may choose to work that way sometimes, He may also change things in the middle and ask me to do soemthing that wasn't in the plan. And it's in those times that I have to make a choice to follow in obedience rather than stay put in the "plan" in my stubbornness.

As I look forward to this new year, I think I'm mostly excited for what may come. Right now I have no idea what it may hold. I have things I hope will be a part of this year and goals to work towards. But, mostly, I'm learning to follow God in obedience wherever He may lead - even if it is off the track that I had planned to follow. Whose up for joining me in that challenge this year?

"a Baby changes everything"

So, tonight at church they played this song by Faith Hill along with a video of scenes from the movie "The Nativity Story". It really spoke to me . . . just thinking about how much a babay really does change everything.



Merry Christmas! I pray that you are blessed as you celebrate the birth of our Savior. God came near! Immanuel!