Out with the old, In with the new

Greetings and Happy New Year!! It has been a while since my last post. The holiday season always seems to be such a busy time of year. Rush, rush, rush. Sometimes we barely take time to slow down long enough to really enjoy this time of year and what it truly represents.

December is the month each year we Christians choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Sometimes we may forget not everyone celebrates Christmas. To a certain segment of the worlds population December is just December. But if you are a Christian this is the time of year to focus on the Christ child. God loves us so much that He sent His only son into our world in human form. Jesus came not to judge us but to serve us. Many people think of Jesus as a great leader because of the miracles He performed. But if you read the stories written in the New Testament carefully you will see that Jesus was always serving. When the multitude needed to be fed, He fed them. When the storm came upon the disciples at sea, He calmed the waters. Before His death He washed the disciples feet. By serving, He was leading. When you think of leaders today who do you think of? Your boss, the president, politicians? How many of those folks would get on their knees and wash your feet?

Then there's January. The beginning of a new year each year. A chance to start fresh. Too many times this is not the case though. We allow our past to keep us from taking that fresh start each year. I know I have been guilty of that. How bout you? For several years I have felt so bad about things in my past that I never allowed myself to start fresh. That is.......until now. This year, for the first time in a long time I am allowing the past to be the past and forgive myself. I am going to embrace God's gift of a new year to start fresh. I encourage you to do the same. We cannot change the past. But with God's help we CAN change our future.

So out with the old and in with the new. Let the past be the past and the future be the future. Our past does NOT define who we are, it molds us into who He wants us to be.