Saturday, January 4, 2014

2014

A new year always makes us reflect on things that we would like to change in the upcoming year. We sit down and examine those things that we did not enjoy about ourselves in the previous year and what things we would like to see happen in the new year. We should reevaluate our lives often but the new year seems like such an awesome opportunity to do this. I have once again had a year where I started out gung-ho and spent three months sticking to my goals. For some reason March came and I just lost focus on everything. I was never quite able to get myself back on track. Insert a sigh. Isn't it awesome that we have a God who gives us new mercies each and every day? What is in the past is forgotten and we can move on to the future. I so need to be reminded of this every day and sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes life is a moment to moment excercise in grace and mercy. This year I have really struggled with deep depression. The kind that does not allow you to even want to get out of bed in the morning. I have been doing research in that a lot of this has to do with diet and the way that we Americans live now. This year I am trying to improve my health from the roots starting with my spiritual walk and then on to the underlying health problems I have been experiencing this year. I spend most of the time in pain. Sometimes I cannot wait until bedtime when I can take a pain pill and go to sleep. I ran out of pain pills a few months ago and have been realizing that I can do natural things to reduce the pain and inflammation and become healthier. I have begun to use high quality essential oils from Young Living. It has made a lot of improvement. I know that no matter what improvements I make, if I do not get my walk with Christ back on track, it will all be for naught. That is my main focus this year. Again, I am going to be asking the same questions I did at the beginning of last year. One a day.
So today I am seeking answers to the question, "What is one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?"
Wow. Can I just copy what I wrote this time last year? I have had so many ups and downs this year. From three months of a close walk with my Lord to deep despair of Carl losing his job and not seeing a way out. I have also seen The Lord fling open the doors of blessing in answers to prayers. From my deep miseries God heard just a melody and rejoiced over my brokenness and brought me so many times to a place of joy.  I know how to have a walk with Christ. I have heard it so many times. I know the right words to say to make it look like I have it all together. That is all a lie sometimes. In trying to figure out why I am failing I discovered that no has ever taught me how to STUDY my Bible. Yeah, I have read it countless times since I became a Christian. But study it. I have no clue. No one ever taught me how to dig into the depths that are contained in the pages that God ordained to teach us everything we need  on our Christian walk. So this year I have decided to learn to STUDY the Bible and not just read it. I have started reading Kay Arthur's How To Study You Bible. It is very enlightening. I plan on doing a short inductive Bible study and see how her program works. I am excited. So this year I plan on enjoying God more by STUDYING his word.