#newyear – Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith

It’s a new year, did you make any resolutions? Why is it that we tend to make new commitments, new promises, about what we are going to do, and who we are going to become at the beginning of the year? We give so much power and influence to the new year. Why do we do that? Does turning the calendar page on the new year really bring with it new opportunities or do we simply view the new year as a new start?

There is nothing magical about a new year. But we open ourselves up for change, for improvement, for betterment at the beginning of each new year. We make resolutions, we make promises. We will eat healthier, we will work out, we will drink less, we will spend more time with family, we will watch less television, we will spend less time on social media, and the list goes on. I, too, have made a mental list of things that I want to work on in the coming year, and things that I want to improve.

My son is starting the new year in a new home.

It is good to have something to strive towards, to work for; to have goals. Some of my goals include reading and writing more, using social media less, keeping a good work/life balance and establishing boundaries, eliminating and removing things that disturb my peace or steal my joy, being mindful of my personal health and wellness, and living an unhurried and fulfilling life. I am approaching 2023 as A Year of Slowing Down.

A Year of Slowing Down is a book by Alan Fadling that my husband and I have committed to reading together in this new year. Now we could have started this book at any time, but we chose to start on January 1. Beginning today (it is January 1 as I type this) was almost prophetic. The first reflection is “Rest is Holy” and today just happens to be Sunday – a day of rest.

I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to rest, I mean really rest. I am typically distracted by the things I need to do, so I never really rest. Rest usually only comes after exhaustion sets in, when I simply cannot do anymore. But that is not truly rest. That’s more like recovery. Real rest requires us to slow down, to stop measuring our output, to center ourselves, and enjoy the goodness of God. Saint Augustine writes in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” That’s real rest, but it requires a trusting relationship with Christ.

While there is nothing magical about the changing of the calendar, it does serve as a springboard for new beginnings. It is the springboard for me to learn to live in an unhurried manner and to learn to rest, truly rest. While there is no power in turning the page of a calendar, there is power in Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians it is stated; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” What a wonderful sentiment for beginning the new year.

Maybe you haven’t made any resolutions for 2023. If you didn’t, it really doesn’t matter. Every instance is an opportunity for a new beginning. We don’t have to wait until a new year, a new month, a new week, or even a new day. What is the next step God is calling you to take?

You can start right now and become a new creation. Yes, it takes work (bible study, prayer, and openness to God) and trust (surrender of your will to God), and even rest (which comes when you recognize how God is moving in your life and you allow yourself to enjoy God’s goodness). What is God calling you to in this new year? Maybe a deeper relationship with Him, maybe more trust, maybe more openness, maybe more rest and unhurried time with Him.

I hope that whatever God is calling you to, you are open to experiencing His abiding love and faithfulness and find rest in Him in 2023. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Have you ever made a promise? Have you made promises to your family, to your friends, and even to yourself? Have you been able to keep those promises?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, as a noun, a promise means a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified or a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. As a verb, it is to pledge to do, bring about, or provide; to assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen or give good grounds for expecting (a particular occurrence or situation). We tend to make a lot of promises or make resolutions, particularly as we enter a new year.

A promise is a pretty big deal, but do we treat it as such? We likely make promises of some sort every day to our family and friends; like promising to call, promising to text, promising to get together. How often do we make such promises and then simply forget? I don’t have enough fingers to count the times I have done this; promising my Mom I would call her when I got home but then simply forgetting to do so. Or promising a friend I would text them about getting together but never got around to it.

What about work promises? Have you ever promised to review a document, send an email, make a phone call, or do some research, but then it just never seems to get done? I did this just a few weeks ago, twice to the same person. I promised I would look up some information when I got home and email it to the person. Then I forgot. When she called the next day about it, I apologized because I had forgotten, and I told her I would do it that night when I got home. Guess what, I forgot again. I didn’t intend to break the promise, but I did. Fortunately, my friend is very understanding and did not take my forgetfulness personally.

But what about other promises, promises we make to ourselves, those New Year Resolutions? Have you ever promised yourself you would wake up early to do something constructive (read, work out, run, write, etc.), but when your alarm goes off, you hit snooze, roll over and go right back to sleep? Or what about eating healthier? Ever make that promise to yourself, vowing to pack your lunch for work rather than eat out? Then the next day your coworkers are all going out to lunch and that packed lunch stays in the refrigerator at work.

And what about promises that other people make to you? Your friends promise they will call you and let you know what the plans are for the weekend, but then they go out without you. What about when a family member makes a promise to keep a secret, then tells other family members that very secret that they had sworn to keep? It hurts when someone breaks a promise. It hurts, even more, when it is someone that you love.

A promise is a serious commitment, and it is one commitment that I find people (myself included) oftentimes have a difficult time keeping. But you know who always keeps His promise? God. God always keeps his promises to us. Always.

There are an estimated 8,810 promises in the bible that God makes to us. To each and every one of us. God promises success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, wisdom, and so much more. God also promises salvation, forgiveness, the assurance of answered prayers, and that He will never abandon us. So, although people fail to keep their promises (me included), God never will. Never.

“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Uphold me and I will be delivered…” Psalm 119:116-117

“I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to his people, his faithful servants-.” Psalms 85:8

So, today, if you make a promise (or a resolution), make every effort to hold true to that promise. If someone makes a promise to you but does not uphold that commitment, try to be forgiving and remember that God is always faithful. God will keep His promise, even when we may not see or understand it, God is with us. Always. Even when we might not recognize it. So put your trust in Him who keeps His promises. And please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Tag: #newyear

New – New Starts, New Beginnings, New Creations

New Year’s Resolutions (Promises)