Monday, January 01, 2007

Welcome 2007!


New Years Meditations
Hosted By Laurel Wreath

I awoke earlier this morning than I expected after staying up past midnight. I am filled with excitement and anticipation of a New Year. Each week of my life I sit in a unique position. Most attend their church each week sitting next to their spouse or other loved ones hearing a message from their pastor. I on the other hand have known only one thing for most of my married life. To sit alone listening to my husband share the word of God or serve in some other area of ministry in the church. Now that my children are getting older I have the wonderful privilege of having one or two of them sitting along side me. I am often asked questions like, "is it hard to listen to your own husband each week', or "do you always know what he is going to share", and on occasion, "I bet you have heard all this before." and the answer to all those questions is, "No".

I have another unique privilege as well that so many other women who also walk in a similar place are allowed to experience. I know the man behind the words. I pray with him, listen to his heart, and share everyday life with him. So, what does this have to do with New Years Meditations, my hopes, dreams and goals. Well, yesterday my husband gave a message that was simple in nature, and oddly he had shared much with me this past week, and yet I walked out of service knowing with a fresh perspective that all my hopes for my family, my dreams for the year and the goals that I usually like to set for myself are nothing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING apart from God. I had a sense of new revelation about my life. Colossians 1:16 says,

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.


The words, "all things, and "for him" have played over and over in my mind in the last 24 hours. One of the questions he asked was, "What's the reason for everything? It's all for God's Glory Romans 11:36 says,

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.


As I look at my life, the season I am in, raising a teenager, toddler, and everything in between, the hopes and dreams I have for my home and family, the daily goals I have for myself to take better care of myself, to live a life that matters, and my own tendency to make plans and figure things out, I think of this statement made yesterday morning by my husband in the context of finding purpose and meaning in your life, "who cares who remembers me in this life 100 years from now....WILL GOD KNOW ME!

This is my hope, dream, and goal for 2007. To KNOW God! And everything else will find its right place. The only way to really know someone is through spending time with them and so I continue on with my "Life Journal". My daily devotion with the Lord. It has always been a priority...but for some reason it has a new vengeance. I don't' feel compelled to make the list of things to accomplish, my dreams, my plans, and so on but I find it almost too simple, as my husband shared, "seize the day" and Know God!

Thank you Lord, that I can go to your word and look for Your hopes, Your dreams, Your goals for my life, for my family, for my future, for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!

To read more New Year's Meditations go to Laurel Wreath

16 comments:

Lori said...

Amen. I like it when you said, ""who cares who remembers me in this life 100 years from now....WILL GOD KNOW ME! " When I die and see Him face to face, will he know me as a intimate friend/father should?

What an awesome meditations for the new year.

"All things were created by him and for him."

Beautifully written.

Happy New Year.

TheNormalMiddle said...

"to live a life that matters..."

Raising your family is such a huge thing and I know God will grow you closer as you weather this season of toddlers and teens and all inbetween!

God bless you in 2007!

Julie said...

I have to agree...

Really, knowing the Lord personally is the Most Important Thing. Period.

New Year's blessings to you!

Jane said...

Wow! Lots to chew on here. Ditto to the other comments! Happy New Years!

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him".

I think that says it all. God bless you and your family in the New Year!

Kim said...

Great post,Chris...and inspiring words...you seem to have a gift of putting things in perspective and make the complex so simple to understand. Thanks for doing that!

I appreciate your point of view from a pastor's wife,also.

Happy New Year Friend!

Kim

Cyndi said...

I loved this post! "Lord, I want to know you" has been my heart's cry for so long. I just integrated Kay Arthur's book on the names of God into my quiet times and I have been so blessed by "knowing" Him by His names. I have prayed just now for you to know Him more deeply and that your intimate knowledge of Him will be a magnet for others in your church who need to be drawn to Him as well.

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post. After writing my post I too thought along the lines about what I wrote as you did . . . "my dreams for the year and the goals that I usually like to set for myself are nothing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING apart from God." Only God can do the work in me that will accomplish the hopes, dreams, and goals I have set out in my post.

Your sharing on, "WILL GOD KNOW ME," is indeed what matters most. Will we abide in Him and He in us? Then and only then we will bear his fruit! May you blossom as you ABIDE in the Him!

Janis Rodgers said...

"This is my hope, dream, and goal for 2007. To KNOW God! And everything else will find its right place. The only way to really know someone is through spending time with them..."

This is my hope, too. That is really all that matters, isn't it? May we both know God more in 2007. Happy New Year!

Donnetta said...

"Will God know me?"

One of the most thought provoking and challenging question's I think I've ever heard!! I will be clinging to this one liner to spur me on to make sure He does!!

Thanks for stopping by "My Quiet Corner" and commenting!! Please feel welcome to stop back by anytime!

Susanne said...

So inspiring, Chris! Seeking first to know God puts everything else in order! Great post!

Anonymous said...

Something to think about for sure! Thanks for the inspiring words! God bless you and your family in 2007!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for stopping by my Front Porch and saying hello!! I have been here many times before but I don't believe I ever stopped to comment...how rude of me, I know. I am begging forgiveness of many things as I head into the New Year ;)

Mrs. Julie Fink said...

Knowing God is the BEST part of life! I put information about our Christmas Coffee under "Ladies Ministry Ideas" on my blog. Let me know if you need any more information about it.

Anonymous said...

Amen. Beautifully put.

melanie said...

it was a great message. i read this post after a long long day on monday when josh and i were both spiritually exhausted and without commenting, i picked up the word and found what my heart was longing for all day, Him. Thanks for who you are Chris.