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 ‘Tis the Season to Renew, Refresh, Recycle and Resolve
By Dian Moore
The passing of one year and the beginning of the next is an event in my house that often goes unnoticed. By midnight on December 31, we are fast asleep, but soon jarred awake by bells, clanging pots, gunshots and the dogs barking at what they believe is a riot in the neighborhood.
Once again, a new year unfolds in front of me. Not only is it a new year, but my birthday falls on January 5. So this wintry time of year brings much to my mind to resolve, renew, refresh, and of course, remember.
What will be different this year? What can I do to make this year stand out from the rest?
The answers to those questions are different for each of us.
I’m going to follow Al Boyce’s advice in "Revolutionary Resolution" and read the entire Bible. Since my laptop is a fixture on my lap, the daily email scriptures promises to keep me on track.
During my mature years, I’ve read different parts of it and studied subjects and themes. I’ve learned about bondage and sending evil back where it belongs. I’ve found answers to prayer and comfort for heartache within those pages. This year, my goal is to find my purpose in God’s Kingdom.
Other goals I’ve set for 2005 are re-organization of my time, reduction of clutter and refreshing my marriage and home.
I find it interesting that most goals, or resolutions, begin with ‘re’.
God is the master of ‘Re’, or ‘do-overs’, or second, third and fourth chances. This knowledge sets me free to leave the past behind, salvage the good memories, put away the bad, and begin again as only a Child of God can do.
As His Child, and because of His Gift, I can refresh my spirit, reclaim promises, restore relationships, re-solve recurring problems, recycle and reclaim memories and more.
To support my Re-New Year, I found some fun, helpful websites to aid me during my re-do’s.
- Flylady.net (http://www.flylady.net)
- Organized Home (http://www.organizedhome.com)
- Get Organized Now (http://www.getorganizednow.com)
- Resolution Reminder (http://www.hiaspire.com/newyear/reminder.htm)
- Redecorate Your Home (http://www.decorate-redecorate.com/decorating-tips.html)
- Renewing Marriage Vows (http://www.covenantkeepers.org/articles/strengthen_commitment.htm)
- Do-it-yourself Memory Crafts (http://www.diynet.com/diy/cr_books_boxes_boards/0,2024,DIY_13746,00.html)
- Recycling Everyday Household Items (http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_moneysaving_recycle/0,1800,HGTV_3131,00.html)
LIFE LESSONS FROM 2004:
I've learned that with all our various gifts and talents the greatest gift we can give anyone is love. Just a few weeks ago we gave one of the residents here a Christmas card though we barely new him. He began to cry and told us that was the first card he had received in 22 years. Another lesson learned from that incident is that it's not so much what we say that influences others, it's what we do. And finally, a lesson I had to learn over from the year before is that the Lord wants us to stay in today. When we do, we walk at his side. If we dwell in the past, we're lagging behind him and if we worry about the future, we're running ahead.
(Bill Shurkey)
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