It's a New Year!!

Tomorrow marks the start of a year; a new decade.

The first decade of the 21st century brought marriage, two children, and numerous trials and triumphs, and countless failures and victories. Through each mistake and each success, growth has occurred; beneficial lessons have been learned.

The final year of this decade has been filled with really BIG changes for my family. It has been a year of moving forward and stepping out in faith like never before. God has a way of stretching your faith as far as it can go, and then when you don't thing you can stretch any more, He shows you His faithfulness and you find yourself expanding, growing into His fullness.

As I think upon the new year, and the new decade, I begin to get butterflies. I know that big things are in store, promises are going to be fulfilled. I want with all my heart to fulfill His perfect will and do the work He has for me to do on this earth.

However, as much as I want to do His work and share His love and salvation with others, there is something I want a thousand times more. A few months back, during a prophetic prayer, my Abba Father said to me, it's your turn, ask whatever you want, it's yours.


One word came to mind. Abide. I want to Abide in Him and He in me. I want to know Him. I want to know and fully understand the Father's love. I want to know the Son and understand the fullness of His sacrifice and suffering.

And so, this is my prayer for me and my family: Father, may I Abide in You, and You in me. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can I, unless I abide in You.

Happy New Year everyone! May His blessings and peace abound in your life this year.

The best is yet to come....

Eternity

My Grandma is sick. My best friend is in pre-labor. It's the holidays. I want to go home.

It is moments like these that I remind myself, it's not about the now, its about the forever. If all there was to life was compacted into the 75 ish years we receive on earth, goodness knows I wouldn't be spending it here! I wouldn't be itching to live out my life in a third world country with few creature comforts.

If it weren't for eternity, I would have continued my comfortable life in my comfortable city with my comfortable family and friends. I would watch my niece grow up. I would enjoy the fellowship of all my mommy friends as our kids grow up, side by side. I would happily listen to the banter between my husband and his closest friend. I would be content knowing that my children had the love and support of extended family, just minutes away.

If it weren't for eternity, I wouldn't be living by faith, dependent on God to pay the rent. I would put down roots. I would be successful and financially secure.

But the truth is, JESUS is REAL. This life is just a small bleep on the radar of eternity. I will live forever. My Grandma will live forever. I will have eternity to be with the ones I love. I will have eternity to be comfortable and secure.

What I do not have eternity to do is tell others about Jesus, the WAY to eternal life. That is one thing that can only be done here on earth.

So, on days like today, when all I really want to do is be with my Grandma, be with my friend as she welcomes her new son into the world, and celebrate Christmas at my Mom's house like I have done every year since I was born, I think about....


...and I remember. Their Eternity is worth my discomfort. Their Soul is worth so much more than my tiny sacrifice here on earth.

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
John 12:24-26