Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Looking Forward

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Happy New Year!
A new year holds promise of goals being met, relationships mended, and more prosperous times than the preceding year. Let’s face it. 2012 was difficult on many fronts: unemployment, violence, illness, budget woes, and death. 
Does God have anything to say to encourage us as we close the book on 2012 and look forward to 2013? 
In the Bible, Joshua found himself transitioning from follower to leader after Moses’ death. The Bible doesn’t share Joshua’s feelings, but certainly he must have felt both excitement and apprehension. After all, it wasn’t just any leader’s shoes he was filling—it was Moses. 
God gave Joshua these words of encouragement along with a promise for his future. Even though Joshua had much to look forward to, he also needed tools to deal with trials along the path. 
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them…Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:6-8
I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, though I do set goals. Regardless of what these are, I know the underlying foundation for success will be to put God first, strive to keep His Word in my life, and mediate with Him. 
What exciting goals have you set for 2013? I’d love to hear about them. 
If you’re struggling to find motivation or joy, I hope you’ll be inspired by this message of song from Casting Crowns. Please email me or leave a comment if you’d like prayer. J 

Please remember to check the prayer list and lift these folks up in prayer. Many with cancer will be facing repeat scans and checkups in the near future. News came out of Iran that Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was rearrested on Christmas Day to finish serving his original sentence for evangelizing. As I hear more news, I’ll share. Please keep this godly man and his family in your prayers. 
Shalom,
Laura
© Laura Hodges Poole
Photo courtesy of Microsoft.com free clip art

12 comments:

  1. love the Pierce's quote Laura!

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  2. Thank you for making the prayer request known. I pray that the Lord will be glorified in this. I was reading Philippians this morning and was reminded how amazing God is to use even the "worst" of times to spread the good news.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and sharing, Tereasa. God bless you in the new year!

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  3. It's very sad that so many Christians around the world face persecution for their faith while so many in America are free to ignore living for Christ.

    I don't do New Years Resolutions but this year I asked God to give me a word for 2013 and He gave me: Dependence. Please pray for me as I learn to depend more and more on the only true source of everything.
    God bless.

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    1. I agree, TC. What a great idea to ask God for a word! I'll be praying for you to succeed at this. God bless you.

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  4. Lovely post, Laura, and very inspiring. Thank You!

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    1. You're welcome. Thanks for stopping by. God bless you.

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  5. Not sure if you've had the chance to see my Jan Newsletter but Youcef's attorney is now in prison as well as another Christian Pastor in Iran.

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    1. I've not read the entire newsletter yet, but I did hear about his attorney and the other Christian pastor. We need to stay in prayer for Christians around the world who don't enjoy the same freedoms we do in this country.

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  6. Hi Laura...I need to check the prayer list and can I ask that my niece be added. She was just diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Her name is Lori. Thanks

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    1. I have added your niece to the prayer list, and I'll be praying for her. Please keep me posted on her progress. God bless.

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