A New Year

What else would I title the first post of 2014? A new year.

And I think alot about what it means to be a new year. I am very much a person who is about new year's resolutions because I am always about new beginnings. And the new year is a time for reflections and renewed SOMETHING.

Yesterday was, of course, the first day of the year but for our family it was a celebration of "Christmas" - that is to say, the exchange of gifts. And it was fun and silly and filling. So for me, it was not the first day of the year because it was the end. I guess that makes sense.

Anyway, today, January 2nd I ponder new - beginnings, habits, plans, wonderings.
And as I write this I sit in my family room in front of a fire listening on pandora to the "Eva Cassidy" channel. (Eva Cassidy is a blog of her own - maybe later this year) Candles are lit and I am ready to write about the new year.

This morning I put together the worship service for the first service at Karl Road Christian Church in 2014. As we go back to that familiar and wonderful story of the 3 kings, magi, wise men who traveled miles and miles and miles following a star and seeking something. A king? a child? the meaning of life? a savior? an adventure? what? I love the story and the sense of what that journey means today.

Our theme for this year is Be Bold. The word BOLD came to me in the fall and I continued to believe that was what God wants for us to explore this year - not just the verb (faith is a verb!) but the adverb and adjective. How do we live this life of spirit - BOLDLY! And now - what does that mean?

So this morning I started my day with lots of resolutiions like - making my bed and starting the day with a devotional. The devotional a gift from Charles - and it was signed by the author. It is called "The President's Devotional" and I think I will like it. Today the writing was about frailty - recognizing our own frailty which helps us to live in love and not judgment. He writes: "The greatest among us is nothing more than sin stitched together. The least among us is not much worse, and maybe a bit better. We're kept alive and thriving only by the grace of God."

And it all relates to the reading I have been doing for the last two weeks of books by Brene Brown. What has been coming to me this month as I have been pondering BOLD - is that bold can only happen if we are willing to face our vulnerability. We cannot have courage unless we are willing to face and then transcend our fear.

So, the thoughts keep coming and I wonder as always what God is going to do with me this year, with us (that is Karl Road Christian Church) and with you - whoever is the you that is reading this blog.

What I believe and trust is that this path of opening ourselves to the one who gives us life - this path of looking up and walking into the unknown searching for more - love, God, hope, peace, - is a great adventure. That at times scares me but I trust will lead to something I cannot imagine right now as I sit in comfort in my home.

Happy New Year - may this year for all people be truly NEW
Amen