How (not) to have a miserable new year!

A new year: 2010. Wow! What will this new year bring? 10 years ago, I had just lost my mom suddenly and unexpectantly. And in a few short weeks, I would learn my dad had terminal cancer. A few months after that, I lost my wonderful Aunt Janie. But then the Lord also gave us the surprising gift of little Peter only 2 weeks before Daddy's death. He also gave us a new home, graduations from various schools, a new church, and other blessings many utterly unexpected and all undeserved. I guess the point of all this is that we have absolutely no idea what this new year holds but we do know Who holds the future and He is holding us in the palm of His hand. We can trust that whatever this year brings, He will give us the grace and strength and joy and all that we need to get through it not just somehow but triumphantly.

I just heard Chuck Swindoll give a list of 5 things to ensure that you will have a miserable new year! The list included: 1) Worry a lot. And add to your worry list. Especially focus on your past failures as regret fuels worry. Soooo true! I am a professional at this. 2) Focus on getting rich. Pretty clear this one leads to misery! 3)Compare yourself to others. Again, we women are so adept at this one. And we always compare ourselves to someone else's strength and our weakness. I always love Mother Teresa's quote: "All our problems come from looking around rather than up." Help me to daily look up and not around, Lord Jesus. 4)Lengthen your list of enemies. Mercy, life is hard enough as it is, why do I want to add to my list of enemies?! 5) Set and cling to unrealistic expectations. Again, one that so often trips me up as I want to have the perfect Christmas, the perfect family dinner, the warm, spotless, and organized home (HA!), and a family that never fusses, plays board games together at night in front of the fire, shares insights they have been learning from God's Word and then reads great literature in their beds at night. (double HA!)

Okay, so how about the list ensuring a great year? Well, that must be in tomorrow's talk by Swindoll, so for now, at least I know what I'm trying to avoid! But I do know that I will daily try to spend an hour with God--in His Word, in prayer, in writing, in memorizing. And we'll try daily to do family devotions. So far, so good, but then the year is only a few hours old! But what a great adventure--seeking to know and love the God of the universe better today than yesterday and to try to make Him known to my family. To God be the glory.