God's New Year

A new year started.
A time to re-think,
And a time to ponder.

What is your New Year's Resolution? I would love to get some comments!!!
My Year's New Resolution is simply this... Love! Love my siblings, and my parents even more. I know that time is precious, and sooner or later, I might be married. So, enjoy it while I can.

A New Year's Poem for Christians:
Instead of making a New Year's resolution
Consider committing to a biblical solution
Your promises are easily broken
Empty words, though earnestly spoken
But God's Word transforms the soul
By His Holy Spirit making you whole
As you spend time alone with Him
He will change you from within
-- Mary Fairchild

Sister's Forever

These last few days my dad and brothers have been hunting. They left Friday morning, and came back tonight, the 16the. During this time it was only my mom, my sister "Joy", my little brother, "Elijah", and I.
I decided to take this time, and spend it with my sister.

You see, a while back ago my mom told me that if she could do life over again, that she would be closer to her siblings, and would have done more things with them. She then told me that Joy should be my best friend, and that we should enjoy one another's company all the time. She gave me advice and said, "Before you know it, all of you guys will be grown up, and hopefully married; but enjoy the time that you have with your siblings while you have them. They'll be gone before you know it."

So, yesterday I told Joy, "Let's play a game!" So we did! We played, "Horse-opoly"...which is almost like manopoly, only with horses. We sat there for about 2 whole hours playing. I ended up winning...but that's not the point. The point is that I took the time out of my day to spend with my sister. To make her day even more amazing and enjoyable I said, "Joy, do you want to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight with me?" Of course, she was overjoyed!
So that night, we had some left over pizza, watched, "Anne of Green Gables", and slept downstairs in the company of one another.

I made Joy's day when we were together.
No, not all the time siblings will get along, but take those moments and memories, and make them last.

When I was helping get ready for my friend's wedding, we were decorating cards, and talking about our siblings and how we want to be their best friends, and try to enjoy life with them while we can; It was then that my friend, "Laura" said, "After I got married, my brother came up to me and said, "Laura, I'm so sorry that we didn't spend as much time together as we should have. I wish that I could do it all over again."

When my friend told me that, I thought, "Wow! What would happened if we all did that. What if we played with our siblings like we would a best friend.
I want that kind of relationship...how about you?
It's never too late to start. My mom is now closer to her sister than ever before.

On another side note, in the movie "Courageous", one of the daughters of the police officer dies of a car crash. The son says, "I'm sorry! I wish that I had spent more time with her, and now she's gone."

Do it now, before it's too late! You'll never know what will happen tomorrow. Enjoy them while you can, don't put it off.
My sister and I are now only sisters, but best friends...for life!
I love you Joy!!!

My Sister, My Friend, and My Hero

One more year has passed on by, don’t look back Keep your head held high, for you’re missing the most valuable moments,
You see…When you are looking down toward your feet. Walk, if you run, you’ll find yourself wondering Why or When What never failed to smile down at you, Somehow, forgot to grin.We somehow took for granted then, the special times we shared-Smiles, smells of home, were thereWhenever we got scared. I ran to and from that place, Yet, never saw that smile. I look up now, no place to run, and it’s been here all the while. I realize late, the things that time can’t allow us to hold for long. The youngest, the oldest, and all in between can’t return, once time has gone-Take time, hold the moments, in time they slip away, Words one heart fought, with a smile to say. This year will pass, as the years before, Smile at the life, that you most adore. When time comes and you “forget” to grin, too…Those who remember your smile of love, will hold heads high, to smile right back at you.

~Author Unknown

~Do you feel Defeated? Give your burden to God~

Over the last few years I have gotten quite a few emails from various friends and family asking for advice. They feel like they can go any further, and that maybe God has forgotten about them. Or that maybe he doesn't care.

Recently my friend sent out a prayer request to a group of us girls on the prayer support list. She told us that some things were going on her family but that she couldn't specify what. A week or so later she emailed everyone to let everyone know that the reason was her mother's Health. Her mother has Breast Cancer, and was going through a rough

spot in life. They were going through test and are still deciding to see if their mom needs or should take Chemo Therapy.

It's hard in life when you've reached a point in the road where you feel lonely. Believe me, I know. I've been there too.

But...God is right there with us. He has been tempted, rejected, pushed around, hated, laughed at, mistreated, crucified, lonely, and angry before. He knows how you feel, and he is right there with you comforting you. When Jesus found out the Lazarus died, it says in the Bible that "Jesus Wept". He knows what it feels like to lose someone. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he felt alone. He's been there. He knows how you feel. Let him take all your troubles, fears, anxieties, and worry's. He'll take it, if you let him.

Here is a poem that my Uncle Time wrote. I thought that I should let you all read it.

Defeated:

Satan's waged a war for thousands of years,

and brought forth millions of tears.

infiltrating our inner lines, Putting evil thoughts into our minds.

He's destroyed our trust in one another,

and turned sister against brother.

He attacks the mind that's his playground,

and he really knows his way around.

He perfected his schemes, and filled our minds with doubt.

which makes us think there's no way out.

Attacking unrelentlessly , he slaughtered God's Holy Lamb.

Desecrating the words of the one who says I AM.

But in Satan's ignorance, what he didn't see,

Is the Lamb that he slaughtered, is our eternal victory!

Now he struts up and down this land,

thinking everything is in his hand.

Satan is known as the angel of light,

disobedient deceiver, he continues to fight.

He roams the earth seeking whom he may devour,

but soon he will see God's final hour.

Satan fills our heart with jealousy and with pride,

making it hard to stand side by side.

Always attacking in such a way

that even God's best Lambs are led astray.

He'll make you believe things that are not true,

try to make you do things you don't want to do.

putting temptations before your eyes

and covering them up in disguise.

The battle cry is getting louder.

the countdown is close to the finals hour.

Satan's attacking from every side.

but he's STILL no match for The Crucified!

~ By Tim Baughman '88