Good Bye 2010, Hello 2011!!

I love new year! I love that God's mercies are new EVERY morning, but the new year just seems to provide a time when I allow myself to wipe the slate clean and have a new beginning on the things God is calling to that I seem to fail continually to complete!

I have a confession! Over the past month or two, I have sat down with God for intentional quiet time very few times. I've missed it for sure! But I seemed to be in a slump! I don't know why as over the past year, God has truly been my life line and best friend! I have learned to rely on and trust Him in new ways I never have before! Part of my problem as been having the two babies and the nausea from the pregnancy. But if I had been focused on spending time, I would have found a way even with those obstacles.

As God has called me back to Himself, even the random devotion I did yesterday was on focus! God has just shown me over and over this year how personal He is! That He will meet me right where I am, wherever that is. I love that about my God! Even after a month plus of avoiding Him, the first time I sit down to meet with Him He provides a gentle reminder that I need to stay focused on Him to accomplish the plans He has for me...plans that are for my good and not my harm (Jeremiah 29:11), and plans that have far more for me than I can possibly hope or imagine (Eph 3:20-21).

As I sat down this morning to look back over this year, I am so pleased that I can look back on it with a smile! For the first time in probably five years, I can look back over the year coming to a close and see God's provision and love like never before. He was there all those other years as well, but in my immaturity, I couldn't see it past circumstances to Him. At the beginning of 2010, God gave me John 15:1-11 as our family scripture for the year. He has made good on His promises from these verses this year! I remember the thing that drew me to that scripture was the part on joy. I had lost my joy. Life was so hard and I couldn't find a reason to smile or see any "abundant" in my life. So I started asking God to restore to me the joy of His salvation, and as He promises, He answered my prayer! It is amazing to me to look at January of this year and now. Really, none of my circumstances have changed, in fact, many have become worse (finances are more difficult with 6 instead of 4 children, marriage is stressed more with 6 instead of 4 children, daily life is more hectic with 6 instead of 4 children, everything is harder when I'm fighting nausea most of the time and the fatigue of pregnancy...not to mention the thoughts of how to add one more to our lives, etc, etc) but I have my joy back! Praise God, He has restored my joy! He has taught me how to have joy in Him...He never changes. So no matter what my circumstances are, my joy can be complete in Him! I'm still a work in progress, but it is so cool to look and see how God has worked on my inside this year to teach me His Truths!

As I look forward to 2011, I have to say, it is with some trepidation! God has already made clear to me some of the plans He has for me, and frankly, they seem impossible! But the Holy Spirit quickly reminds me that ALL things are possible IN HIM! That IN HIM part is the key!

As I sat down this morning, I kind of thought God would "punish" my lack of meeting with Him and not give me my yearly scriptures that I like to have at the beginning of the year. I should know better by now! God is not about withholding Himself from us! He wants to reveal Himself to us and will do so ANY TIME we agree to meet with Him and open ourselves up to what He has to say! Like the faithful Father He is, He brought two scriptures to mind the minute I sat down to journal and ask Him what I needed to focus on for 2011. The P-tree family scriptures for 2011 will be Luke 16:10-13 and Ephesians 3:16-21. There are lots of exciting promises in these scriptures, but there are also many responsibilities for me and John as we walk in Christ!

I can't wait to see what 2011 brings. I have a feeling that once again, God is going to be asking me to stretch myself in ways I never dreamed were possible! The one I already know is that He is asking me to go back to work. That will have to be a post for another time as the turmoil that one thing alone brings in my inner woman is enough to write a book! But as I argue with God, not recommended by the way, He only says, trust and obey! Hard to argue with those two words coming from the One who made me and holds the world in His hands!

My prayer for all of you is that 2011 brings you closer to Jesus than you are today. I pray that God will stretch you in ways that reveal His character to you in ways you can't miss! That is what He did for us in 2010, and I pray He does it again in 2011! One thing for sure, this ride we call "Walking with God" is never dull!!!!

Happy New Year Blog World Friends!