A new year is always a weird thing to start. The day before it was the last day of the previous year. The transition between the last day of a year to the first day of a year is no different than the transition that happens every week when Monday changes to Tuesday. The sun sets at around the same time & then rises around the same time as the previous day. But it's not the same thing. The change from Monday night to Tuesday morning had zero epic effect. The day changing from one year to the next gives a sense of finishing and the open expanse to begin anew.
Something I'm very thankful for that came from discipleship through Antioch for the last 8-9 years is the idea of goal setting for the coming year. This year felt especially sweet as my goals and the promises I heard from the Lord for 2012 are just different. Even working through my budget for 2012 felt different. Mainly because the life I live here in Haiti is very different than the life I previously lived as an independent adult in Waco. As I was working through my "utility bills" category I had to make sure I included generator fuel costs not monthly payments to TXU. I had two separate grocery categories, "Market Groceries & Special Foods," special foods meaning buying over priced butter at a fancy grocery store in Port Au Prince, just because it's fun to make cookies every now and then, and market groceries meaning the ingredients for my daily meals purchased from the open air market 3 days a week.
2011 was incredible. I think 2012 will be better. It might not be easier, but it will be better. 2012 probably won't be incredibly smooth or worry free, but more ground will be taken; in my personal life & in this nation. Ground does not get taken by passively wishing it gets taken. You must advance. To be honest a large part of me does not want to advance. This part of me wants to hang out at the sweet beach side French restaurant we've found close by and pretend that my daily life and obstacles don't exist. Pretend that the very large problems in this nation, our nation, and other nations don't exist either. Part of me wants to retreat.
But you see I've experienced too much victory to see any true value in retreat. Retreat seems tasty when you're tired. Retreat seems like heaven when you're bruised and battered. Retreat seems like the only option when your eyes are blinded with salted sweat. However with God the game changes. When you come into his presence your bruises are healed, your wounds are mended, your weariness is traded with rest, and your sight is cleansed. As he heals you, you really see what ground you've already taken. Your perspective becomes his perspective and you learn to jump into battle & war inside of his presence instead of outside of it. I by no means can say I've done this well, but I have tasted. To war beside him is much more pleasant that to war with him simply looking on.
2012. The are hurdles to be jumped, there are mountains to traverse, and there are valleys to forge, but HE will always be at my side. We will jump as one, cross as one, and make headway as one.
In 2012 I will begin my Tuesday blogging once again with a small change. I will now start blogging every two Tuesdays. As you've probably noticed I had been lagging in my consistency and this was mainly due to more activity going on. Well 2012 is only full of more activity so I'm just changing it up a little. I'll most likely have more to say as well if I wait two weeks between posts, and hey you just might forget about it every couple of weeks and then be surprised again at my blogging skills. Either way I will still blog.
So 2012, I can't wait to see what joys, what trials, what adventures, and what victories you have in store.
Something I'm very thankful for that came from discipleship through Antioch for the last 8-9 years is the idea of goal setting for the coming year. This year felt especially sweet as my goals and the promises I heard from the Lord for 2012 are just different. Even working through my budget for 2012 felt different. Mainly because the life I live here in Haiti is very different than the life I previously lived as an independent adult in Waco. As I was working through my "utility bills" category I had to make sure I included generator fuel costs not monthly payments to TXU. I had two separate grocery categories, "Market Groceries & Special Foods," special foods meaning buying over priced butter at a fancy grocery store in Port Au Prince, just because it's fun to make cookies every now and then, and market groceries meaning the ingredients for my daily meals purchased from the open air market 3 days a week.
2011 was incredible. I think 2012 will be better. It might not be easier, but it will be better. 2012 probably won't be incredibly smooth or worry free, but more ground will be taken; in my personal life & in this nation. Ground does not get taken by passively wishing it gets taken. You must advance. To be honest a large part of me does not want to advance. This part of me wants to hang out at the sweet beach side French restaurant we've found close by and pretend that my daily life and obstacles don't exist. Pretend that the very large problems in this nation, our nation, and other nations don't exist either. Part of me wants to retreat.
But you see I've experienced too much victory to see any true value in retreat. Retreat seems tasty when you're tired. Retreat seems like heaven when you're bruised and battered. Retreat seems like the only option when your eyes are blinded with salted sweat. However with God the game changes. When you come into his presence your bruises are healed, your wounds are mended, your weariness is traded with rest, and your sight is cleansed. As he heals you, you really see what ground you've already taken. Your perspective becomes his perspective and you learn to jump into battle & war inside of his presence instead of outside of it. I by no means can say I've done this well, but I have tasted. To war beside him is much more pleasant that to war with him simply looking on.
2012. The are hurdles to be jumped, there are mountains to traverse, and there are valleys to forge, but HE will always be at my side. We will jump as one, cross as one, and make headway as one.
In 2012 I will begin my Tuesday blogging once again with a small change. I will now start blogging every two Tuesdays. As you've probably noticed I had been lagging in my consistency and this was mainly due to more activity going on. Well 2012 is only full of more activity so I'm just changing it up a little. I'll most likely have more to say as well if I wait two weeks between posts, and hey you just might forget about it every couple of weeks and then be surprised again at my blogging skills. Either way I will still blog.
So 2012, I can't wait to see what joys, what trials, what adventures, and what victories you have in store.
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