The First Day

When I was groing up my Mom had some saying she shared about whatever you did on the first day of the year would be what influenced the rest of the year. So we ate black-eyed peas to bring prosperity. That was our tradition.

Somehow, that old wives tale stuck in my head and it really brought some fear instead of encouragement. If Kevin, my husband, and I would have an argument on the 1st, I would fear that it would last all year. If I got bad news of any kind it felt like an omen for the next 12 months. It wasn't overwhelming, but just this little nagging in the back of my mind that would pop up...remember what happened on New Years Day? Oh, that explains everything. Crazy, but true. For the last month I have been thinking about New Years Day. Not becasue of resolutions, but becasue I have contemplated how my day would go; what would it influence in the coming year. And instead of approaching this day with trepidation, I wanted to change my way of thinking. Instead of fearing the things that might happen, I wanted to set some positive precedents for the year on the first. I want to share some of my ideas for the new begining we have before each of us. I hope to encourage each of you to start a new thing or re-commit to an old thing. Today I am going to read my Bible. Several years ago I read through the chronological Bible and it made so much more sense to me. So I am starting it again today. Wether you are a person who reads one verse and meditates on it, or a person who reads a chapter a day, or a person who studies one topic at a time, start out fresh today. I am going to spend time with the Lord. I am going to pour my heart out to Him and listen to His plan for me. I am going to be grateful that Jesus is my Savior. I am going to be thankful for the direction of the Holy Spirit. Today I am going to love my husband. I am re-committing myself to the promises I made almost 25 years ago. I am going to love and cherish this man; stay with him in sickness and health; forsake everyone else and keep myself to him alone. Today I am going to be an encourager to my children. My girls are grown, so the time for discipline is past, it is time to encourage them to be all God wants them to be. And to be a safe stable place for them to always know is home. Today I am going to endeavor to be a better relative and freind. I am going to love my family and pray for them. I am going to be a freind to my friends, really be a friend. Today I am going to set my mind on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. I am going to think on things that are pure and lovely and honorable. I am going to work on getting my mind and my body to be under the authority of the Spirit of God that lives in me. None of these things would be possible if I do not see each of them as important and make it a priority to follow through on the decisions I have made. This year, instead of being afraid of what might happen today and the implications it might have on my coming year, I am making a concious decision to be sure of some things that will happen and look forward to the benefits that are going to come from those actions I start putting in to practice today. Today is the first day of the rest of each of our lives. It is a new year, a new day, a new opportunity. I want to encourage you to begin today to do something that is going to bless the Lord, bless others and in turn bless yourself. Today you are going to.....