Monday, January 11, 2010

Traveling Through......


I think everyone has one or more favorite verses from the Bible that have special meaning to them. I am no exception!! If someone were to ask me what my favorite verse is today I would say, Romans 15:13, Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit. This verse has brought me much comfort over the past few months and has been applicable in many areas of my life.

As I began to seek the Lord for a clear direction in my walk with Him, I feel as if He is calling me to travel with Him through the book of Psalms. I have run to these precious chapters in His Word at various times in my life. I have looked to them for refreshment, for comfort, for strength and for peace, but I have to say I was a surface reader. I read them for what they could give at that moment but I did not take the time to really study or meditate on them.

I guess maybe I am getting the idea from a recent movie, Julie and Julia, to make the commitment to blog about my travels through the book of Psalms but this is a wonderful way to help me be accountable to follow through with this commitment. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time to begin an endeavor such as this. I will still have work, two graduate classes, travels to Memphis to spend time with my mom, a grand baby coming in April, and I am sure many more reasons that I could come up with to not do this right now but I know that I am not alone in this journey and that He will help me. There are 150 chapters in the book of Psalms and I know that things will come up that could keep me from studying every day so I will set the date of May 31st to be finished with this journey.

As I write this I am smiling with anticipation of what treasures He will reveal to me as we walk this road together. :)

Let the travels begin!!!!

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Beginnings















The word NEW has several different meanings:
  • recently made
  • first hand
  • replacing the existing one
  • recently discovered
The one that I like the best is the third one listed here, replacing the existing one. I think that is what happens with each new year, the old year is replaced with the new one. I am reminded that we can't go back to yesterday, last week, last month or last year but what we can do is to make the best of each day that we are given and that each day is the new day that replaces the previously existing one. I am trying to learn that each day is full of new things and that I shouldn't worry about the days to come but to enjoy the day I have been given.

I also like the definition of new that refers to things recently discovered. Over the past few months I have discovered that I can be a new graduate student and make good grades, I can handle new transitions at my job, and best of all I will be learning to be a new grandmother around the middle of April!!

I realize that life is full of new things to be discovered. As I begin this new year, I hope to look for the new things in different areas of my life with joy and anticipation.