Post Holiday Thoughts

It is Sunday afternoon, the Sunday after New Year's...and the last day of the holiday season.  There is now a bare spot where the Christmas tree once stood, and all the other odds and ends of Christmas decorations are pretty much put away for another year.

As I packed up the Nativity Set,  I said good bye to the Baby Jesus, the Shepherd, the Wise Men, Mary and Joseph and the Angel until next year.  As I did so I thought to myself, "Well, not really good bye to the Baby Jesus. I'll be keeping Him in my heart all year long...and not as a baby, either.  It's the full-grown resurrected coming back again someday soon Jesus that sticks closer than a brother to me all year long that I'll be keeping in my heart."

That's the most important and significant reflection that I want to focus upon in the New Year...(FOCUS...that's my new One Word for 2015!)  Jesus--Who sticks closer than a brother or a mother or a father or a husband or a sister or child or friend...Jesus, the One Who will be with us through thick and thin, in good times and bad times.  Jesus, My God and My Savior, the One Who rescued me from sin and keeps me in His arms, safe from the snares of this old world.

I believe this prayer of the Apostle Paul to the Church at Ephesus is an appropriate prayer for us as we begin this New Year:

"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

that He would grant you,

according to the riches of His glory,

to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man (woman!),

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is 

the width and length and depth and height~

to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly 

above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,

to HIM be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations,

forever and ever.

Amen."

Ephesians 3:13-21

What a beautiful prayer! Read through it again, and apply it to your own life and heart...this prayer was prayed for you and me..to be strengthened (my One Word for 2014!), to be rooted and grounded in love, to KNOW the LOVE of Christ, to be Filled with all the fullness of God...all action words! But the action isn't all mine to do on my own...The strengthening will come through God's Spirit...Christ Himself will DWELL in my heart through faith...and it is God Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above ALL that we ask or think!  He is the One Who will do this in us and through us according to His power that is working in us!

Yes, I do believe the "Baby Jesus" will be quite active in my life in this new year. As I said above, 

it is the  "full-grown resurrected coming back again someday soon Jesus that sticks closer than a brother to me all year long that I'll be keeping in my heart."  He is the One! 

"To HIM be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, 

forever and ever. 

Amen"