Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Looking Back at 2007...

2007 was a wonderful year for us. Come to think of it, I can't remember a year that wasn't wonderful!

There have been so many blessings in our lives I don't really know where to begin. So I will just touch on a few.

The biggest and best blessing is knowing that my sins have been washed in the blood of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Of course, my "Mr. Wonderful" and my children are the 2nd best blessing in my life. And then there are all of the little everyday blessings God gives us that I know I usually take for granted (air to breathe, food on the table, a nice home, nice clothes, etc.).

I would like to reflect on a spiritual blessing that started last year and continues into 2008.

Our pastor was able to attend Pastor's School at First Baptist Church, Hammond, Indiana, this last March. The theme was "With Christ in the School of Prayer." Shortly after he got back he started a series on prayer on Sunday nights and the series is still continuing. Wow! I never knew the Bible had so much specific details on the subject of prayer! Through these messages and really reflecting and meditating on Scripture I have been so blessed. The Lord has begun to reveal Himself to me like never before. I can remember sitting in church for many years and hearing visiting preachers, evangelists, missionaries, and even our pastor talk about having a close, intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. I desired to have it but had never achieved it. Prayer truly is an incredibly important ingredient in our relationship with the heavenly Father. One of the subtopics on prayer that has really stuck out to me is praising God and how much He desires each one of us to praise Him both in the good times and in the hard times. I hadn't ever really done that before. I have started to do that and wow, what a difference it makes in my prayer life. I can sense God's presence during that "secret time" in my "secret place." Now, I haven't "arrived" yet in my relationship with God but I am beginning to really "know" Him.

During Sunday school last Sunday, Pastor was teaching on 1 John 4:7,8 - "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." He pointed out that we cannot love like God if we don't know God. Those of us that are saved are born of God but do we know God. I can look back on 2007 and say that I have begun to "know" God. It's GREAT!

I am so thankful that the Lord is patient and longsuffering with me. I truly don't deserve all of the goodness he shows to me. I really am a work in progress for the Lord!

I really look forward to what God has in store for us in 2008!

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