The year I entered into high school was a landmark year. My class was the last class that started high school as sophomores. After my tenth grade year, ninth graders were considered “high schoolers.” So instead of high school consisting of tenth through twelfth grade, high school began at the freshmen level. This was an exciting and new beginning for me.
I also remember my first year in college and my very first day of classes. I remember watching my soon to be wife walking down the aisle and hearing my heart beating rapidly. That was a time worth remembering. I remember the day when we were in the delivery room about to have our first child. I remember on another occasion in a different delivery room about to have our second child. All these memories and others were happy new beginnings in my life.
This past year in the life of our congregation, we were blessed to have gone through curriculum that has helped to build our spiritual muscles. What a blessing to be a part of spiritual growth!!
As we leave the year 2015 and are about to enter into the year 2016, my hope and prayer is that you have had some good memories of the past and are excited about what the future holds. If your past wasn’t what you thought it should have been, don’t let your history prevent you from moving forward to what God has in store for you. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
God has plans for you and He can use you in His kingdom. Jeremiah says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
January 1, 2016 begins a new year and new beginnings. God is happy to have you in His kingdom and He’s looking to help you along your walk with Him as you either begin your journey or continue it.
Resource(s): Personal Bible study from the (NIV) Bible
