The New Year - New Dreams
One of my readers recently emailed me and reminded me that my last post was November 20, 2007. Yikes! That was a while ago. Where did the time disappear? It got lost in Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. For those of you who receive my annual Christmas card and letter, I apologize. The Christmas letter (along with the unaddressed Christmas cards) is still sitting on my desk. What happened?
As you may recall, my husband launched our family into another building project in early October. As of today, I put the final coat of paint on some trim in the new music room, and my part of the project will be complete (other than moving a few things around). In addition to our usual holiday parties, church activities and family gatherings, my family (mostly my husband) managed to complete our remodeling project. Where did we find the time? Let's see, it was somewhere between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. every night. On January 2, I got up, made the coffee, walked the dogs, washed the dishes and collapsed in a heap. I slept the rest of the day and the next night away. It's 4 days into the new year, and I finally feel ready to face it.
I'm not one for new year's resolutions, but I do like to take time at the beginning of the year to reflect on where I've been and dream about where I am going. Last year was one of incredible ups and downs. I lost a dear friend. I gained two church families. I lost a job. I gained numerous little jobs. My dreams of becoming a writer went from pecking at my blog page to being accepted into a writing program which I hope to start some time in May of this year. My love for teaching was rekindled, and for the first time in years, I am actually doing what I originally went to college to do--teach. Finally, the Lord became more precious to me in 2007. Seeing God faithfully provide for our family and take us through stormy times deepened my faith and made me love Him and long for Heaven all the more.
Yesterday, while conversing with my daughter, I was reminded of two passages of Scripture which have been the driving force in my life since I was a teenager:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "(Matthew 7:7,8, ESV)
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
(Philippians 3:7-11, ESV)
I was once told by a pastor that the words ask, seek, and knock in the above verses actually mean, keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. What have I asked, sought and knocked for? I have wanted to know Christ, to understand who He is and what He means in my life. I have sought to understand what it means to count all things as rubbish to gain Christ. After years of asking and seeking and knocking, I am beginning to understand what Paul meant in these verses.
So what are my dreams for 2008? Ultimately, they are the same as they have been for years: to know Christ and to make Him known to others. All that I say and do should point to that goal. If not, it is mere rubbish. The words of this ancient poem (now set to music) say it well:
As you may recall, my husband launched our family into another building project in early October. As of today, I put the final coat of paint on some trim in the new music room, and my part of the project will be complete (other than moving a few things around). In addition to our usual holiday parties, church activities and family gatherings, my family (mostly my husband) managed to complete our remodeling project. Where did we find the time? Let's see, it was somewhere between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. every night. On January 2, I got up, made the coffee, walked the dogs, washed the dishes and collapsed in a heap. I slept the rest of the day and the next night away. It's 4 days into the new year, and I finally feel ready to face it.
I'm not one for new year's resolutions, but I do like to take time at the beginning of the year to reflect on where I've been and dream about where I am going. Last year was one of incredible ups and downs. I lost a dear friend. I gained two church families. I lost a job. I gained numerous little jobs. My dreams of becoming a writer went from pecking at my blog page to being accepted into a writing program which I hope to start some time in May of this year. My love for teaching was rekindled, and for the first time in years, I am actually doing what I originally went to college to do--teach. Finally, the Lord became more precious to me in 2007. Seeing God faithfully provide for our family and take us through stormy times deepened my faith and made me love Him and long for Heaven all the more.
Yesterday, while conversing with my daughter, I was reminded of two passages of Scripture which have been the driving force in my life since I was a teenager:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "(Matthew 7:7,8, ESV)
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
(Philippians 3:7-11, ESV)
I was once told by a pastor that the words ask, seek, and knock in the above verses actually mean, keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. What have I asked, sought and knocked for? I have wanted to know Christ, to understand who He is and what He means in my life. I have sought to understand what it means to count all things as rubbish to gain Christ. After years of asking and seeking and knocking, I am beginning to understand what Paul meant in these verses.
So what are my dreams for 2008? Ultimately, they are the same as they have been for years: to know Christ and to make Him known to others. All that I say and do should point to that goal. If not, it is mere rubbish. The words of this ancient poem (now set to music) say it well:
Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me ever guiding;
Christ behind me, Christ before, Christ, my love, my life, my Lord.
Bread of life from heaven, lover of my soul;
Peace of God so ever present. I surrender my control to
Christ behind me, Christ before, Christ, my love, my life, my Lord.
Bread of life from heaven, lover of my soul;
Peace of God so ever present. I surrender my control to
Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me ever guiding;
Christ behind me, Christ before, Christ, my love, my life, my Lord.
Mercy everlasting, tenderness divine;
Word of God so ever healing.
I surrender heart and mind to
Mercy everlasting, tenderness divine;
Word of God so ever healing.
I surrender heart and mind to
Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me ever guiding;
Christ behind me, Christ before, Christ, my love, my life, my Lord.
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