Another Christmas has come and gone and a new year has arrived just as quickly as the last year faded away. Thinking back on 2009 I’ve no doubt you can find much joy also mixed with some heartache and sadness. Everyone feels this way, whether you’ve lost a loved one or gone through a troubled time (or times) in your marriage. The question comes in what happens next; what do we do now?

2010. It even feels strange writing it. Where were you when the clock struck midnight a decade ago as many wondered if our local and national systems would fail creating utter chaos as some predicted. What has happened in your life in the last decade? What happened 10 years ago that you can look at today and have predicted? Probably not too much. That’s because life has its own way of being; its own way of bringing changes. Ten years from today will be no different than that. There will be new challenges, new joy, new hope, new sadness and new circumstances. What will you do today that will bring inspiration to a new decade? Will you allow the hardships recently suffered to dictate the rest of your life or will you decide, today, to overcome the darkness and to find the Light and follow It?

Holidays are trying times for most everyone. When you’re hurting inside it can be even worse. When your family is apart you often just want them over with. But what do you do now that they are? Here are a few of my thoughts. What are some of yours?

1) Find a way to show love and compassion to those who need it. You will soon overcome your own heartache when you give of yourself and focus on others.

2) Remain thankful, no matter how your mind wants to feel. Thankfulness breeds reasons to be thankful. Want more reasons to be thankful? Start being thankful for what you already have!

3) Read God’s Word and meditate on it, in silence. Try not to ask God “why?” and instead, just let God be God and allow your silence create rest and peace in your soul. Allow His word to not just touch your surface but to get deep inside you.

4) Love, love, love. Without preconditions, without judgment, without labels, without titles. Love for wholeness. Love for your sake and for the sake of everyone else. Show it, believe it and you will become it. You can love the unlovable, allow yourself to begin to show it. The desire will begin to follow.

5) Set goals to become a better person and a better spouse. Make sure they are attainable, then set goals in between to check your status. Are you living a better life? Are you loving more? Are you judging less? Are you controlling and manipulating less? Are you meeting the needs of others more?

Do these things and you will find strength, purpose and life. Ignore them and life will be miserable and the outcome predictable. Want more? Give more. Want less? Give less. Want your needs met? Meet the needs of others. Do you part then allow God to do His. He never fails.

Happy New Year!

Seth

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