Todays Beginning

Psalm 63:4-5 (NLT), "I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy." Friday, "Oh the goodness of God. David writes in Psalm 63:4-5 (NLT), "I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy." Yes, it is very important for us to stop and lift up our hands to God in prayer as we face 2025. It is an unknown and we definitely need to be connected to God in prayer. That is such a privilege and opportunity, isn't it? And if we stop and look back on 2024 then we can see the answers to our prayers and we can praise him. It is amazing what has happened in our life this past year. It really is. As I was coming down the hill to my coffee shop to write and looking out at the sunrise I got emotional. In no way did I realize what this year would bring because of...

Psalm 62:8 (AMP), "Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." Thursday... So how do we handle the unknown? So here it is a new year. We never have faced 2025 before. And looking at individuals, even Christ followers, each ones handles the unknown differently.  Now over in Genesis 32-33 we find a story about two brothers, Jacob and Esau. It seems that 20 years before, Jacob the younger brother had stolen the older brother Esau's birthright and Esau said he was going to kill him so Jacob ran but God seemed to tell him that it was time to come home and meet up with his brother. And in Genesis 33:1 (NLT) it says, "Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with 400 men." Now each one of us are unique individuals and we each one face difficult situations differently. Even Christ followers face what is ahead differently. One will face it positively, thinking that this new year is going to be great and othe...

Psalm 62:5 (NLT), "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him." Wednesday... So what are we hoping for in 2025? That's a very good question, What do we want in this new year? There was this brother in the Old Testament who stole his brother's birthright. Jacob was his name and his brother was Esau and their mother heard Esau say to their dad that he was going to kill his brother. And their mom sent Jacob to go and live with her brother. Now after 20 years Jacob decided he wanted to go home and because he always seemed to come out as a winner he started his trip even though he was a little afraid. Maybe you have some fears as you face what you are hoping for in 2025. So Jacob sent these messengers ahead to tell his brother Esau that he was coming. He thought he needed to prepare the way for him to see his brother and to see how he might respond to him. So he told them, in Genesis 32:4-6 (NLT), "Give this message to my master Esau: 'Until ...