No Fear! (Trading Satan's Lies for God's Truth)

Along the way I've struggled with life's uncertainties, allowing the fear of the future to consume my thoughts and steal my joy; but, recently, I've received a beautiful taste of God's perfect peace.

The past few weeks have been overflowing with uncertainties-exciting opportunities, unexpected challenges, and significant changes in my life and in the lives of those around me.

I like to believe that I'm an expert at dealing with change, but if I honestly assess my reactions, too often I find myself worried and concerned about the future.

But this is not how God wants us to live. The Bible is filled with encouragement and reminders that we should not be afraid (1 Timothy 1:7); it says we should let tomorrow take care of itself (Matthew 6:34); it assures us that God is in control (Proverbs 19:21); and it tells us that Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). I could go on and on and on..God makes this abundantly clear in His Word: Jesus came to give us a life of peace (John 14:27).

Clearly, God knew what kind of person I would be and He put these verses, and so many others, in the Bible to give me comfort and assurance in times of uncertainty. I'm constantly amazed at how God fulfills each and every one of His promises. I'm not amazed that he fulfills them, but at how He fulfills them in my life.

These past two weeks, I've been leaning heavily on God, asking Him to lead me beside the still waters; and the peace I've found is truly past all understanding.

So join me as I continue to walk hand in hand with God through the trials and triumphs of life, letting go of my fears and holding tightly to God.

Final Thought: Letting go is one of the most difficult tasks God asks us to perform, but the results are always spectacular.

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Personal Commitment: This week I’ve come to recognize the power of thoughtful, mindful listening—giving just a few minutes of my time to listen to a friend tell me about his headache, a co-worker tell me about her kids’ antics, a church member share her writings, or my husband tell me about his bike ride. God calls us to love one another; and listening is a simple, but powerful way to express that love. So, I am committed to listening—even to those seemingly insignificant conversations—when the people in my life take a moment to share their joy and their pain.

Hills and Headwinds (Helping Others is the Best Way to Help Yourself)

Along the way I’ve discovered that when I’m encouraging others my burden is lighter and I take very little notice of life’s difficulties.

Here’s something you should know about me that will make this story a bit more impactful: I don’t often say ‘I hate,’ but this time I’m going to make an exception because I really do hate hills and headwinds when I’m riding my bike. These two things are not fun for me and, while I’m embarrassed to admit it, they often reduce me to a whiny little child complaining about how hard it is and desperately wishing I was sitting on my couch eating pasta (or some other equally delicious carbohydrate).

Recently, I participated in the Tour de Nebraska bike ride, and in those five days we were blessed with an excess of two things—you guessed it: hills and headwind. In fact, on Friday the headwind was 23+ mph gusting to 41 mph.

Did I mention that I hate headwinds?

But, despite these challenges, I can honestly say I had a wonderful time riding my bike across Nebraska. Not once did I raise my voice to lament my circumstances. Not once did I stop and refuse to go on. Not once did I wish I was sitting on my couch eating pasta. (Well, maybe once.) No, instead, I truly enjoyed the ride all day, every day—even the hills, even the headwind.

Looking back, I realized that the difference was this: I was riding with a wonderful group of people; we were all struggling together, and I was the incessant voice of cheerful optimism, loudly encouraging those who were lagging and merrily declaring that not only could we do this, but that we were having fun—I was the self-appointed cheerleader (pompoms excluded). And you know what? I was right, we did it and we had fun. Even I was surprised.

This experience made me realize that when I stop focusing on my own problems and instead take time to reach out to help others, I’m always happier. I discovered that as I encouraged others and bolstered their flagging resolve I was strengthened and I began believing the words of encouragement I spoke to others.

So join me as I truly take the words of Jesus found in Luke 10:27 to heart: “He said, ‘That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself’” (MSG). Because as I experienced that windy day on a bike in Nebraska, when I take the focus off myself and instead take time to encourage others, my spirits are also lifted.

Final Thought: Sometimes just a few cheerful words make all the difference.

“Thank You, Father!” (A Prayer of Gratitude)

Along the way I’ve discovered that God is always faithful in fulfilling His promises—always!

This week, I’ve been completely overwhelmed by God’s abundant blessing in my life! So, in this very special devotional thought, I’m simply going to share my prayer of gratitude. So please join me as I praise God for his unending blessings:

God, You are so ver...y faithful. Thank You for leading in my life. Recently, Your gentle hand of guidance has been clear and undeniable. But there have been times when I felt lost, times when I wandered in the wilderness waiting for You to guide me out—and the wait was so very difficult, Lord!

But, today, I want to thank You for those wilderness moments, Father, for it has been in those quiet, timeless moments that my faith has truly grown; and I’ve learned that waiting on You is transformative—it changes the way I experience life. And the deluge of blessings You have poured out after the interminable dryness of the wilderness is awe-inspiring! New growth emerges, flowers of joy flourish, and rivers of hope spring forth: Finally, spring!

So, today, I am celebrating Your faithfulness in my life, God. And I am daily amazed by Your limitless grace. Please hold me firm in Your gentle hand, and don’t let me ever stray from Your perfect presence.

God, You are so good—so very good all the time! You’ve poured out Your blessings…and they just keep coming—rolling like a tidal wave.

Flood me, Father, with Your continued grace, drench me in Your downpour of unending mercy, wash away any doubts in the endless flood of Your boundless love.

Amen.

Final Thought: God is always faithful: Test Him and see.

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Personal Epiphany: I am not alone in this cold, dark world: When Jesus left this earth, He sent the Comforter, Who is always with me. God is in the beautiful business of wiping tears away—every day, not just when He returns in the clouds of glory at Christ’s Second Coming. God is the Great Healer and He will lead us to the source of all life, if we allow Him.

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Personal Commitment: Fully surrendering to God means surrendering my fears, my sadness, my anger, my frustration, my dread, my anxiety, and my worry. So, today, I’m committing to full, unconditional surrender, allowing God to take care of the bad in my life as well as the good.

Dispelling the Darkness (Denying Discouragement, Dismissing Depression, Disallowing Despair, and Declining Discontentment)

Along the way I’ve discovered that discouragement is contagious: Like a cold, it’s passed from person to person.

I too feel it, pressing in on all sides, calling me to join the loud, mournful lament. I have every reason to celebrate, every reason to rejoice, every reason to praise God; yet, in these moments, I look around and see others being pressed by the same darkness, the same troubles, the same sorrows; like me, they are allowing the world’s general state of discontentment to act like a joy-devastating disease.

But I don’t have to allow it in! God has already given me victory over the darkness! I simply need to reach out and grasp the waiting hand of God, allowing Him to pull me from the darkness into His joyful light.

The beautiful truth is that God can wash away my sorrow, wiping away my tears, and replace my hurts and pains with joy—and not just when heaven comes, but here and now, today! Sometimes I focus on the fact that God will do all these things when He returns, and He will; however, He wants us to have a more abundant life here and now. If I allow Him, He will give me all this and more—today, and in eternity.

So join me as I continue to remind myself of this beautiful truth: God wants to save me—now; He wants to bless me—now; He wants me to be joyful—now; He wants me to feel His love—now!

Final Thought: When darkness begins pressing in, when depression knocks on your door, when those dark thoughts begin, turn to God, claim His promises, lay that darkness at the feet of God and ask Him to heal your heart.

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Personal Commitment: I often have to repeat truth to myself again and again until it becomes a permanent part of my heart and mind; so, today, I’m recommitting to full surrender. I’m determined to allow God to continue His revolution in my heart and mind. I’m committed to this beautiful process of transformation.

A Revolution of the Heart (Embracing God’s Change Within)

Along the way I’ve discovered that I was built for revolution: a sudden, complete, or marked change in ideology and thought.

We live in an age replete with ‘revolutionary’ thoughts and ideologies that often refuse to take root or come to fruition. Daily, we’re inundated with ‘new ideas’ that are really regurgitated old ideas—great ideas that were once thrown aside as garbage, but are now picked up and held up as new, as revolutionary.

In this barrage, I find myself eagerly grabbing for the next innovation that will change my life—change my world. I demand something better from society, from the government, from my job, from my friends, from my family—I want, want, want…But, all too often, I forget that life is not about getting; it’s about giving.

I’ve become so eager to find something new, something exciting, something life-changing, that I’ve completely lost sight of the true revolution—the revolution of my heart. All real change must start there and that ideology, once deeply rooted, will naturally be expressed in my every action.

My old ideas are no longer useful, my eyes have been opened to their ugly pettiness; and I am ready to make a change. This revolution must start with me. But I can’t do it on my own; I must fully surrender to God, allowing Him to fully transform my heart and mind—completing the revolution within me.

So join me as I stop buying into all the world’s shiny ideas, turning my back on its foolish version of wisdom and instead allow God to give me a new heart and mind—one that seeks only to please Him.

Final Thought:Allowing God to change my heart is the beginning of the revolution; and I’m ready for God’s revolution!

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Personal Commitment: I am abundantly blessed, but there are still moments when I lose sight of all the blessing and, for just a moment, allow myself to wallow in the small challenges of life. But God wants me to live an abundant joyful life; so I’m committed to continually turning my burdens and challenges over to God, allowing Him to carry those burdens and to work out all the challenges life presents. This is the only way to live the full, abundant life that God promises.

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Personal Epiphany: I’ve found that if I get my relationship with God right, everything else will fall into its proper place—my every action will be a beautiful reflection of this beautiful relationship.

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Personal Commitment: God wants me to know Him; so my commitment is to spend time doing exactly that—getting to know Him.

Pursuing My Passion (Seeking My Savior)

Along the way I’ve realized that the ultimate prize is a strong, thriving relationship with God—an intimate, tangible, personal relationship with my Creator. That’s the pearl of great price.

I’ve discovered that my life is fraught with ‘important’ things that distract me from my true purpose. Daily the world puts a million ‘important’ tasks in my path—pushing, shoving, dragging me away from the real goal: a beautiful relationship with my Savior Jesus.

The axiom of the age is this: Find something you’re passionate about and pursue it with every ounce of your being; don’t let anything keep you from pursuing the things and the people you zealously love. And I wholeheartedly agree with this movement; and, in alignment with these sentiments, I’m determined to pursue God exactly like that: relentlessly!

Sadly, when I honestly examine my life, I’m forced to admit my actions do not always reflect my desire to pursue God relentlessly—the things I chase are not always those things that build and strengthen my relationship with God.

My prayer is that God will give me a heart like David, a man who passionately pursued God, tenaciously sought a relationship with Him—putting this one thing above all else.

So join me as I use King David as an example and relentlessly pursue the thing my heart most desires: an eternal relationship with God.

Final Thought: The ultimate prize is not eternal life; the ultimate prize is an eternal relationship with God.

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Personal Epiphany: It takes a strong person to honestly assess their life and to humbly admit they can’t live without God.

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Personal Commitment: God’s work of transforming my heart and mind is often painful as He reveals the sin in my life, but I am fully committed to allowing Him to continue this amazing work; I’m committed to daily turning my heart and life over to Him.

Rooting Out the Sin (Filling the Void with God)

Along the way I’ve discovered that all too often I turn a blind eye to the sin in my life—either out of pride, lack of knowledge, or a stubborn unwillingness to honestly examine my heart for those things that separate me from God—but, whatever the reasons, when I’m finally forced to face those hidden or buried sins, I’m shocked to discover how deep and ugly they truly are.

In that moment of truth, I’m truly thankful that God does not reveal the full extent of my sin in one revolting exhibition, because the sheer weight of my disobedience and sin would likely crush me. Instead, God daily does this work in my life. He promises in Philippians: “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears” Philippians 1:6 (MSG).

I really shouldn’t be surprised when this process is sometimes painful or difficult; after all, the Bible clearly describes this as work—thankfully, it’s God’s work and not mine.

Does this mean I can simply sit back and let the good times roll? No, it means that I must be willing to face the painful truths in my life, allowing God to dig down deep, eradicating the very root of my sins. Often this painful process leaves a deep wound that only He can fill. The truth is that digging out the sin in my life is not enough; I must then fill the gaping void with God. (Reference Luke 11:24-27.)

So join me as I allow God to continue working in my life, rooting out the sin and filling the void with His unending love.

Final Thought:The only way to entirely eliminate sin from our lives is to fill our hearts and lives fully with God.

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Personal Epiphany: There is only one thing God wants from us—our hearts.

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Personal Commitment: It seems so easy to say, “I give my heart to God,” but the reality of fully surrendering to God is much more difficult; it’s a release of not just my troubles, but also of my hopes, my dreams, and my deepest desires. Who better to release my life to than the One Who created me? So, today, I am recommitting to daily surrendering my all to God, allowing Him to fulfill my dreams, and so much more.

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Personal Epiphany: To love is to erase all conditions, all expectations, all hopes, all dreams, all what-ifs—to love is simply to choose, regardless of the outcome, to give your all to another person.

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Personal Commitment: It seems so easy to say, “I give my heart to God,” but the reality of fully surrendering to God is much more difficult; it’s a release of not just my troubles, but also of my hopes, my dreams, and my deepest desires. Who better to release my life to than the One Who created me? So, today, I am recommitting to daily surrendering my all to God, allowing Him to fulfill my dreams, and so much more.

New Hearts for Old (Allowing God to Transform Me)

Along the way I’ve discovered that the world looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. This realization is daily transforming the way I live.

The past few weeks, I’ve been pondering the ramifications of living in the presence of God. This topic is essential because when I invite God into my life that’s exactly what I’m asking—I’m asking God to walk with me every minute of every day, to be a perpetual presence in my life.

So, what does it look like to live perpetually in the presence of God? Does it mean my every hair must be in place, my words must be perfect, my actions flawless, so I look presentable to God? The Bible says: “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7b (ESV).

With this in mind, it becomes evident that if I’m going to be presentable to God it’s my heart I must perfect. I don’t need to clean up my actions, my clothes, or my speech before coming into the presence of God (like I might when meeting someone with worldly power or influence); instead, I must clean up my heart.

Wow! God really has high expectations of me! Yes, but here’s the good news: God doesn’t require me to do the impossible task of cleaning up my own heart. God promises, if I will only ask, He will replace my stony, unfaithful heart with a new fleshly heart that desires to please Him (see Ezekiel 36:26-27). It’s just that simple. My task is clear: I must turn everything over to God. I must surrender my stony heart and ask Him to transform me.

So join me as recognize and embrace this beautiful truth: The impossible work has already been done by Jesus; all I need to do is accept His free gift, surrendering my filthy, sin-riddled heart to God, giving him permission to transform me.

Final Thought: Only when we allow God to work in our lives, to change our heart, can we live continually in the presence of God.

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Personal Epiphany: When I experience apprehension and fear for the future, my faith is bolstered by reflecting on God’s leading in the past.

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Personal Commitment: It seems appropriate on this Valentine’s Day to commit to living out love in my life—fully embracing God’s love, allowing His perfect love to saturate my life and pour out onto those around me.

Perpetual Presence (Living with the Living God)

Along the way I’ve discovered that without even realizing it I sometimes place earthly achievements, temporal success, and human praise above heavenly achievements, eternal success, and God’s praise.

When I consider my earthly heroes, people I greatly admire, I’m forced to acknowledge I would act different (better) when in their presence. It would be foolish to deny that I modify my actions when in the presence of people in positions of worldly power. I do this out of respect for the person and their position; but at times I neglect to pay this same respect when in the presence of the God of the universe. And here’s the key: I’m always in the presence of the God of the universe (see Psalm 121:7, 139:1-3, and Proverbs 15:3).

God’s greatest desire is be in an intimate relationship with me one hundred percent of the time, not just when I’m at church or when I read the Bible or when I pray—God wants to be a perpetual, intimate part of my life. This sobering truth should change my actions, not because I’m afraid, but because I stand in reverence and awe in God’s presence—a God Who voluntarily left perfection to walk with me on this sinful earth.

So join me as I keep my focus on God, as I allow His continual presence in my life to transform me from within. Join me as I invite Emmanuel (“God with us”) to be a perpetual part of my day—living every minute in community with my living God.

Final Thought: It’s only when I walk away from the light of God’s love that I lose sight of Him and begin to drift away.

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Personal Epiphany: Living daily in the presence of God must change me; and I am always in the presence of God—always.

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Personal Commitment: In the uncertain moments of my life it is sometimes difficult to hold fast to my faith, but I am committed to building my faith by remembering (even in the dark moments in my life) exactly how God has lead me in the past.

Living Like God is Real (Breathing God In)

Along the way I’ve discovered that God is not a feeling, a nebulous idea, an unreachable divinity, or a vending machine where I put in my good works and out comes a blessing. God is real, alive, and working in my life.

In the past I’ve experienced God as a vague idea. I found some minimal comfort in saying, “There’s something greater than me,” but I failed to treat God like He was real—a tangible, living part of my life. I wasn’t behaving like God was the central force in my life—alive and as real as my friends, my family, or my husband.

There is a vast difference between simply believing in God and in living like God is real and is physically walking by my side.

Walking in friendship with the God of the universe, the Creator of everything, should change the way I live. Living in the presence of the All-Powerful God should elicit reverence, respect, awe, and joy. It will transform me. The perfection and excellence of God, if I live in community with Him, will change me—it must!

So join me as I strive to truly live in the reality that God is real—tangible, like the clothes I wear and the food I eat. Join me as I fully embrace the God Who left heaven to live among men—Emmanuel, God with us.

Final Thought: God is real—like the air we breathe, invisible to the eye, but absolutely necessary. We can experience God with the very essence of who we are, and, just like air, we are totally incapable of living without Him.

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Personal Epiphany:  Fear is a ruthless taskmaster.

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Personal Commitment: Living without fear can only happen if I put my faith fully in God; so I am committed to focusing on God and His promises, putting my faith fully in Him instead of focusing on my own fears and failures.

Forfeiting My Fears (Focusing My Faith on the Father)

Along the way I’ve discovered that all too often fear drives the negative actions in my life. I’ve found, when I closely examine my motives, they can often be traced back to long-held, closely-guarded, falsely-cherished fears.

Unfortunately, fear is a powerful force; it propels many of my actions and permeates even the most unlikely cubbyholes in my life. Fear often climbs into my lap, pressing down until I can’t move—can’t even breathe. It pins me tightly to my safe, comfortable chair.

But, according to God’s Word, I’ve been released from the oppressive burden of fear; in fact, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that, with God on my side, I have absolutely nothing to fear: “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice” Isaiah 41:10 (AMP).

Wow! God is on my side—fighting for me! What then do I have to fear? I can stand up, victorious, facing the world fear-free. So why are so many of my actions a result of my deep-seated fears? Why do I continue to grant these foolish fears power my life? My fear reflects a clear lack of faith. All too often in the face of life’s seemingly real fears, I succumb, focusing on my fears instead of God’s promises; all too often I allow fear to replace God as the ruler of my life.

So join me as I fully embrace the promises in God’s Word; join me as I join the man who brought his mute son to Jesus in saying, “…I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 (NLT).

Final Thought: 1 John 4:18 says: “Perfect love expels all fear;” so, when I fully embrace God’s perfect love, fear no longer has a place in my life; it’s swept away by God’s all-consuming love.

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Personal Epiphany: Selfishness is insidious and creeps into our lives sometimes without notice.  

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Personal Commitment: Sometimes God allows us to experience amazingly clear moments in life—moments when we have the opportunity to see real growth, moments that give us encouragement along the way. So, I am committed to allowing God to continue His work in my life, regardless of how difficult it can be at times.  

Out with “Me! Me! Me!” (In with Others)

Along the way I’ve discovered that it’s not all about me, it’s all about Jesus and His good work in me.

Sadly, the world (who is ruled by the father of lies) encourages me to make myself happy, nonchalantly disregarding those I might hurt in my quest for self-gratification. But God calls me to help those in need; He assures me that He will satisfy all my needs. And who knows better than God what I need? Who is better equipped than God to satisfy my every need?

In studying the life of Christ, I’m compelled to acknowledge that He lived fully focused on others; in fact, Jesus was a serious radical. With His actions, He said, “You, my lost sheep, are at the very top of my priority list.” Instead of constantly worrying about His own physical needs, Jesus spent His time concerned with the needs of His creations, while fully relying on His Father to fulfill His own personal needs. How much more then should I, as His creation, follow Christ’s perfect example, allowing God to take care of all my needs so I can focus my precious time on helping those around me?

The only way for me to break away from this destructive pattern of self-focus, of me-first thinking, is to fully submit—heart, body, soul, mind, money, relationships,…in short, everything—to God. But, it’s so easy to slip back into the ‘me mode’ enthusiastically marketed by the world around me; however, living for God and others—living outward instead of inward—has eternal rewards. And I’ve discovered that when I’m in full submission to God, my life is full and overflowing with God’s abundant blessings.

So join me as I stop living the selfish, self-centered life held up by this sinful world as the ideal and, instead, follow in the footsteps of Christ: Fully surrendered to God and allowing His love to freely flow through me to those around me.

Final Thought: Why do I spend so much time worrying about me when God has promised to take care of all my needs? And God is never slack concerning His promises.

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Personal Epiphany:  Book knowledge is helpful, wisdom is beneficial, knowing God is essential.

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Personal Commitment: Prioritizing people is not simply God’s instruction to us, but it is also the best way to live an abundant, joy-filled life; so I am committed to putting love first in every situation. But the truth is that I am unable to do this on my own, so I’m committed to allowing God to give me a new, tender heart filled with love for my fellow man.

Godly Transformation (The Freedom of Knowing God )

Along the way I’ve discovered an incredible freedom in knowing Who God is; it makes all the difference—it paints every conversation, it guides every belief, it touches every part and piece of my life, and it constantly transforms me. When I discovered God for myself, it changed me from that very moment forward.

Some people, like Saul, can pinpoint the exact moment in their lives when the change happened, but, for me, it’s been a gradual transformation, a soft touch every day, a gradual opening of my eyes, a gentle awakening of my soul—like a lover’s kiss waking me every morning. And the transformation is palpable; I experience it in every part of my life.

Others have recognized this transformation in me as well and, when they see my transformed heart beating with the unchanging, unbound love of God, they begin, sometimes slowly, to recognize that I am no longer the emotional, angry, petty, foolish child I once was, but I am becoming a strong, steady child of God, fully transformed by God’s unrelenting love.

So join me as I continue to embrace the daily transformation God is producing in my life.

Final Thought: When we come into contact with the relentless love of God, we have two options: turn our backs and walk away or stay and become completely transformed.

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Personal Epiphany:  It’s a relief to know that in this ever-changing world we have a never-changing God.

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Personal Commitment: Growth sometimes is difficult, but it’s necessary in order to produce good fruit. We, like a tree, must grow and mature before we can produce good fruit; thankfully, God has promised to be our source of spiritual nourishment, giving us the strength to grow and produce beautiful fruit. I am committed to allowing God to do this work in my life, nourishing and strengthening me, producing His good fruit in the right season of my life.

Moving Forward (Putting God in Control)

Along the way I’ve discovered every year has its charms and its challenges, and 2012 was no exception. Looking back, I clearly see, like never before, God’s gentle hand touching and leading my life. While God clearly led me in the past, this past year I’ve been more attune to His blessings and His leading. It is truly amazing how clear it all becomes when I open my eyes and my heart to God.

In the past, I cautiously peered into the upcoming year with a bit of fear, some trepidation, and a lot of determination to make this year better, to accomplish more, and, finally, to do all the things I want to do; but this year I’m laying all that aside and putting God in charge, asking Him to be the sole author of my life—carefully constructing every line and carefully planning each chapter. In the midst of setting goals for the coming year, I’m keeping this reminder at the forefront: My greatest desire is for God to take the lead, opening and closing doors in His perfect timing.

While it’s important to make plans for the future, it’s even more important to remember that my plans are flawed—they are insignificant in the light of God’s perfect plan for me.

So, this year, while I make plans for 2013, reviewing my dreams and setting goals, I’m placing all those plans firmly in the capable hands of my infinite God. If my plans, goals, and dreams are not in keeping with God’s plans, I want Him to sweep them aside, replacing them with His perfect plan.

So, join me as I allow God to be the author of my year, writing this chapter, and all subsequent chapters, of my life to His glory.

Final Thought: As I look back on my life, I realize it isn’t God that changes, it’s me. The beautiful truth is that God never changes, but He promises to make me a new creation—a reflection of Him.

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Personal Epiphany: It’s not enough to ask God to be a part of my life, a part of my year, or even a part of my day; instead, I must invite Him to walk with me every moment. I must invite Him to continually be in control, to drive my every thought, my every word, my every action.

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Personal Commitment: The beginning of a new year is a good time to consider the course of my life; and, with that in mind, I’m committed to turning my year—and my life—fully and completely over to God, allowing Him to write this, and every subsequent chapter of my life.