Happy new year! For the next couple of days, there will be a post daily. I haven’t written much since before Christmas and now I have a lot to share. Between Christmas with family and going to the beach for holidays, I have been relaxing. But it is now time to start a new year. Before, we do, I want to reflect on 2018.
In our church, we have a new word for each year that we are believing God to outwork in our lives. For 2018, that word was deeper. See my post Time to experience God. Deeper for me was going deeper in God – feeling the presence of God more, having a closer relationship with Him etc. My thoughts were not on the word brave. God told me that to go deeper, I needed to be braver. So I was. What are some of those brave things I did. They were:
- Going on a ride at a theme park
- Going to the movies for the first time in 20 years – I have now been 3 times in one year
- Flying to another city for a women’s conference with friends not my husband
- Playing Mary the mother of Jesus in the Easter play and having to be at the cross – I can’t even watch that scene.
- Going to China
- Going to Cambodia on a mission trip – this involved sitting in an airplane by myself and having a hotel room by myself. I also went with people I didn’t know. How brave is that.
You may not think these things are brave but they were for me.
What brave things have you done?
Through all of it, I had to remember 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I also had to remember that God will never leave me nor forsake me.
When I was on the plane, God spoke a word in my heart that said underneath you are my everlasting arms.
When we are being brave, we need to remember that being brave does not mean doing it alone. It means doing it knowing God is with us.
So what is your reflection from last year. I would love to hear it.
So for this year, another 365 day journey is coming. I am not sure yet how God will lead me this year but I know that it will be in ways that make me closer to Him and grow stronger in my faith – because that’s how we please God.
Have a great day, see you tomorrow and keep living the life God intended for yo.
What a year! And what amazing accomplishments, very proud of you Karen. Here’s to God leading us to an even better 2019
Hi Jon thanks for your encouragement. God will lead us this year in am amazing way. Looking forward to seeing you. Bless you heaps Karen
Hello and Happy New Year! From one random blogger to another! I really enjoy your blog and all that you stand for! Thanks for making the world wide web a better place and for sharing all your stories in such a God-glorifying way! It looks like He enabled you to do some pretty brave things this past year!! You must feel quite accomplished! It was fun to read about you being Mary, because I love theater and I soooo want to go to China one day though im sure it takes much bravery! Especially being a Christian (im assuming). I wonder what your churches word is for 2019?! Blessings to you in the new year!
~Lilly
http://Www.theoccupiedoptimist.com
Hi thanks so much for your encouragement. China was great and I didn’t feel unsafe because I was a Christian. I just didn’t know how it was going to be. My church’s word for this year will be in the next post. Have a great day and be truly blessed.Karen