New Snow, New Tracks, New Start

The new fallen snow blankets the foothills today. It's almost a shame to tread through it. I hate to disturb the glistening white perfection. My labradoodle and good pal, Murphy, loves the fresh snow. He delights (Yes he grins big time!) in bombing through the sea of white, making a new path. His path. 

New snow, fresh tracks.

New snow reminds me of a fresh start,  a new start.

But making that new way doesn't  come easy. I  pick my way through the snow, careful to have sure footing before taking the next step. There are hidden rocks to stumble over, unseen prickly pears to step on, and covered weeds to tangle. 

All...just waiting to be rediscovered.

We can have fresh start any time, any day but our old ways lay just beneath the surface. 

Patiently waiting.

God calls us to be holy, as he is holy (1 Peter 1:15). White, pure, set apart. 

His call is a call to action. To be, to act, to demonstrate holiness.

To do this we need to be alert and fully sober (1 Peter 13: 14).  It is too hard  to maintain good decision making when we are distracted with schedules or intoxicated with worldly temptations.  It's easy to fall back into old patterns and familiar temptations.

How can we avoid stumbling when the dangers lurk beneath the surface, invisible yet present?

We look up, not down, not back. 

We focus on God and His ways, His character, His word.

That's the path we take.

And if we trip - we get up, brush off that snow and start again.

Prayer:

Lord God, You call me to be holy as You are holy. Through Your word, reveal to me the places in my heart and mind that need to be purified and washed. I want my life to bring You honor and glory. 

Amen 

NEW START 15 Today's passage was 1 Peter 1:1-13.

Today is day 1 of week 2 of the New Start '15 4 week Bible Study. It's not too late to join in. Here's the link to the schedule for the next two weeks. 

Click here for the New Start 15 Reading Plan

Click here for the New Start 15 Facebook page so you can interact with others.

Click here for the New Start 15 Resource List.

With faith, hope, and love,

Lori

PS on Wednesday you can find me over at TheMomInitiative.com writing for day 3 of week 2 (Romans 6:1-14).

                                           Lori Wildenberg
author, speaker, parent consultant
Find Lori's co-authored books over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

New Start

Happy New Year! 

Reflection tends to precede a New Year. Resolutions are full of good intentions but they swiftly dissolve. (At least they do for me.)

I’ve wondered if my focus is wrong. Is it because my resolve is selfish? My focus is me: my health, my diet, my exercise?

And… because I fly solo in this Me quest, I rely on my will and my self-control.

That plan has never worked well for me.

I crash and burn almost as soon as I take flight.

So…this year rather than the me focus, I’m looking at God.

The Lord desires for us to love him fully—with our heart, mind, body, and soul. 

I want to be able to do that. Love God fully.

I don’t know about you, but I definitely cannot do that on my own. I need help. Help from other fellow faith-filled sojourners.

Truthfully, that isn’t even enough.

Plus, I need intervention, supernatural intervention; the wise counsel of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s word.

Kathy Howard and Julie Sanders have gathered a team of bloggers, authors, and speakers who want to start off 2015 by focusing on God’s word and deepening personal faith.  I’m excited to be a part of this endeavor. 

New Start 15 is 4 weeks of biblical encouragement. It includes:  daily bible reading, a Facebook page, resource list, and a daily blog roll. 

I asked Kathy to fill you in on the New Start 15 vision.

 Want a New Start in 2015?

I love the “undo” button on my laptop. You know the one – that little arrow that curves to the left. When you click it, the last thing you did magically disappears.

Sometimes I wish life had an “undo” button. I could click it to magically erase the unkind words I blurted. Or wipe out my selfish behavior. Or eliminate that wrong decision. To “undo” all those things that brought unwanted consequences or now weigh heavy on my conscience.

Yep. In fact, sometimes it would be great to start over all together. To get a clean slate. To get a complete do-over.

Guess what? If you’re a Christian, that’s exactly what you got when you entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And sister, if things have gotten a bit off track since then, it’s not too late to undo and start new. In fact, now is a great time for a NEW START.

If you’d like to “undo” a few things or even start new on a bigger scale, consider joining me for New Start 15. During January, a few friends and I will be leading a month-long journey into holiness. Together we’ll explore what it looks like to become a “new creation in Christ,” to practically live out the set-apart, holy life to which God calls us.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

2 Corinthians 2:17, NIV

The “old” life looks like the world around us. And it’s burdened with the weight and consequences of worldly living. But the “new” life is radically different from the world, holy and set apart to God.

There is glorious freedom and joy in living a life of holiness. Freedom from the weight and consequences of sin. And joy in a deeper intimacy with our holy God.

Do you like the sound of freedom and joy? The chance for a New Start? Our God is the God of second chances, clean slates, and do-overs.

Participation in New Start 15 is simple. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Use the New Start 15 Bible Reading Plan in your personal quite time January 5 – 23. (Free download)
• Like the New Start 15 Facebook page to keep up with daily devotional blog posts, get words of encouragement, and share thoughts from your own journey. (You can also download the New Start 15 bloggers list and schedule.)
• Follow the New Start 15 “blog hop” January 5-23 (weekdays only) as the New Start 15 team blogs about living the new, holy life in Christ.
• Check out the New Start 15 Resources List for books, Bible studies, blog posts, printables and more to help you on your journey. (Free Download)
• Invite your friends to join you in the New Start 15 journey by sending them the link to this post.

Do you long for deep intimacy with God? Do you desire for your life to please and glorify Him? Do you want your life to point others to Jesus? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, then New Start 15 is for you! Join us in January as we dig into God’s Word to find out what He says about living the new, holy life in Christ.

Are you ready for a New Start? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. Or simply let me know you’re in! Happy New Year!

Christian author and Speaker, Kathy Howard, has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years to a varied audience. She has a Masters in Christian Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary. Kathy and her husband live in the Houston, TX area and have three children, two son-in-laws, and one precious grandbaby.

http://www.kathyhoward.org/want-new-start-2015