Aren't the beginnings of new years great? It is like restarting your computer or iPhone - all of the information is still there but refreshed, and we are full of hope as we begin working that things will run more smoothly. We make resolutions based on this notion. On January 1, we feel like we can conquer the world. We are full of hope. Somewhere around February or March, we lose our hope.
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| We toast our New Year and celebrate it's arrival! |
This past year, 2016, was a terrible year for my family. Nothing particularly bad happened. It was just little things, but they were unrelenting. For the first time ever, I questioned my faith, questioned whether or not I was worthy of God's love. My husband was in the same boat. After months of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, we decided to change churches. It was amazing! We have a pastor who preaches about no matter how broken we are or how much despair we are in, we are always worthy of God's love (he preaches about other amazing stuff too). He once told me that I have nothing God needs. I bring nothing to the table, but he loves me anyway. How amazing is that! See, I am a person who has never quite felt like I measured up! I know I will fall short on everything I do or in every relationship I have. God doesn't care! He loves me just the way I am.
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| The day that we became members of the new church! We were finally home. |
This summer, I had the distinct pleasure of going to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) National Youth Gathering (NYG) in New Orleans with my son, Jake. We got up early every morning and went to the Bible study. We studied Philippians. I had never spent much time with that book. I should have! Everyone should! It is a book/letter of love, praise, and hope! Paul even wrote it from prison! We learned that in Christ alone, we are righteous.
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| Meeting up with some of our faves at NYG from our church in Kansas City. We love them more than they will ever know! |
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| One of our DCE (Director of Christian Education) at NYG. She is a treasured friend and advisor! |
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Yay! We got to see our babysitter from NJ. She is personally responsible for Macy's feet never touching the floor at our church in NJ. This gal has more love than she can contain. So blessed to have had her in our lives!
There is hope in old friends! |
What does that mean??? I have always wanted to know what does it mean to be righteous!!! I was 42 at the time and wasn't completely sure. No better place to learn than at a teen Bible study! Plainly put, it means to be good enough. In Christ alone, we are good enough. Because of Him, we are good enough. Read chapter 3! (Heck - read the whole thing - it's only 4 chapters!) Philippians 3:9 is the meat of it!
“and be found in him, not having righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”
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| We even got study Bibles. I don't think there is a book that packs in as much hope as The Bible! |
We only have righteousness through him! We can't earn it. It is not a possession or character attribute. We can't compete for it. See, He doesn't care if we are the best at our jobs, that our house is the nicest on the street, that we have designer clothes, that we are the most athletic, etc. You get the picture. It is like my pastor said - we have nothing that God wants!
So what does this have to do with starting a new year??? Our hope doesn't have to die out! Who cannot have hope when we are loved by a God that loves us inspite of our unworthiness, inspite of our despair, inspite of having nothing to bring to the table??? We are loved! There is hope in love. That kind of hope doesn't fade away in February or March.
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