6 January 2012
A new year. A new slate. A fresh start.
Really?
As I pondered these things, I skimmed over my “growing journal” which contains prayers, Scripture, thoughts, questions, quotes, words on character, etc. that I had recorded over the past year.
Nearly every sentence I read surprised me. For example:
“How often do we lose heart, fear man, worry about the outcome of the current/upcoming circumstances? God is sovereign. We must not fear, but stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. He will fight for us. We need not rattle on, but instead be silent and wait on the Lord — fearing Him all the while. [Inspired by Exodus 14]”
Humorously, it seems strange that I would be surprised since I did write them all. So, what surprised me? It was the realization that a new year does not mean “a new slate.”
The calendar year has changed, but we still have a foundation to work from.
Every area where we grew, reformed, changed, learned, etc. are still there for our benefit. They don’t get thrown out and forgotten when we flip to a new page on the calendar, each lesson needing to be learned over again. But rather we are able to take higher steps from that groundwork that has been done in the past twelve-plus months.
Isn’t the Lord gracious to give us that groundwork? To learn from the past, be sanctified in the present, and reform in the future?
Let us not forget from where we came or where we’re going.
Hello, 2012! (And thank You, Lord, for foundations to work from!)
Wow, I have never thought about it that way before! Thank you for sharing this Emily. It was very encouraging to me as I have been pondering the events of the last year and thinking about changes I want to make for the new year. One of those things is journaling. What do you write in your journal? I never never journaled before and I don;t really know where to start.
Blessings,
Bethany C.
Hmm.. Beautiful. I’m so thankful that I’ve gone through certain things, because I can grow from those lessons.
So very true, Emily Rose! That is one thing that has surprised me more than anything else at the beginning of a new year… looking back at where I was a year ago and realizing how much I have grown and changed from the previous year. God is so good to keep molding us and shaping us to be more like Himself. Praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy!
Emily, I love this post… thank you! I too have been pondering this very same thing, and at the dawn of the new year I enjoyed reflecting on all that God has taught me in 2011. What an amazing year of growing it was for me! In fact, if I had to sum up 2011 in one word, it would be “grow”. :)
I am so thankful for the foundational groundwork that the Lord has laid for us to press on. Growing is not always easy (in fact, it’s often very painful), but it is such a blessing to know that we are continually being molded into the perfect image of Jesus Christ. And someday we will be like Him – oh, that glorious day! :)
Many blessings,
Annie
P.S. Your new profile photo is just lovely.
We still have the same slate, but now its been extended and the new part is clean and new, so we need to fill it with spiritual growth. There is so much opportunity if we just use it wisely!
clean slates…thank you so for putting it so perfectly. makes me want to go find a vintage one to photograph right now! blessings for your new year.
please drop by my blog sometime and say hello.
http://www.profilesofapapergirl.blogspot.com
Great insight.
A happy and blessed 2012 to you, Rose! May that which is built this year – based on the foundation of years past – be a beautiful work indeed! – for you and me.
If you took the pictures in this blog post then I have to tell you that I simply love them! I also do photography and I love how these pictures have such depth; they speak to your heart. (And they display beautifully on your blog too :) )
amen, friend! :)
Happy New Year!
I love this Miss Emily Rose! Have a wonderful year growing in the love and knowledge of our Lord. <3
Very well put!
Beautiful…and encouraging!
Thanks for this post gal. It was great.
Your handwriting is also gorgeous. :)
Good thoughts Emily! Sometimes I feel like I need to ‘start over’, get rejuvinated, change everything – but I don’t! A change of calendar can help us to reflect on goals, it’s true, but sometimes we just need to keep on keeping on, being faithful with what we are doing.
I just found your blog from the chili cheese dip on Pinterest! I adore your blog! You’ve inspired me to step up my blog design! I love this post too! I’m so thankful that we don’t have to start all over from the beginning every year, that we have a foundation to begin from!
Honestly, this is what I was thinking this year, I just couldn’t put it into words. Thank you so much for doing what I couldn’t in such a lovely way!
Amen. This really blessed me. Thank you so much for writing! :)
Thank you for these thoughts Emily Rose! I most appreciate the reminder that we have a firm foundation in God’s Word through each change. :)
Love your thoughts on this…Our pastor just spoke on this very topic yesterday…he said that a New Year doesn’t mean we are automatically new people, or that we will be capable of change in our lives…the only thing that brings real change is pressing into Christ…he WILL make us new…and you are right…if we already have the foundation, what an encouraging thought that we already have something to grow from. This was very encouraging….
I’m just starting a new Monday link-up (my first, actually!) called Managing Momma Mondays…I would LOVE your post to be linked there if you have the time to scoot over and leave it…it is EXACTLY the type of thing us mommas need to hear!
happy new year!
Thank you for this reminder Emily Rose. May we build “no other foundation…than Jesus Christ our Lord”! I pray that my heart will be full of gratefulness to the Lord also for the foundations (that come through both good times and hard) He has put in my life! blessings to you this year as you “run the race…looking unto Jesus!
I love that you used “loose” rather than the proper “lose”. Initially, I thought it was a grammatical error, but then realized you most likely had chosen that word to give your thought a twist. Clever!
Kate, thank you for pointing that out – it really was a typo! (Things can go unnoticed, even with four sets of eyes checking!)
LOL! Well, it still made me stop and think. I’m the absolute queen of typos; truly, if I were any worse, it’d be impressive. I’m perfectly wretched at typing!