“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
It’s the first Sunday of the first month of a New Year. 2022. All those twos. In a couple of hundred years people will be able to write all twos. 2222. That’s sort of weird to think about but once upon a time a thousand plus years ago, people wrote all ones. 1111. Sometimes my thoughts just slide off the track and run off down some rabbit holes. Oh well, let me get my fingers back on track here.
Since it is a first Sunday, it’s time for some First Sunday Devotional thoughts. And this being the second day of a brand new year, new resolutions to live a better life come to mind. Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? I haven’t. None especially for right now. I have plenty of goals, things I want to accomplish. Things I need to do better. I could make that commonly popular resolution, made by many people, to lose those pounds I have added that I didn’t need to add. I could resolve to exercise more, eat less sugary stuff. Even more important I could resolve to be a better wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend. So many ways I could be a better me. But I don’t have to wait for a New Year’s Day to make those sort of changes.
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Still the taking down of an old calendar and the hanging of a new one does make one think of new beginnings. Of how it’s a great time to resolve to do some things better, to do other things less, to walk a path of personal improvement.
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ~Carl Bard
Sometimes we don’t have ways to change our situations, but we can change our attitudes. Helen Keller faced difficulties that are hard to imagine and yet she resolved to keep happy and to have joy.
“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” ~Helen Keller
If we can keep that joy she speaks of and move into a new year hanging onto our dreams and believing our goals are within reach, then more than likely, those dreams may be realized and those goals met.
“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” ~Vern MacLelland
So, may you begin this New Year of 2022 with hope and faith and the belief that you can embrace the opportunities that come your way and live life to the fullest.
“Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach
But along with that faith and hope is love, what the Bible says we need most of all.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. …1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJ)
May you have a year overflowing with blessings coming your way and may you be a blessing to those around you. You all are a blessing to me.
Have you made or are you making any New Year’s resolutions?
P.S. The snowy bird picture is from several years ago. No snow around here yet.
Comments 6
Wishing you a Blessed and Happy New Year! No resolutions just a goal to spend more time in the word. Hugs
Author
And a fine goal that is, Lucy. Something I need to do as well. Thanks for your kind New Year’s wishes. The same back to you.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year! One could do a lot of various things to encourage growth and change and that fleeting dream of the lost treasure or fountain of youth. I am not going on a treasure hunt that involves gold, silver, and jewels. The jars of cream I have bought did not contain the fountain of youth. My bones have had a good laugh at those vials of potions. And since I already claim so many goals, dreams, plans of things to make and do, and do this dreaming on a daily basis, making a resolution is not for me. But I did choose two words as a mantra this year. And they are boring words for sure. Organize. Renew. Very dull and sound like a QVC ad for another storage box I do not need or an ad to join a yoga retreat which I know would be painful for my body. But there you have it. I am going to be finding a place for everything and make that everything look pretty. So I guess I am treasure hunting and finding the fountain of youth in beauty, the beauty of simplicity and the heart renewal that I experience in feeling the joy that the young have.
Author
Love your comment, Karen. Perhaps we all should treasure hunt something special to us to make our lives better. Sounds as if you are way ahead of most with your dreams and goals.
I’ve heard about how some people pick a word for the year as a focus. I never seem to settle on one word. Perhaps imagine as I need to jump into a new story that seems to be hiding elusively in the shadows of my mind. Plus I love it when someone reads my stories and imagines the story with me.
But organize and renew would both be good ones for me to focus in on too.
Happy New Year, Ann! I hope your new year is starting off well.
I don’t make resolutions anymore. Instead I just pray to be a good person every day. I’m making a more determined effort to study (not just read) the Bible, though. I began a new Bible journal. I used to keep a daily praise journal, and I’m hoping to get back into that habit. So maybe that’s sort of like a resolution.
These past couple of years have been tough, but being thankful for what I have makes each day brighter.
We’ve been blessed with unseasonably warm weather so far. But it looks like winter is getting ready to roar in with snow and maybe ice. I’m not a big fan of either, and ice is scary! But I enjoy the beauty of snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it.
Have a great first week of this new year, and a blessed 2022! 😊
Author
Those sound like wonderful ideas to enhance your new year, Lavon. I think I should download a copy of the Bible on my phone and Kindle so that I could have it handy at odd moments. That might help me do more Bible studying. I’ve never kept a praise journal, but it sounds like a great idea. Or resolution.
I don’t make resolutions either. Well, at least not specifically on New Year’s. I do often resolve to do this or that better. To get this or that done. But that can be on any day.
Definitely winter came roaring in and they say we might even have snow on Thursday. We’ll see. Looked pretty rough in Washington D.C. on the news tonight.
Wishing you all the best in 2022.