Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Hope you had a relaxing time with your family. As we begin this new year 2022, let us take stock of 2021, what do we have to be grateful for and where did God show up and show out in our lives. I had another blog ready for today, but I felt the Lord impressed my heart to discuss the new year. Everyone probably has new year's resolutions and habits they want to change and things they want to do better at but how many people stick to that?

Now on a more serious note, 2022 has just begun, what are our plans for the new year? The bible says in Prov 15:22

"Without good advice everything goes wrong, it takes careful planning for things to go right."

You do not want to start a new year without careful planning and consultation with the Lord. Here are a few things my family does every new year that gets us mentally and spiritually prepared for the new year and all that God has in store for us.

First thing we do is “Look back on the prior year and give thanks for all that he did”. 1Chron 16:12 says,

"Remember [with gratitude] His marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles and the judgments from His mouth"

How often do we spend the time looking back and thanking God for seeing us through a particular situation? I find it very helpful to do so even more in the last few years that we have had. If it was not for the Lord on our side…… I’ll leave that there for you to fill in the blanks. What we do at our house is, look at the goals we set, individually, as a couple, for our kids and as a family and take time to thank the Lord for achieving all we were able to do. He is very merciful, even in our disobedience he still guided us to fulfill the goals we set for ourselves. Ain’t that something! People take this point for granted and I hope you will not do so this year. If we do not thank him for what we achieved, how will he be inclined to do more for us in the coming year?

Secondly, we “Plan ahead with God, while looking at the future”. This is where we seek the face of the Lord and align our goals to his. Prov.16:9 says, “

"We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go"

Good News Translation says in Prov 16:1

"We humans make plans, but the LORD has the final word"

Why spend so much time making goals without God’s input when God has the final word? We write down the plans we have for the year and then spend time in prayer asking God which of them will be accomplished and should stay on the list for 2022 and which ones are not in line with what he has for us. He does answer. For example, there is a goal that has been on my list for the last 4 years and God has not fully answered, but every year I see us getting close to the completion of that prayer/ goal. There are also some goals that God put on the list, but I have been procrastinating, but he is very faithful and has not thrown me aside. PS: I’m human, do not judge!!!!

There are various people in the Bible whom God led step by step and they accomplished so much. Moses and the Red Sea parting, David and all his war conquests, Gideon and his exploits, Noah and building the ark, and many others. When your goals align with HIS plans for your life, there is a greater chance of success. Your communication with him is so much better and smoother.

And finally, we “Enjoy all that God has in store each and every day”. This to me is the hardest because it means I must trust that his plans for us are good each day irrespective of how the day looks with its pain and struggles. I have to let him lead me because he knows much more than I do and can see the bigger picture when all I see is the moment I am living in. We have learnt as a family to embrace the pain, struggles, success, failures, and growth with God. He knows what he is doing. My aunt says God is a master planner and he never makes mistakes. I’m inclined to believe her.

Hope your new Year is off to a great start. Spend some time setting your year right with God and I tell you it will be your best year yet.

Read Prov 16, it gives a great insight and guidance on how to live your life.