Jesus, Is That You?

A New Year, a new set of resolutions, a new set of successes, a new set of failures.  A new year represents a time where we get to wipe the proverbial slate clean.  We get to wipe away the times where we failed, we get to build upon the times where we succeeded.  For most of us it is any opportunity for us do something better; be better about going to the gym, be better about watching what you eat, be better about not drinking cokes, etc.  How often do we take the opportunity to be better at listening to what God is saying to us?  How often do we take the opportunity to be better at being the light in the dark?

This New Year provides an opportunity for each and every of us to better ourselves.  Every New Year provides us a challenge to be better in which ever arena of our life that we feel needs some improving.  This year and every year, that challenge is for me to develop a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father, to be aware of the opportunities that are being provided to me to be the Light in the dark, to be more diligent in my daily quiet time and to continue to develop my relationship with my Savior.  A lot of the time I see the New Year as a time to improve myself only, but my challenge to you is that you take this opportunity to see the world in a new way this year.  To change the way that you interact with your neighbors, to not see people as a means to an end, but as an end in and of itself that is pretty spectacular. 

This New Year I challenge you, but more importantly, I challenge myself to be the change in the world that we so desperately need.  This blog is going to follow the daily devotional of the book titled Jesus Calling by Sarah Young; not only is the blog going to be an opportunity for me to get some of my thoughts out on paper, but also a time where my fellow Christians who are walking along with me can express their thoughts as well.  I truly believe that as a society that we have fallen away from communal relationships.  I hope that this blog is an opportunity for fellow believers to share in an experience that is greater than the individual. 

Jesus Calling is a daily devotional written by Sarah Young.  Sarah wrote this book after spending considerable time listening to what God was telling her.  This book is an opportunity for each and every one of us to hear the voice of God in our daily lives.  As we embark on this journey, I would encourage each and every one of you to take part in this devotional; to include your families, your parents, your kids, your co-workers, and yes even your neighbor.  I truly believe that the more in tune we are to the word of God the more apt we are to be the light in the dark and to be the hands and feet of Christ.  If at any time during this devotional, you have a thought, a prayer, a concern, a praise I encourage you to allow your brothers and sisters to lift you up during that time.  I hope that this blog provides all who read it an opportunity to realize that we are not in this battle alone, there are followers of Christ fighting this battle with us literally all over the world. From Africa to the Philippines, from Washington D.C. to the war-torn border towns, from Seattle, Washington to Stuttgart, Germany, from Itu, Brazil to Eastern Europe; there are followers of Christ who are making the stand to be the hands and feet of Christ.   My prayer is that this blog will provide strength to those who are weak, to provide encouragement to those who are downtrodden, and to provide a network of Believers who know that they are not in this fight alone. 

Peter asked the same question in Matthew 14; “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus answered that question for Peter the same way that He answer s that question for us. “COME”.  Won’t you step out of the boat with me?