January 5

First Task of the New Year

It seems the first task for this new year is to clean up -- taking down the Christmas tree and the Christmas decorations; collecting the recyclable boxes and paper from the giving season and getting it in the proper places; and vacuuming up the pet hair and holiday crumbs.  It's a sad time.  But it can be a refreshing time to begin again.  My grandson suggested we move the furniture around, so we did.  Its a new look with our old stuff -- feels good because its different.

What else can we clean up?  Is there something in our daily living that has gone stale and needs to be freshened up?  Maybe there is a program or project you have been putting off and now is a good time to see if it will fit into your life.

There are a lot of ways you can include God in your new year:  besides personal prayer, have you considered a mission project?  Is there a soup kitchen that could use your help?  Is there something at church you'd like to try?  Would you like to walk pets at your local pet shelter?  Maybe you can join your local volunteer fire department's auxiliary?  You may check into your local elementary school to see if you can read to children.  Is there someone or something in God's world that needs you, or better yet, you need?

Let's pray for each other that we not only clean up, but get a fresh start in God's awesome world this year!