Happy New Year!

***I apologize ahead of time because this blog is not looking perfect. For some reason it has some parts highlight in white and I can't seem to remove it. I've done the blog several times and it comes out the same. The important thing is the message.

Reflecting on this past year, you may experience discouragement over plans that never came to pass or dreams that never materialized. Looking ahead to the New Year,

Did 2014 leave you like this?

you may find it difficult to have motivation to persevere for the breakthroughs for which you've waited so long. Wouldn't it be easier to just settle for second-best?

God wants you to fly and not struggle as you enter into year 2015!

I read a story about a man who found an eagle’s egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.

All his life the eagle, thinking he was a prairie chicken, did whatever the other chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. He clucked and crackled. And he flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that’s how prairie chickens were supposed to fly. Years passed. The eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird far above him in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. ‘What a beautiful

Bird!’ said the eagle to his neighbor. ‘What is it?’ ‘That’s an eagle, the chief of the birds,’ the neighbor clucked ‘but don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.’

So the eagle never gave it another thought. And it died thinking it was a prairie chicken. Don’t just observe it from far and wish and don’t let anyone tell you not to even think or wish about it because you will never be able to do it. Maybe you were in the wrong place and was there for part of 2014 or all of 2014; now today it’s time to make that decision to soar, to change direction, to believe in God and to soar like the eagle.

One of my favorite bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you plans for a hope and a future.” Do not be like the eagle. You might have had setbacks, illness, and adversity, betrayals, many financial problems and unexpected issues/drama in their lives this year 2014. However, remember what my favorite bible verse says. Remember the plans God has for you.

What are you going to do? Are you going to let what happened in 2014 rule or guide what you do in 2015? Are you going to stay negative and always have the tendency to expect bad outcomes that have settle in your mind or are you going to choose to persist in faith in God? Shake it off and take hold of it: Philippians 3:13 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

You might say to yourself right now as you read this blog, but I made so many mistakes and had so many failures (I say this because as I was writing I had these thoughts myself), it’s time to think about/take inventory of 2014 and reset ourselves! We must learn from our mistakes. Think about the cost that our impulse actions will make not only on you but on others. If you need to, talk to someone and ask for advice before making decisions that will impact others or your life and make sure it will be a positive impact and not a negative one. If you learn from your mistakes you will not keep repeating them.

I encourage you to take a positive look at the possibilities of the future and speak of those things that are nonexistent as though they do exist. “As it is written: “I have made you father of many nations…..” Romans 4:17(a). God is speaking about Abraham. God had told Abraham that he was going to be father of many nations, but Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. Sarah was never able to have children. Sarah was past the child bearing age. However, God spoke a Word to Abraham. Abraham didn't see the future or the possibilities of that future. He could have doubted; Sarah laughed. However, he held on to the possibilities of that future. We need to think and speak about our future in a positive way not according to what you have seen in the past or are seeing right now, but according to what God has placed in your heart and positive goals you have set always remembering that you need to put Christ first and ask for His direction in all you do. He has a great future for you. Believe it and confess it!

As we prepare for a New Year, a new journey, another opportunity to get closer to God, another opportunity to reach goals, a purpose to hold on to and persevere on the road to success, remember that also there will come the ups and downs. Please remember that you will find times where there will be hindrances (things in your way that will want to stop your progress). There will be times that the negative thoughts will want to invade your mind. There will be times that negative talk or advice will come from friends and family. But don't give up! Don’t give in! Stay strong! “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will make a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

God bless! Thank you for reading my blogs and I hope that I have been able to be a blessing to your life! Talk to you next year! I ask you to pray for me that God will continue to help me and give me wisdom, knowledge and understanding and words to share with everyone that this blog reaches. I will also be praying for everyone that this blog might reach.