New Year Check In and Random Thoughts

We are two weeks into the new year and I am wondering, how are you doing?  Did you make resolutions?  Have you heard of and are you doing the "My One Word" challenge? 

I read a church sign the other day that said:

"Many fail by never getting started."

Hmm, that is pretty deep and true!  Have you gotten started?  Then, on the other side of that sign it said:

"Make commitments, not resolutions."

That sounds like a good idea to me!  Resolutions seem to be something we do out of habit these days.  Not that we don't intend to do them, but many things are just thrown out there, often with the best intention, because it is the thing to do - but without full commitment to the thought,and without that, it is in vain.  (Trust me, I know from experience!) 

That being said, though, my family and I did make some resolution/commitments for the new year.  It is our prayer that by the end of the year, these commitments will make us better spiritually, physically and relationally. 

We are also taking the My One Word challenge.  That one is a toughy - choosing one word to summarize something you want to develop over the next year.  (If you want to learn more, you can go to www.myoneword.org)  It could be Faith, Discipline, Connect, Positive, Discover, Obey, etc.  Just a One Word challenge between yourself and God.  I haven't chosen my word yet!  I have it narrowed down to a few, but not quite there - maybe I am afraid of the full commitment to a word!  Maybe I'll let you know when I choose it! 

But, the bottom line is that at the end of the year, I want to be more of the person that God wants me to be and to give my best to Him - even if things are not how I want them to be!  

So, those are my random thoughts two weeks into 2011.  I will leave you with a story I read yesterday {and found to be inspiring} and then leave you to your thoughts!


I Am the New Year
~ author unknown ~


I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

No Excuses

My Pastor preached an awesome message today.  I can't even begin to put it into words here or to tell how it impacted me, but the basics were: We need to keep our focus on the blessings of God (as opposed to our circumstances surrounding us) because God wants to bless us.  He gives us a choice - choose life and be blessed!  Nothing can stand in the way of the promises of God - what a promise that is to kick off the new year! 

I am so thankful to start another new year knowing the truth, having forgiveness and living for Him with my whole heart.  I can't imagine living in this crazy world without Him!  So, all of that got me thinking, why in the world would you NOT want the blessings of God in your life??  Isn't that silly to think about? It made me remember an article I read a while back.  After searching for it and finding it, I reread it and found it just as fitting and thought provoking as the first time I stumbled upon it. 

The article begins by talking about the author's love of sports.  I'm not even sure why I kept reading, because I do not have a love of sports!  However, I read on and truly enjoyed the analogy.  The point of the article is that we shouldn't give more enthusiasm to anything than we give to God.  And so many times, we make excuses when it comes to God and church and commitment to either - so much so that we remove the blessings waiting for us on the other side- and we wouldn't consider making those same excuses for other things!  Here is an excerpt of the article:

"I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about church as they are about sports—or any number of other pastimes. This was reinforced some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.

Every time I went, they asked me for money.
The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
The coach never came to call on me.
The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
I was sitting with some hypocrites—they came only to see what others were wearing.
Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
The band played numbers that I had never heard before.
The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
I don't want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

I've come up with a few more:

The parking lot was awful . . . I had to walk six blocks to the stadium.
Nobody came up and introduced himself to me . . . very impersonal, also loud!
The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.
It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.

Enough said. Think it over."

What if 2011 was the year of no excuses?  What would God do for us if we were willing to worship Him and serve Him with the same enthusiasm we gave to our hobbies?  I for one am willing to stand on His promises and find out.  Who wants to come along on the journey?

Happy New Year!

2010 was an awesome and  memorable year for our family.  I can say that because God is good - all the time!  In the midst of our ups and downs for the past 365 days, He was right there with us.  Some of the highlights of our year were: 

*Holly turned 16 at the beginning of the year and we celebrated together with many friends and family. 

*Mark turned the big 4-0 this year!

*Homeschool Convention and Hadassah are ALWAYS highlights, every year.

*I took 2 college classes from January to May and completed both with a 99% A!  This enabled me to renew my Professional Teaching Certificate for another 5 years.

*We went camping and enjoyed some quality time, away from it all and together.

*God was our provider through many things - He never failed us once!

*We began a new homeschool curriculum and have experienced the trials, frustrations and joys of figuring it out and making it work for our family.

*Holly began playing the piano in youth services at church.

*MaKenna created many new little treasures that have amazed us.  All 3 of us girls have enjoyed creating through the year.

*Caleb grew more inches than I can count and is now about 3-4 inches taller than me and he is only 11 years old!

*We spent much quality time with great family and friends who brought meaning to all that we did.

*Our family grew spiritually as we read the Bible, prayed and fasted together in new ways.

I am sure that I left out many things that were just as important as the above!  These are just the few that jumped from my mind.

Goals for 2011, in no particular order, include:

*Growing closer to God in new ways, listening to His voice, seeing His hand and feeling His direction.

*Slowing down enough to enjoy the Here and Now. It is so easy to always be thinking about what comes next as we go through life.  I want to be able to enjoy each moment, while I am in it, and not be rushing to the next thing - even in my mind.

*Patience.  Yes, I just admitted that "out loud!  Waiting, patiently - whether for things in my life, my children, my husband, my family - waiting, trusting and doing it patiently.

*Learn, grow, accomplish, enjoy and BE. 

I am sure that I will add to this list, often daily.  Overall, the goal is to stay focused on my priorities:  God, my husband and my children being at the top of the list.  Everything else will bring added blessings!  I am looking forward to 2011 and all that it will bring for our family!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours!  May 2011 bring you many blessings as well!

Happy New Year

I love the start of a new year! It is so fresh and full of promise and hope. Getting to put a new calendar on the fridge is so exciting! I know, I probably need to get out more!

Although I tend to not make new year's resolutions (I think that it is more important to set daily or weekly goals that are attainable than set ones for a whole year, never knowing what tomorrow will bring!), I do think that it is important to take time on occasion to re-evaluate my life, where I am, where I am going and where I want to get to, as well as a plan for how I want to get there! My family and I took some time to reflect recently on the things we would like to work harder on this year and had some great conversations. We have set prayer and fasting goals, family closeness goals, homeschool goals and individual goals. What about you? Do you set resolutions? How good are you at keeping them?

No matter what your thoughts on goals and resolutions, I hope that you include in your year more time for God - Read your Bible. Pray. Find a good, truth teaching church and be faithful there. Put God first in your life - it will be worth it! I leave you with this, which really sums it all up:

How can I use the New Year
To better serve my Lord?
I’ll read my Bible every day,
And be more in accord.

I’ll find new ways to serve others;
I’ll love my neighbor, too.
I’ll focus on "give" instead of "get"
In everything I do.

I’ll forgive the people I’m mad at;
Angry feelings I’ll discard;
I’ll try to love my enemies,
Even though it’s hard.

In the new year, I’ll lift people up,
Instead of putting them down.
I’ll fill my heart with love and joy,
And never wear a frown.

I’ll let go of my worries;
I’ll put it all in His hands;
I’ll repent and try to sin less,
And obey all His commands.

These new year’s resolutions
Are difficult, at best,
But there’s something I can do each day
That will put my soul at rest:

I’ll love my Lord with all my heart,
With all my mind and soul,
And if I do that essential thing,
All the rest will be in control.

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy New Year!!!

New Year's Eve

Ok, I have posted lots of thought provoking stuff - here is the nitty gritty of DeVore family life! (Make sure you keep reading after this post - I posted 3 so far today!) New Year's Eve this year was challenging. We have spent it the past bunch of years with Bryan, Tammy and Sarah and weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves now that they are in Chicago! Then, we were invited to Joe and Pam DeAngelo's for dinner. We have tried to get together with them forever because they are going to start homeschooling Kaley when this semester is over at her school and wanted any advice, input, etc. that we could give them. I am so excited for Kaley!

So, we went to their house where Joe grilled steak and chicken - delicious! Joe is a chef, so it is always good food there! We had a nice time, the girls chatted with Kaley and Caleb played with Joey, their 2 year old. Sorry that I don't have pics! We left there planning to head to Denny's in Altamonte where a bunch of people from church were hanging out to ring in the new year. But Caleb was so tired - tears were just silently pouring from his eyes because he was just exhausted. He had rested that afternoon, but it just wasn't enough! So, we came home instead, Caleb went right to sleep and the rest of us played games until midnight, then watched the bonus features from The Sound of Music 40th anniversary edition. (If you haven't seen them, you must!!) Then, off to bed!

New Year's Day we spent taking down all of our Christmas things and getting the house back in order. My mom asked if we were eating anything special. We used to do pork and sauerkraut, my family's tradition from Pennsylvania Dutch Country. But, the past several years, we have just kind of done whatever sounded good. This year, we wanted a pot of pinto beans with rice and homemade cornbread. So, when I told my mom what we were having, she said that on some news program, they said that eating beans on new year's day would bring money to your family. Well, needless to say, we ate them gone!!!!!! Heehee!

I thought of all of my friends and family who are not near us all through the day and missed each of you. Know that you will be in my daily thoughts and prayers this year (those who are near too!).

A New Year's Prayer

I read this in an e-mail and had to share. It was written by Wendy Blight and I think it is just awesome! Here is what she said:

Below is the prayer that the Lord put on my heart. As you read it, I invite you to use it as a model. Sit with the Lord and ask Him to help you personalize this prayer for you.

Father in heaven, thank You that You are Sovereign. Thank You that You know each precious woman reading this devotion. You planned for her to meet You here today. You created her heart. You know her every need, her deepest desires, and her open wounds. Lord, I ask that in this new year, You would fall afresh on her.

Father, You are Holy and call us to be Holy. Yet, we confess that so often our hearts wander from You, our speech does not glorify You, and our actions do not honor You. Soften our hearts to receive the words Your sweet Spirit has to speak to us. Clothe us with humility. Take away our desire to always be right and have our own way. Help us to seek Your Word in all that we say and do. Help us to submit to Your Word; allow it to penetrate those deep places in our hearts that resist change. If necessary, put us through the refiner's fire to burn off those things that keep us from walking in step with Your character.

Give us hearts that love and seek after Truth above all else. Give us wisdom and discernment to reject the lies of this world and the evil one. Guide us into all Truth. Guard our hearts and keep our eyes fixed on You. Grow in us those things that will make us more like You. As we study Your Word, fill us and saturate us with You!

Today, Father, we surrender our thoughts, our speech, and our hearts. Thank You that You are Faithful and True. We trust You will do a mighty work in us and through us this year and carry it on to completion until the day we step into eternity with You. Help us to trust in You with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. Help us to acknowledge You in all our ways so that we can hear Your voice as You say, "This is the way, walk in it."

Lord, we love You and thank You that You love us. May our lives be a living testimony of You. We ask this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord who will do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I pray that it blesses you as it did me.

New Year's Thoughts Part 3

These thoughts are inspired by a sermon Paul Pamer preached last Sunday morning at my church and they follow my previous thoughts on resolutions. First let me say - don't get me wrong. I don't think that resolutions are a bad thing, only that we tend to look at it all wrong in this day and age. So, as Beth so stated in her last comment, our focus should really be - what does God want out of me this year, what does He want me to accomplish for Him?

Back to the message from Sunday. He spoke from Isaiah 6:1 where Isaiah had some visions. In the first part, he saw the angels circling the throne and worshipping God - He got a view of the holiness of God.

In the second part, he said, "woe is me" because after he had truly seen the holiness of God, he was able to see himself as he really was. When we get in God's presence, we realize that we are nothing without Him.

In the third part, he heard the Lord ask "Who shall I send and who will go?" And Isaiah said "Here I am - send me." When he got into the presence of God and realized that He was nothing and God was everything, how could he help but be consumed with a desire to serve God and His kingdom?

So it should be with us! With me. I want to be more consumed with what God wants me to do than what I want to do! I want to say like Isaiah, here I am, send me. Acts 13:36 says that "David...served God's purpose in his...generation" (and then he died). I want that to be my legacy. That when it is over for me, I truly served God's purpose in my generation. History will one day end, but eternity goes on forever! Only what I do for Jesus will last.

So, whatever this year holds, may we all strive to follow more closely to God and less to the world. William Carey said: "The future is as bright as the promises of God." That sounds pretty good to me! No matter what goes wrong on the path of the year, I always have the promises of God. Here is a good one to hold tight to: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17) That is a promise I want to remember in these turbulant times.

New Year's Thoughts Part 2

This time of the year, everyone is talking about resolutions - lose weight, get in shape, get out of debt, reach out to others more, eat healthier, etc. I think that it has almost become a joke to see how long you can actually keep them before you fall right back to where you were. We have managed to become desensitized to what it means to actually set a goal and then work hard to keep it. I have set my share of these goals, some I have kept and others, well, let's just say some I didn't! But as I get older, I find myself thinking about things in different ways than I ever have and honestly, I find myself more and more holding up the mirror of God's Word to see how my life looks in that reflection.

So, as I come to my intersection with the end of 2008 and the start of 2009, have I thought of resolutions? Sure, but I am looking at it differently this year. I have looked back over the events of 2008 and reflected on things I did wrong, or didn't do as much as I wanted or did more than I wanted. Reflection is good if it is done through God's eyes and not with the glasses of this world.

There are always things that I want to do to be more like God and what He wants me to be. I want to follow Him more closely than ever and follow the path He has for me. I want to reach out to "the least of these" more than ever and love them as Jesus did. I would love to get in better shape. Getting out of debt would be awesome, too.

But these things really aren't about New Year's resolutions. Yes, that is a great place to start, but they require more than a "start the new year promise" - they require a waking up each day, committed to do my best that day - whether it is Jan 1, May 1, Sept 1 or December 31. I want to live my life in such a way that every DAY is a new opportunity to live my best, give my best, be my best for Him and for His purpose in my life. That is truly my goal! And that is how God designed it, really. His mercies are new every day! We get a "new year" every day to start over and try again! He is so good! We don't have to give up because we make a mistake - it is a whole new start the next day. That is not a license to do wrong, though. Each day should be lived as our best for God as if our life depended on it - because it really does.

New Year's Thoughts Part 1

I read this in an e-mail recently and thought that it was timely to post on here. Read it slowly and carefully - there is a lot in it!

OUR RECIPE FOR LIFE

The recipe for the year we've just spent,

Was bound together with kindly consent.

Holding measures of joy, and a measure of fear,

Spiced with laughter and a measure of tears.

There were pieces of chocolate - dark and bitter,

Mixed in with moments of sugary glitter.

Blended together, the bitter and sweet,

Make memory's contribution complete.

Momentous moments in seconds of time,

Shared smiles and tears on an upward climb;

Each man's outcome so clearly his own,

Yet each man's progress is commonly known.

The future is out there

Its course has been staked.

But to us at this point,

It's a cake not yet baked.

For the ingredient list of a human life,

Goes on and on through sorrow and strife;

Years of loss and years of gain,

Follow years of joy and years of pain.

We sum each year by a critical moment,

It's crystallized, characterized, set up to foment;

"1998! - how well I remember,

That's when my grandson was born in November!"

We toss in ingredients with scarcely a thought,

An angry word, an opinion unsought;

And thus we assemble our life's recipe,

Rarely taking account what the outcome will be.

Too soon, we give up and flee the fight,

When victory's crown is almost in sight.

Too easy, we're swayed by popular opinion,

And find ourselves caught in the enemy's dominion

But just ahead the oven's fire

Will test the ingredients we acquire.

The proof's in the final product, you see.

What we put in will last for eternity.

Author: Marjorie J. Kinnee - Christmas 2008