Thoughts on 2012

Happy New Year! What a year 2011 has been: 5 weddings, including Colleen and Luke Basler's in St Louis in March and my brother, Jason, and Angela's in Cali, Colombia, on October 1st; 2 international trips, to the States in March, including a day in New York City on the way back to England, and the trip to Colombia at the end of September; finding out in early August that I am pregnant with BeeBee; a move to Shrewsbury in September and the change of workplace, church, friends and surroundings that come along with it; and the passing of my grandpa at the end of October.

Jeff and I ended the year by relaxing at home; we watched the movie "UP" - was I really supposed to cry 4 times during it?! (and this was even the second time I've seen the movie) - while noshing on strawberries, sliced bananas, pretzels and cubes of cake dipped into chocolate fondue. Just before midnight we turned to the live New Years Eve celebrations in London, counted down the clock and watched the amazing fireworks display around the London Eye - simply spectacular.

This morning's message by our pastor, Paul Yeulett, was titled "The Word of Our God Stands Forever". I want to share the main points (from the notice sheet) with you, not only because I care for you and your walk with the Lord, but because as a new year begins and some view the coming year as another year to "exist" or "lose hope", we can rest in the hope of our Lord through the dependence on his Word for guidance.

The reading was Isaiah 40:1-8, focusing on verses 6-8: "A voice says, 'Cry out.' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.' The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.'

1. The grass withers - we know that plants wither and die, more quickly in hot climates, but the point here is that 'flesh', that is people, are frail and temporary. Think of all the people who have died in 2011. We are all a year older than we were on 1 January 2011. We should not be surprised to see frailty and failure around us.

2. The flower fades - Human beings, and the things they set up, may be glorious and beautiful for a time, but they fade and vanish. Are we guilty of worshipping these things rather than God? But God himself "blows on" these things so that they are gone. Only God is eternal and worthy of all our worship.

3. The word of our God stands forever - Modern science believes that the world and the whole human race will wither and die, but it has no message of eternal comfort. Throughout the Bible, God's people are urged to put their trust in God's word. Jesus said that "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matt. 24:35). Wicked men have tried to destroy God's word, but they cannot succeed. Do we prize the Bible for what it is, "the living and enduring word of God" (1 Pet. 1:23)?

I made note of something that struck me from what our pastor said during the 3rd point which was "because of the Word of God, we can put our hope in something, rather than nothing." On what is your hope built? In what do you find security? What are your New Year resolutions focused on? Yourself or God? I don't plan on "preaching" to you in every blog I write, but I do urge you, dear friends and family, that if you don't have a living relationship with our Lord and Saviour, NOW is the time to begin. Ask Him for forgiveness for being distant from Him and He will open His loving arms to you... I know this from experience and from the promises stated in the Bible. Read from His word daily, even if it's just a few verses, and pray (just talk to Him) throughout the day.

As 2012 begins, we look forward to what we believe the Lord has planned for us in 2012: visits by friends and family throughout the year starting with Bronwyn (tomorrow for 2 days) and Robert and Beverly (Wednesday for 6 days); the sale of our house in Gloucester on January 12th and perhaps the purchase of a new one by the end of the year; becoming members of Shrewsbury Evangelical Church in the weeks to come; the birth of our first child in March along with the birth of many friends' babies - Baby Lehmann #2, Baby Bolme #3 and Baby Berber #1 in May - and my cousin, Michael, and his wife, Kayleigh's, first baby in July; exploring the hills and vallies of parenthood; and finally a trip to Ohio at the end of the year to spend BeeBee's first Christmas in Ohio.

We hope that you live 2012 to the fullest and thank the Lord for all He has blessed you with.