A New Year

We have all had good years and those years that we can call less than ideal, if not down-right bad.  There are those rare years when you look back and the only thing that can be said is, “What on earth was that?”  It is in those moments, after those extraordinarily difficult times, that I find myself asking God the why questions…Why did this person do that?  Why did that happen?  Why did You let my dreams be shattered?  I find myself in God’s arms throwing the biggest fit imaginable–kicking and screaming while He is holding on tight.  He is trying to comfort me in my pain and I am trying to fight it–resist it because I can’t accept His comfort in my time of hopelessness.  In other words, the focus is totally on me.  I am focused on my desires and wants and not turning those over to the One who can handle them with so much care.  I am crying out to God, but failing to hear His soothing voice.  I am focusing on my fit and not on His arms around me.  It is something that is hard to feel and so often we don’t try to feel it all.  We don’t think that He really cares as much as He says because if He did, He would have taken care of our issues already. So, I want to surrender my 2008 to God.  I want to give Him my dreams and let Him take care of them. I want to make the choice to stop resisting and choose instead to say “Blessed be Your Name in every circumstance and every stage of life.”

Tonylicious, anyone?

Since I figured out how to create links to media with yesterday’s post, I thought I’d offer this for your viewing pleasure.

Tonylicious 

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that everyone is having a great Christmas Day and that the joy didn’t end before lunch time. I wanted to give you the opportunity to listen to our brief Christmas Eve service and to enjoy again, the blessings that many received. We love and appreciate all of you who are connected to the RISING! May your evening be blessed, and may your new year bring better days!

Tony