If you are like me, you are or have been processing the year 2019 and preparing for 2020. If you are like me, then you are probably feeling all kinds of emotions from 2019 like thankfulness, happiness, joy, shame, guilt, disappointment, regret, or all of the above plus more. 2019 was full of ups and downs for me. 2019 has been a big year for my family. There were a lot of happy moments. There were some sad ones also. Let There Be took off which has been such a blessing for me and others! Let There Be makes my heart so happy! Beau finished with his MBA! Thank you Jesus! I am plum giddy over this!
My niece was born! There's a testimony there! I started back to school to finish my certification in teaching. I have one semester left. Bailey made All-Stars for baseball. Parker started a new school and ended up making the baseball team. He also gave us a bad scare and landed in the hospital for several days. Hadley had her first solo and started learning sign language! It has been a year of a lot of extra!
Extra smiles, extra blessings, extra trips, extra duties, extra time, extra school, extra sickness (kidney stones & injury), extra stress, extra exhaustion, extra on top of extra, etc. One day I would feel so happy and then the next day I would be in tears because I was so overwhelmed with it all. It's life! Life can be full of extra! It goes from one end of the spectrum to the opposite end of the spectrum. I have made some decisions that have caused this season of life to be extra. Some decisions bring me lots of joy and some bring me to tears. Even in all the extra, I have been extremely blessed in 2019 and I have continued to learn from life. God has given me some revelation on some things this year. I am still working on me! One thing that I would like to share as we all enter 2020 is that there is first forgiveness, then healing. A lot of time, we flood the altar asking/praying for healing of physical pain, emotional and mental suffering, or heartache. Healing will come! I believe that! Matthew 21:22 says"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." It will happen in God's timing which is when he will get the most glory. But first, let there be forgiveness. In Matthew 9:2, the Bible says " And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." In Matthew 9:6, he tells the man to "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." First, there was forgiveness, then healing. The Lord could have easily said "Arise" first. However, I believe God forgave first because he wants us to know the importance of forgiveness. Forgive others, forgive ourselves, and be forgiven! Colossians 3:13 tells us to "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." As we step into the new year, let's step in with forgiveness first. Reflect and repent! I know. You know. Repent of anything and everything in your life that does not line up to the Word of God. Repent of sins that you know of and those that you are not aware of. Repent of things that you should have done that you did not do. Repent of things that you should not have done that you did. Acts 3:19 says " Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Ask the Lord for revelation and direction. Ask him to open your eyes to see what you need to work on for 2020. It may be that you need to forgive someone that has wronged you or your family. It may be that you just need to let go of some things! It may be that you need to forgive yourself! Whatever it is, let go, forgive and be forgiven. Romans 4:7 says "Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." I believe that once forgiveness has taken place, healing will come, then God's blessings will begin to pour like rain. It may happen all at once or it may be a process. Do not get upset if it does not happen all at once. Trust the process! Regardless of how or when it takes place, it will be a noticeable change happening within hearts and homes. I'm ready for a change! I am claiming some promises in 2020. Do not be afraid to go into the new year with some expectations. I am not naive. I know that life will continue to have ups and downs. It may even be a little extra but I am extending forgiveness to myself and others claiming the promise of healing and blessings. Jeremiah 29:11 promises " For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The new year is going to be a new year for us all full of new learning experiences, revelations, promises, healing, and blessings! It will be what we make of it so let us make sure that forgiveness is at the top of the list. Allow God to take you to new heights and greater depths. Make sure you put forgiveness first, then trust the process and allow the Lord to blow your mind! I am moving into 2020 forgiven, with a clean heart and renewed spirit. I'm moving into 2020 with prayers and promises on my heart/mind and I'm expecting those prayers and promises to be fulfilled. In the name of Jesus. I'm ready! Are you?
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your many blessings over this past year. You are so good to me God. I thank you for the ups and the downs. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me. I pray that you will forgive me of anything and everything that is not of you. Please forgive me of sins of omission and sins of commission. I'm sorry for letting you down. I fail daily. I have failed you and myself. Help me to forgive myself and others. Show me what and how I can do better. Help me to do better and to be better. Help me to be more like you! Help me to fulfill your purpose each day and to extend mercy, grace, and forgiveness. I need your hand guiding me and leading me. Let me see with your eyes. Let me reach with your hands. Let me hear with your ears. Help me to walk in your footsteps. Do not let fear or frustration overtake me. When I am overwhelmed, remind me of your Word. Remind me to count my blessings. Remind me of who you are and who I am in you! You are my source, my strength, and my hope. You are my healer, deliverer, and provider. I need you Lord as I step into the new year. Heal my heart and make me whole. Let your will be done in 2020! In Jesus Name!
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