A New Year!  Lamentations 3:22-24 tells us: Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

The New Year can often bring a mixed bag of emotions and memories. While some may have just experienced the best year ever and look forward to an even greater one ahead, others may have just trudged through one struggle after another. The fresh calendar year brings hope for things to be better. Whether you’ve just walked through a great year or are incredibly glad to see 2021 finally over, one truth still rings clear amidst it all. You are not alone. Not ever. Scripture is filled with prayers of men and women who reached out to God for a fresh start. Praying is the main source of connection to the one who created you and the one who wants you to experience blessings and promises in the future. Praying at the start of the New Year doesn't necessarily bring immediate change, but it begins the opening of our hearts to God's words of hope and peace. 

Our God is a “with us" God. On the heels of the celebration of the birth of our King, that reminder has the power to carry us right into a fresh, new start. He is Immanuel, God with us. 

(Resource: crosswalk.com)                                                        Carol Verbeek, Principal