new!
TEE HEE! We got a NEW puppy for Christmas! He is so sweet, funny, and well...NEW to this world. Everyday is a NEW adventure and every bite, lick, or whiff is a NEW thrill! [Follow us on instagram at melissaovermyer and twitter @MOSovermyer. He chimes in as “Francis the Pope loving Frenchie” :)]
New! New! New! I love that word. To me it conjures up ideas of starting out, starting up or even starting over. Who does not want a fresh clean slate? The delightful feeling of fragrant laundry coming out of the dryer? To wake up each day and have “fresh powder” just waiting for them?
The most amazing thing about God is that even though His Name is “The Ancient of Days” and He is the great I AM, and He has always been and always will be, He is also, always NEW! As crazy at it seems, we can never come to the end of the newness of God.
Pope Francis wrote: “God is not afraid of new things! That is why he is continually surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us in unexpected ways. He renews us: He constantly makes us ‘new’. A Christian who lives the Gospel is ‘God’s newness’ in the Church and in the world. How much God loves this ‘newness’!”*
I am going to divulge a little secret...I am not a natural blond. Yep, it is true. And believe it or not, all I had to do to become one was place my head in the hands of professionals. Bing, bang, boom...a whole NEW me. The only hard part was deciding to do it.
I challenge you to do something NEW in 2016! (Not necessarily dye your hair). Become the person you want to be. Break free from your past and be all that God has for you to be. Be free!!
If you are stuck in old patterns of thinking, ask God to RENEW your thoughts and give you the mind of Christ.
“But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16
If you are stuck in old patterns of unforgiveness, ask God to take away your heart of stone and give you a NEW heart of flesh; one that resembles His.
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
If you are stuck in old patterns of dried-up or dead “religiosity”, ask God to breath His LIFE back into you, just as He gave life to Adam.
“So, too, it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being,’ the last Adam (Christ) a life-giving spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45
The hardest part will be deciding to do it. The rest is easy. Place your whole self in the most capable of hands and, by God’s grace, He will work with you to do all the rest.
“The one who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'” Revelation 21:5
Dear Lord,
I love NEW! And I need NEW! I need the NEWNESS of You! I can get so tangled in a rut of old, comfortable and easy. Please wake me up to the NEWNESS of You and all You have to offer me. If I am bored, it is my own fault because You are none of that! You are Creator of New Universes, Maker of all things Glorious, Dreamer of Beauty and Goodness. Captivate all of me-- mind, heart and spirit-- and make me fresh and New for 2016. I give You permission to surprise me. Here I am Lord. I place myself into Your loving and capable hands.
I ask this in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2014/documents/papa-francesco_20141019_omelia-chiusura-sinodo-beatificazione-paolo-vi.html
