The second day of the New Year is about to come to a close. Funny how quickly the days pass, isn't it. When we are young, it doesn't seem to matter. TIME is forever; the days never pass fast enough - nothing gets here quick enough for us, our birthday, last day of school, vacation, Christmas, you name it!! But as we grow older, time seems to just FLY by, and every minute becomes more precious.

I was reading something in Joyce Meyer's newletter today about why God might have allowed minutes , hours, days, weeks, months, and years in our time schedule... perhaps to give us a 'new beginning' when we need it most. We can't live from year to year without doing something unpleasing to GOD, but we can live minute to minute, and day to day, and so on, doing the best we can with HIS help to have a sin free life. If we fail, we don't give up; we begin A NEW.

We are to continually study God's word, to be renewed in the Spirit of our mind, and let God transform us into that person which is pleasing in His sight. I think oft times *we* decide what we should be and may not even come close to what he wants for our lives. That's why it's so important to 'listen' to what the WORD says, and let him lead, guide and direct our paths. He will never lead us astray, cause us to do something unpleasing to him. Therefore, when we do something that pricks our conscious, we know somehow or some place we have let satan trip us up, get into the arrangements that God had made. We've slipped up - but that's why it's important to have a 'new beginning'..... We've haven't lost our salvation, only lost fellowship with Him for the time.

Psalms 48:14 For this God [is] our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide [even] unto death.

John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Father, help me start out this new year with a new beginning, focusing on you. Help me remember that, only through you will I ever be fully satisfied; without you, nothing else matters. With you there is peace, joy, love, tranquility, that I will never find in the world. I can try all I want to make my life what it should be, but without your help, I will never succeed. Help me stay in your word, and when I stray, help me come back to you, the one who always has a new beginning, the advocate with the Father. May I always be ready to give you thanks and praise and give honor and glory to your name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.