Last night someone dropped the ball. 

I’m not sure but I think some one in New York, it’s always some one in New York. But that may not be fair to New York, either way someone dropped the ball. And now we have to deal with it. 

Well 2018 has officially “shutdown.” Nothing is going on, so what else is really new! It seems everyone is freaking out and  those who are not, well you need to tell everyone else your secret.

As is my habit I was reading the daily office. It is extremely fitting this morning. David seems to speak to us as we begin 2019:

O my soul, bless GOD.From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless GOD, don’t forget a single blessing!

  • He forgives your sins—every one.
  • He heals your diseases—every one. 
  • He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
  • He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. 
  • He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
  • He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

I don’t know where you are living, but all of the stuff has grown “old” and it has made me feel “old.” So I’m ready to have my youth “renewed.” I’m ready to see GOD  take center stage in our lives and His Presence fill the temples of our soul. 

Let the Renewal begin!

This demands that the blaming of others for anything must be stopped! Today! January 1, 2019 everyone of us must resolve to stop blaming others. The Blame game is a scatter shot. If you shoot a shot gun everyone gets hit and hurt. The collateral damage is too high. We must stop and think before we start pointing our fingers at others. 

“…the bigger problem is that we’re proud of not knowing things. Americans have reached a point where ignorance, especially of anything related to public policy, is an actual virtue. To reject the advice of experts is to assert autonomy, a way for Americans to insulate their increasingly fragile egos from ever being told they’re wrong about anything.” He goes on to say, “When feelings matter more than rationality or facts, education is a doomed enterprise.”

We must get involved. Get out of your house. Turn off that phone. Stop taking pictures of your self. Engage with people who are doing things locally, around you, things that you can see and measure. Things that require face-to-face interaction. Without realizing it we have been separated from each other and from our local communities. This is the moment to re-engage. 

Let’s be INTENTIONAL! 

How could we be more intentional in this RE-Engagement? I’m so glad you’ve kept reading! I’m almost done. 

  1. Listen! I’m serious! Let’s do more listening to one another. (the old Indian talking stick practice might just work)
  1. Learn! Don’t just placate the person. Honestly try to understand and learn from the one you are listing too. My guess is that you could learn a little something. 
  1. Lean! Lean on someone else’s thoughts and insights other than your own self bloated ideas that have continued to separate you from others. 

We as American’s are so freakishly blessed!!! We as Followers of Christ are blessed “above and beyond anything we can imagine.” Too many times we forget to “remember” how good God is too us! We forget His benefits. 

David reminds us to “Bless the Lord for ALL His Benefits! “Don’t forget a single blessing.” And then He lists some really really good ones. 

Today, the first day of 2019 —-

  • No more blaming 

Let’s do more:

  • LISTENING
  • LEARNING
  • LEANING 

LET THE RENEWAL BEGIN! 

and

LET ME BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT! 

Quintin