The Year of Hope

Hebrews 10:18-25 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1. Draw near to God with faith.

2. Receive grace and reject sin.

3. Identify myself publicly as Christ's.

4. Be as consistent in sharing God's love as he consistently loves me.

5. Don't enter into discouragement and criticism, when I am strong Iwill share my strength and help you to find love and service to others within yourself. Please do the same for me.

6. I will join with other Believers to be loved and to love, to learn and to teach, to laugh and to cry. I will notice your gifts and let you mentor me.

7. I know that the time for this planet, this nation and this life I know is only growing shorter. I do see the final days approaching. I will not pretend. If the Lord returns during my life time, I will live worthy of being his final generation of Believers.

So much has changed in the last year of my life, and in retrospect it has been such a good year that my blessings have indeed been beyond all I could ask or think. I awoke this morning thinking of my old hope chest, still stored at the old old house. I remembered myself sitting on my bedroom floor before I was married holding hot pads with geese on them, a glass ornament from Hudson's, salt & pepper shakers...such a little bit to build a home with. I sat in front of that open cedar chest amazed at all of my beautiful things imagining what my home would be. I believed everything I needed was inside of the Lane hope chest.

I needed so much more. So many different things. Some of them I would do without for years, forgetting how nice it is to have luxuries like three sets of sheets or extra tubes of tooth paste or a deep frying pan. The things that were really missing of course, cannot be stored in a cedar chest. I had to seek after them for myself.

It is my honor to awaken today knowing that in uncertainty, I truly do have all I need. My provision is promised and my future is secure. I thank you for spending your days with me and for the honor of being invited into your lives. I have every expectation that 2009 will hold surprises and blessings and worries yet to be imagined for all of us. My prayer for you is that you will find a time in every day of this new year to sit in front of Jesus allowing him to place everything you need into your life. There is no need for hope chests for us, our hope is stored in a manger, in a cross, at the throne.

Much love to you, my family in Christ. When 2010 dawns, I will be celebrating with you, here or in eternity. Either way, our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus love and righteousness...