Possibilities...

The words New Year's Resolution make me cringe. Never been a fan of the idea of making a bunch of promises based on my own performance, abilities, or will power. (If you are a New Year's Resolution Maker, please do not take offense...I wish you success in your endeavors. It's just not for me.) Words I do like are New Beginnings...With God's Grace, Possibilities, New Creation in Jesus, New Mercies Every Morning.

We serve a God of new beginnings...a God of endless, abundant, sufficient grace to cover our weaknesses, our sin, our failures and to carry us through the challenges and sorrows of each day.

And we trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God...
~2 Corinthians 3:4-5

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." ~2 Corinthians 12:9

We serve a God with a plan, a promise, and a purpose for our lives...Endless Possibilities...He has plans for us in 2009...big plans, good plans.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~Ephesians 2:10

We serve the One who works tirelessly in us to make us a new creation in Jesus...and He will not stop working until the job is complete...until all that was broken is fully restored, until every hurt and disappointment is healed, until we are set free from every bondage, until we are home with Him, and those we love who have gone before us...one sweet day! He will not stop.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ~2 Corinthians 5:17

...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ... ~ Philippians 1:6

For all the failing, stumbling, and falling we have done in 2008 and for all the failing, stumbling, and falling we have yet to do...there is a promise of new mercies every morning. Everyday, a clean slate...a new beginning. We are starting a new year with new hopes and possibilities. We will not always meet our goals...but everyday holds the possibility of a second chance. And we are covered with His grace and mercy. God is faithful when we are faithless, and our hope rests securely in Him.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compasssions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
~Lamentations 3:22-24

There just aren't enough words to express the depth of God's all sufficient grace. But, as I reflect on this past year, I see a continued journey with a gracious Savior, and instead of victories and failures I see a process of learning. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and experience a new beginning and more of God's amazing, sufficient grace. If we are His children, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and that is what God sees. That is how we should learn to view ourselves, placing our confidence completely in Him. Maybe, that's the problem with resolutions. They make it seem like we have some power or control over what the next year holds. We really don't know what tomorrow has in store for us, but we know with a blessed assurance Who holds tomorrow. So who needs resolutions? Let the adventure begin!

Some Prayers and Possibilities for 2009...
-That we at Sufficient Grace Ministries would continue to serve the Lord, in unity, through prayer, and with humility, trusting Him to be our guide.
-The Lord's continued wisdom, guidance, and provision both for the ministry and our daily family life.
-That the message of God's comfort and hope would reach more families who are grieving the loss of their precious babies...that each family's needs would be met...and that He would carry them through their sorrow to a season of joy and restoration.
-For our continued efforts to create a CD that brings glory to the Lord, meets the needs of those we serve and is a blessing to others. (For those who have asked, we have yet to get a result we are happy with for our Dreams of You CD and are scrapping the project and starting from scratch. It has been a labor of love for a few years, now...and we haven't given up. We are currently seeking to build a studio in our basement and begin working on the project once more. We covet your prayers for this project so close to our hearts.)
-That the Lord would provide those with willing hearts to serve with us in this ministry and that He would continue to bless and keep those who already do. (You know who you are...and we are so thankful for you.)
-Guidance and protection for our family and for Tim and I as we make decisions about work, finances, and service in ministry together. Open doors and opportunities...provision...that we would seek His will for our lives...that our desires would be in line with His desires for our life.

Blessings to all of you in the coming year...enjoy today's new beginning.