Resolved By The Grace Of God, pt.8

Happy New Year to all our tea drinkers...or water-with-no-ice drinkers.

To close my (since Lily contributed nothing) series on resolutions and to begin the new year: my "resolution of first importance."

But before I give you that resolution, let's preview last year's. My main resolution for 2008 was to learn to love cooking. Not because I wanted to just love every minute in the kitchen and be the best chef ever. I wanted to learn to love cooking because when I would have to cook anything (ok, forget cooking -- just make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) I did not have a heart that was glorifying and enjoying the Lord in everything...forever. So, I wanted the Lord to teach me to love to cook and to glorify Him in it, and to force myself to get into the kitchen and bless people by food ;) I mean, there is just something about sitting down around a table full of food that ties strings. The Lord gives us the table to commune with Him. He sat around the table with tax-collectors and sinners. He feasted with His disciples. There's just something about the table that brings us together and builds relationships.

Well, today, to kick off the year, I was in the kitchen for a couple hours makin' cookies for the neighbors. Oh, but not just making cookies. I had to make a double batch. So yeah, I did have to do that math in my head ;) And, I did dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. I know, goin' out on a limb! The Lord has been good this year. Not just in the kitchen (because I even have new schemes for 2009 of how to get in the kitchen and cook, and bless people...and I'm excited about them!!) but also in my friendships, and my place as a daughter, a sister, a saint, a member of Redeemer, a teacher, a student, a member of the family (and all the joys and chores that invovles ;). The Lord is good and faithful. We are the children of Heaven's King and He will not neglect or forsake His precious treasures!

So now, resolution "of first importance" for the new year. Of course, there are plenty of resolutions like being more faithful in exercising every day (shouldn't be hard since exercising twice a week would be an improvement ;), or finishing the Institutes by March 10 (oh yeah, it's definitely a resolution but it was made last year, HEllo! ;) There are lots of "grand visions" for what I should be like in the new year. But my main resolution, my desire for this year, my longing by the grace of God, is Philippians 2:4~

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

My desire for 2009 is that the Lord would teach me more and more to look not at my own things but also at the things of others: that I would speak to others thinking of them and not myself; speaking about others thinking of them and not myself. That I would pour myself out as a servant for others knowing that they are more important than me and my selfish desires. That I would think of my neighbor's happiness more than my own. That I would "love my neighbor as myself."

Ok, now it's your turn. Comment me (us ;) with your resolutions. Go ahead, give us a whole list! We would love to know what you're "chewin' on."

May the Lord bless us, and keep us, and cause His face to shine upon us, this year, as we "look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others"...by the grace of God.

In our precious Savior, with much rejoicing for the great things He has done,

Miss Blair for the Novelteatalkers

p.s. I was going to get Lily to post her resolution of the year but she is out of town so I'm the only poster these days. I'll work on it when she gets back, though.