A look back on 2014 and a look into 2015!

As I look back on the year 2014, the word that comes to mind is "Breakthrough". As I began to surrender (my theme word for 2014!) myself and areas of my life to the Lord, He broke through many barriers and walls in my life! In January I accepted a position at our church. It was not something I had planned and it certainly wasn't the kind of job I had in mind. But God knew better.
When I saw the ad in our church bulletin about an open position as the "Connection Team Lead", I immediately felt the need to apply. I went through the interview process and it was clear to everyone on the interview panel that I was the right person for the job! On the outside I was excited, but on the inside I felt uncomfortable. I felt that in my spiritual walk I was not fit to work for the church. When was the last time I had had a good solid quiet time? But to God that did not matter. He remembered the call to ministry that he had placed on my life so many years ago. I hadn't forgotten it either, but I felt stuck and thought that it was too late for God to make it happen! Fast forward almost one year and I am amazed at how far I have come, or should I say how far God has taken me? At the end of January I was asked to speak at the Women's conference at our church. In May I attended our Women's Retreat and was one of the small group leaders. It was at that retreat that the Holy Spirit ministered to me and set me free from the past. For the first time in eighteen years I felt free to worship, pray and use my prayer language.
Since then God has confirmed again and again that I am in the right place. In August the leadership at NWC appointed me as the Life Group administrator! What a dream to have a position in which my administrative as well as my pastoral skills are required.
This past week-end Brent and I got to go on an overnight date to Seattle while my parents watched the kids. We had a wonderful time going out to dinner, a movie and dessert. We stayed at the beautiful Westin Hotel in Seattle. Sunday late morning we went out to breakfast and used that time to talk about our hopes and goals for 2015. There are personal goals, financial goals, spiritual goals. When you put them all on paper, they can be pretty overwhelming. Is there even enough time to do all the things that we want to change and accomplish?
I spent some time in prayer about it this morning and my daily devotional by Chris Tiegreen was just what I needed. It talked about when Joshua was about to lead Israel into the promised land. He was afraid, but God gave him words of encouragement. "This is my command - be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Chris writes that Joshua was "focusing on the enormity of the task rather than the enormity of his God" and that "fear of enemies of obstacles cannot survive in the presence of God. As your awe of Him grows, mountains shrink and problems unravel".
As I was praying about my goals for 2015, God gave me Psalm 1 and the theme word for 2015 is GROWTH! I don't have to become a beautiful tree with long roots overnight. God wants me to grow slowly and healthy by streams of water. If I plant my roots in his word, I will yield my fruit in season and my leaves will not wither!

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

Welcome 2014! A new year, a fresh start. I am naming this year the year of surrender! I am surrendering my life anew to God! His will, not mine be done. This is a year of change for my family in so many areas and as scary as change can be, it is exciting to know that God is in control and that he has good things in store for us. As I am typing this, I am listening to the song "I Surrender" by Hillsong and I came upon this prayer on the internet:

Loving Father, I surrender to You today with all my heart and soul. Please come into my heart in a deeper way. I say “Yes” to You today. I open all the secret places in my heart to you and say, “Come on in.” Jesus, You are Lord of my whole life. I believe in You and receive You as my Lord and Savior. I hold nothing back. Holy Spirit, bring me deeper conversion to the person of Jesus Christ. I surrender all to you: my health, my family, my resources, occupation, skills, relationships, time management, successes and failures. I release it, and let it go. I surrender my understanding of how things ought to be; my choices and my will. I surrender to You the promises I have kept and the promises I have failed to keep. I surrender my weaknesses and strengths to You. I surrender my emotions, my fears, my insecurities, my everything. Lord, I surrender my entire life to You, the past, the present and the future. In sickness and in health, in life and in death, I belong to You. “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you, O Lord, and I return it. All is Yours. Dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me Your Love and Your grace, for this is sufficient for me.” (Source: http://theprayerescape.wordpress.com/a-prayer-for-you/prayer-of-surrender) This is my prayer for this day and every day for this year, that I will surrender every area of my life to God's will.