The year turned over as easily as an egg in a non-stick skillet. Most folk didn't notice any change or differences so to speak. However, for those who huddled around the manger seeking some peace in their hectic, cluttered, over scheduled lives it was the first day of many filled with the possibility that this year was going to be different.

     Hey, if you haven't caught on yet....all years are different. No two are exactly alike no matter how routine or predictable they might seem. It's not really about a new year anyway. It's about you, and whether you decide to make this year different by intentionally deciding to take action on all those promises and resolutions you make that never seem to happen.

     God has graciously given us through the cycle of the sun and moon every 24 hours a new opportunity to make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. You can sit around a wait for something to happen to you then whine and complain about the results. Or you can begin this year by taking the steps to become pro-active rather than passive or inactive. 

     Life was meant to be lived, not just passed through. Living comes from engaging the joys, sorrows, challenges and possibilities head on with vigor! Yea, sometimes it just plain hard to do, like wading through the creek when the bottoms all muddy and the waters unclear. Then other times the waters crystal clear and you can see the bottom. That's the beauty of it -- it always changes, never exactly the same.

     So hows your year so far? What new possibilities are waiting for you? Stop -- Listen -- Hear the voice of God calling your name. Be open to where the Spirit leads you and remember you can sit at the manger anytime, anyplace, day or night, not just once a year. Emmanuel is with us -- always.