YOUR LIFE IN A BRAND-NEW YEAR!

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had
heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” –Luke 2:20 (NIV)

Surrender your routine:

“The shepherds returned . . .” -Luke 2:20

As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said. -Luke 2:20 (CEV)

It means letting go of the need for rigid control and embracing flexibility. Committing to
seeking peace in the present moment by accepting what you can’t change and acting
with intention where you can and allowing God to be at the center of your life.

Take Away #1:
Ask God to help you see His presence in those parts of your daily life that are the most
difficult for you.

Commit to gratitude:

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen . . .” -Luke 2:20 (NIV)

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” –Luke 2:17-18

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It
turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into
a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our
past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

Take Away #2:
Think about the most challenging situation (work, family, whatever) you are facing. Pray
right now that God would help you see some reason for gratitude in this difficult reality.

Ground yourself in God’s faithfulness:

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” –Luke 2:20 (NIV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”       – I John 1:9 (NIV)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
-Psalms 103:12 (NIV)

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”                  – Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)

Take away #3:
Make a list of how you have seen God’s faithfulness and put it in some prominent place
in your house.