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Friday, January 05, 2007

New Year's meditation

Laurel Wreath is hosting a new year's meditation event. Go here to see other blogs who are participating.

This was rather a hard post for me, as you can see I have put it off till the last day. Laurel was looking for something deeper than resolutions.

I think for the year 2007 the two things I want to focus on in becoming are abiding more in Christ, and showing or telling those I care for-in a tangible way-how much I love them and how much they mean to me.

This road we are traveling right now with my father in law has made me really think about love, and the things that are unsaid, and the things that need to be said. We have been so fortunate to have these last days with him to spend time with him, to love and care for him, and most important for many of us was time alone with him to open our hearts to him and say the things we felt, but-for me-didn't verbalize much. I have had to think about what it would have been like to have been robbed of this time, what regrets I would have had.

This year I desire to love much and to make sure I share that love in words and deeds.

"Abide in Me, and I in you." John 15:4

This year I would like to focus on abiding in Christ. My understanding at this point, is that abiding in Christ is more than 'walking with Christ' or 'being with Christ', 'following Christ' or even 'dwelling with Christ'. John 14:23 says "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him." If we are walking with the Lord, than we are with Him. If we are with Him then we dwell with Him, if we dwell with Him, we live with Him, and if we live with Him we abide in Him.

I would like to be aware throughout my day, that I abide in Christ, and He in me...from sunrise to sunset, to the big and little things, in my conversations, in my dealings inside and outside of my home, I would like to desire for all my living, all my actions, all my expression to be abiding in Christ.

A tall order for this soulish vessel, I know. In tangible ways, I will seek this abiding through more prayer, more time spent reading the Bible, through praise and thanksgiving and through simply being still and knowing that He is God (and that I am not..)

I think this all goes hand in hand with the thought of dying to self, to live is Christ...

So, these are my two major goals for 2007, beyond the usual eat better, have more fun with the kids, be more organized.

May 2007 be a blessed year for you, and one in which we are all growing into God's fullness.

posted at 11:32 PM
13 comments

13 Comments:

At 8:36 AM, Anonymous said...: No better goal than getting closer to Christ and abiding in Him!

Continueing to pray for you and your family, Jenny!
At 1:42 PM, Anonymous said...: "In tangible ways..." Yes! Tangible. I loved the way you said that. "Agape" love is "demonstrated" love, and our love for Him must be demonstrated, just as His love for us was.

What a great post, and I have just reread it and prayed through it for you: That your abiding would be tangible for you and evident to all. That His peace would permeate every corner of your soul.

May you bear much fruit for His glory in 2007!
At 8:46 PM, Hen Jen said...: Cyndi,

thank you so much for your comment, and thank you for your prayer. I love what you wrote..."that His peace would permeate every corner of your soul"..

I have to say, "Amen"

Jenny
At 11:21 PM, Anonymous said...: man, i so needed to see that, to be reminded of all the ways i, too, need to abide more in Christ. do you know that steven curtis chapman song "be still"? love that song. hearing it always reminds me to do just that. also "so subtly" by rescue, and the praise song "i stand in awe of you." thanks for this post.
At 2:51 PM, Anonymous said...: As difficult as it is to know in advance that you're going to lose someone, the blessing is that you DO get a chance to say the things you might not have said otherwise. I had some long, long late-night conversations with my mother-in-law when she was in the final stages of cancer and I thank God every day that she truly knew how much I loved her before she passed away.

You and your family are in my prayers during this sad time.
At 10:32 PM, Hen Jen said...: Lara,

glad you found food for thought in my post. I know two songs you mentioned, but not the one by rescue, i will have to look that one up. I love the Steven Curtis Chapman song, and the piano is beautiful in it.
glad you visited!
Jenny
At 10:36 PM, Hen Jen said...: Barb,

you are right, and we are cherishing every day we get with him. Two night ago he became dilirious and the next day he slept all the time or was non-responsive, we truly thought that was it-then the next day he was with us again, though he slips in and out of being with us, we treasure each intelligent look from him, each smile, each I love you, and the few sentences we get out of him. I am so glad we did get this time, and that we were all able to spend alone time with him and say what needs to be said.
Thank you for praying Barb, I really appreciate it so much.

Jenny
At 4:36 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!).
At 4:37 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!).
At 4:38 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!).
At 4:38 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!).
At 4:39 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!). -Tiffany
At 4:40 PM, Anonymous said...: Jenny - this is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it! I really appreciated your New Year's thoughts - "abiding" is just such a comforting word in itself. It is such a calm, peaceful way of being. That passage in John from ch. 14-17 are some of my very favorite in all of Scripture! Thank you for taking the same general thoughts most of my favorite blog-ladies have but for putting it in a different way - for making it more personal than just striving for more Jesus (which is always a wonderful goal anyway!). -Tiffany

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