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Did Someone Say "Fresh Start"?

by Jan Ross  
12/19/2006 / Christian Living

Freshlike fresh tomatoes ripened on the vine?

Freshas in fresh footprints in the snow?

Freshlike the fresh smell of a newly painted room?

Freshor like being fresh out of ideas?

Nope! Fresh Start! Thats what Im talking about. After all, its a fresh new year! The old year has come and gone and now we have an opportunity to improve on what we messed up last year! And, let me tell you, I need that! Truth be told, we probably ALL do!

Fresh Start Bible Reading Plan . . . Beginning this new year, lets make a commitment to begin a concerted effort to read through the Bible in an entire year. You dont think youve got time? Be honest nowcan you think of a better way to spend 20-30 minutes every day? What could possibly benefit you more? Surely not a fresh cup of coffee in front of the television each morning! Nope! Make a commitment and kick off this new year with a plannot last years plan, but a fresh new plan to read through the Bible in 2007.

Fresh Start Prayer Plan . . . You knew I would say that, didnt you! Well, along with reading our Bibles, prayer is an essential for a healthy Christian life. After all, if you cant talk to God, who can you talk to? Admit ityou feel that little prayer wheel turning often but you ignore it. So, make a commitment to heed His call to prayer with a fresh new and improved prayer life.

Fresh Start Family Call . . . Huh? Not ministry first? Nope! I dare you! Take a look at how much time you spend in ministry activities and compare it to how much one-on-one time you spend with your spouse, your children, and your family. Remember, God gave us the family first and then the church. When our families are strengthened by our ministry to them, the church becomes filled with strong families which make up a strong church. Heres another commitmentmake a plan to focus on family first even if means saying no to ministry opportunities. Now, thats a fresh idea!

Fresh Start Personal Commitments . . . Whats a personal commitment? Think hardit wont take much! But think about those things you know you should do but have resisted doing for so long. Exercise! Diet! Nicotine! Neglecting responsibilities. Being a friend. Obeying traffic laws (you knowspeed limits are laws, too)! Visitation! Lending a helping hand! Cleaning the garage! Organizing your photographs! Oh! The list could go on and on. Nows the time for a fresh start! Make a plan and KEEP IT! Get out your calendar and pick one day a month for visitation. Perhaps pick one day to visit with your neighbor. Set aside at least one day a month to clean or organize or sew buttons or whatever boring and mundane project needs to be done. One daythats all it would take to make you feel like youve accomplished something! Make an appointment with your local gym or fitness center and get started on an exercise regime. Start a reasonable diet programone that you can live with. Regardless of what comes to mindthose things youve resisted for so longmake a personal commitment to follow through. Remember! Fresh new year means a fresh new start! You can do it!

And, now Im fresh out of ideas! But I bet you can come up with plenty of your own. My mission is completedI got you thinking about the word fresh and how it applies to the start of this new year! Fresh Start! Dont miss out on all the opportunities it affords you.

We are mortals whose lives are measured in increments of time. Our major divisions of time are broken down into years. With this new year, we have a tremendous opportunity to make a Fresh Start!

Im going to. Are you?

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17 KJV)



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(c) Jan Ross 2006

Jan Ross, President and Co-Founder of Heart of God International Ministries, is a passionate and outspoken defender of the Word of Truth and the Great Commission. http://heartofgodinternational.com. For more devotional material by Jan, please take a moment to visit www.hgdevotions.com.

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