COURAGE FOR TODAY

The Best Path For The New Year

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  Psalm 16: 11 (NIV)

It's that time of year again when we all start agonizing over our New Year's Resolutions.  There's just something about the starting of a New Year that seems to motivate us to start a new exercise program; or begin a new weight loss program; or, perhaps, make a different career decision.  It's almost as if starting "fresh" in the New Year makes us forget about the past and become more determined than ever to succeed at our new goal, whatever that may be.

I was spending some time today thinking about what might be the next path in my own life and where life's journey may take me over the next few months or year or even several years.  I have a lot of things swirling around in my mind, but I don't yet have peace about any major decisions at this point. 

No Room At The Inn

And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2: 7 (NIV)

It's been quite a stressful few weeks for our family.  My daughter; son-in-law; and their three children have been making travel arrangements to return home for Christmas, from their Mission Home in China.  This trip was going to be especially trying because their third child was just born in November.  Before they could travel, they had to obtain their new daughter's U.S. Passport and travel documents.  Once that was in hand, it was off to Beijing; then a flight to Tokyo; then on to the U.S.  I've spared you a lot of details, but suffice it to say that the journey from their small China town to our home town in the U.S.; in time for Christmas, was nothing short of a miracle.  God's hand was truly on them during their journey.  What an exciting, tearful reunion it was this past Friday when they finally arrived at the airport.