Pruning in the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!   Ok so it's January 13, 2010 and I'm just getting around to my New Year blog. We've had an eventful ending of last year and beginning of the New Year! Some good events...some not so good events but we are still so excited and blessed for all that this New Year will bring. God has great plans for us and I'm so excited to see what's in store.   One of my main goals this year aside from growing closer to God, digging deeper into His Word, and developing stronger/closer friendships/relationships is removing clutter from my house/life. :) As I wrapped up 2009 I had already started on the de-cluttering of my home...we removed several boxes of things out of the attic, cleaned out closets, drawers, and pantry. I can't begin to tell you the relief that it brings..I mean to look around and everything is in order and there is space! Don't get me wrong, I have lots more to do but it's progress. To me it's like pruning.   In the Bible, book of John, John 15 says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."   There are sooo many areas of my life that needed pruning! To be more fruitful we MUST prune away. Not just discard items from the attic, or clean the pantry but EVERY area of our lives need it.  I've started that by pruning away dead weights...weights of dead friendships...weights of busy days...and weights of fear. :) So far, so good! I've not allowed the busyness of my life take over by rejoining our gym!  I've been to every yoga and pilates class at our gym for these first 2 weeks and it's been wonderful for my body and mind. I've made new friendships and have strengthened some old friendships and it is proof that pruning is necessary.   All of this....in only the first few weeks of the year! Can't wait to see what's in store...so Happy New Year! and get to pruning :)   **I'm moving my blogs from email back to a website....stay tuned, and God bless! Also keep on forwarding those ministry emails...I get great feedback from several people that they forwarded them on and it helped someone by encouraging them in their time of need.

Faith, Saints, Superbowl........

As we go into this week...I wanted to share this. As Saint's fans we always say "Gotta have FAITH!" We've stood behind this team for over 40 years cheering during some of the worst games ever. Never giving up because we have FAITH! Our shirts say FAITH, our bumper stickers say FAITH, and one of our mottos say FAITH. 

(Matthew 17:20 says that "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain Move from here to there and it will move" NOTHING is impossible for you.) (Matthew 19:26 "....With God all things are possible")

 

I know that all of us die-hard Saints fans have had faith in our "Bless you boys" but remember to keep faith in all areas of our lives. :-) The joy that all of us feel in this city right now is awesome, right? We are on cloud 9! We have a pep in our step, We're smiling at the drivers that we are usually yelling at, for some of us it's the happiest we've been since before Katrina. During this "Breesy" football season...we've put aside race, subdivisions, whether we are rich or poor....  we've come together for those 3 hours a weekend and cheered on the Saint's with the same passion and put aside ALL of our differences. None of those things mattered, we were on the same team!!! :-)

 

We do not have to stop after the parades end....This happiness and joy can continue in our lives with Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Hope, FAITH, and Love......

 WHO DAT!!!! :-)  Shawna  <><