Saturday, December 31, 2011

Brand New Day

I am not perfect, never was and never will be. However, no matter what happened yesterday, the day before, two years ago, twenty years ago, it doesn't matter today. Today is a brand new day! Every sin, worry, anxiety, upset no longer comes into play as I open my eyes to greet a new morning. I am making a conscious decision not to worry or be anxious about what could be. From this point forward I am working on what is and not the what if.

How? I am forgiven. Not by just anyone, but by God. The only one who can forgive me for all past hurts and my faults (of which there are many). Today, I am feeling blessed that I can face a new year with vigor and excitement as my future is full of endless opportunities. It will be another full year as I wave goodbye to my eldest son as he leaves the nest, watch another son graduate from Year 10, pursue some dreams, support my husband, celebrate my parents 40th Anniversary and share precious moments with family and friends.

So celebrate the arrival of 2012 with me where dreams can come true, wrongs are forgotten and an abundance of love is shared all round!

Another Cup of Life Please


Every morning I enjoy a cup of coffee. The first one of the day is always the best and with my ever faithful Nespresso machine, I select the level of caffeine hit required, heat up some milk, then sit back and enjoy the end result.

In life, it isn't quite as simple. We cannot select our life, we have opportunties but not always choices. We do not choose to have cancer, heart attacks, forced transfers or even disabilities. We can however choose how we deal with the events as they unfold.

I remember when my husband had a heart attack (he was only 43) - it certainly wasn't what he chose nor was it my choice, we had no control over the situation. It was one that we had to deal with, face the fear, trust the doctors, trust God more and wait. In that situation we could have chosen to crumble or rise to the challenge. As I waited during his surgery, I prayed and I cried. It was a time that I will never forget and there were many beautiful and emotional moments with my God as I relied on him like never before.

If we could just brew up the perfect life, I believe it would be one of weakness. How many of us would actually welcome adversity. Not many I suspect. Yes, life can be tough but from adversity comes growth and from challenge comes strength. Be they life changing moments or coping with changes in life - it all has purpose. The challenges and adversity are our 'caffeine hit' that bring the deepest parts of our being to life.

As another year comes to a close and new one starts, lets remember that in life we need strength. So instead of another half strength flat white, let's make it full strength. My prayer for you is that you embrace the challenge, discover new strengths and become resilient and confident no matter what comes your way in 2012.