It is Thursday, December 28th and my thoughts are moving forward to 2024. Our last carload of family left this morning for their trek across the state and over the mountains to their home. Things are quiet and ideas are swirling. Here are some of those ideas I’m thinking about for the new year.
- A different reading through the Bible Plan I’m settling on is from www.FiveDayBibleReading.com
2. I want to pick some verses from the Bible to memorize. I’ll be strategic in my choices to make it easy on my brain. Since our current sermon series at our church is in the book of Colossians, I’ll choose verses from that book to memorize. I got a head start with this one on December 21st. This is actually Colossians 1:13 and 14.
Picking some key words helped me to remember the sequence, delivered, transferred, redemption, forgiveness.
3. Starting a new daily devotional. In researching Liverpool for our travels last September I read about J.C. Ryle, the first Bishop of Liverpool appointed by Queen Victoria in 1880. I’ve been reading his writings on Holiness and I asked for this devotional for Christmas.
4. Reading some new to me good books that we have ordered and received as gifts.
5. Getting acquainted with a new coffee machine/system I ordered for our church kitchen.
6. Putting plans in motion on how we would like to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Our wedding was in December and the weather can be unpredictable so we are thinking about autumn or late Spring for whatever we land on to enjoy with our little family of 10. (Lord willing)
7. Always and it seems forever implementing something in the eating world to drop some pounds.
8. Adding a daily 30 minute physical activity to my schedule.
9. Intentional time with our Grands.
10. Birthday gifts for three of ours who have January birthdays!
I was just thinking how I don’t have to make sure I write 2024 on checks instead of 2023. So few personal checks are written these days. I was also thinking that I’m not a fan of election years with all the nonsense that goes on and is already going on. With that in mind maybe less TV and more reading will be the best of plans. Have you been thinking about 2024 and what you might want to do that is new?
A paragraph from daily readings by Spurgeon on the 28th of December;
“…Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. It knows His excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce faith to place its trust elsewhere. And Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace that He never ceases to strengthen and sustain that faith by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of His everlasting arms…”