Goodbye, 2014...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I just did a quick check over the last 6 years that I've been here on Beer Lahai Roi, and was a bit surprised that I did not post on Dec. 31 for any of them.

New Year's being a time of reflection and all, I figured I'd done it at least once.  But...no.

So 2014 is going to be a shift on that, too.

Last year, I looked up all the 20:14 verses .  I went back and read them again, looking to see if there was any premonition in them of the shifting and ending that would happen in 2014.

There were verses that came to mind at various points in the year...notably 2 Chronicles 20:14, as that had a direct influence on a situation I found myself in...but the one that seemed to sum up the  year was from 2 Kings...in which Hezekiah mentions that the guests he had just entertained were from Babylon,  little knowing what that would bring about down the road.

Who would've guessed that by the end of the year I would no longer be involved in ministry to teen girls or that My Sweet Babboo would be looking for a job? (By the way...it looks like he is set to start a new job on January 20, unless something goes wildly wrong.  More on that once all the details are set...).

I did skim through the 20:15 verses in the ESV on the computer desk;  as they are just the next verse after the 20:14 verses, there wasn't really any new revelation.  But 2 Chronicles was a repeat of a theme for me in the last year:

And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:  Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's...' "

And, as I see a great need for me to use words more judiciously, Proverbs 20:15 also stood out:

There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

 I need to remember that the battle is not mine, but God's,  and to reflect His knowledge in my speech at all times.  That's a good focus for the year.

2015 looks to be a year of new beginnings.  I'm feeling optimistic that the circles will come around; the things that ended in 2014 will turn into new opportunities, and this time next year I'll look back on the year and see change...not in terms of endings but in terms of growth.

So...for all my friends who are following me along this journey, thanks so much for stopping by, and God bless you and yours in 2015!