For 2019 Find Your Voice & Hold Your Ground & Keep Your Peace

Happy New Year my dear friends, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My desire for all of us this year is:

 1). That we find our voices and become bold and unapologetic about our relationship with God.  For the longest time I was timid about proclaiming my Christian faith but no more.  Being shy about our relationship with Jesus is like dating someone secretly, or not wanting people to know who our parents are. Bottom line is, it tells others that we are not proud of who we are because we are ashamed of our Heavenly Father.  Phewee, glad I got that out because that's at the heart of it, truthfully.  Of course, finding our voices does not mean being rude and or insulting to others, it's just the opposite. Being bold about in whom we believe doesn't mean we go about trying to "ram God down people's throats"; not at all because we can't make anyone believe and we can't save them. We can love them, we can be kind and we can share the Good News. The rest is God's job not ours.

2). Take a stand and stick to it.  You've probably heard of the saying "if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything or everything"? Well, it's true. We must not side with or condone bad behavior or be door mats; neither must we be crutches for people to stay stuck, nor be enablers. I am currently reading John C. Maxwell's book, How Successful People Think. Here's a thought from the chapter on Engage In Focused Thinking:  Sociologist Robert Lynd observed that "knowledge is power only if a man knows what facts are not to bother about".  In the chapter on Big Picture Thinking John said "If you want to be a big-picture thinker, you will have to go against the flow of the world.  Society wants to keep people in boxes.  Most people are married mentally to the status quo.  They want what was, not what can be. Thy seek safety and simple answer." To be true to yourself you have to go against the grain and you have to be mentally tough. This will feel uncomfortable for a while but as you gather strength and become more self-assured you will get used to it. What other people think or say will matter less and less until it doesn't matter anymore. Be patient and trust the process, it works and it's worth it. This is growth. This is freedom.

3). There's a saying floating around that if something cost you your peace it is too expensive and I've never heard a truer statement!  Many years ago I lost mine and it cost me in every way possible. Then I had to seek intentionally and diligently to find it again and I will not trade it again for all the gems on the planet.  Be authentically you always, speak your truth calmly and respectfully and ask God for the wisdom to know when to say nothing at all. You are responsible for your conduct and how you treat people.  You are not responsible for what they think, feel or how they behave.

Let us grow together in 2019 and experience the magnificent Grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Love & Joy,
Beverley

Note: John C Maxwell is an ordained minister.  He is the author of over a hundred best selling books and has been named the #1 leadership guru by Inc magazine for many consecutive years. He is the Principal founder of the John Maxwell Team (JMT) of which I am a member.