By Pastor Barry Black

Deuteronomy 11.12 “…the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

I will help you to say goodbye to the previous year filled with “yesterdays” and comprised of

Disappointments and surprises

Losses and gains

Failures and Successes

Defeats and victories

A year which may be remembered by recalling…

Fleeting moments

Delightful memories and good times

The sobering reality of missed opportunity

The insight gained from daily living

The unexpected surprise of reconnecting with old friends.

The joy of sins forgiven

Golden words fitly spoken (Proverbs 25:11)

And the fruit of obedience and pleasing the Lord

Yes, the old year is a time in which we can recall with gratitude…

Blessings, protection, and rewards from the Providential hand of God

Grace that was sufficient for our every need

Mercy received when justice would have just as easily been fitting for us.

And realizing that even bad things that happened could have been worse…much worse.

May your past productively transition to the future as you experience…

The warm daylight of lessons hard learned,

and the fading sunset of the pain that was long endured while living through them.

The priceless value found in genuine friends,

and the sober understanding of the shackles of superficial people who merely use us.

The glorious journey of…

The unmatched wealth in reading and studying the Bible

The unparalleled stability of Christian fellowship

And the unrivaled enjoyment of serving the Lord.

And as you experience the wise departure from…

The comfortable enticement of procrastination

The deceptive decoy of excuses

The childish pleasure of pettiness

And the dull applause of mediocrity.