1-1-11 The year of New Beginnings!

The beginning of the New Year! There is so much hope in new beginnings. A fresh start. For a few years now we have brought in the New Year with wonderful friends and we always have the best time! We ate, talked, played games, watched football and laughed till we cried! It was awesome! After I got home I was thinking about how I celebrated New Years before I had God in my life
My earliest memories were as a little girl. Our childhood was not good...at all, but I still have some fond memories. We lived in San Antonio and my parents would take us out in the backyard on New Years Eve because our neighbors would shoot off fireworks. I was around 6 years old and in awe of the beautiful colors in the sky and watching them fall to the ground. I was always worried about "colors" landing on me. My dad would tell me it was fairy dust and not to be afraid and to make a wish. Oh how special that made me feel. When I became an adult I looked forward to dressing up and partying the night away! I always drank to much and then I couldn't remember some of the night and I felt like poo the next day!
When I became a Christian the "drinking" partying ended and I found out you can have a good time without getting wasted.
When we go to our friends house we bring our kids, that way we can ring in the New Year as a family.
I asked my soon to be 16 year old daughter if she had a good time. She had a great time. We talked, played games, watched some football and laughed until we cried! And all without alcohol.
God will bring new beginnings in your life. He isn't going to do it all at once, what would good would that do? He wants us to enjoy the journey.
If I could do anything over in my life I never would have drank. I saw what it did to my father and friends. We had a 14 year old niece and her friend who was sitting on a curb ran over and killed by a drunk driver. Alcohol is good for temporarily numbing feelings and for a little bit you can have a good time, it fools you into thinking your invincible...that's it. The fact is it cost you a ton of money, it ruins your health, destroys relationships, you can feel like poo the next day, it kills and no matter what you say are not in full control of what you say or do.
So why am I on the soap box about drinking? Because I know last night someone was out just to have a good time was either killed by someone drinking or killed someone because they were drunk. Someone drinking made poor choices that they can't take back. This old gal has seen a lot more in her lifetime more than she will ever post on here. I am not just talking the talk, I have walked the walk.
My prayer is that this New Year Day 1-1-11 will bring many new beginnings in your life. If God isn't in your life I pray that this is the day you will ask Him into your heart. It doesn't have to be a long religious prayer. All you have to do is believe He loves you. That He gave His one and only Son to die for your sins. If you believe that just ask Him into your heart. Will your life be perfect? No. But you will now have a love and strength that you never knew before to get you through the toughest times of your life.Again I know what I am talking about.

So here is to a New Year! If you already have God in your heart may you continue to do what is right. If you don't I pray you will start this day by asking Him into your heart! You will never regret it. Our God is the God of new beginnings.