Starting 2016 Without 2015

I started a new devotional this morning.  It's called "Everywhere I Go:  Learning to See Jesus."  There is a short devotional to read then several chapters in the Bible.  Today's devotional was "The Red Lizard of Lust," by C.S. Lewis:

Author C. S. Lewis spins a remarkable story about a little red lizard that a certain ghost carried on his shoulder. The lizard twitched its tail and whispered continually to the ghost, who urged him all the while to be quiet.

When a bright and shining presence appeared and offered to rid the ghost of his troublesome “baggage,” the ghost refused. He understood that to quiet the lizard, it would be necessary to kill it, and that seemed too harsh. Maybe the lizard need not die, but could be trained, he reasoned. The presence responded that training would not work; it must be all or nothing.

Finally, with the ghost’s permission, the presence twisted the lizard away from him, breaking its back as he flung it to the ground. Then an amazing thing happened. The ghost became a perfect man, and the lizard became a beautiful silver and gold stallion, full of power and grace. The man leaped astride the great horse, and they rode into the morning as one.

Lewis ends the story with these words: “What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.”

As we step into a brand new year, we think about a new start.  As long as we are carrying last year's lizard (baggage) we won't be able to go forward.  What are you carrying from 2015 that is still whispering in your ear?  Did you set some goals that you didn't meet?  Were you hurt, talked about, or mistreated?  Maybe you were the one who did the hurting.

Getting the lizard off your back might may take a little work.  A phone call or an apology.  You may just have to let some things go.  Hit the reset button, again.  When you get 2015's lizard off your back, be ready for the ride of 2016!

Woman of the Week ~ Hagar

As I mentioned in my original post about this study, I don't have a schedule of who I will be studying each week.  I thought about going through the patriarch's wives, but Hagar just kept coming to mind. God must have something to tell me...

Verses:  Genesis chapter 16 and chapter 21

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

2015 ~ Reset

Happy New Year!  It's really hard to believe that we are in the year 2015.  Where have the years gone?  Weren't we just working on our Y2K plans?

I was up at 5:30 this morning and headed out for a run.  I was thinking about my plans for this year.  I've never been big on New Year's Resolutions, but I love a fresh new start.  As of this morning, my miles reset to zero.  And that's when my word for 2015 hit me ~ RESET.  Miriam Webster defines reset:

: to move (something) back to an original place or position
: to put (a broken bone) back in the correct position for healing

: to put (a gem) into a new piece of jewelry

What a beautiful way to start this year.  Getting our priorities back in position.  Taking what was broken in 2014 and positioning it for healing.  Finding gems of wisdom to put in our lives.  RESET.

Lamentations 3:21-23 says, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

I'm resetting this morning.  Laying aside the weights of 2014.  I'm sure 2015 will have troubles of its own and I'll need to reset and reset again.  But that's what I'll be doing.  Because His mercies and compassion are new every morning, I can press the reset button.

As I was thinking about this, I came upon a new Bible study plan for this year.  Perhaps it's been done before, but it's something I'm going to do this year.  Up until this morning, I was planning on reading the Bible through again this year but chronologically this time.  But this morning I came up with a new plan that I'm calling "Women of the Word."  While I was running, I came up with more than 40 women in the Bible and now have 52.  I'm going to choose one each week and study them.  I'll use my Bible first, then other study guides, books and commentaries we have on hand.  I'm working on a format - questions about each woman.  What can I learn from her life? Her mistakes? Her victories?  How can I be like her or how can I avoid being like her?  And did she reach a place in her life that she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or for evil?

I am SO excited about this!  I really feel like the Lord laid this on my heart and I'm ready to dive right in!  I don't have a schedule yet, I'll be praying about who I want to study each week.  I will be choosing both godly and ungodly women in the Bible.  We can learn a lot from both types of women.  I want to finish the year, as we work our way to Christmas, with the women who were in the direct lineage of Christ.  I plan to do two posts about this each week - introducing my Woman of the Week on Monday with scriptures and study questions, then following up with what I've learned on Friday.  I hope you'll join me in this study!  Let's reset and grow together!