Happy Friday and Happy New Year’s Eve!

I hope this writing finds you safe and with those you love. Saying good-bye to 2010 and greeting 2011. How long will it take to begin correctly writing 2011 on checks and other things…?

Thirty years ago right now Bruce and I were helping my parents host a New Year’s Eve Party that was also our rehearsal dinner the evening before our wedding. It was a great evening. We held a family dinner at Mom and Dad’s house. My grandmother and great grandmother were there along with just about everyone I loved. Members of Bruce’s family were there and were a bit shy around this large loving family that was loud, ate, hugged and had a great time just being together. All of the favorite family foods were there brought by my Mamo and all of my aunts. My uncles were playing dominoes, while others watched the football game and people were talking, eating and having a great time. Who knew then where the journey life would take us…

Psalm 148: 13 “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”

This is the final writing from this particular book of meditations. The final date is December 31. I will begin a new devotional book tomorrow.

The name of the Lord is Jesus. Let us worship Him by praising and lifting His name. Jesus…is the One who shall save His people from their sins. If you cut to the chase that is what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to us so that He might be the connection to God that would allow us to be forgiven in His name. Scripture tells us that “No one comes to the Father except by Me.” We must go to God through Jesus, His Son, to receive forgiveness. God does not deny forgiveness when we go to Him when the name of Jesus goes before us.

Jesus goes before us to the Father as conqueror. In the name of Jesus we receive our forgiveness from doubt, fear, bad tempers, impatience, lack of love and a million other things big and small. The name Jesus lifts our souls out of the depths of sins and despair to the heights of the mountains, the peace in the valley and the straight path of the road before us.

Jesus is our deliverer. In Jesus’ name we can be delivered from cowardice, adverse circumstances, poverty, failures and weakness. There is no other name by which we can be delivered from our sins.

The New Year always brings a feeling of being able to start over… to begin again. The most amazing thing about the life of a believer in Christ is that each time we ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name we are given a new beginning. We do not have to wait for a calendar date to begin again. All we have to do is claim the name of Jesus and the power it brings. We begin again immediately, forgiven and free.

My dear friends it is 11:55 pm on New Year’s Eve and I propose that as a final act of closing out the old year we claim the name of Jesus; giving thanks for the blessings of the past, asking for the forgiveness we need to receive and resting in the assurance that we can and should call on the name of Jesus often claiming the power of the risen Christ. Happy New Year!

Thank you all for journeying with me this past year.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to lift each other up in prayer as we journey daily together as members of the family of God and the body of Christ. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.