(Selected)

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.

Remember, you and I have been going steady for years and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to get even with God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.

You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really hurt God. Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we've had.

We have been; watching dirty movies, cursing people out, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, ,gossiping, back-stabbing people, disrespecting adults and those in leadership position, no respect for the Church and bad attitudes. SURELY you don't want to give all this up. Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us.

This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA HA HA, you make me sick.

Sin is beginning to take it's toll on your life. You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible. Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.

Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess you sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, I still hate you. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

(Kent Heaton)

It is time once again to remember to change the date and write "00" as the year. One of the hardest things to do in the beginning of a new year is to get out of the habit of writing the old date. A new year always brings about a fresh new page and new beginnings. Oddly, these feelings of "newness" are only based upon the calendar. As the Lord as allowed us to live another year is to say the Lord has allowed us to live another day.

Life is not measured in years but by days. Our lives are filled with the things we accomplish on a daily basis. We have no promise of tomorrow for our lives are like the mist that is present so briefly. James wrote in James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"

A new year is a gathering of new days that lie before us with untarnished opportunities. As we welcome in the new year we should welcome in the realization that God has afforded us one more day to be present before Him to serve Him and honor Him. The day is what opens the doors of opportunity and we must use them wisely. Resolution made and lost are those promises that are made with a year in mind. The resolutions we make should be to accomplish what needs to be done today. If we desire to read the Bible more this year, begin by desiring to read the Bible more today. With each day and fulfilled desire in reading the Bible, the more we will read and accomplish our goals.

The new year is a time of reflection upon our lives as we spent them before God. Three-hundred-sixty-five days have passed and what can we say we have accomplished in those days? Do we have a daily walk with God in meditation upon His word? Can we fill the spirit of daily prayer as we lift our alms to the Father? As we look at the footsteps of each day, are they walking daily in His will?

We read about how Abraham left his home and traveled to the promised land. If we are not careful, we may just read the story with the mind that one day he was at his home in Chaldea and the next day he was in Palestine. The manner that Abraham arrived in the promised land was one foot ahead of the other - a daily walk. The record doesn't say how long it took him to travel that great distance but with each passing day, he arose and set forth to the promised land. His journey was a daily walk.

Our lives should be molded in a daily walk with God. The new year or the new century or the new millennium is marked by the reality that they are made up of days. God has limited us to live one day at a time and upon that time eternity depends. As we put one foot in front of the other, our path should be guided by the lamp of life. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

The resolution of a new year is to walk more closely to God each day. As the sun rises in the east so our hearts will rise to His word. When our paths take us through the day we should walk in the way of the Lord. When the sun sets upon each day, we can pause to reflect upon the things we accomplished that day for the Lord. In the closing of our eyes are night for rest, we can know of the final rest when our daily journey is over.

The new year is a wonderful time to reflect upon life. So should it be daily to consider our lives. Resolve this: my life is not measured in weeks, months or years but daily I walk before my God to seek ways to serve Him. What I want to do is to find something today to accomplish for God in myself and for others. I will make the most of each hour and each minute of this day to serve the Lord.

(Greg Gwin)

A reportedly true story is told about a school principal who, at the end of the year, encouraged all his teachers to write out their resolution for the new year. He promised to post these on the faculty bulletin board so that all could benefit from them. When the resolutions were posted, all the teachers crowded around to read the suggestions from their co-workers.

Suddenly one of the teachers erupted in a fit of anger. "Mine is not here! He's purposefully left mine off the board. He doesn't care about me. That just shows how little I'm appreciated around here!" The principal was shocked. He had not intentionally left anyone's resolution off the board. He rushed to his desk and found the missing note under a pile of papers. He immediately proceeded to post it. The resolution read: "I resolve not to let little things upset me anymore."

What we see here is a clear case of resolution without commitment. All of us are guilty of this -- and it happens too often. Failed diets, abandoned exercise plans, neglected projects, etc., are all the result of lack of commitment.

But, without doubt, the most serious area of concern is in our spiritual service to God. At one time or another we have all said, "I need to do better, and I intend to do so!" It may involve our attendance at the worship services and Bible studies, or it might be in personal study and prayer. Perhaps it involves personal work, or sharing hospitality with other Christians. Whatever it might be, the resolve is good, but we need commitment to see the task through.

As we enter into this new year, let's do some serious personal evaluation; make some needed resolutions; and then, FOLLOW THEM THROUGH!