Changes

Gotta love New Years!  It is a time that most people think about starting something new and make resolutions.  I think I have given up on resolutions but not on change.  I always say that when I need to make a change in life, especially eating habits, that I start at the new month. There is something about the freshness of a new month - especially a new year...  How amazing it would be for me to say in October 2011 that I haven't consumed any bad sugar since 1-1-11!  Too bad - already broke that one! Then I just say I will start on Sunday - because it is the start of a new week!  I love how we think - it is so warped at times!

Either way - I really do want to see God make some changes in my life this year.  It is exciting to see what He will do in my life - the changes that He will make in my heart and mind in order to continue my restoration and healing process.  I was just reading in Mark 3 about Jesus healing a man with a crippled hand on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees were filled with rage over Jesus' actions of healing on the Sabbath.  Of course Jesus was challenging a very deep religious concept and they could not stand it!  And Jesus, just prior to healing the man, looked around with anger and grieved over their hard hearts.  I love the last part of that verse...After he felt grief over the Pharisees - he turned to the man - with the joy of doing what is good and right - told him to stretch out his hand, and in doing so the man's hand was restored! I really would have loved to have heard this man's thoughts as he is standing there in front a man he did not know, with religious leaders that most likely he revered and hearing a major conflict between two parties.  He made a choice, however, and that was to listen to the voice of Jesus - in faith, he stretched out his hand and was restored. 

I really appreciated that passage becasue it makes me excited about restoration and how it comes about. Restoration comes after obedience in faith.  We may not see physical restoration as this man did, but there is something deeper than can come - that of spiritual restoration - spiritual healing.  Deep inward peace that can only come from our Father!