Fine Points Monday January 1, 2018

 
Greeting FB Members and Friends
 
So glad that you could join me for this New Year’s edition of Fine Points and welcome back.  Today is the first day of the year that will be.  We all survived the year that was 2017 and now we are about to enter uncharted territory.  None of us knows how the year will unfold.  I know we have hopes and dreams and plans and expectations for this year.  But we are not in control of whether or not they will be realized.  Everything we want to do or accomplish is always depended to some measure on what other people do.  This is because we live in an interconnected world. 
 
We plan and make decisions based upon what we think can and will happen, what we think we can and will do, what we think others can and will do and what actually happens.  Sometimes something expected, unwanted or unanticipated happens which causes us to amend or adjust our plans.  Depending upon how crucial or critical the event was, our plans may continue or they may have to be abandoned.  In any case, we must not live in fear of what might happen and do nothing, but have faith that things will work out as we hope and plan and that we will be able to make the necessary adjustments as needed along the way.  But the amazing thing about all this is that the God we serve and believe in already knows how all things will happen in 2018 on January 1st. 
 
He already knows our plans, hopes and dreams and knows which ones will be fulfilled and which ones won’t.  He knows who will be born, who will live and who will die.  He knows who will win and who will lose.  He already knows what the headline events will be and the things that people will be talking about this year.  Isn’t this amazing!  Millions of people will be glued to their TV sets and in NFL stadiums around the country this weekend to see which teams will make it to the next round of the playoffs.  God already knows!  God already knows what is going to happen to each one of us every day of this year today.  Seeing then that God has this knowledge, what should we do? 
 
I believe we should ask Him to be our partner, our guide and our friend.  We should ask Him to give us the desires of our hearts that will be in agreement with what He wants for us.  I believe we should ask Him to watch over us and our family and friends to keep and protect us from the evil and evil ones of this world.  We should partner with Him through the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ to carry out His will for the people and things of this planet and world.  There are 365 pages and 12 chapters in the book of 2018.  Today, we are living out page 1.  God has already seen every page and knows what’s on every one and if you and I are on it and what we are doing on it. 
 
The glorious thing about it, we control to a large degree what our character is doing on each page.  Even though the book has already been written, we are writing our part on each page day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment each day we are allowed to live this year.  Let’s make our story and character one God wants to continue.  Well, I hope you all have a blessed week and year and that something good expected or unexpected happens to you and the ones you love.  So, until we meet again,
 
Blessings and Peace
 
Pastor Jordan