After a brief break to spend quality time with family and loved ones enjoying the holidays, it is good to resume writing.

As we have come to expect, there are many slogans to usher in the year of 2022; the traditional resolutions; pledges to refocus; and let us not forget the new year diets and even religious fasts and consecrations. I pause now before going any further to say that I have no objections to any of the aforementioned practices. We all are entitled to our personal preferences and rituals.

The beginning of a new year is an appropriate time to make assessments of the previous year – it’s successes, failures, highs, and lows. Upon doing so, it is wisdom to refocus, realign your paths, and establish realistic goals and plans to move forward. Having said that, our best intentions cannot be realized if we do not make the choice for change. Clearly stated another way . . . we must be intentional about how we live our lives.

The holiday season is my favorite time of year, and this one was no exception. However, for the past several months I have experienced a “heaviness of heart” about so many people who have transitioned from this life to eternity. It seems as though not a week has gone by without receiving a call or seeing a Face Book post about someone I have known or someone my family and I were close to who has passed away. My faith and trust in God have enabled me to declare that I know He does all things well and in accordance with His will. With equal importance, it has raised my level of awareness to the fact that God wants us to live our best life NOW! Additionally, the recognition of just how precious life is has become crystal clear. It is so important to take the time to express genuine love to those around you, make quality time a priority, seek opportunities to be a blessing, don’t sweat the small stuff! In order to do these things, it may require us to make some life changes or at the very least, some lifestyle improvements. We can begin by honestly acknowledging our strengths and celebrating them, and in turn facing our weaknesses head on and making the choice to become better. A better friend, a better wife, a better employee, a better parent, a better child of God! Granted there will be some things that will only take a small amount of effort in order to see results, while other areas may prove to be a bit more challenging. Maybe it is the need to change your spending habits in order to save more money and not live from paycheck to paycheck, ultimately achieving significant goals. Maybe it is the determination to eat healthier and exercise more on a permanent basis instead of for a few days or weeks out of the year. Whatever the need for change is, now is the time to make that choice!

I want you to know as you’re reading this, you are not in this alone. I’m right there with you! As we approached the middle of last year (2021), the Lord impressed upon me to facilitate a monthly class that would be designed to encourage me first, and anyone else who would commit to joining me, to become BETTER. I invite you to join me the 2nd Saturday of each month at 11:00 A.M. via Zoom for our journey to A Better ME, A Better YOU, A Better WE. The sessions are absolutely free, and if your schedule does not allow you to attend the online class every month, that is no problem at all. Simply join us as often as you can now through May. I hope to see you this Saturday, January 8th at 11:00 A.M.

Spread the word . . . invite someone to tune in! These sessions will aid you as you make THE CHOICE FOR CHANGE.

Meeting ID: 835 9346 6003

Passcode: BETTER

Source: New feed