A new year once again! How long will it take to put the right date on things again? But it is exciting to start planning for events in this new year. We probably plan just as much throughout the year, but doing it now seems more exciting. I am going on holiday with my friends again this month. We are going to Stratford upon Avon and have made plans for out time away. We have tickets to see a Shakespeare play. Well, you must when you are in his birthplace! We may go to Coventry to see the cathedral. Most of our holidays feature a cathedral. It seems to me that its important to see the new year as a start, rather than an end to the last year. We often hear people expressing hopes that the new year will be better than the last one. Hope is good, but optimism is even better. It isn’t easy to see the good things in life when it isn’t treating you well, but if you can, it brightens everything up for a while. I have a friend who is rapidly going blind. Last year they went on safari because she can see the big animals now. When we were speaking, she said what a bonus her health problems were, as she probably wouldn’t have gone yet, but put it off, thinking they still had plenty of time. A very special lady. Optimism is to expect the best possible outcome or to dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation. It can be a personality trait or a result of faith in God. The Bible has many verses that encourage optimism, hope, and trust in God. One of my favourites is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse shows that optimism is based on the power of God, not on our own abilities. We can face any challenge or difficulty with God’s help. When we feel that we are on our own with our problems it’s good to know that we aren’t, and that God is with us even if he doesn’t always resolve things in the way we want.
This month’s book is The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
Happy New Year
God Bless
Maureen Kendall