New Beginnings & Hope For The Future

(Scripture References from NKJV)

Depending on when you read this, we are about to usher in a new year or have just recently done so.  At this time of every year, many of us consider what we might want to change about ourselves or do differently in our lives the coming year.  A lot of people make a list of resolutions to incorporate those changes.  But I would venture a guess that few people are successful.  It is too easy to rationalize them away and over time just forget about it.  This finds us stuck right where we were before attempting changes – or possibly even worse off.  Depending on what those resolutions were and how far up on the scale of importance they were, it can make us feel as though we are a failure.  So why do we repeatedly expose ourselves and our egos to such notions?

I have not made resolutions in many years.  Instead I just think about my life and try to determine what I have been doing that worked well for me.  Next will be the thoughts of what did not work so well.  This lets me decide what I can do to continue the good and stop the negative.  I can then move forward doing my best to be happy and content with my life.

You may wonder how this is different than just making resolutions.  When I did make resolutions, I would write them down and normally share them with others.  For me, that lent a certain weightiness to them – a commitment that needed to be kept.  Then, to a certain extent, a feeling of failure when I could not or just did not succeed at keeping those resolutions.   But for whatever reasons, determining my desired changes as I now do, there is no pressure whatsoever.  I do not feel any self-blame or feelings of failure if I miss the mark.  This has worked well for me several years now.

Therefore, since the end of 2018 is very near, I have been reflecting on my life and determining what has made me happy and content, as well as what has caused any unrest or unhappiness.  What I have realized is that the past few months have been some of my happiest in a very long time.  Why?

I took a class at my church a few months ago – W.I.L.D. (Women In Leadership Development) – and one of our assignments involved writing something that we would then share with the ladies in our small group.  I had done a lot of writing in years past (distant years); and, during that time I had had an exceptional relationship with God.  I will not try to explain my thoughts on what happened that changed all of that, but this assignment sparked something in me that was wonderful.  Another assignment required us to present a short speech to be presented to the whole group, so again writing was required.  The spark was now igniting a full-fledged fire in my spirit.  The culmination of the class was for each of us to develop a “Passion Project” – it was left wide-open for personal interpretation.  I thought I knew what my project was going to be pretty much from the beginning of the class.  But when that writing assignment came along everything changed for me.  The end result for me was starting this blog – Karran’s Korner – offering me the opportunity to once again write.  What a blessing it has been for my life!  

I have read through the entire Bible in a year numerous times.  For 2018 I pulled out my Narrative Bible so that I could again read it in chronological order, which I find enlightening and very enjoyable.  But whether you read it chronologically or just start on page 1 and read to the end as it is written, in the translations I have seen, most of them always start the same when Genesis 1:1 says:  “In the beginning God…”

In the last book of the Bible, several times we will see the same words repeated by our Lord.  Revelation 1:8a says:  “’I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…’”  Revelation 1:11a says:  “’I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…’”  Revelation 21:6b says:  “’I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…’”  Revelation 22:13 says:  “’I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’”  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet that has a total of 24 letters.  By using this phrase, our Lord expresses that He is inexhaustible. 

I love the definition of inexhaustible and want to share it fully with you because it is such a perfect description of God….“Inexhaustible” (of an amount or supply of something) unable to be used up because existing in abundance.  Synonyms:  unlimited, limitless, illimitable, infinite, boundless, endless, never-ending, unfailing, everlasting; immeasurable, incalculable, inestimable, untold; copious, abundant, plentiful, bottomless, tireless, indefatigable, untiring, unwearied, unwearying, unfaltering, unflagging, unremitting, persevering, persistent, dogged.”

Now that it is time for me to determine what I want to do in 2019 – add, change or delete from my life – I know without a doubt that I want to continue my writing.  I do share some personal experiences with you, but most of the articles for my blog are things that I like to reflect on as I do my daily Bible study.  I can then share those thoughts with you.  That leaves no question that my life will continue to include regular study of the Word in order to accommodate my writing.

What it boils down to, just as in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God”. Then as in Revelation, He will be the inexhaustible “Alpha and Omega” for me.  In 2019 I plan to live a life of hope.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and my prayer for all of you for 2019 is this:

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:30    

Written by Karran Martin

December 30, 2018