I've never written a New Year's post before. I guess it's because New Year's resolutions in themselves never seem to work, but it is certainly a great idea to pause before our God and look at our blessings before we pass the threshold of a new year and all it's new adventures. Two of my favorite verses are:
- Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
- Daniel 4:2 - It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
Beginning a new year is a lot like the sunrise picture above that I took at Deerfield Beach, FL this November. Each new morning is full of mercies and new beginnings. Each new calendar year is the same. We serve a merciful God Who forgives and forgets. I love the first day back after Christmas break because it is as close as we can get to the attentive behavior on the first day of school. Our students and colleagues come with new hopes and dreams, with behavior and personal goals for a better 2016. Just as we begin each new day with a prayer, let's begin 2016 with a prayer for the remainder of the school year.
Dear Father, Almighty God,
We love you and are in awe of what You have done for us. Thank you Lord for this high calling of being an educator. Guard our mouths and protect our hearts and minds as we return to the students in a few days. Help us to have a heart like Yours to see them as fearfully and wonderfully made. Give us eyes to see that they are image bearers in Your likeness and to encourage their uniqueness as You have designed them. O Lord, bless us with your favor and grace that we may be an ambassador for You each and every day of the remainder of the school year shining Your light of love on our campus. Help us to be quick to confess and to harbor no ill will. Thank You Lord, for the students in our care and help us have a heart for our colleagues. Bind us together Lord in a way that only You can design. We love You, adore You and want to stand for You in our public schools in a gracious and contagious manner. We ask You for all of this in the perfect Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
This second verse, Daniel 4:2, is a great way to pause and give thanks everyday. Do you keep a list of blessings? It is a small change to make for this new year, but the benefits are outstanding. If you have a prayer journal or any other means by which you write down thoughts and ideas, go to the back of the journal and begin jotting down one-liners as you feel blessed: Here are just a few of mine for 2015 as I wrote them.
- Protection from Jackie's accident
- Honor the Grads - St. Johns
- car paid in full
- Hawaii! Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Big Island
- The Daniel Weekend
- STEM Camp
- Back to School Prayer Breakfast Acts 2:42
- Park Ridge Elementary
- Pathology report - no cancer!
- TIM coaching at 11 schools with admin teams
- Pay it Forward at HHS
I could go on and on because I had over 80 entries. The trick is to try to jot down a short reminder of a blessing, favor, mercy, healing, joy or goodness bestowed upon you by our gratuitous Lord. When I come to the end of the year, I have a much better chance of thanking God specifically for the "miraculous sign and wonders that He has done for me."
My friends, I encourage you to begin a list of blessings for 2016. Get a brand new notebook just for blessings or add this upcoming year's blessings to the back of your present journal. You will be richly rewarded and you can pray a prayer of thanksgiving with specificity instead of generalities. May God be given all the glory.
Happy New Year!
Prayerfully yours,
Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.
PS. Don’t forget to spread the word about the 1:16PM Prayer Movement and Around the Word in 180 Days:
• Visit, "like", and add comments the 1:16PM Facebook page and the Around the World in 180 days Facebook page.
May God bless you with success His way this 2015-2016 school year.
Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.
Christian Educators Association International is the only professional association in the United States specifically for Christian educators in public schools. CEAI protects our members first in prayer, next with excellent professional liability insurance and other benefits while helping them live out their high calling as a Christian in the public school.
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