Begin again

Dearest reader,
I hope the first weeks of this shiny new year hasn't ill treated you.
I hope your resolutions have not been dashed upon the crags of doubt. and shattered into listless feelings of self doubt, and hopeless despondency.
My own first few weeks of this year have been crazy;
Its funny how little a word seems, and yet can be massive in its meanings with many deep levels and surface faces, to every eye and mind that sees and imagines.
In truth these first weeks has been fraught with trouble, persistent and buggarly. Layer upon layer of gross hardship, enough to cast a shadow of despondency over any living soul.
Enough to throw a hopeful fresh attitude into the far reaches of a cold desolate world, where hope and faith cannot tread. A place icy cold and crystal'd with dark shadows.
 Have you ever been depressed ? Then you might have an idea of what I'm trying to describe.  hopelessness is a huge part of that slippery slope into depression.
Perhaps your new year hasn't treated you all that well either. Perhaps your fighting hopelessness, right out of the gates.

If after the bells have signaled: the gun fired heralding the start of a new race, straight out of the gates you tripped and fell, or were facing so many bigger stronger adversaries that you just gave up. I want to encourage you anew. We don't need a new year, a january 1 to begin again, every day is a new day, cleche I know but its true none the less. The past is gone even if it was yesterday, or even recently, its gone forever. and the new beginning to focus on is now. We all stumble and we all need a hand.
Jesus said I make all things new, he has sealed forever new beginnings for us. In Him is newness of life.
Living in the past is another factor of that slope of defeat. if you live where you were, how can you see where you are going ? All around you will be ghostly shadows of sadness and grief. Because lets face it when your living in the past your constant companions are the bad choices or wrong doings either what you have done or has been done to you; not the happy smiles and blessings.
Somehow when we live in the dark past we begin to feel it in who we are, we almost become as shadowy and lustrous as those dead memories. And we draw into ourselves because we feel that the world has done us some injustice or soon will as "karma" for the wrongs we have committed to others.
Apart from the fact that I do not believe in karma, I want you to realize right now that no matter what it looks like. There are beautiful things around the corner because we are loved with an everlasting Love. And when we yield to that Love we find ourselves overwhelmed with gratefulness for blessings we couldn't have dreamt of. One of those blessings is the newness of life that we receive in christ, when we rely on his scarifies to make all things new in our mortal lives, then we are inviting the power of the ages to do a work in everything we are facing or struggling with. New beginnings are as easy as every day receiving His love for us, He has already forgiven our mistakes and short comings, we forgive ourselves and thank Him for his forgiveness and move on with the path we are on.
 How do we know he loved us ?
He said in his word in this we know what love is, in that He laid down his life for us.
He also said no greater love has a man then to lay down his life for his friends.
Friends God gave his only son the son that He loved for you and I, so we could be blessed and live lives of unimaginable grander for him and in him.
Make every day a new day and free yourselves from the shackles of self doubt and frustration, by seeing yourself new in him.

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