New Every Morning

The year of 2016 is six days old and I am hoping to finally begin scrapbooking today. That is the #1 project on my winter list but it was postponed when I got a cold right after Christmas which developed into acute bronchitis. I kept thinking surely the next day would be better and it was worse. Finally, on January 2, I gave up and went for help. A couple days of antibiotics turned things around and I'm finally on the mend, ready to begin scrapbooking.

Every new day is a new beginning and God's mercies are new every morning. But at the beginning of a new year we are more likely to consider the past and contemplate the future. What do we want to accomplish or change in the year ahead?

I always have a list of things I want to do but this winter's list is shorter than sometimes. And as I look at the calendar, it's not as crowded as it was last year. Yesterday I had some phone calls that resulted in writing two things in my date book for May and June and we have tentative plans for a trip in July. I'm sure the rest of the year will fill up as we go along.

But there is more to life than what we do with our time. As I look at what I am and the person I would like to be, I can see room for a lot of improvement.

• Why do I become defensive if someone criticizes me? In a word, pride.
• Why am I slow to see the needs of others and do something about it? Selfishness
• Why do I get my foot in my mouth so often? Impulsive

I could go on exposing my faults but those three will keep me busy all year. My goal for the year is to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." I want to be able to look back at the end of the year and see growth in my spiritual life which will be reflected in all of life.