Goodbye 2014, Hello New Beginning

I’ve noticed something unusual while scrolling through my social media feeds over the last week. A lot of people are very eager to kiss 2014 goodbye.

How about you? Maybe you actually had a fantastic year. Or maybe it was a struggle.

For my family, 2014 brought a lot of blessings. It also brought a lot of injuries, followed by a lot of medical bills. Thanks to our emergency fund, my husband and I were able to make it through the year without acquiring any more debt, but we didn’t reach our goal of paying off our final student loan by the end of the year.

If like us and so many others, you hit some bumps in the road in 2014, I just want to remind you that it’s OK.

Jesus told us that in this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33). Thankfully, trouble isn’t the end of the story. Jesus went on to say that we can take heart because He has overcome the world.

It’s good to look back on the past 12 months and reflect on what went right and what could have gone better. Just don’t get so caught up in the speed bumps, potholes or even crashes of 2014 that you forget to look up at the road ahead.

Now is a great time to set new goals for 2015. You may make a New Year’s Resolution, or perhaps you’ll try the Un-Resolution route. In any case, let these words from Isaiah 43 sink into your soul as you look ahead to a fresh start. Happy New Year!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”

–Isaiah 43, 18-19 (NIV)