A perfect way to ring in the New Year

no, we did not plan the perfecct party.  Strep throat has descended on our house and the feeling of rawness in the back of my throat is a pretty good sign that I've got it too.  However, I received an email today from the Armstrong Family.  They are the family that lost their precious Harris earlier this month.  Their words of faith and encouragement are the perfect way to bring in 2009.  I hope they do not mind me sharing them....

From our family to yours - be blessed in 2009.

From the Team Zone Notification:

Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!



Full of Hope, Patience, and Faith we remain in Him,

The Armstrong Family



This past May we shared Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” with our most beautiful and bright niece for her high school graduation, and now find ourselves standing on this verse while looking ahead with Hope for the New Year.



Recently we were reminded by our friends at Giving Hope through Faith Foundation of a quote made in the movie Evan Almighty regarding the question of Patience and petition of prayer. God was talking to Evan’s wife and said, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”



A number of the verses they corresponded to these questions offers perseverance as another word for exercising Patience:



“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (LB) and “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your Faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV)



As our family’s Faith has grown we no longer believe so much in coincidences including the fond memory of hearing Pastor Craig’s sermon involving the latter verse, and discussing with Harris its meaning and application afterwards.

Hopefully we in turn incorporated James 1:2-4 in one of Harris’ team updates.



We would like to leave with you in closing 2008 and ushering in 2009, a brief article written by Eloise Neel titled Looking Ahead with Hope who without coincidence leads off with Jeremiah 29:11.



Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocket propulsion, said, “Just remember – when you think all is lost, the future remains.” And this rocket scientist knew that what lies in our future is hope! By 1926, Goddard had constructed and successfully tested the first rocket, using liquid fuel. A liquid fuel rocket constructed on principles developed by him landed humans safely on the moon in 1969.



What a wonderful way to look at the new year ahead of us – with hope and expectations of the hopeful! What will be in store for us in the year ahead? These words from Scripture can encourage us as we think about a new year:



“You will be firmly established and unafraid. For you will forget your suffering, recalling it only as waters that have flowed by. Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. You will be confident, because there is hope. Your will look carefully about and lie down in safety.” Job 11:15-18 Homan Christian Standard Bible



Ah, hope. What a gift to receive all wrapped up in a bright new year, a fresh start, a new beginning, because the future still remains unexplored, untried, just waiting for us.