Year End Check Up

Revelation 20:11-15 (NLT) 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the last day of 2009. It brings to a close a year mixed with a both good and bad. For me personally, it has been a year of much healing from past wounds and hurts. It has also been a year of healing on my body – recovering from three surgeries. I woke up this morning asking myself how I wanted to end 2009 and how I wanted to enter into to 2010. On the bad side, I am painfully aware that there are many areas of weaknesses in my life still and there are still areas of wounding that still plague my mind and heart. On the good side, I AM moving forward and I AM seeing the grace and sovereignty of God working in my life. I do see how God is using me and I do see His anointing in me in a fresh and new way. I am so blessed with the fact that my family is walking with God. I am unusually blest to have my parents with me still as they have been such a blessing and strength in my life. There is not a day that goes by that I do not give thanks to God for my bride, Denise. We’ve been married 36 plus years. She is such a gift from God. To have two beautiful daughters, Michelle and Erin, and their husbands walking with the Lord is such a blessing also. I also have the blessing of three grand-children who fill my life with such laughter and such joy. Whenever I hold them – I feel as if the Holy Spirit Himself is ministering to my heart. The passage of scripture from Revelation that we read today talks about the day of Judgment that every one of us will someday face. We will be accountable for our words and our actions. We will be responsible for things that we have harbored in our thoughts. As for me, I want to leave 2009 with a good heart. I want to walk in total forgiveness and I want to move forward to 2010 with a clean conscience. I am excited about what God has in store for the future. I am excited about His plans for my life. I like what Psalms says – “His mercies are new every morning.” As I started writing this – I was thinking I was going to be more negative then positive. As I read over again – I really do have a lot to thank God for. I am so blessed! So… goodbye 2009 and hello 2010.