Happy New Year!

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A new year, a new day, another opportunity to begin again.

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? These often center around our physical well-being. We resolve to do things like exercise more, stop smoking, or save more money. If your health is suffering or you’re being reckless with your spending, then you’d probably benefit from making those kinds of concrete changes. Your body is a gift to you from God, as are your talents that allow you to work to support yourself or your family. Caring for and using our gifts wisely is how we thank God for them.

Remember, though, that we are more than our bodies and our bank accounts. We have more to look forward to than what this world offers us: we have eternal life to prepare for! If our body is fit but our soul is corroded, and if our bank account is healthy but we’re stingy with our neighbors, what good will that bring us in eternity? If we have all we need and more but are unwilling to share what we have with the less fortunate, how will we recognize Christ when He comes to us – He, Who disguises Himself in this life as the poor and suffering? 

President Jimmy Carter, who passed away December 29, gives us a good example of how we can ‘walk the talk’ of our faith. He didn’t only profess to love his neighbor; he lived it, whether that was by negotiating peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity. 

As we begin this new year, make it a priority to ask our Lord to show you what He wants of you – and then listen for His answer. Maybe begin by getting into the habit of reading spiritual material for a few minutes every day. You may want to look into Word Among Us (https://wau.org/) or the Laudate app. Both of these give brief reflections on how the day’s scripture readings relate to our daily lives, as well as inspiring stories of how both ordinary people like ourselves and the saints lived out their faith. 

We can’t take our body or our possessions with us, so let’s examine how much time and energy we’re putting into our preparations for eternity compared to the time and energy we put into what is temporary. Let’s ask Christ to give us the grace to make one or two concrete changes that will help us become more like Him: more patient, loving, generous, humble, and compassionate. 

Let’s ask our Lord to help us prepare for eternal life. 

“Do not love the world or the things of the world… For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17

“Lord, show me what to do to prepare for eternity with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words!    © 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

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P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Focus on Being Instead of Doing

 

“...we shall be like Him…” –1 John 3:2

Early January is as good a time as any to make a new year’s resolution. Many resolutions revolve around making some kind of change in what we do. Exercising, quitting smoking, picking up a hobby, and spending less money are a few common goals people set for the coming year.

While those goals may be healthy and valuable, how about trying a different approach?  Make a resolution that focuses more on your interior and less on your exterior. Strive to be more rather than to do more. 

We know that we were created in God’s image. If we want to ‘be more like God’ – and God is Love – then we want to be more loving. 

What does this look like?

“Love is patient and kind. It’s not jealous, it doesn't brag, it’s not arrogant, it’s not rude, it doesn’t seek its own interests, it’s not quick-tempered, it doesn’t brood over injury, it doesn’t rejoice over wrongdoing…”  (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

Choose one virtue to cultivate this year. Choose the one that struck a chord with you when you read this verse from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. This will give you a starting point.

Do you want to be more kind, considerate, generous, and helpful? Do you want to be less arrogant and less self-centered? Do you want to be a better listener and break the rude habit of interrupting when someone is speaking? Making a deliberate decision to grow in a particular virtue will help you be more mindful of your actions.

Also, be sure to encourage yourself. Look in the mirror and smile! See a patient person, a kind person, an even-tempered person. It’s amazing how much we believe what we tell ourselves, and we act according to what we believe. So, remind yourself often that you’re becoming a more loving person, and let Christ fill you with His joy and His peace over this. Your desire to become more like Him is something to celebrate!

Be mindful of your goal and over time the virtue you wanted to cultivate will become a greater part of who you are. Then, at the end of the year, you will be able to look back and see that, yes, you have grown. You are more like Him: you’re more loving, more joyful, and more peaceful. 

What a wonderful way to be through the year.

“Lord, shine Your light on how I may be more like You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome!

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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P.s.  We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:  https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

Inspired for the New Year

                  “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to the entire human race. 

It teaches us to reject godless ways and worldly desires…

to lead lives that are temperate, upright, and godly.

The goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

not because of any righteous deeds on our part  but because of his mercy...”

–Titus 2:11-12, 3:4-5

 God’s grace and mercy inspire us with wisdom and courage. We might think of a mentor we had during our younger years: a loving parent, coach, or mentor who challenged us, cheered us on, celebrated with us, and consoled us. As our respect and admiration for this person inspired us to do our best and learn from our mistakes, so does our confidence in God’s love and mercy make us want to learn from our past and become more like Him.

“The Lord takes delight in His people.” –Psalm 149:4

Let those words sink in: God loves you and delights in you!

Through the mercy of God we are forgiven again and again – and again – with unconditional, unending love. God’s mercy makes us want to reject our godless ways and worldly desires and lead lives that are temperate, upright, and godly. His grace may give us insight to make New Year’s Resolutions. We may recall that we’re created in His image, and so we may set specific goals to take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We’re given courage to make changes that will make us more loving, patient, kind, compassionate, and generous.

Let’s pray for God’s inspiration as we begin this New Year. Let’s pray for the wisdom and courage to make changes that will make us more like Him.

“Lord, fill me with your grace and mercy.”

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Going Deeper in the New Year

Hanging up the January calendar is exciting! We see a NEW YEAR ahead of us, full of unknown opportunities and possibilities! It inspires us to toss aside our old, destructive attitudes and habits and start the year with new optimism and loving habits.

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them.’ And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” –Revelation 21:3, 5

God is with us! He wants to renew us, our relationship with Him, and our relationships with each other. He wants to take us deeper into His presence to experience His magnificent love, power, and peace! As we begin the new year, let’s resolve to do our part to deepen our relationship with God through prayer -- not by using more words but by being more mindful and receptive in our prayer time. We may do this through meditation and contemplation. Meditation is prayer that involves work done by us using imagery, reasoning, and other mental activity. Contemplation is a deeper silence initiated by God. In contemplation we’re quiet, immersed in God’s peace, and basking in His love. Though we can’t force contemplation to happen, meditation is intended to lead us to contemplation. When we meditate, we think about God and open our hearts to receive His love and grace. 

Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s Examen is a meditation designed for people of all walks of life to mindfully reflect on our day and open our hearts to God. Here’s the basic format; take as much time on each point as you wish:

* Relax your mind and body, slow your breathing, and be aware of God’s presence.

* Look back on the day; notice what you’re especially thankful for. Thank God for whatever comes to mind.

* Recall specific moments and interactions with others. What were your feelings at these times?

* Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Is there anything you would do differently next time, or anything you need to ask forgiveness for? Open your heart to a ‘gut feeling’ you may be getting from the Holy Spirit, directing you toward a specific situation.

* Look ahead to tomorrow and thank God for being with you in whatever you have planned. Know that with God there is no time, so He’s already there, blessing your tomorrow.  

Sit quietly in His presence as long as you feel moved to do so to allow for contemplation: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Thank God for loving you, and for this time with Him.

“Lord, open my heart to listen to You. Be with me; renew me; take me deeper with You.”

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