" Pause before stepping into 2010 "

There are only 4 more days left of 2009 to make your mark on the world before you enter yet another year. I have been reflecting back quite a bit on 2009 these last few weeks since I was preparing a message on this very topic for yesturdays Sunday service at our church. The message was a simple one, yet challenging for me to reflect back and take a deep look on where my heart has been focused over the last year. Three points of my message for attaining a closer walk with God were the following:

Asking God for a ....

• grateful heart
• humble heart
• discerning heart

A grateful heart ......

Reflecting on the past year, I am grateful for so many things in my life. I am grateful for our families health - and think of the answered prayer for my daughter Leah who is now seizure free and off of her medication. I am grateful for the simple things like food to eat, a warm house, jobs to work at, cuddle time with my girls this morning in bed, and as of recent the wonderful snow that covers my back yard. The gifts that God gives us each day are always before me, yet sometimes I seem to miss them when my heart is focused on what I do not have.

A Humble Heart.......

A few weeks ago I was feeling very discouraged and unworthy to deliver a Sunday message that I was preparing to give at our church on Dec. 27. I think this is right were God wanted my heart to be - totally dependant upon his strength instead of my own pride. Now this does not mean that I did not put allot of hard work into the message- There were many hours of writing and practicing the sermon on my family! Well, God showed up and he gave me a message that I could have never come up with on my own. I was a bit nervous before the service, but was surprised how comfortable I felt up on the stage. It was as if me and God were the only ones there in the sanctuary. God is good all the time!

A Discerning Heart -
I have not always made the smartest decisions in 2009, but am fortunate to have made a pretty few good ones. I am trying to seek God's discernment in knowing what to say yes and no to in the coming year as I seek to slow down my fast pace lifestyle.


Well, as I close this Pause blog - may you be challenged to reflect back on your 2009 before taking that next step into 2010. May you know that God has been right there with you through all the difficult circumstances of the past year and he will be riding tandem with you in the coming year of 2010!

Blessings and Happy New Year!

Kim Rudd