New Year's Resolutions

A time-honored practice, this. Resolve to be a better person in the new year: lose weight, start an exercise program, start and maintain an exercise program, smile more, spend more time with the family, do one good deed per day, aim for that promotion, find true love, pay the bills on time, keep up with your church pledge... the list goes on and on.

I always mean to get my prayer time in every day. Most days I do... when I don't, my thinking isn't as clear and my emotions tend to be more extreme. This year, perhaps, I will aim for enough..... enough sleep, enough social time, enough prayer time, knowing when I have eaten enough..... right in the middle, for a change.

I urge you to spend some prayer time and consider what your goals and resolutions should be for 2006. You might choose to work for or give toward some service organization. Whatever resolutions and goals you choose, I hope you will invite God into each one of them.

Pray for peace, cooperation, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, generousity and faithfulness in 2006. These things cannot come about without our participation, one person at a time.

May God grant you the support and courage to realize your aspirations in the coming year.