A New Beginning~ Rachel Melillo

I love starting new journals. Something about the fresh, never-been-tainted pages hits me and gives me an extra dose of joy. To me, the start of a new journal is a new beginning—it's God's reminder to me that His grace and mercies are new each morning. When I flip a page, it's clean and fresh; it's a new beginning.

As I page through my old journals, I note the variety of colors and emotion painted on the pages—tear drops smearing ink, sketches and doodles, brightly colored pens scripting the word “Yay!!!!!!!” in large capital letters. On my present journals, many of the same emotions are written in the used pages, but on the next page there's always a fresh start. A perfectly white, clean page.

Our lives aren't pretty. I've had my fair-share of disappointments and heartache. But at the beginning of the day, I've got to acknowledge that there's nothing that I can do about yesterday. I can't change the past. In Philippians 3, Paul offers the advice, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” There's nothing we can do about yesterday; it's over. Today is all we can change, and what we do today can change what happens tomorrow.

We've just entered a New Year. It's another new beginning. And with new beginnings comes the opportunity to make resolutions. This year, I'm going to base my New Year's resolution off Philippians 3:13-14 (quoted above). This year, I'm going to make my resolution to focus on what's going to happen today, not dwelling on what happened yesterday.

Did you know that Rachel's favorite time of the day is sunrise because it reminds her of God's new mercies?!

New Years Resolutions: Getting Closer to God~ Hogan Stevens

I'm sure all of you have heard of making New Year's Resolutions at the start of each year, and probably most of you have even made a list of resolutions to start living by. Maybe over the years you have promised yourself that you will make more friends or lose some weight, do better at school and make your parents proud, to stop talking with your mouth full or to smile like a movie star, etc. I think a lot of people make lists similar to this...and I don't think that very many that do actually stick with it. Probably because they might set too high of a bar for themselves.

Personally, I have never made that list. I seriously have never thought about making a resolution to start trying to make a better life for myself. You see, I already have a great life. I mean, of course there are the ups and the downs, but I truly am happy with who I am and with what I have. God has blessed me with so many things--and He's blessed you too!

So how about instead of promising ourselves we will make more money this year or that we will become more popular at school...how about we promise God that we will start living completely for Him?

This year, I will finally make a list of New Year's resolutions, and I am going to share it with you all.

1. I will read my Bible daily.

That is so important! I used to read my Bible nearly every day, but here lately I have been letting my life rush passed me and I have hardly even had the time to sit down and relax. At least that's what I have told myself. I have the time. I should set aside a special time every day to read my Bible this year, because I know how important the Bible is. It's God's own book of love letters that He has sent to us all, and I want to know everything that He has written for me.

2. I will praise Him in everything.

I already pray several times a day, but I would like to be able to just take the time to notice all that God has done for me. If it is a sunny, beautiful day outside, I want to be able to say, "Great are the works of Your hands, my God! Everything you create is wonderful." without having to first think about it. I want to show my appreciation to God in everything that I see and do; I want Him to know just how much I appreciate all that He has done. Even the little things are wonderful, like the smile of a stranger's baby you pass in the store or the tiny sparrow that flits past you as you are driving to work. We just need to take the time to notice the little things.

3. I will use my gifts for Him

This is something I have struggled with over the years. My parents started singing Gospel music about eight years ago when I was still a little kid, and they wanted me to join in the group as well, but back then I was so shy that the very thought of standing before a church and singing absolutely terrified me. Now, I actually sing a couple of songs at the churches we travel to, but I know that I can be doing more. I have a yearning inside of me to do more, and I feel that God is calling me to step out of my tiny comfort zone and dare to follow where He leads me. Maybe that will entail me singing throughout the whole program, or maybe it is that and much more. Whatever He leads me to do, I want to follow Him without hesitation.

I feel like this is a good list for me. I have told you all a little bit about myself, and I hope that I have inspired you in some way. This list that I now show you, it can be used by anyone. Anyone! Reading your Bible, praising God, and utilizing the gifts He has given you--all of these are things that everyone should be willing to do. You should be willing to give your whole heart, your whole everything, to your Savior.

After all, He gave Himself to you.

How could we ever hope to repay such a glorious gift as that?

Well, for starters, we can love Him. We can serve Him. And we can follow Him without hesitation. I promise it is not that hard; you just have to set your mind to it. Before long, you won't have to even think of reading your Bible or listening to His voice. It will just come naturally, and others will see the change in you.

So this year, I hope you resolve to get closer to God. I hope you give yourself completely over to Him and that you radiate the love of Christ to others. That's my New Year's resolution.

Happy New Year, girls. Make it the best year yet.

Did you know that Hogan is terrified of spiders but use to have a pet tarantula?!

Did you know that Heather wants to be a veterinarian?!

Photographs property of Lilies Among Thorns Magazine. Photograph taken by Heather Young.

New Years... Where and Why?~ An Article by Amie Gregory

Have you ever wondered how New Year's got started or why we have some of the things that go along with New Years? Well my mom, Amie Gregory, did some research. Here's what she found out.

New Year's was first observed 4000 years ago in Babylon, around 2000 BC, beginning with the first new moon. The new moon came after the Vernal Equinox and was the first day or spring. The beginning of spring was the season of rebirth and planting new crops.

The Romans observed the New Year in late March, but their calendar was always being altered by different emperors. This caused the calendar to not be in sync with the sun. Not until Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar, in 46 BC, did the New Year become January 1st once again. There was one problem with doing this. They had to have a year that drag on for 445 days to get back in sync with the sun. That is 99 days longer than out typical year.

New Years is observed by some denominations as the Feast of Christ's circumcision. Western nations have been celebrating New Years for about 400 years. The Tournament of Roses Parade, which began in 1886, was to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California. We now have the Rose Bowl football game. The New Years baby was a symbol of rebirth that was brought to early America by the Germans.

New Years is celebrated in different ways all around the world as a new beginning. I would like everyone to look back at the previous year and learn from it, praise God for it, and leave some of it behind. As for me, I am going to look back at the previous years and praise God for bringing me through abundantly, with grace and mercy and I will look ahead to the New Year as a new season of growing closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and being molded into His image. May HIS will be done.

Bible

by Lauren K.

Let your pages be worn and torn,

Let them be dog-eared and folded,

Let the pages be colored by Post-It notes.

Let the pages be colored by the mark of pens.

Let the binding come undone and let the cover become pliable and soft to the touch.

Let there be crumbs among the pages and droplets of water that nearly smear the lettering.

Let it look old like an antique.

Let it look fragile.

Now, most look new and in pristine condition-collecting dust while sitting as a centerpiece atop the living room table.

But make it look fragile.

Those who have the weakest Bible are strongest at heart.

Amusing Adventures In Stores~ A Fun Article by Heather Young

Christmas has ended, and the new year is almost here.  During the Christmas season, I couldn’t help being wrapped up in the joy of the season (not that I have any objection to that J).  When my dad and I went shopping, we had way more fun than expected.

The most memorable and hysterical adventure we had took place in the toy section of a store.  As you have most likely noticed, many toys these days are battery operated and move or talk when you touch or get near them.  My dad and I happened to stumble into the aisle of toys where, just about everything made noise and moved when we walked by it. Dogs, cats, bears, birds, and hamsters of all sizes barked, purred, whimpered, chirped, and squeaked when pressed on their backs.  About half of the aisle was arranged with these creatures, and baby dolls were displayed in the other half.  An assortment of dolls lined the shelves, from babies in cribs to a baby on a toilet.  Of course, almost all of them cried, talked, and moved. We had a blast walking back and forth among them so that they would animate.

 The next isle over was even scarier.  Instead of cute little baby dolls or cuddly little kittens, this aisle contained battery-operated dinosaurs.  There was one little green dinosaur who didn’t work, but looked pretty scary because the picture on its box showed that it would squirt water or bite you if you touched it.  This dinosaur prepared me for a tan-colored pterodactyl—or so I thought.  The box said “Try me!” so I pressed the bump on the top of its head as told to do.  What I was expecting was it trying to bite me like the previous one was supposed to.  All it did was open its mouth, but nevertheless, I got so freaked out that I hit my hand on the shelf while trying to get it away from the pterodactyl.  I was so embarrassed, but thank goodness not one else was around at the time. Yet another dinosaur was displayed in a large clear case was even more fascinating. Only one out of the three buttons worked, but it was pretty entertaining to hear a green, fake reptile about the size of a chihuahua be introduced by the impressive voice of an announcer, then watching it “charge” towards the walls of its confinement.

Amidst the ridiculous moments, there were also some priceless moments.  During Christmas shopping, lessons are learned, memories are shared, and comic coincidences take place. While standing in line at one store, a little girl two spaces ahead of me was paying for something she wanted to buy. She laid a huge pile of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies on the conveyor belt and said, in a sweet little voice, “It’s five dollars.”  The cashier counted it out, which took some time, but the event was worth witnessing.  The girl couldn’t have been taller than four feet or older than ten, but she was learning to be responsible for her money and to buy things with it.  I just find this so adorable!

 No matter how you celebrate New Year’s, or how excited you are about it, remember that the New Year is all about a new start.  Whatever absurd things happened in 2010 will just be a memory.  The year of 2011 provides new doors and windows for you to have even greater accomplishments than 2010.  Even if events that take place don’t seem significant, they are. Every choice you make will affect your future, but will not define it. Let’s make a New Year’s resolution to make right choices! Hooray for new beginnings! J