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.

A New Genesis~ By Rachel Melillo

“Valerie, for the last time--I’m sorry! I don’t know how they found out!” Emma shouted out, frustrated that her friend refused to accept her apology.

“Whatever Emma, I don’t care. Just...” Valerie let her voice trail off for a moment until she found the words she was searching for, “Just, please don’t talk to me for the next week. At least.”

“Val—“

Emma was cut off with a curt click, indicating the end of the conversation. The phone, still held against her ear, screamed the painful tone of an empty line; a friendless life. Get over it, Emma. You have other friends, she told herself, hoping to end the mental image of tomorrow.

I don’t understand! No one knew but me! Realizing that, she couldn’t blame Valerie for assuming the obvious—that Emma had betrayed the confidence. It still doesn’t make it true. I didn’t tell anyone.

“Well, that’s not how it looks to the rest of the world.”

She twisted in pain as her inner voice responded. You know, I really don’t need to hear from you right now.

“You never want to hear from me.”

Well, I was trying to be nice by saying ‘right now’.

“Well, guess what, I’m not going away.”

Figures, she groaned. She opened her door and walked across the hallway to put the phone back in her parent’s bedroom.

“Emma, is that you?” She heard her dad call.

“Yeah, Dad, it’s me.”

“Are you busy, or do you have a minute?” He asked.

“Well, um, I have a minute. Sure.” She clomped down the stairs and turned into her dad’s office. “What’s up?”

“Your mom told me that you think you’re going somewhere tomorrow.”

Emma caught the anger beneath the seemingly calm tone. “Oh yeah, Karen asked if I wanted to go to a movie tomorrow.”

“I didn’t hear anything about it.” The frustration rose and Emma winced inwardly, not letting him see it.

“I forgot,” she admitted.

“Then I guess you didn’t really want to go,” he shrugged.

“That’s not true,” Emma countered, panic rising in her.

“You didn’t tell me, so obviously it wasn’t important enough for you to go, otherwise you would have told me.”

“Dad, I’ve been busy!”

“You had time to make plans. Unless you heard about this yesterday, I think this conversation is over.”

“Dad—“

“No buts, you can go now.”

He turned back to his finances and Emma knew that the conversation was over. She looked up at her mom, who looked sympathetic.

She turned and muttered to no one in particular, “I’m going for a walk.” Grabbing her I-pod, she stomped out the door. Her dad was already mad at her, so what if she let her anger show too.

The nearly summer, Virginia air was stuffy, even though it was evening. He’s being unreasonable! I don’t understand. Just because I have a slip of the mind and forget to tell him, he won’t even consider letting me go! Emma growled as she stormed down the quiet street towards the beach.

God, I don’t get it!

That seemed to be her line a lot lately.

She sighed and, convicted of disrespect, she continued, I’m sorry, I know I should be a bit more polite to the Creator of the universe, but it just seems like everything’s going wrong lately. Her heart cracked as the scenes of the past month flashed through her mind—Jared breaking up with her, Valerie’s secret getting out, two of her best friends suddenly hating each other. Finally, the one she’d just played out with her dad.

Reaching the beach, Emma kicked off her flip-flops and ran towards the water. She splashed the shallow waves with her feet, disturbing the sand on the bottom.

“God, why don’t you help me?” She murmured aloud.

She stared out at the water, and whispered, “Why now, when I’m at my lowest, are you abandoning me?”

She felt a warmth enter her heart, slowly mending it together and heard Him whisper the answer into her heart.

“I am always with you. What hurts you, hurts me. I will carry you through it, because I’ve already overcome it.”

Emma swallowed and looked around. “Time to start over. God, here’s a new genesis.”

John 16:33 -- “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)