NEW’S YEAR DAY TUESDAY 1^ST JANUARY 2019

Happy New Year – 2019! You are very warmly welcome to the year of our Lord. As we gather, we can say with the Psalmist, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, His love endures forever” (Psa. 136:1). Indeed God is good to all of us and has shown us his unfailing love throughout 2018. He will do the same in the year 2019.

The Provincial Assembly of 2018 declared that the year 2019 will be the year of the Children. This means we shall continue to commit our families, marriages and children into the hands of God. But children will be our focus.

Thinking about our lives in 2019, I would like to share some insights from Cadreen Kabahizi’s book entitled “Living life” She says that every one of us desires a beautiful life. But what makes one’s life joyful and the other one’s dull? Could it be resources, blessings, intelligence? Out of the many reasons we may have, here are a few that Cadreen believes greatly determine the Charisma with which we live in life, namely;

1. Love: being able to give love to those in our lives, whether they are with us temporarily or permanently and being able to receive and enjoy love from those that love us. Love is like light, it brightens our world.
2. Contentment: Being able to enjoy what we have, not allowing what we do not have to blur the great blessings we already have. Material possessions are never enough for the discontented heart. Instead of living a life of longing for more, a contented heart enjoys what it has.
3. Gratitude; having an eye for the blessings in our lives for the beautiful things and dwelling on those. Giving thanks to God in acknowledgement that there is nothing we have that we have not received from Him. Being grateful in all circumstances; painful or good.
4. Selflessness; Giving your time and resources to those who need it. Giving yourself up for a cause that will dry a tear and put a smile on some one’s face. Being someone’s rainbow and support. Few things are more fulfilling than that!!
5. Forgiveness; Holding unto the painful things that have happened in our lives and in our relationships just causes us to wilt under the influence of poisonous emotions. When we harbour anger in our hearts over the events we have been through in our lives, it causes a lot of darkness to hover over us. We must first and foremost realise that God uses people to chastise us through offences, their sins towards us, friction etc., in order to chastise us and smoothen out our rough edges. We must therefore shut our eyes off these people and look unto God who allows these things to happen to us for our own good and growth, therefore, forgive, let go and love these people!
6. Surrender: the most beautiful life is that which is well spiritually. Enjoying a beautiful relationship with the Lord is one thing that keeps one’s Spirit alive and well. Sitting at His feet to study God’s word and making it the light to our path leads to one truly beautiful lifestyle, may God help us to dwell in His presence all the days of our lives.

All the above can be done only in God’s strength and by His grace in the mighty name; Jesus Christ the name above all names. This brings me to the significant of the name of Jesus- It means Saviour of God’s people Mathew 1:21

In Conclusion

“Finally, brothers and sisters whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is adorable- if anything is excellent or praise worthy think about such things” (Philippians 4:8)

Once again Happy New Year to you all.

Udongo Albert Festus (Rev. Can.)CHAPLAIN.