I hope you are fully enjoying the Christmas season and all it brings with it. Primarily, faith, hope and love! I love this time of year to be reminded of the birth of our Savior at Christmas and the hope HE brings to our world and life. Our world is full of all kinds of things that are wrong. The Bible talks at length about it. Today’s sermon (at my church) said it can be summed up in two words. GOD WINS! There is no need to stress. We know the ending!
There are less than two weeks left in 2024. Let’s reflect on the year. Writing my annual Christmas letter causes me to look back on the year’s happenings and its triumphs and tribulations. We know that life is not always easy. It’s not always fair. It’s sometimes hard. We also know that happiness is dependent on circumstances. I can be happy when my kids come to visit me. I can be happy when I buy something new that I’ve been wanting and get a good deal on it. Happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes at will. It is dependent on outside circumstances. JOY is internal and eternal. Joy is what I experience in my heart regardless of circumstances. PEACE is a gift from God and surpasses all understanding. Joy is a choice. I made a choice to follow Jesus and I have joy only because of Him and through my hope in Him. It doesn’t mean life is bed of roses. It’s not and it won’t be. We live in a world full of sin and we ourselves are sinful. This leads to heartache. But, God! He overcame the world. He overcame sin and death. It is only through Him we can have peace and joy amidst heartache and tribulation.
I’m about to talk about new year intentions but feel the need to preface this. Nothing we intend to do is enough. There is a deep place in every human being’s heart that ONLY God can fill. No amount of success (however you define it) will fill that place. No human relationship can fill it. Only God can fill it. Did you get that last part? Only God can fill that place in your heart! Stop striving and look to HIM.
As I move into the intention of this blog post – assessing the outgoing year and creating intentions for the new year – there is only ONE thing that really matters. It’s not your health. It’s not your relationships with others. It’s not your weight. It’s not your job or economics. It’s not where you live or how you live or if you should make some radical changes in those things. The ONE THING that is most important is ONE RELATIONSHIP!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV
Let’s be clear. Believing in God is important but even the evil one believes in God. Believing in God is not enough. We need to have a living, ongoing, personal relationship with him. Think about your relationship with someone close to you. You talk regularly and do life together. It’s the same with God. Talk to him regularly and include him in every part of your life. It’s a process as we grow in our relationship. We begin by wanting to become more like him and making an effort to do so. This is challenging due to our sin nature but yet we press on despite setbacks or failures. God understands but just because he understands, we don’t continue in things that displease him. We keep trying. It’s similar to small children. He lovingly corrects us and sets us back on the path and we do our best to stay there. Remember also, every human being will let you down. Everyone! Even those who love you most. God will never let you down. He sticks closer than a brother.
I have been walking this path with God for a long time and my life looks considerably different than it used to but it’s still a growing process and one that will never be finished until he returns.
This is the MOST important intention we can set for 2025. Living a life in relationship and fully dedicated to God and his purposes. This is eternal. The rest is temporal. With this basic foundation set, next week’s blog post will go more into setting new year intentions that build on this eternal perspective.
Why Do I Do This?
When I was sick and on the couch from my autoimmune condition, I cried out to God. My life was drastically changing and I was forced to give up my career and my toys. I came to accept that but asked God, What Now? What’s next? I still have lots left to give to the world, what do you want me to do?
Inspired Wellness Holistic Health Coaching was born! Inspired Wellness because it’s inspired by God. He has asked me to share him and what I’ve learned with you.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I’m passionate about holistic health because of what God showed me through my own circumstances and the power it has to heal. Holistic health is about the WHOLE person. Every part of your and my life affects every other part. This faith-based practice includes spiritual health as one of the 9 pillars but it’s foundational to true healing.
Conclusion
I challenge you to do some introspection as the year winds to a close. First, honestly ask yourself, where am I spiritually? What do I need in that area? Then look back at your year and make some mindful observations. Next week we will talk more about those observations and setting new year intentions.
Merry Christmas!
In love and health,
Terri
