Happy (belated) New Year

Okay, so I let this blog slip through the Christmas holidays. The church is especially busy during that time of the year, what with all the Advent and Christmas activities and special worship services. Also, I took some time off after Christmas and in the new year, but now I’m ready to face 2008.

I’ve noticed that it is taking a bit of time for more people than just myself to get going in 2008. I don’t know why, although I suspect a mixture of the afore mentioned vacation days along with the cold and flu season that has affected more than just me. I guess I have felt like the train that flew down the mountainside, only to find itself losing steam halfway up the next mountain. The beginning of January is almost an ethereal time of year between recovering from the holidays and finally putting away all the Christmas decorations and moving on to “now what do we do?”

I was recently reading through the Gospels and noticed how many times and situations Jesus told someone to “get up” out of their infirmity, struggles, and even death. He called them from their place of hardship or their deathbed back into health and life. He called them from sorrow to joy. He called them from stillness into activity. In my own struggle to regain health and strength and motivation, I hear Him calling to me, “get up” and feel His encouragement to move forward. I hear “get up” and my mind stirs from the days of sleeping off the latest dose of cold medicine back toward a clear mind that desires to study scripture.

I truly enjoyed being at my church yesterday and back among the body of Christ after being away the previous week. And now I look forward to being a part of the disciples who are ready to begin a new year serving God and His church. Are you ready?