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Tuesday, January 01, 2008

New Year's Day


The new calendar is up. I had the children bid our 2007 calendar by Mary Engelbreit goodbye as I replaced it with our 2008 Gooseberry Patch calendar. The January page is a beautiful picture of a gigantic cozy bed. Fitting for a cold weather month. Of course, it will cause me to fight off the urge to go climb into my own bed! Each month of the calendar features a recipe. I can't wait to try a few!

I broke in my new devotion for the year. After spending a year with the Daily Message Bible, I am excited to change things up and begin reading Streams In The Desert. Today's reading was about mountains and valleys, and how we don't know whether our new year will be composed of mountains or valleys-- but that both are necessary, as a life of just flat boring sameness would not be very exciting. I also like how she says that the mountains hold the water that feeds the valleys. Isn't that so true of our spiritual walk-- we stockpile "water" in those mountaintop experiences with God that we can then draw from as we walk through the valleys. And yet, in both mountain and valley, He is there. A comforting thought for this new year.

Tonight we will have our New Year's Day meal, a southern tradition. I included a recipe for my pork roast in the Christmas JOY book. We have pork roast, cornbread, black-eyed peas, broccoli (you are supposed to have greens, but no one in our family will eat those!), and we add mashed potatoes or rice to put the gravy from the pork roast on. I also usually make a nice dessert. Tonight we will have warm brownies with ice cream on top. Yum! I say this helps make our new year sweet!

The rest of this day will be comprised of listening to people cough (a cold has hit the family), urging my daughters to clean their room, housebreaking a puppy, and trying to work on devotions I have to get done for P31. All in all, a nice way to start the year.

As you ponder the changes or commitments you want to make this year-- savoring the new year with its freshness and possibilities-- here is a verse I found this morning that we can all ponder:

Psalm 25:12, "Who then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."
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4 comments:

Laura said...

I grew up eating black eyed peas too. No one will eat them in my family. But my brothers and their families will be gathered around my parents table today.
Our meal will be steak, potatoes, corn on the cob and cornbread. And we will take down the new calendar and fill in what we know in the new and hang it up. Hope your family has a great new year!
Laura

Jen said...

Such a nice post....I will post mine later today so look for me. I loved your mountain and valley tactic. Very nice. I start a parenting bible study 1/16 and looking forward to the mom one on one.
I look forward to reading you this year. Nice to meet you.

Laura said...

Happy Newest Year, Marybeth! Your blog has been a bright spot in this holiday season for me! Tomorrow it will be back to the grind and I will miss these lazy days of exploring the blogworld. i promise to try to keep up with you, though, as you are a very inspiring lady!
Laura B.

Anonymous said...

Rice with gravy ... now that is a true southern delicacy (spelling questionable on that last word)! :) I haven't had that in YEARS. Happy New Year!