How about you?  Have you made any new goals for the new year?  I think one of the most important areas that all of us can improve in is our spiritual life.  What can we do this year to draw closer to God?

Here are some ideas for those of you who are having a hard time coming up with your own resolution:

• Resolve to have a consistent quiet time with God.  There are many different devotionals available online.  Check out Dare2share, Dailydevos, or YouthforChrist.  They are simple, short daily devotionals that help you have a quality quiet time with God.
• Resolve to read through the Bible in a year.  Did you know most Christians have never read through the entire Bible?  Sign up at Bible Gateway and they will email you a passage daily that will take you through the whole Bible.
• Resolve to improve your prayer life.  Keep a journal by your bed and write out your prayer requests in them.  It is amazing to see how God answers your prayers as you look back over the year.  If you don't know what to pray, turn to the Psalms and pray those.  I'm positive there is  a Psalm for anything you may be going through.
• Resolve to memorize scripture.  God tells us to hide His word in our heart and what better way to be intentional in memorizing it.  Here's a website with 100 great verses to start you off.  Or find verses that apply to your life right now.
• Resolve to worship.  One of my favorite ways to do this is to turn on some good worship music and just let the words of the songs be the prayer of my heart.  Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Hillsong, Matt Redman, Rebecca St. James, Mercy Me, and Jars of Clay are all great worship artists. Look them up and let praise and worship become a part of your daily time with God.
• Resolve to watch your tongue.  Do you use God's name in vain?  Do you speak negatively towards others? Do you gossip or lie? The Bible says the tongue has the power of life or death.  Pray daily to ask God to help you only speak things that are encouraging and edifying to others.  Ask your friends to keep you accountable.  It won't take long before you are very aware at how powerful your words are.
• Resolve to put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last (JOY).  Everyday make an effort to  have this kind of servant's heart and see what a blessing it may be.

These are just some ideas.  Pick one or two that you can focus on for 2012.  Don't let another year go by without making an intentional effort to grow spiritually.  God loves you with a fiery, passionate love. Don't miss out on fostering the most important relationship you will ever have.  I challenge you right now to resolve to make 2012 the year you fall in love with our mighty savior.  Let us know if you are making a resolution and we will be sure to hold you accountable through the next 12 months! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Happy new year and may you all have a blessed 2012!

I had just gotten my license and it was a Sunday night.  Youth group had just let out and I had walked out to the parking lot with a lot of my friends.  I got in the out-dated green mini-van (I was cool, what can I say?) that my parents let me drive and I was backing out of a parking space when it happened.

A boy thought it would be hilarious to pretend that I had just run over his foot.

"Ooooow!!!" he screamed jumping up and down.

Terrified that I had just maimed this kid for life I quickly put the car back into drive and drove right into the back of a brand-new sports car in the parking lot.

My life flashed before my eyes.  I was mortified that not only had I gotten into my very first car accident, but it was witnessed by my whole youth group.  

I got out of the car and everyone gathered around as we just stared at my car kissing the bumper of the shiny red car.  

Embarassed, I knew what I had to do.  I asked if anyone had a piece of paper and a pen and instead of supporting me, all of my "Christian" friends started telling me "Just leave, no one will know it was you!"

After much conjoling I finally gave in; I succumbed to peer pressure.

The whole drive home I cried (I was a dramatic teenage girl). I realized I couldn't tell my parents what happened because I had done the wrong thing.  I pulled into the driveway and tried scraping the red paint off our dented bumper.

I went inside and tried to act normal.  My parents kept asking about youth group, but I couldn't talk.  I found myself making up all kinds of lies to cover for  my lack of enthusiasm.  That night I couldn't sleep.  I tried to pray and couldn't do that either. I realized that not only did I have this huge guilt hanging over my head, but I had ruined my reputation at church, and put a huge gap in my relationship with my parents.  Furthermore, I felt too guilty to even tell God about what happened.

My parents were hard-core disciplinarians.  I knew if they found out what I did I would lose my license for the rest of my life, not get to go on my mission trip that summer, and be grounded to my room with only crackers and water to eat for the rest of my teenage years. (Not really, but in my head that's how it all played out...I told you I was a dramatic teenage girl).

At 3 am I couldn't take it anymore.  I barged into their bedroom sobbing, threw my car keys on their bed, and said "Here are my keys, I know you are going to take them from me when I tell you what I did today."

Both parents sat up in bed, well I think they did, it was pitch black in the room. "What did you do?" I heard my dad's voice pierce the darkness.  I told them the whole story.  When I was done talking, it was very quiet.  "Hmmmm" my dad said. "I did the same thing when I was your age, except I never told anybody."  My mom giggled.  Not the reaction I was expecting.

Don't get me wrong.  There were consequences.  I had to drive to church the next day and find the owner of the car I hit.  I was going to have to pay for all the damages except the owner of the car said the scratch was so minor she wasn't worried about it.  

I learned a big, unexpected lesson that day.  We may think we can sin and get away with it.  However, unconfessed sin drives a huge wedge between you and your relationship with others as well as with God.  Furthermore, God already knows about every sin we have ever committed now and in the future.  He knows them and he already paid the price for them. So walking around with unconfessed sin is like sitting in jail while the bail has already been paid for you.  

1 John 1:19 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Praise the Lord that is good news!

I encourage everyone of you to examine yourselves today.  Are you trying to hide something from God?  From your parents?  Are you harboring guilt for something you've done?  Don't let another moment go by.  Confess your sins to God.  Find someone to talk to - Scott and I are really good listeners!  I promise, you will feel so much better!

;)

Leah

Week 1: Hanging With God - Spending Time With God Reading the Bible
Action Steps
1. Make Time with God a Priority
2. Take the time Regularly
3. Hang out with comfort rather then Guilt.
 

If you don't know where to start - then pick Proverbs. Read the chapter that coresponds to the day of the month (i.e. read chapter 5 on the 5th, chapter 23 on the 23rd, etc)
 

Week 2: Accountibility
Action Steps

1.  Meet Faithfully
2. Speak Truthfully
3. Admit Struggles
4. Encourage Strengths
5. Challenge Spiritually

Week 3: Bible Memorization
Action Steps
1. Determine if the Benefits are with the effort -- Yes they are!
2. Gather some verses to memorize - Pick verses that will challenge/protect/guide/promise/encourage/instruct you

3.Commit to a plan to develop the Habit of memorizing scripture.