Today ends the first full week of the Year of Our Lord 2016. I pray that this week is the beginning of a wonderfully productive and spiritually expansive year for you.
On a personal note, I am taking advantage of this new year to make some changes in my life. I am consciously changing what a allow to influence my day. I recently made a decision to listen to music and radio that focuses on God, Christ, and God’s Spirit. Some of this music is praise in tone whereas some are songs about living purposefully for God and depending upon God in our struggles. It may be my imagination, but I think I am already seeing some changes in me. I seem calmer in traffic and in a generally better mood as a result of encouraging messages coming from my smart-phone and radio.
Along with this change, I am changing the blog for Friday’s. I want to end each week with you in praise and in prayer.
- Scott
Praise. Today take time to praise God for the glory of Creation. Yesterday riding back from Mobile with two of our elders we experienced a full rainbow. Rainbows always remind me of God’s creative nature and the beauty He creates. Everything we have in our physical world, both naturally occurring and man-made things, are a result of what God created. Praise God for rainbows, for sunrises and sunsets. Praise Him for rain, for sunshine, and for a fresh blanket of snow. Praise Him for the animals in your yard, house, and the forest. Praise Him for all that is good and best.
Prayer. Father God, Creator and Giver of all that is right and good, thank You for today. Thank you for the week we are ending. Thank you for the lessons we learned, the experiences we gained, and thank you for our successes and for being with us through our failures. Thank you for Your Grace, Your Mercy, and Your Forgiveness that we find in Your Son, Jesus the Christ. As we end our week of school or work please keep us safe in Your care. Help us to choose activities and behaviors that will build us up, draw us closer to You, and reflect Your light to the world this weekend. Help us be an encouragement to someone and to show them Your love. In Jesus’ Name . . .
Driving Thought 
Scott, I too decided to change my music choices this past year to choices centered around God and Christianity. It does make a big difference in my attitude during the day as well as my willingness to praise God in all circumstances. There really is such a variety of good Christian music out there that can fit all tastes and it is far better than much of what is played on the regular radio channels. I hope you continue to have a fun and fruitful 2016 and I will keep you and your family in my prayers as you seek to serve the Lord.
We made this decision after attending Exposure Youth Camp with the teens and others from Central after Christmas. For those three days we were singing praise to God and that was the only music we were exposed too. We (Amy and I) started thinking about the music that is normally on the radio. Our local stations had switched back to regular format after playing Christmas music since before Thanksgiving. Most of the Christmas music is positive if not religious. Then the day after Christmas they switched back. I was disgusted at the lyrics of the first few songs and turned off the radio. The next day was Sunday and the start of Exposure that afternoon. Everything was pushing me this direction. So far – so good.
I pray that this is a banner year for you and your family.