In the back of my Bible lies a quote that I wrote down from Christine Caine that reads, “Quit sitting in the open prison cell, walk out.” Woah. Now that hit me HARD. Reading over it almost a year after I first heard it said aloud, I begin to really think about it more deeply.

Regardless of how many great things have happened in my life over the last twelve months, I’m heading into 2017 with a year full of mixed emotions that also lie in the year behind me: sadness, confusion, pain. As good as the year 2016 was, there were many trials that were hidden within its walls. To be completely honest I had some pretty terrible days. I’m a very optimistic person, but I still had days where I struggled. That just happens to be how life works though. You’ll have good days that will eventually be followed by bad days. Not every day is perfect, but you can’t dwell on whatever may have happened within the last year or before.

Whatever lies in your past doesn’t matter anymore and I challenge you, along with myself, to choose to walk out of the prison cell that is holding us from the fresh start that comes with a new year. Because of Jesus and His unending grace and mercy the prison door is always unlocked and ready for us to get rid of the dead weight that is holding us back. in this new year, you will experience days where you feel that you have it all together and you will experience days where you feel as if your whole world is falling apart. Do two things for me: choose to look ahead and choose to have joy.

Don’t look back and let the past keep you from accomplishing great things. Look ahead and work on being the best you that you can be. Choose joy when you really don’t want to. Even on those days when your world is crashing down all around you, choose joy. I promise that if we each choose to walk in faith, love and happiness there is nothing that can hold us back from what this new year has to offer us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

-LG