We are starting a new year. Now there is a news flash for you. I am guessing you wouldn't have figured that out if I hadn't told you. Just kidding of course. No duh.

Well anyway, so goes the start of another sermon to start out the new year. A bit on the boring side I admit, but sometimes you get to a point in your life when understanding eludes you, or maybe it is just getting up way too early in the morning.

Whatever the case may be, it is a wonderful world no matter how awful the media paints it out to be. There are flowers and trees that sway in the breeze unbeknownst to us mere mortals that scurry around like rats waiting for another pay check to put food on the table and make us warm in our beds with another DVD movie that is so bad we wonder why we even got out of bed, in the first place, to turn on the spinning laser machine that captures our minds, if only briefly with another story of how somebody else's life is so much better than our own.

Please excuse the last sentence. Sometimes I tend to extend my thoughts from one thing to another. It makes life more interesting when you can think about so many things all at once. When you do you can start to put more understanding into your daily routine, or more confusion depending on your point of view.

Now what about reading the Bible to put more perspective into your life? Now there's a thought for the ages. We live in a time when people like using the excuse that they can't read the Bible because they just don't have the time. They are too busy talking to friends on the cell phone or working extra hours to really care about a book that is thousands of years old. So they go about life, as if in a daze, never realizing their true nature and why they happened to be put on this earth.

So how do they find out their true calling? They could read the Bible. But then how does one get to something when one, supposedly, has no time to spare? They seek within themselves the time.

People have a tendency, quite often, to go to God when they feel that the world is closing in on them and they feel there is very little hope for them and they feel worthless and alone. It is too bad that may be the only time they wish to converse with God and seek understanding for their plight.

But what about the happy times? People get so busy when they are happy, that they quite often forget that God even exists. But for true Christians though, when happiness makes it's call at their door, they welcome it with open arms and thank God for His presence in their hearts.

You may have heard of the phrase, "falling short of the grace of God." That is something people are doing every day of their lives and they are either unaware of it, or don't care. The reason they don't care is because of all the other things that are happening in their lives that choke out the presence of God in their lives, and the happiness lasts but a fleeting moment and then they are back praying to God to forgive them for their absence from talking to God and that they promise to make God a permanent part of their lives.

But then something else happens, they are happy again, and once again God takes second fiddle until the happiness again wears off and prayers come on the increase.

Is that the lot of the human race? Are we doomed to repeat the same sad-to-happy-to-sad sequence in our lives or do we want something different?

Now if something different is your bag then why not try a daily ritual of praying to God no matter how good you feel. That way the sadness may not be as sad, because you will have more confidence that God will be with you. Because quite often people when they are having a sad sequence of events in their lives will ask forgiveness for their hiatus from following God and having a relationship with Him. And it is during that time they feel really bad.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could save ourselves from the bad times and the bad feelings? Now I am not saying that God causes bad things to happen, but it is rather interesting that people generally look to God more often when they are sad than when they are happy. So it is during the sad times that we seek the love of God.

I think it is because when we are sad, we feel more deeply emotional than when we are happy. When we are happy our minds are going a million miles an hour, thus maybe choking out God's place in it. When we are happy and in bliss such as when we are madly in love, we tend to only think about that love. But yet no matter how much love you have, Gods love is stronger. He patiently waits for the time when you come to Him. He wants to be a part of your life. He wants to give you knowledge and wisdom and all you have to do is earnestly and honestly ask for it frequently.

It is interesting to note that love for another can be a double- edged sword, but love for God is never that way. He gives his love patiently and unselfishly. He doesn't expect that the love will be returned, but I think He hopes it will be returned in the form of love for others that has no boundaries and doesn't always seek reciprocation.

So when you are thinking about being happy in this new year, think often of God and His love for you. Think of the blessings that He has given you. Give yourself to God as often as possible and don't let the rat race keep you from His love and His desire to make you wise.

Prayer: Dear Lord, remind me often this year about your presence in my life. Help me to understand my place in this world. Give me the insight to know that even during the happy times, you are there and help me to thank you often for that presence. Thank you Lord, for all your many blessings and I look forward to new blessings from you this year. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2005 Bryan Hill