HAPPY NEW YEAR, YA’LL! I am so excited. I honestly have never been this excited for a new year in my life. But as I write this posting, I am not sure whether my enthusiasm is caused by the exciting things that I expect to embark upon this year or if I am just thankful for the many things that God has done over the past year. Maybe it’s both. Besides, if in 2009 God does anything remotely close to what He did in 2008, it’s going to be a wonderful year indeed. Sure, 2008 was filled with economic crisis, political scandal, and natural disasters destroying cities around the globe. But despite those things, there were still some wonderful “miracles” experienced in 2008: 1) We participated in our nation regaining its voice as we elected the first African-American president of the United States. 2) We witnessed the NBA’s Eastern Conference regain its competitiveness with the rest of the league. For my basketball fans, that was a major achievement. 3) If that’s not enough to be excited about, how about Dick Clark? After a major stroke and being paralyzed on the right side of his body, he is still attempting to bring in the New Year in style with his annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Okay, yeah, I know those last two reasons were quite a stretch. But the fact that Dick Clark’s hair is still black is a miracle. That man is 4 years older than Santa Claus and he still has black hair. And yes, I am aware of hair dye. But by now, he should be beyond the age to even care. But seriously, while the rest of the world was riddled with havoc, terror, and disaster, God was busy giving us the strength to endure, as He brought us through it all. And as I take a closer look at the year’s events of my personal life, I am reminded more of how God has brought me through.
On December 31, 2007, I sat depressingly–in the church pews–going through what I thought was one of the toughest moments of my life. Saddened by the many trials of that year (2007), I listened intently to my pastor’s words as I sought encouragement for the upcoming year. Explaining that the biblical significance of the number 8 implied a new beginning, my pastor encouraged me by stating that the year 2008 would be a year of new beginnings for me, as God would restore me. And as I now sit, exactly one year later, I can truly say that he was right. Exactly 365 days later, God has truly done the miraculous in my life. He has taken me from what I thought was one of the most difficult points in my life to a point of true joy. Over this past year, I have gone from a point of depression to spiritual, emotional, and physical restoration. I have gone from a place of isolation to a place of joy and where I could use my previous pains to encourage and uplift others. And while the rest of the world may have been in the midst of great strife and turmoil, I can truly say that God protected me through it all. And for that I am thankful. And as I now come to understand that the biblical significance of the number 9 represents the fullness of God’s ordained plan, I am now overjoyed, as I prepare to walk into the physical manifestation of God’s plan for my life. More plainly put, this means that in 2009, I can truly expect to achieve all of the things that God has placed on my heart to achieve on His behalf. That means that I will release my second book and begin working on the third. This means that I will grow my radio show by countless numbers. It means that I will bless thousands of people across the country as I begin to tour and continue to present messages of empowerment, and who knows what else. So, now that you know what the new year means to me, you can understand my excitement. Let me ask you, “What are you excited for?”
Let me know your thoughts.
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