A New Year

A new year!
Sometimes it's happy.
Sometimes it's not.
Life is full of twists and turns.
Some days are joyful and others are devastating
while most days are somewhere in between as if on cruise control.

How do we hold onto joy in this new year?
Or find it if there is none?
Is there such a thing as being able to thrive in this world with so much 
sorrow all around us?
And what about hope?
Do we dare hope?
Where is joy, anyway?

Does it all come down to resolutions and striving for better this, better that?
I don't think so.

I don't know about you but I can't seem to muster up anything that great over here.
I wonder, where is the joy I had in days gone past 
when I was excited about so much?
What went wrong?
I think it's this cruise control thing.
Just getting by, day by day, without much thought.
And then life throws a few curve balls and, Bam,
ON THE FLOOR!

Are some days just plain hard to get out of bed?
For some, I know it's impossible.
I'm so sorry for your sorrow and heartache.

No matter where life finds us, we CAN find JOY again!
It's not going to be easy.
There will continue to be sorrow.

A new day dawns.
A new day of grace.
A NEW DAY OF GRACE!
New!
Grace!
Joy!
Hope!
Believe!

It is given to us daily!
New strength.
New joy.
New hope.

Give us eyes to see it, Dear Lord!
Wake us from our slumber!
Show us your joy in each new day,
each new year!

If sorrows bring us closer to you, Dear Lord,
may you give us strength to lean on you more in this new year!
Thank you from the bottom of our weary hearts!

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Psalms 31:24

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13

May the Lord bless you and keep you always!