8 Dec, 2009

Year in Review

December is upon us and the voting has begun. You can now get on line and vote for the best movie of the year, the best song, your favorite book from 2009...you can even vote on what you thought the craziest celebrity moment was.

The end of the year is always full of reflection...and for good reason...there is a lot we can learn from looking in the rear view mirror of our individual journeys.

Psalm 77:11-12 [NLT]

11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
      I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
 12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
      I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

What does God's Word say about reflecting on the past?

  • Reflecting on what God has done brings us to a place of thankfulness. Without reflection, we often take for granted the many blessings He has given us.
  • Reflecting on His works builds our faith. When we stop to remember what He has done, it gives us faith to know that He is able to do anything with our future.
  • Reflecting on our journey...the good parts and the hard parts...reminds us of the lessons we have learned. The Israelites were constantly recalling the fact that they were slaves before God set them free. Our journey is also full of lessons if we will just take the time to recall them.

So how about youryear in review?

  • What was the biggest blessing you saw in 2009?
  • What was a lesson that God taught you through the journey of this past year?
  • What was the hardest part?...the best part?
  • What prayer did God answer?
  • What did He do that builds your faith for what is yet ahead?

Take some time to walk through this year with your Heavenly Father and thank Him for all He has done.

How about their year in review?

This may be the easiest conversation starter ever! It doesn't matter whether the person is a Christian or not, you can simply start by asking anybody, "What was the best part of your 2009?" and you will be amazed at what you learn. What a great way to learn more about other people's stories! This may lead you to find out not only the best part but some of the hard parts of this past year as well.

After a lot of listening, perhaps God will allow you to share your story that is full of His story.

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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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