Out With the Old, In With the New

As we close out 2009, it goes without saying that it's been a helluva year. Some are going to be very sad to see 2009 end and others will not. Whatever the case may be, we all look to the future with a renewed sense of hope and purpose. It is a time of new beginnings, so we reflect on things we did wrong in the past and want to correct or change in the future. Some of us make resolutions...most of which will not be kept. They will be broken before January comes to a close. Y'all know I'm right.


This year was full of surprises. Barack Obama became America's first African American President. Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic Supreme Court judge. Huge financial institutions had to be bailed out lest we suffer serious financial collapse. Ted Kennedy, Michael Jackson, and Walter Cronkite, just to name a few, passed away leaving huge legacies. People married, divorced, and had babies. America continued to fight in countries that have no desire for us to be there. Tiger Woods' sexual indiscretions became international news and media fodder. America continues to be voyeuristic and indulges itself in the myriad choices of reality television. The list goes on and on.


They year was full of broken hearts, broken promises, and broken dreams. It was also a year of hope, change, and promise for some. Any year can be any number of things to any number of people. Depends on who you are and what life threw your way. It is also about how you chose to handle the obstacles and blessings that you faced.


No matter what you did or how you perceived 2009, it will go out like every other year. A quick but distant memory. What changes are you gonna make to improve your life? to improve the life of someone else? to make a difference in your community? to impact your little world?


No life is perfect. We all have some dream to fulfill. What baggage are you leaving behind? What purpose are you planning to pursue? What attitude will you change? The answer for each of us will be different. The thing that will be the same for all of us is this...we all can start fresh once we ring in 2010. Actually, each day we can start anew and make one small change. Before we know it, we will have made some significant change.


It starts with you. You do your part. God handles the rest. So welcome to the New Year. Welcome to the rest of your life. What are you gonna do? Here is my plan, not resolutions, just a plan. I am going to exercise. I have employed my gung-ho hubby to help me out. In that process, I hope to lose a little weight. I hope you will check up on my progress. I need accountability you know. I am going to also try to cut out processed foods. I eat pretty healthily most of the time but there is always room for improvement. I am going to be more faithful to God. He has NEVER forsaken me. So I am stepping up my prayer life and recommitting myself to my daily devotions and Bible readings. I feel guilty that this is the first year in the last six that I have not read the Bible in its entirety. I also want to resume tithing. I guess it would help, if we actually belonged to a church. Our finances were all over the place for 09 and we need to be vigilant in 2010. So pray that my family and I can agree on a church. While there is so much more I could plan, this one is important enough to mention.....I am following my first mind, it is never wrong! I am ridding myself of negativity and cynicism(that's gonna be difficult!). I am also ridding myself of toxic people and relationships. Other folks and their baggage is too much for me to carry, I got enough of my own ish. Lastly, I am committing to making a difference in some one's life each day. Care to join me?

However you foresee 2010...the past is the past. It is meant to be left behind. Your future is waiting but the present is a gift. Each day you have 24 hours to make a change, impact the world and be someone new. Don't let anyone impose their "shoulds" on you. Life is short and you have a destiny to fulfill. If God showed up for you in 2009, He will show up for you in 2010. You need to show off for Him. So as we say, "Good-bye, Sayonara, and Peace out!" to 2009.....I wish you a God-filled, safe, and prosperous New Year. Let 2010 be your year! It really is a choice you know? Go out and manifest your destiny! Here's to New Beginnings! Cheers! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Copyright December 31, 2009 by Pamela Cole Thorpe