Navigating the New Year... 2024

"Glory to God in the Highest and On Earth, Peace to People of Good Will!"  

Welcome to 2024!  Hello!

60 seconds in a minute.  60 minutes in an hour.  24 hours in a day.  7 days a week...that means...3,600 seconds in an hour.  168 hours in a week.  604, 800 seconds in a week.  If God is aware of us, every second.  If we couldn't exist without God thinking about us...what a statement of love and awareness of another.  If God is thinking of us every second...that is like 604,800 I love you's a week!!  Imagine the year!  God is very inlove with each and every one of us... do we live this way?  Do we think of Him as often?  How can we think of God more heading into the New Year?  

In our family, we choose a word. (Something inspiring...like the number 604,800?  Peace?  Integrity?  Struggle?)

As we navigate into 2024, what is the word that strikes you?  

Last year, my friend had hope, and another had perseverence.  Imagine toasting with it?  As 3 of our adult children stood around our table with 4 minors, I watched the faces glowing!  I asked my husband, "what is it that we toast to this year?"  He delared, "Good health and sound moral decision making."

WOW!  That was not what I expected.  "Cheers!"  "Happy New Year!"  "Nos drovia vidania!"  "Viva!"  At the simplest, "TO FAMILY!"  hmmmmm....

What is the wisdom shared here?  We usually commit to something that we want, something that we strive for, something that we will work on... is it a relationship?  A new virtue?  Better health decisions?  Better food choices?  Taking better care of our cars? or our bodies?  or our children?  or our parents?  What is it that God is calling us to?  

My husband gave us exactly what I had asked for... It was the Feast of the Holy Family, and a night to remember with my brother and his son in our kitchen.  

It isn't the alchohol, it isn't about the incredible food.  It wasn't the 25 person live big band we saw and danced to, nor the lights that I will remember years from now... it will be the toast which we shared as a family... "To a year of Good health, and sound moral decision making!"  It was a mouthful, that I repeated multiple times... but very worth it...just like the Angels in the Sky...

It isn't the presents under the tree, it was who was with us around the tree this year...and that was why this was an amazing Christmas!  God gives us Himself...Emmanuel, Jesus as an Infant to celebrate this special season with.  However you can, I encourage you to share His love...and find your word to toast with for the Ephiphany!

"Glory to God in the Highest!"