December 2021 Newsletter
Whew! What a BUSY time of the Year! – How has your celebration of Christmas and preparations for the New Year gone so far? Mine and my family’s was busy and full! - With my son, a Houston Firefighter and my daughter-in-law a police officer for the City of Waller, both working on Christmas, we had the grandkids over to celebrate with us, along with my daughter and her husband and kids – Great fun! Then on December 26th, we did the whole thing all over again – Double Great Fun!!. . .Add to that the Christmas Eve service we always do at Windwood and me preaching the day after Christmas, and life was full, to say the least! – And I am not complaining. Rather, I am rejoicing for the blessings of family and the joy of being able to share those celebrations with those people God has placed in my life with whom I can give and receive love – especially during this time of the year!
I hope that Christmas for you was also a joyful time of receiving all the blessings of love, hope, peace and joy that God has intended for His children since the beginning of time! . . . And pray that your New Year is also filled with many blessings.
Speaking of Blessings, have you ever stopped to consider what a blessing is? I mean, we talk about blessings all the time. We are reminded to ‘count our blessings,’ to remember the ‘One from Whom all blessings flow’ and to be grateful for all our blessings. But, I wonder, do we really know what a blessing is? Do we receive and notice the blessings in our lives? If you’re like most of us, the answer to this is ‘not usually.’ Now, that doesn’t mean that we’re bad people. It means that life can – and does – get so busy that we sometimes simply do not notice. It is for this reason, that I think it is important that we work towards intentionally building a habit of noticing; noticing not just the many blessings of our lives, but also noticing the source of these blessings.
It also seems important to begin to make noticing those things that give us joy, because they are the blessings of this life. It can often be the ‘little things’ of this life that can go unnoticed – those things that cause us to giggle, or smile, or have that warm feeling of peace and comfort – warmth and safety, loved and being connected; those things that just ‘feel good’ for no obvious reason. Those are blessings, just as sure as the big and remarkable events of this life! All of these are evidence of a loving God, as He is the source of everything good, loving, beautiful, holy, joyful, peaceful and glorious about this life.
In an online dictionary, the word ‘blessing’ is defined as “God’s favor and protection; grace said before or after a meal; a beneficial event for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being; a person’s sanction or support.” So, the question becomes, do we see those blessings in our lives – the big obvious ones along with the little, almost indiscernible ones?
As we have come to that time of the year where we are now looking in the rear-view-mirror of 2021, it is our prayer that you will make and take the time in 2022 to understand the need of noticing, accepting and being grateful for the blessings – big and small – that you have already received throughout the year 2021. The reason this is important is simple; because not noticing the blessings all around us can mean that we will miss out on the love, smiles, giggles, warmth, peace, comfort, safety, connection, goodness, beauty, holiness, joy and glory that God desires to give us – His blessings for His people.
Most of us make New Year’s Resolutions as we face a new year in the hopes of being better people, correcting our shortcomings, making new habits, breaking old bad habits and being a better version of ourselves. These are, without argument, noble goals. As you consider taking part in this customary tradition for beginning your New Year, we hope that you will also incorporate the habit of noticing the blessings of your life, and more importantly, gratefully noticing the Giver of all our blessings. . .And have a VERY blessed NEW YEAR!
In His love and by His grace,
Rev. Dr. Pat Ryan
On behalf of the A Future and a Hope Counseling Ministry Team
