IT'S A NEW YEAR Y'ALL!

I love Christmas! It is my favorite time of the year. I love all the beautiful decorations, the sounds of all the wonderful Christmas music, and I love the amazing smells like cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin, mint, etc. I love watching my grandsons get so excited over the season. Christmas can be such a joyous time for most but also can be a sad time for others.

When I was a child, the anticipation of Christmas was actually the most joyful part of the holiday. I have some very fond memories but I also have some very sad memories. Looking back over the years, I realize that if I allow myself, I can concentrate on the sad times way more than the happy times and unfortunately the sad times will become my focus.

Each generation chooses how they will leave their legacy. Traditions that you start in your family may be different from the traditions you grew up with but choosing love and joy should definitely be a choice you choose. Christmas is a time to reflect on what is the greatest gift ever given to mankind…the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

And just like Christmas, New Year’s Day is a day of anticipations and a year of new beginnings…a brand new year begins and our last year comes to an end. Today is a great time to reflect back over the year….the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly. I love starting my new year off with some major soul searching. What happened last year that I could have changed or done better? What were things that I accomplished? What kind of person was I to my friends, family, and neighbors? What kind of legacy did I leave behind? Then I want to ask myself, what are my expectations for this year? Am I excited about the future? What are my dreams and desires that I want to fulfill?

I want to encourage you as we begin this brand new year of 2022, to seek God with all your heart. Choose joy and happiness over regrets and hurts. Let the past be in the past, let the future be full of anticipation and excitement as we walk hand in hand trusting God. How you view your future will determine how your future unfolds. We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we react to what happens to us. Choose joy!

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Here at The Beautiful Basics we pray you have a very blessed, prosperous, and joyful New Year. We love you!