The threshold of a new year with new possibilities, new opportunities, new dreams, new challenges is here.  A year awaits me with God’s grace, blessing, new life, hope, peace and joys to embrace in 2013 as God’s plan.

I always say that if we knew what the year holds for us, we would run in a different direction.  However, I feel differently this year.  I have a different and a more open attitude toward this new year of 2013.  God’s hand has touched it so I await it with trust, hope, eagerness, openness and willingness.  There is a plan and a reason for all that I will encounter and so I embrace it knowing that God walks with me and is awaiting my response.

At age 55, I am beginning to calmly reflect and embrace life differently and it is more peaceful.  Life is so fragile and too short–so I ask for the grace to see God’s hand in my daily life with confidence knowing there will be challenges, grace and blessing awaiting me. 

Resolutions are appropriate for this day and yes I believe I can resolve to strive to be a better, healthier, holy person in 2013.  I resolve to be more positive, less judgmental, more accepting of where people are and to offer a prayer when I feel or experience negativity.  Grace me, God of new beginnings, with the ability to be faithful and steadfast in this resolve.  

This morning I was reading about Saint Anthony, the Abbot, whose feast is approaching on January 17th.  It is said that Anthony had a wise word for everyone with whom he made contact.  I think I could learn a lot from him. His most important lesson it is said was that life throws many challenges in our path, some are to our liking, but not all.  But whatever events occurred in his life,  Anthony “pondered them in his heart” and “weighed them in his thoughts.”  He took to heart always what in everything cold be useful to him. He was able to do this with great sincerity because he was convinced that God was speaking to him in every event at every moment.  Not a bad lesson to hold on to this year.  Thanks for your example Anthony– to look for God in EVERY EVENT and in EVERY MOMENT  in 2013!