Yes, it’s that time of year again to prepare ourselves for the new year––when we vow to do better than we were last year and and be better people than we were last year.

We all have our resolution list and usually it looks a lot like the one we wrote last year . . . and the year before that . . . and . . . you get the picture.

This year, I decided to simplify my life by having only one resolution, and that is to try and live out one verse. I realize that every verse in the Bible should be followed, but this year I will aspire to live daily by the exhortation of Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy––meditate on these things.”

I think if I can do that, I have lived a very full and fulfilling year.

Do you have a verse that has special meaning for 2016?

Happy New Year!

Here are six more names that I find both comforting and convicting.

Holy One: Only Jesus is perfectly holy, but he calls us to be holy as well. By accepting his sacrifice of death on our behalf, we are covered by His holiness, and through the power of the Holy Spirit we, too, are able to live holy lives.

King of kings and Lord of lords: As we watch men and women battle and posture over power and position and make promises they often cannot keep, we have the confidence that Jesus has absolute authority. He is the King over all the kings, and the Lord over all the lords. So despite what today’s leaders may think of themselves or what others may think of them or believe them capable of, as both Isaiah 45:23 and Romans 14:11 state, one day “Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Light of the World: I’ve been in those subterranean caverns when they turn the one light out. There is nothing more petrifying than being in absolute darkness. Nothing will eliminate that fear except light. We live in a world of darkness though many believe they are intellectually or metaphysically enlightened. Though Satan has been granted temporary reign of this world, and he is the master deceiver, posing as an angel of light, God says very clearly in Isaiah 5:20-21 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; . . . Who to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight.” Only the Light of the World dispels the darkness of this world to reveal the truth.

Son of God: As my pastor said one Sunday, only the person sinned against may grant forgiveness. Therefore, it was absolutely necessary for God to provide the avenue of salvation and extend forgiveness. Though there might be human collateral, all our sins are first and foremost against God, so only the sacrifice of the Son of God is able to restore our relationship with God.

Son of man: God is everlasting and eternal. Therefore, God cannot die, so there is no need for a resurrection of an eternal God. This is why Jesus had to become man. Jesus had to die to be the final and perfect blood sacrifice to pay for sin, and then he had to be resurrected to 1) show victory over death, and 2) to give assurance to mankind that there is eternal life.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life: (John 14:6) Though many accuse Christians of being narrow minded when we claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation, it is not Christians who made the claim. Jesus did. In Matt. 7:13-14 he says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Narrow––why? Because there aren’t multiple routes to salvation. It is not a buffet where one can choose the most appealing route. Difficult––why? Not because we have to work hard but because we must sacrifice and submit own will to His. We must move ourselves off the throne and put Him there.

We could spend a lifetime studying all the names and titles of Christ, developing a deeper understanding of each one, and then living a life in response to each. May 2016 be a year we come to a deeper understanding of who the God we serve truly is.

The Christmas season is here, and I don't want us to forget the Reason for the Season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, so I thought we could focus on just 12 of the over 200 names and titles given to Jesus in the Bible.

One of the most well known verses in the bible which proclaims the birth of Christ is Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor: How many times in our lives have we needed advice, or a listening ear, or wise counsel, or an objective perspective. How wonderful then that Jesus is referred to as the Wonderful Counselor, the one who has our best interests at heart, who knows us fully, and who will always give us good counsel and lead us in the right direction.

Mighty God: What a comfort to know that the Wonderful Counselor who is guiding us through life is also the one who knows us intimately and completely (Ps. 139:13-16) and can do anything (Luke 1:37). The God of all creation.

Everlasting Father: In a temporal world where fathers (those designed to provide for and protect us) can exit our life at any moment by choice or by death, it is a comfort to know that there is One who will never “leave [us] or forsake [us]” (Deut. 31:6). A Father who will always protect us and provide for us.

Prince of Peace: This title has to be my favorite. We crave peace: in our world, in our lives, in our souls. Though we look for peace in so many places: security, money, friendships, family, retirement, and on and on and on, only One can truly bring peace to our lives. By believing in and giving the reins of our lives to the proclaimed Prince of Peace we will finally experience the peace we yearn for.

In Matthew 1:21, Joseph is told by an angel of the Lord, that Mary “will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  

Jesus: “God saves.” Jesus was not a family name for either Mary or Joseph, but it was the name God chose for His only Son during His time on earth. The name Jesus is a reminder to us that we cannot save ourselves: not through our good deeds or thoughts or sacrifices or meditations. Only God can save, and He chose to do it through the sacrifice of His only son––Jesus.

Emmanuel: This is my second favorite name, for it means “God with us.” Because God is a spiritual being it is through Jesus that we actually get to know God. It is through the Jesus (Emmanuel–God with us) that we see every attribute of God: goodness, love, justice, holiness, mercy, wisdom, faithfulness, and grace, just to name a few.

What are your favorite names for the Savior?

Across the nation this week, college students are in the middle of what some call Dead Week and others call Cram Week.

Dead Week means that all classes have been cancelled, and the students have the entire week to devote to studying for their finals. Despite its foreboding name, I like the concept because it implies that everything in life comes to a standstill and all the student must do is study. Now we know it’s not that simple, but it makes it sound like it is.

Cram Week, however, creates an entirely different picture. Some schools still cancel classes but many don’t, and the students must study for finals around their regular class schedule. Regardless, this name implies that students have put off studying of any kind until this week or have forgotten everything they learned and now must, somehow, in the course of a week, squeeze it all back into their porous brains in time for the final exam. It connotes stress and panic and desperation.

I find it ironic that collegiate Cram weeks fall at this time of year--between Thanksgiving and Christmas--because this is the time when there are all kinds of cramming going on.

1) Some of us have crammed more food into our system than is biologically healthy.
2) As a result we are trying to cram in a major “lose five to ten pounds” diet plan before the next wave of holiday eating occurs.
3) Many of us are cramming in holiday office parties or open houses.
4) Most of us are cramming to get those Christmas cards out in time. (Last year I was so far behind I ended up writing Happy New Year’s cards!)
5) And always there is some last minute cramming in the gift buying department.

Suffice it to say that just like the students, many of us are left stressed, panicked, and desperate.

Though this might seem like an end of semester or holiday “event,” most of us at times find our spiritual life often encountering a Cram Week. We have been so caught up in the busyness of life that we have pushed our time with God to the side until we feel life beginning to tumble out of control, and then we stress and panic and despair and finally rush to our bibles and prayers in an effort to get everything sorted out.

I am hoping that during this busy time of year, when there are so many demands on us at school or at work, with holiday preparation or gift buying, that we take a little time each day to spend with with God both in His word and through prayer, so that we can enter and end each day with a sense of peace.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was wonderful, but as with all experiences, there is usually an aftermath. The following is mine.

Excitement to Exhaustion: I was very excited about this Thanksgiving as my aunt and two of my cousins (whom I rarely get to spend time with because of distance) were going to be with us for four days. I was not disappointed. It was a fabulous time: laughter, memories, cutthroat Mexican Train, Scrabble, and Scattergories. It was hard to end the time together. So, combine the emotional energy expended as well as the hours on the road to and from the festivities, and needless to say, I am pretty tired--but a wonderful tired.

Regrets to Resolutions: Thomas Jefferson once said, “No one ever regretted eating too little.” I have yet to try that option. I tried everything and ate till I was full and then just kept on eating. I have great “will power.” It’s my “won’t power” that needs a bit of beefing up. However, I have once again resolved to be good for the next three weeks until the Christmas dinner puts me over the top again.

Candied Yams to Christmas Carols: I don’t think there is a faster metamorphosis than the one from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Once while traveling, I went to bed with a view of hay bales and pumpkins and woke up to garland and holly! True the retail industry has seriously encroached on the Thanksgiving holiday, and Christmas decorations are already adorning America’s streets and homes right after Halloween, but once that turkey has been laid to rest, and the sun rises the next morning, the Christmas music is playing full strength, and that--to me--means the Christmas season has truly begun.

Leftovers to Letdowns: As much as I like the Thanksgiving feast, I think I love the leftovers even more--cold or hot (well, except for the mashed potatoes). Dressing, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, roasted sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts, and, of course, every pie imaginable. But soon all the leftovers will be gone, and the guests will have left, and then it’s just dirty dishes and an empty house or a long drive home.

New Memories: Regardless of the ups and downs of the holiday, one thing is for certain: New memories will be made. I am already enjoying mine from Thanksgiving 2015. I hope you are as well.

(Did I leave anything out? Feel free to add to the list.)