New Year Song

Last year I had difficulty thinking of a New Year song.

This year I've had one in  mind since it came out 11½ months ago!

 Where the Living is Deep from The Gray Havens

A new year(ish) song

I like to choose a song for each new year, but I couldn't decide - none seemed quite right. Then we sang this last Sunday, and I think it's a good choice:

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

 I always like to post a song for the New Year - but this year I've got two.

They're both about how, as Christians, God uses the ups and downs of life to make us who he wants us to be.

First a sad one:

 And then a cheerier one!

Happy New(ish) Year

 Here's a good song to start the year:

Something I need to keep reminding myself.

Caveat: I don't like the line about 'make of your troubles swiftly an end' - he might, but he might not. Though I probably tend to err on the side of assuming he won't.

Happy New Year!

I was going to post this song anyway, but we sang it on Hogmanay, so that's another reason.

Pilot me

This seemed a good song for the beginning of a year.
(The words aren't very clear so I've put them below.)

I will arise and follow you over
Savior please pilot me
Over the waves and through every sorrow
Savior please pilot me
O Lord

When I have no strength left to follow
Fall on my knees - pilot me
May your sunrise lead me on
Over the seas - Savior pilot me
O Lord

Josh Garrels

Happy New Year!

Was reading this the other day and it seemed a good quote for the New Year.

When you met your father on the hill tonight, you stood and spoke together on the same spot; and although one of you was going up and the other coming down, at a little distance no one could have told which was bound in the one direction and which in the other. Just so two people may be in the same spot in manners and behaviour, and yet one may be getting better and the other worse, which is the greatest of all differences that could possibly exist between them.

~from The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald

A Way to See in the Dark

Happy New Year!

We don't know what this year (or the rest of our lives) will hold. This song is helpful - for both the big and little things.

Happy New ... Day

 

Swans in Rouken Glen on New Year's day

New years are good, because they're a new start. The old year, with all its failings, is gone, and a new, empty one is ahead. It can be good to look back, and look ahead. You can set goals. Aim to do better this time around.

But that puts a big burden on one day. What if you just weren't in the mood for reflection and planning on the 1st of January? What if the new year gets off to a bad start - the first week isn't over and you've failed already? What if you need to sort things out mid-year?

I had this verse in my head (sort of, though I didn't remember it very well), and then someone prayed about it in the prayer meeting last night. So I looked it up.

...this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
     for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
     great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3v21-23

Every day can be a new start! 

Also - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Matthew 6:33

There are a number of things that I want to achieve this year. But I feel this is actually the main thing I need to work on.

And if I get that one right, everything else will fall into its proper place.

Happy New Year!

Got this in my stocking. Seems a good verse to start (and continue, and finish) a year with.

Ebenezer

We sang this on Hogmanay, and I've been meaning to post it ever since...

Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed* His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Robert Robinson

 * Interpose: 'place or insert between one thing and another'. i.e. his blood comes between us and danger.

New

Happy New Year!

New desk:

It's an old door (which, I'm guessing from the marker stains all over it, my granny used to make flannelgraph) and Ikea legs. I plan to use it as a painting and drawing table.

New programs to play with: 

I have downloaded the trial version of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, etc). I'm seriously thinking of getting it. I have been very happy with Corel PhotoPaint, but it does have some limitations. And after the fiasco with Publisher, InDesign is definitely a requirement if I want to design a book again!

There are some really good features - such as the ability in Photoshop to cut out photos of people with frizzy/wispy hair.

Sample photo before:

 

 Photograph ©Trevor Goodwin | Dreamstime.com

Sample photo after: 

This took me exactly half an hour. Well, when I say me, Photoshop more or less does it for you. It's not perfect, but good for a first attempt. Would have been quicker if I was more familiar with Photoshop's controls. Before, this would have probably taken hours of tedious work - and not been as good.

And, on the theme of New Year, here are a couple of little verse cards I designed for the RUN the RACE Holiday Club (coming soon...)

 Photograph ©istock/mediaphotos 

Photograph ©Sparkia | Dreamstime.com

Happy New Year!

Hope all my many (?) readers have a good 2011.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6