Happy New Year

In my family, we have always been big on the tradition of eating specific foods for the New Years's Day meal. It was the only day of the year I would put collard greens anywhere near my lips (because I was told I would get money in the new year). Black eyed peas seemed only slightly less disgusting. However, I wanted the cute boy that sat next to me in school to notice me, so I was down for a little extra luck and ate them...every year. As you think about the New Year's Day meal, some items are just necessary. In our household it is a meal that consists of pork chops (cooked in sauerkraut, black eyed peas, collard greens, and just for fun some yams this year.

As we think about the fun traditions of the New Year's Day meal this week, I want to send you on your way with a little blessing the meal inspired for 2023.

This year as you go about each day of 2023,

May you shine the light of Christ into the dark moments and dark places of the world just like the light area surrounds the dark parts of a black eyed pea. May you feel rich with the promises of God that are always fulfilled including the Lord's grace and never ending love more so than the richness anticipated from collard greens. May God give you strength to get through the sour parts of the year just as the protein you would eat cooked up in the midst of sauerkraut. and finally May you make sure you stop and notice the sweet blessings of God all along the way just like the sweetness of yams including fun, fellowship, and the joy of true faith.

Whether you ate the right foods or not on January 1, may God bless each day of your 2023, and don't forget to enjoy some Cranberry Ginger Ale along the way.

"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-18).