New Beginnings in 2017!

Has it only been a week that we were in Noumea, New Caledona and we were celebrating New Year's Eve?

As I close my eyes and reflect on last week, I think about how different last Saturday was vs. today.

Noumea is an island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean where it is hot and humid.  There are palm trees, white sandy beaches and blue/green water.

Loveland is surrounded by mountains and snow and the temperature is 14 degrees(F).  The plants are sleeping and waiting for those warm temperatures to blossom.

Life is a lot like this.  One day everything is like summer and seems to be going well and the next day is like winter.  You feel as if you are resting and everything is moving at a slower pace.

In the book of Ecclesiastes 3, it says "Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses...."  At the end of the chapter, it says "He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does.  So I realized that all we can do is be happy and do the best we can while we are still alive.  All of us should eat and drink and enjoy what
we have worked for.  It is God's gift."

Timing is so important.  The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept and appreciate God's perfect timing.  God wants us to enjoy life.  We begin to discover that real pleasure is found in enjoying whatever we have as gifts from God, not in what we accumulate.

So as I begin a new year, I will remember that my steps are in His hands and that I need to be sensitive as He directs my path.  Knowing that each journey, each situation is to help me grow closer to Him.

New years are all about new beginnings!  May 2017 be the year to step out in faith and know that God can make a difference in your life!

Happy New Year from

Custer and Dakota!