Abundantly blessed

I cannot believe it is already January, much less the year 2012! Time sure does fly when you're busy and not paying attention.

When the First rolled around, I found myself thinking about all the things that I had to be thankful for. I know, wrong holiday. But when most people are trying to settle on a resolution they may or may not be able to stick to, I knew that God had been SO good to us, and wanted to make sure I didn't forget it. 

Hubby and I took turns talking about those things to be thankful about and some of the other important things that happened to us.  Some brought sadness, like the death of multiple family members and divorces, some discussed weathering stressful situations like wondering if my husband would keep his contracted job (he did) and whether it would involve a painful pay cut (it did, but not too bad). But many more were good moments, like knowing he stayed employed, and even better- we were able to buy our first home despite his pay being cut. 

It was a great reminder that God never promises us that we will have a good life, a blessed life full of beautiful things, or even an easy life, when we accept him into our hearts. He only promises us what we NEED, and what he deems is best for us. 

I don't make resolutions any longer because most of the time, I'm much too lazy to keep them. Or, as I've discovered from past failures, I just don't desire them enough to make them stick. But, I have a slight change of plans for that now. With my reflections of the past year, I decided to take this passage below to heart and do something about it. God gives us talents to use for Him.  He also blesses us with much more than we deserve in order to see how we'll use it as stewards for Him. 

I think it's about time I lived it out, rather than just "preached" it. 

Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

   ¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

   ²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   ²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

   ²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   ²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

   ²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

   ²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Above passage courtesy of BibleGateway )