Not our firework display.

What a treat to spend time with family and friends in the UK this New Years eve.

Big Ben declared it was time, as Phil put on a memorable firework display.

I called it wild. Phil called it interactive. As children screamed and adults fell over as everyone ducked for cover.

Me? I saw in the New Year laughing hard at the scene. Long may such laughter continue!

‘We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day’. Edith  Lovejoy Pierce.

New years day.

New journal day! Even if the other is not quite complete, a new one is begun.

New Years Day. A day of wishes and all the best. A day of hope and optimism.

I haven’t quite written my 2013 goals yet (sorry Turners…) but my focus for this year is this.

Colossians 3:3 ‘My life is hidden with Christ in God‘.

‘Sun to Christo en to theo’

My word: Hidden.

I am hiding in the One who has ideas and goals beyond mine.

Who has planned my days.

Who promises that as I acknowledge Him, He will direct.

Who knows where our 2013 can take us…

Reality is there’ll be great surprises and trudging in valleys, there’ll good and not so.

Life.

And those dreams I’ve got whirling today. The book I will write, the awesome images I will capture, the miles I will run, the people I will feed, clothe, love.

They will be realized and found. Opportunities obtained. As I hide.

How do we live this out? To start with…

T. R. Kelly has this devotional thought (entitled “Constant Presence”) on a practical aspect of our lives being hidden with Christ in God.

‘There is a way of life so hid with Christ in God that in the midst of the day’s business one is inwardly lifting brief prayers, short sudden utterances of praise, subdued whispers of adoration and of tender love to the Beyond that is within. No one need know about it. I only speak to you because it is a sacred trust, not mine but to be given to others. One can live in a well-nigh continuous state of unworded prayer, directed toward God, directed toward people and enterprises we have on our heart. There is no hurry about it all; it is a life unspeakable and full of glory, an inner world of splendor within which we, unworthy may live. Some of you know it and live in it; others of you may wistfully long for it; it can be yours.’

2013. Hidden.

2013. When God’s sweet nothing’s become significant somethings.

2013. Unexpected. Unprecedented. Unforgettable.

Happy New Year to my lovely friends in Canada too – here’s to a great year together eh?

And thanks Melissa for the link to:

So, what is your word for the year ahead?

Michelle xo