Leading & Loving Your Family
Welcome to the New Year!!
It’s a New Year and if 2020 has taught us anything it’s that we should be grateful for each day that we have. So, how about we start this year with that type of attitude. A GRATEFUL ONE.
It’s very interesting how, when a new year starts, people can have an attitude like everything is going to start over. People can act like all of the problems, issues, conflicts, and tests that made up the previous year disappear when the calendar changes to January 1st.
Towards the end of 2019, I did what I usually do at the end of each year. I have a time of reflecting. I usually just spend the time thinking about my goals for the upcoming year and what I want to see for the upcoming year.
While this is good, this time I really began looking deeper at what didn’t work for the previous year. I went looking for the areas that I have not done my best in. The areas that I needed to attack to move in a better direction.
Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others. – Brian Tracy
It’s that time of year. The time where we get together with our friends and families. There are food, games and holiday movies to be enjoyed by all. While you’re enjoying this upcoming holiday season, I want you to think about the people that may not be as fortunate as you.
Over the last couple of years, my wife and I have invited people from our church to spend the various holidays with us. To at least come and share a meal with us.
Sometimes it would be friends, but most times it would be someone new might not have had family in town to spend the holiday with.
Whether it was a barbecue for the 4th of July, a potluck style meal for Memorial Day or Thanksgiving. The heart behind it was to be able to spend time with people that we care about.
The last couple of posts that I’ve written have to do with being thankful, and being thankful in our marriages. What we can’t forget is about extending that thankful spirit and inviting people into our circle.
You may be a fortunate person who has loved ones, friends and people around you that you can enjoy the holidays with. Choose during this holiday season to be the change or be a positive influence on someone around you. This is the perfect time of year to begin. This is where we can start.
An easy place to start is to look at the people and relationships that are close to you. My wife and I started with people in our church, or people in our small groups. Those that as we got to know them, we realized that they might not have aplace to go.
What I’m not saying is that you invite complete strangers into your home. What I am telling you is to pray and use wisdom. Build relationships with people. That’s part of what makes the various holidays fun. Getting to know people that you may not get to spend a lot time with otherwise.
Pray about the people that you should have an impact on. You could be the influence that is needed in their life.
Being comfortable in your own space is great. You don’t want to lose that. You have to be able to be yourself. You don’t want to bring people into your life, if you are going to feel like to have to put on an act for them.
Doing that doesn’t help them and only drains you. What really impacts people is when you are able to be yourself and be comfortable in your own skin.
Have you ever invited someone into your home, or been invited into someone’s home during the holidays? What was the experience like?
