Upon reaching the service, the usher gave me the bulletin. I read the cover and it said, "I press on. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." Was then brought to Philippians 3:13-14. I turned to the next page and there was the title page, "Wesleyan Watch night Covenant Renewal."

The description then said, "From time to time, we renew our vows of consecration, especially when we gather at the Lord's table: but on this day we meet expressly, as generations of our fathers have met, that we may joyfully and solemnly renew the covenant which bound them and binds us to God." The first thing that popped in my mind was, new surrender. The new year is here, it has been an eventful one, the Lord has brought me through 2009.

The transition of 2009-2010 hasn't stood out for me in terms of having some sort of huge resolution and patriotic self-notion. I'm still struggling with many things, things that I have to surrender to the Lord, sometimes I find it a cold and hard slog through the thick mud, drudgery. But last night's message brought me back to question the life that I have led, the life that no one else sees, the life that only God sees, the secret life.

It seems like I'm going in circles at times, I surrender to the Lord, everything seems to be going well, I kind of get a tad bit complacent and I fall into the pit again, rinse and repeat. I know that the Lord has taken me far ahead of who I was in the past, but at times you can't help but think that this is vain repetition. "Have I changed?" This is where I am, in the valley, on the path, struggling with myself, struggling with what I value, struggling with what I treasure, with a bunch of rhetorical questions swirling in my brain. Here is to a lifelong process of transformation. Therefore, the first thing I should be telling myself to learn is to have patience and trust in the Lord.

2010 is a call to keep persevering, nothing significant has happened in the past 24hours, nothing significant is going to happen over the next 24hours. I'm looking ahead towards the life I am about to lead, I pray that I will reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling me, and all of us.

Want to join me? It ain't gonna be fun, don't expect good grades to magically pop up, don't expect broken friendships to be fixed overnight, don't expect a brand new BMW to appear on your car porch, don't expect anything. There's one thing you can expect though, you'll be joining many many others through the trenches, through this cold and hard slog, unable to see what is in front of you, trusting not on your own eyesight. But one thing is for sure, a hand will be hold on to you the whole way through. At the finish line, the rewards will be heavenly. So how about it people, are we in this together?

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Your labour is not in vain.

Maranatha!

Upon reaching the service, the usher gave me the bulletin. I read the cover and it said, "I press on. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." Was then brought to Philippians 3:13-14. I turned to the next page and there was the title page, "Wesleyan Watch night Covenant Renewal."

The description then said, "From time to time, we renew our vows of consecration, especially when we gather at the Lord's table: but on this day we meet expressly, as generations of our fathers have met, that we may joyfully and solemnly renew the covenant which bound them and binds us to God." The first thing that popped in my mind was, new surrender. The new year is here, it has been an eventful one, the Lord has brought me through 2009.

The transition of 2009-2010 hasn't stood out for me in terms of having some sort of huge resolution and patriotic self-notion. I'm still struggling with many things, things that I have to surrender to the Lord, sometimes I find it a cold and hard slog through the thick mud, drudgery. But last night's message brought me back to question the life that I have led, the life that no one else sees, the life that only God sees, the secret life.

It seems like I'm going in circles at times, I surrender to the Lord, everything seems to be going well, I kind of get a tad bit complacent and I fall into the pit again, rinse and repeat. I know that the Lord has taken me far ahead of who I was in the past, but at times you can't help but think that this is vain repetition. "Have I changed?" This is where I am, in the valley, on the path, struggling with myself, struggling with what I value, struggling with what I treasure, with a bunch of rhetorical questions swirling in my brain. Here is to a lifelong process of transformation. Therefore, the first thing I should be telling myself to learn is to have patience and trust in the Lord.

2010 is a call to keep persevering, nothing significant has happened in the past 24hours, nothing significant is going to happen over the next 24hours. I'm looking ahead towards the life I am about to lead, I pray that I will reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling me, and all of us.

Want to join me? It ain't gonna be fun, don't expect good grades to magically pop up, don't expect broken friendships to be fixed overnight, don't expect a brand new BMW to appear on your car porch, don't expect anything. There's one thing you can expect though, you'll be joining many many others through the trenches, through this cold and hard slog, unable to see what is in front of you, trusting not on your own eyesight. But one thing is for sure, a hand will be hold on to you the whole way through. At the finish line, the rewards will be heavenly. So how about it people, are we in this together?

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Your labour is not in vain.

Maranatha!