January 1, 2023 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Cheryl Zamora

WELCOME 2023

Wow, it is 2023 already! 2022 is now history. It is time to look back at what the Lord has done in our lives, in our church family, in our city, in our country and in our world. It is also fitting for us to give thanks to the Lord because His love endures forever (Psalm 136). Let us give thanks for God’s past grace in 2022 and cry out for His future grace in 2023.

It is also not too late to try to develop new and good habits. I have three (3) suggestions / challenges for keeping a (1) healthy mind – read through the entire Scriptures; (2) healthy soul – pray/journal-reflection and (3) healthy body – exercise (which I honestly I am not good at). These challenges are small investments of a little over an hour daily. Yet, the dividends (payback, profit) to our quality of life are priceless.

First, dust off your Bible and give it some mileage this year. It only takes 20 minutes or so daily to read through it cover to cover for one year. God’s word is pretty rich and healthy – it’s “chicken soup for the soul”. If you desire to grow spiritually and you are serious about becoming more Christ-like in character, read your Bible! Second, pray/journal for at least a solid 15 minutes daily. Recognize God’s presence in our lives, talk and communicate to Him and know Him better. On stressful days (which is a lot), I know God is giving me the choice to be quiet in prayer before Him or be anxious even more. Third, on the physical side, we must take being healthy seriously. Exercise and good diet are keys.

You can slow down and take mini-Sabbaths (rest) every day. But if you take these challenges to heart, I am sure people around you will notice the difference. Lord willing, you’ll be a better person uniquely designed by God with character qualities resembling Jesus.

A blessed and happy New Year!