Battling the Grinch

Gosh, this week went by so fast . . . and all the better for you, m'dear. :)

December is quite a month full of everything - Christmas shopping, wrapping, working extra hours perhaps, spending exhorbitant amounts of money, decorating, eating too much, visiting people, battling through traffic, getting stuck in long lines, etc. etc.
I am trying to look beyond Christmas to the New Year. It always appears to be a clean slate. A new year, ready for goals.
In these last weeks of this year, I sort of feel like I am in the "old man". This month seems to bring out the worst in me. I am not going to blame it on a month though - its me. I can be quite a grinch.



But when I think about shedding this 'Grinchy' attitude (basically, the 'old man' in me) and putting on the 'new man' I see how well it connects to the new year. When December comes around, you are usually quite ready to be done with it, wrap it up and file it away. You are ready to make new goals, lose weight, be more organized, get more vacation days, get your tax refunds, etc. etc.
But why do people wait for a new year for some of these things? Why do we wait for the new week to begin diets. I do see how it might be easier to do it like that, but why not start with the rest of the day? If we are going with the diet thing here, ever had a day when you blew it for breakfast and lunch? Buttered waffles & syrupy breakfast followed by a Big Mac and fries at McD's? OOooo, the guilt that follows is relentless. So you throw the whole bag in and waste the rest of the day, not caring, saying, "tomorrow, I will be better". How bout if we are talking about sin though. "Are we to continue willfully sinning?" If we give in to sin once, do we harden ourselves to seeking repentance by saying "oh, well, I will break down at some point", or "eventually, I will be convicted and change."
Are we waiting for a new day, a new week, or a new year to get back on the right track? What about the moment after we realize we are in sin, that moment when we do feel the hand of the Holy Spirit on us, when we are ashamed, like Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden after they had sinned. Do we try to 'hide' from God by delaying our repentance?

Everyday, I see areas where I am struggling and need His aid. I know that these areas could use some help: contentment, patience, lovingkindness, servant-heartedness, self-lessness, discipline, and joy.
I do have many goals in mind for the new year, make no mistake. There are desires for my heart attitude, for my growth in Him, goals for my body, & goals for our future. Some of these things will have to wait on God's timing, like getting into a house, and starting a family. But as far as the heart attitude goes, that can begin

Today :)