Another Year Concludes Tonight

Another Year Concludes Tonight

At the stroke of midnight, the world will usher in a brand new year,  2018.  As we bid farewell to the old year, may we reflect a bit upon the experiences it brought us--both good and bad--and may we take a look at all the years and decades of our lives with gratitude for the life God has granted to us.

May we also have the resolve to fill all the moments, days, years and decades He may grant us in the future with the effort that pleases Him ( "All that your hand finds to do, do it as unto the Lord," ).

And may we also fill our future with the worship and adoration of our Holy Savior that He is due.

LORD JESUS, we place the year ahead, 2018, into YOUR hands. 

We ask YOU to guide our decisions, guide our efforts, guide our mind, guide our hearts, guide our spirits into the fullness YOU would have us to discover there. 

We pray that all our time would be in YOUR hands and that we would live our lives to YOUR glory.  It is in YOUR matchless name we pray, JESUS.  Amen.

Here is a lovely old poem by Robert Burns that captures the heart of those who have had the joy of welcoming in many a new year with one who is precious.  It reflects on the past and it faces the inevitable end together...

John Anderson, My Jo

John Anderson, my jo, John,

When we were first acquent;

Your locks were like the raven,

Your bonie brow was brent;

But now your brow is beld, John,

Your locks are like the snaw;

But blessings on your frosty pow,

John Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,

We clamb the hill thegither;

And mony a cantie day, John,

We've had wi' ane anither:

Now we maun totter down, John,

And hand in hand we'll go,

And sleep thegither at the foot,

John Anderson, my jo.

Meanings of old Scottish words:

acquent--acquainted

bonie--handsome

brent--smooth

beld--bald

snaw--snow (white)

pow--head

clamb--climbed

thegither--together

mony--many

cantie--happy

wi'--with

ane--one

anither--another

maun--must

thegither--together

my jo--my sweetheart