Beginning 2013 with Thanksgiving and a Prayer
by Isabella Kang

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie

"Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us and we are His,
We are his people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise,
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.
His faithfulness continues throughout all generations." ( Psalm 100:1-5 N.I.V)

In Psalm 100, the psalmist expresses his desire to come forth with a spirit of gratitude.

Today is a new day. The beginning of a new year, and new era and presents us with the chance to start afresh. Every year comes with a fresh set of challenges and blessings and as I reflect back upon the year that has gone, there have been many opportunities where I could grow, become stronger and strengthen my belief system. Adieu 2012! I have learned a lot and experienced much more than I could have possibly imagined. Just as God's mercies are new every morning, I desire to start January 1st 2013 with an attitude of thanksgiving and praise.
I am thankful for all that God has done in my life and for all the blessings He has lavished out on me the past year.
I am thankful, in retrospect for all the challenges that came my way as they have molded and shaped me, teaching me that I can only rely on God for my future, for my needs, for wisdom and guidance.
It is my desire that 2013 will be a year of thankfulness and gratitude so that no matter what happens, I can say whatever my lot, it is well.
I repent of all the times I have been angry, frustrated and ungrateful for not trusting in God's will.
Let God wash away the bitterness, the hurts, the angst, the anxieties and let yourself be filled with peace and certainty. Instead, let your character be changed so that you embody the fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
God is Lord over all, over every trial and tribulation, over every stress and sorrow, over every person and principality and over every injustice and inequality.

May 2013 be a year of renewal and restoration, of passion and perseverance to further the Kingdom of God.
Amen.

Isabella is a university student who desires to use her calling in law for the pursuit of justice, in accordance with the Biblical mandates. Micah 6:8 sums up her philosophy. "And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS