'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!' 2 cornth 5:17

Hi there,

I live in York.

I love bubble baths.

I am a special educational needs teaching assistant.

I love people surprising me with things they know I would like.

I am blonde.

I love reading.

These are all facts about me but they don’t make me who I am. They contribute to it. But it is a good thing they don’t make me who I am because who I am is changing.

At this time of year we tend to contemplate new beginnings. It is said more people decide to change eating habits, join gyms and make promises to renew their attitude towards things. I won’t ask you if you have made, kept or broken any new year’s resolutions. However, I do want to encourage you. The bible tells us every day we have the choice to embrace God’s best and fulfil His plan for our lives. When we surrender everything to God we are shaped and He promises to make us into a new creation.

This always helps and encourages me because a) I know anything I can do I need to do with His strength and help and b) actually even if I did nothing and only surrendered to God He would make us new because we had given our lives to Him.

I know that while I was at university God took me on a massive transformation process. Then I was a youth and children’s parish assistant and He again changed, developed and encouraged me. Being a special educational needs TA requires daily adaptability which God teaches me in and having been in Tanzania I know I am not the same person I was when I left. This is scary and difficult because I am not always sure how to address these changes in me. The great thing is God does. He knows He is doing things in and through me and I have to trust Him. I hate to say it but you do too.

I must also say, I hope that I do not get to the end of this year and think of myself being the same as when I started because then I believe I will not have moved forward in who God has created me to be. Do you really want to be all God wants you to be?

I think as I continue to reflect and experience the life God has called me to I will see changes. Are you willing to spend time reflecting and asking God how He sees you? Have you asked Him how He would like you to change or grow this year?

I am not sure I have done these things so I will now sit and do them myself.

As I reconsider the facts at the top of this post I can’t help but wonder whether any of them may have changed by the end of this year...

Please get in touch and thanks for reading,

Love and blessings, Deborah ><>