Just be the best you can be.

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out: and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the Earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know - this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised Him up, having loosened the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.

The general perception of New year is so warped in my opinion. The changing of the year shouldn't be an excuse to put pressure on people to change into an inconceivable version of themselves that is “better”. 

To me the New year is not about the untouched list of days I've been given that I must work constantly to keep spotless and free from mistakes; its about all this blank space i’ve been given to fill with memories. Some years are good, some years are bad but in every year there are moments of growth and happiness and first times and last times.

Life has a tendency of bringing all the bad things at once. Worry after worry, bad situation after bad situation, stress and more and more stress. You may feel like your drowning; overcome by your situation. That no matter what you do you’re still never going to make enough progress sorting through all that life has to throw at you.

And then one day, you’ll finally get a resolution to that thing that’s been stressing you out, that thing you were dreading didn’t end up being too bad, and you’re more productive than you imagined you could be.

I have good friends

I have a great family

I have financial stability

I have the ability to persue my dream career

I have a roof over my head

I have food in my fridge

I have good health

I have the best mental health I’ve had in years

I have possessions that I want but don’t need

I have access to higher education

I have a community of believers around me

I have faith

When you have a success: when you win an award, when you get a great grade on a paper you worked hard on, when you managed to get out of bed that day even thought it was so hard. He is there celebrating with you.

When you have trouble: when you're struggling with your work load, when you are having relationship problems, when you're going through a health crisis. He is there cheering you on because He knows you can do it.

When you have faith: when you pray to Him so hard that your entire soul is laid bare to Him, when you stick to your promise of reading His word everyday, when you obeyed Him even though it was difficult and frightening. He is rejoicing in the relationship you have with Him.