January 2007 Newsletter

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV

Happy New Year from Sweet Aroma!

Can I ask a few personal questions? Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? And now that it is January 8, 2007, how many have you broken already? How many of us don’t even make them anymore because we know we won’t keep them?

I’m not out to make anyone feel discouraged or defeated, but yet, I will admit that’s exactly how I feel sometimes, and not just with New Year’s Resolutions. Sure, there are the usual at this time of year, to lose a few pounds with diet and exercise, maybe spend more time with family and friends, save more money, etc…. Over the past few months I have been analyzing how disciplined I am in my prayer and devotional life. How much quality time do I spend with the Lord? How much time do I spend in His Word? How often do I bring others before Him? How often do I talk to Him about daily needs and plans? I’ll be honest – I’m quite discouraged and disappointed in myself. And now for the good news:

It’s not about me! If anything, my own failures and inadequacies only go to illuminate His faithfulness and consistency. His mercies are new every morning. Sure, if we fail to exercise and never work at it we will gain weight that we don’t want, but when it comes to our walk with the Lord, we get a new start every day. Whatever failures we have, whether it be lack of discipline in our devotional lives or struggles with sin, we get a fresh start every time we come to the Lord, honestly and humbly sharing who and where we are in our lives (like it’s a surprise to Him anyway!)

One of my favorite organizations (and weekend getaways) is Women of Faith. This group of women and their conferences has been very popular for millions of women for over 10 years now maybe because of the simple fact that they are real. They can look like pillars of faith but it’s not because they were born that way. Each one reflects what God has done in their less than perfect lives. One was an agoraphobic, another depressed and in a psychiatric hospital, one lost a baby, and another is in her seventies and knows the struggles of being single as she was never married. Each lives a normal life – things happen in an imperfect, fallen world, and sometimes they make their own poor choices and face the consequences. What I like about them is that they get up each time and each new day and start again with the Lord. What a testimony!

New Beginnings

I say all that to share a conversation that Karen and I had recently. We were discussing our theme for 2007 and discovered we had been thinking alike! We were talking about the future of Sweet Aroma and feeling very inadequate as ministers, knowing what struggles we face and wondering how God can use us. We were wondering what to do as a ministry and then we both happened to think about how faithful God is. In ourselves, we don’t have anything to give. But, it’s not about us anyway. We aren’t perfect, but if we can just be ourselves and allow Him to work through us, we are doing what He has called us to do. Last year our theme was Hope in Sight, and honestly, there are some things in our lives that didn’t get the neat and tidy conclusions that we had hoped for. Does that mean God failed us or that we failed – didn’t do the right things, pray enough, or have enough faith…? No, of course not, but sometimes we can feel that way. Discouragement can and does set in sometimes, especially when the issues are big, loved ones who are ill, jobs that don’t pan out – life can just seem upside down. As one of Sheila Walsh’s book titles says: Life is Tough but God is Faithful. And so, as Sweet Aroma looks to another year of ministry, our theme is New Beginnings. We know that life is a journey and that it takes many ups, downs, and detours. We sometimes fall flat on our faces but that’s when we can rejoice and share God’s love and faithfulness. He is a God of New Beginnings – no matter how many we need.


Encouraging you in love to keep pressing on,
~Marie


… All things were created by him and for him. Colossians 1:16