Annette Oden

Sometimes we’ve done the same things in the same way for so long, it’s as though we have blinders on. We no longer even see possibilities to the right or to the left —-  and so many are available to us. I’m not suggesting we change things just for the sake of change, but I am saying that just as God never did the same thing the same way twice in the Bible, it is at least a possibility that He might have newness for us as well. And if He has newness on every side, might it also be possible that a piece of this very newness is reserved for you? Open your mind and heart to GOOD. The One who is the very personification of that word [GOOD] is the God who sets things right. [Romans 4:1-3] He makes all things new. [Isaiah 43:21] We were not meant to trudge along, joyless and with no peace. Christ is LIFE! We are the righteousness of God in Christ! HE cut a blood covenant with us! If you get that, you’re probably standing on a table shouting it or dancing in the street by now. So, I’ll just let you get on with that.  \o/

My daughter and I are reading through the entire Bible this year. Though I feel like I must surely have read just about every verse, I’ve never intentionally set out with a plan for the year. We’re reading the chronological plan from YouVersion and really loving it. A few days ago, we were reading in Genesis 4. This is the chapter where Eve gives birth to her first son, Cain. We’ve had such fun reading scriptures we’ve read before but thinking about them in new ways. The Word of God is alive and active! It is sharper than any double edged sword. A sword — when used for it’s created purpose — changes tissue, changes skin and leaves its mark. So, when Aliyah and I read Genesis 4, we laughed out loud! Imagine with us: Eve is having the first baby ever born. Her tummy has grown larger and larger. Her conversations with her husband, Adam, must have been very interesting and then —  Cain is born! That’s when Eve said (in our heads we hear her dramatically exclaim as she draws in a breath), “I’ve gotten a man from the Lord!” Not a flower, not a piece of fruit — God had given her a person! We can only imagine her great surprise and her overwhelming joy as she began to experience motherhood for the first time ever. And remember —- this was the first baby ever born. There were no play groups. No baby showers. No friends to ask questions. No pediatricians. No baby how-to books. And we think we have it rough! 

It makes me wonder what new things He will bring into our lives this year. What incredible, never-before-experienced beauty and pain will He allow this year and for what purpose? I have lots of questions. Always. To be clear, I don’t think we need to fear it; we will however, want to walk close to the Creator, hand in hand with our Father God. We will want to read His love letter to us. And we will surely want to embrace His gifts and live life to the fullest. Ready? Let’s go.

The game is afoot! Remember playing HIde ‘n Seek when you were a kid? With much whispering and tiptoeing, we were running around almost sure that the next place we looked would be the GOTCHA! And the chase would be on! I like thinking of 2013 just like that. Fun things (and fun people) may be “hiding” just around the next corner. Fun ideas are just waiting to be found. Your moment — you know — the one you’ve long prayed for — might be waiting for your GOTCHA! this year! So, I say we approach the coming 12 months with hope. With a twinkle in our eyes and with breathless anticipation of the goodness God will have waiting for us, let’s dance with undignified, joyful abandon towards each of the 365 days in 2013!