Happy New Year!

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice New Year's celebration. I spent mine here at the ranch. My coworker Steve invited my roommate Sara and I for dinner at the House of Timothy. There were nine of us that enjoyed lasagna and garlic bread. After dinner, we watched the movie, "Oceans 13." That brought us to 10:30pm, when we went outside and enjoyed a bonfire until midnight. At midnight, we burned Old Man Year, a traditional scarecrow filled with firecrackers. I came home and read until 2:30, and then slept well after that.

As most people do, I spend New Year's Eve thinking back on the year that has just ended. I realized it has been a year of a lot of changes for me. I also realized that I have struggled a lot recently with my emotions and self-esteem. I know that everyone goes through that at times, and this seems to be my time. But then I read the Scriptures and am reminded that I am created in the image of God. It's never about our self-image, it's always about our God-image. When I can keep focused on that, I can remember that God loves me. I can then share that love with others and point them back to Him, by reflecting His image, not mine.