Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We are now in the year 2006 and only time will tell what this year holds for each one of us. In the Old Testament in 2 Chronicles 16:9, it says that, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” What that means for us is that if we seek to be faithful and obedient to God, He wants to give us the strength we need to persevere in our commitment to Him. God wants to help those who are serious about following Jesus in 2006 because not everyone in our world is.

There will be times this year when we may face trials and temptations, discouragement and it may make us waver in our faith. In those times, follow the words of Hebrews 12:2 & 3, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus … so that we will not grow weary and lose heart.”

There will also be times this year when following God that we will have great joy and happiness and let us remember the words of the Psalm 118:1, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.”

It will only be when this year reaches its conclusion on 31st December 2006, that we can say whether the year has met our expectations. Yet perhaps the most rewarding aspect of our year will be if we have stayed the course and kept running the race (that is the plan) that God has for our lives. Be encouraged to know that this is not an impossible task. If we stay committed to God, He will give us the strength we need to fulfil His plan for our life and be the person He would have us be.

May God bless you in 2006 as you commit your heart to Him.

Paul Wood
Captain