January 1, 2014

The first day of the year! I love new, starting things, fresh paths. I am soaking two soil pellets to prepare them for starting my “Little North Pole Garden” today, a gift from David and Danelle including snapdragons, alyssum, violas, lupine, poppies and Spruce. I will dutifully water and measure these seeds each day in the egg carton, and transplant them as described. I love to start new things!

This will be the first entry in a new journal, entitled jrnl14a. Part of this entry will be the Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan tradition. My scriptures will be from the One Year Bible, which I will use this year, not specifically to read the Bible through, but to provide chapters for my daily devotions. Yesterday I purchased the Bronze edition of Logos, and will experiment with it also. This will be a year of Bible study, reflection and teaching.

Genesis 1 - Creation, 6 days of God's work and then God rested.

Psalm 1 - Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, upon which he meditates day and night.

Proverbs 1 - Practical instructions for attaining wisdom, discipline, for understanding words of insight.

These “first chapters” are great for January 1! I have read and meditated upon each one. Now to search the internet for the Covenant Prayer:

 Covenant Prayer

From John Wesley's Covenant Service , 1780

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

Yes Lord, this is my prayer on January 1, 2014. The year stretches out ahead, and it belongs to You. I belong to You. My future belongs to You. You have called me to follow, and with the seriousness of a life commitment made in August of 1974 I will follow You. Guide me on this first day of the new year, and on each succeeding day as I surrender to Your will, take Your yoke upon my shoulders, and serve You with joy. Your servant, Bruce Baxter.