Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!

“Out with the old, in with the new” is the cry I’ve heard on December 31 for as long as I can remember.

Today, it makes a lot of sense to me.  In fact, I’m convinced that GOD intended to give us these natural ‘breaks’ (He may not have invented our modern calendar, but He had enough to say to Israel about their “first month” and “first day” for me to know the importance of such occasions.)

So, whether 2008 was a great year for you personally (we had plenty of ‘highs’ at CLC and in our personal lives) or a year that you wouldn’t care to repeat (we also had some stressful moments, corporately, and, at least in my family, with surgeries & hospital stays for both my wife and my daughter – I’m typing this from her room at Silver Cross, where she’ll welcome the New Year) – today we must say ‘goodbye’!  Thank God for the good; thank Him even more that the bad is over….but it’s time to move on!

And Hello, 2009 – a new year so full of promise – with nothing but blank pages of potential awaiting us!  Personally, I’m excited about a New Year…excited about the “In God We Trust” series that continues this Sunday (it’s not too late to invite a friend)…excited about our “First Love Conference” with new guests like  Ashmont Hill (may be their first visit to CLC, but these young people are gaining a big following with their anointed praise & worship music) and Andy Thompson, whose spiritual heritage is incredible, AND longtime CLC favorites like Bishop Joseph Garlington and Prophet Lloyd Bustard…excited about our vision to launch another campus in ’09….excited about what God has in store for CLC!

So take a moment with me today, wherever you are, to say goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009!