{"id":4223,"date":"2011-12-28T19:28:59","date_gmt":"2011-12-28T19:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=4223"},"modified":"2011-12-28T19:41:58","modified_gmt":"2011-12-28T19:41:58","slug":"thinking-about-new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=4223","title":{"rendered":"Thinking about New Year’s Resolutions!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just about this time of each year we look back and think about what we meant to accomplish and never quite got finished. \u00a0We think about our failures and successes and try to figure out how the new year will be better than the last! \u00a0It is estimated that over 70% of American will vow to loose weight in the coming year. \u00a0I’ve certainly made that resolution each year for 40 years! \u00a0I’ve lost over 10,000 pounds in the last 40 years, only to \u00a0later \u00a0gain 10,002 back! \u00a0I’ll go after it again this year! \u00a0There is nothing wrong with making a list ways to improve yourself and your life, but I have a really great resolution I dare you to pray about, consider and then, if you’re brave, make!<\/p>\n

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Here is the premise: \u00a0Life is a spiritual battle. God wants us and Satan wants us, yes Virginia there is a Satan! \u00a0Some people just can’t believe that their is evil in the world and they can’t accept the source of it, which is exactly what he wants, for you to not even believe,that makes his job a lot easier, kind of like a soldier in camouflage! \u00a0 O.K. so you either, think I’m an idiot, or you believe me, for those that believe lets trudge forward. \u00a0You cannot be saved from all the wrong you’ve done in your life, by trying harder, only by accepting Jesus forgiveness that is bought and paid for by Him! \u00a0So why make a resolution to be a better person? \u00a0 Because if you have accepted Jesus as you Savior and you know the joy, peace, and freedom that brings,and you want to share that with others, but you will have a very hard time doing that if you live like nothing has changed in your life! \u00a0No one will want what you have if you appear to be just as messed up as all those people that don’t know Him. \u00a0 Now of course we all are still messed up in some ways, we still make mistakes, still do things we know we shouldn’t, but we are forgiven and in God’s eyes we are redeemed. \u00a0 We owe it to Him to try harder! \u00a0So here is my “suggested” resolution:<\/p>\n

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Character and Integrity matter and we should be attempting to live lives that exemplify Who we have accepted, and Who we serve.<\/span> \u00a0Here is a simple formula, I said simple, not easy, but then nothing in life that is worthwhile is easy. \u00a0Commit to ask yourself one question when you are faced with a decision on what to do this coming year, Is it Good or Bad for me? or what would Jesus do in this situation? \u00a0 \u00a0Let’s take some examples,<\/p>\n

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You want to go to Krispy Kreme and buy two dozen hot and fresh donuts, right off the conveyer, what do you think? \u00a0 For most of us that should a couple (not dozen) of fresh donuts!<\/span><\/p>\n

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You got too much in change at the grocery store, do you keep it or \u00a0return it? \u00a0You know the answer to that one!<\/span><\/p>\n

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A friend starts to tell you juicy gossip about another friend? \u00a0Do you listen and dive in, or ask that they not share it with you? \u00a0 \u00a0 (Satan says, you didn’t take it they gave it to you, it was their mistake!)<\/span><\/p>\n

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You want to buys something that you really can’t afford, and you owe a lot on your credit card now, what should you do?<\/span><\/p>\n

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You see someone shoot a great photograph and you follow them and shoot pretty much the same image. \u00a0When someone sees it and brags on you do you admit that your friend saw it first?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Someone says or does something that hurts you. \u00a0Do you fire back, get even, or ask God to help you deal with it and forgive them?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Someone ask if you can help them with a project and you really do have time. \u00a0Would you say I’m too busy, or take the time to help a friend?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Your car slipped on a wet street and you knocked down someone’s mailbox, and no one saw you. \u00a0Would you leave before you were caught, or leave a note to the person saying who you are, how to contact you , and offering to pay for the damaged property?<\/span><\/p>\n

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I think you get the point, every day we have countless opportunities to do “the right thing” ! \u00a0The more we make the right choices, the closer we become to being the person we really want to to be. \u00a0If you want to have an affect on others for your Heavenly Father, discipline yourself to do the right thing!<\/p>\n

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Let’s call it, \u00a0“The Do The Right Thing Resolution………”<\/span><\/p>\n

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What good will this do? \u00a0 If you are even somewhat successful, \u00a0you will become a better person, and since very few people are trying to be “better”, \u00a0 you will stick out like a sore thumb to those that need to \u00a0know Him! \u00a0You just might be the person that leads someone to join the family of God! \u00a0And that is something that will have value, \u00a0through out eternity!!!!<\/p>\n

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Love you guys, Happy New Year,<\/p>\n

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the pilgrim<\/p>\n

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  Just about this time of each year we look back and think about what we meant to accomplish and never quite got finished. \u00a0We think about our failures and successes and try to figure out how the new year will be better than the last! \u00a0It is estimated that over 70% of American will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronicles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4223"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4230,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4223\/revisions\/4230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}