Dear Family, 

  As this newsletter makes it’s way to your mailbox it’s a new year and the snow is flying in Tipp City! Something I often say to myself is “Yesterday is over; it ended last night, TODAY matters.” It helps snap me out of remembering past mistakes or thinking of things that hinder me from moving forward with doing the Word and whatever else God needs to have done. It’s not an original quote but it’s stuck with me and as the world is spending time looking back over 2008 I would rather be reminded of what Paul  said, 

Philippians 3:13b-16  (Amplified Bible)
…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 
¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. 
¹⁵ So let those who are spiritually mature and full grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. 
¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that. 

  Life is a journey and the process is as important as the destination. We can choose to learn as we go from our mistakes and our successes. Paul’s many successes as well as his mistakes are well documented in the Word, but what is very revealing and impacting is that he considered the things of the world worthless, of no profit, like dung, compared with knowing Christ and His resurrection power. Paul knew there was no condemnation and had left behind the life of a legalistic Pharisee and persecutor of the church. It was part of his journey, but he did not allow His past mistakes to define who he was, instead he kept moving forward preaching and teaching, doing the work of an able minister. He did not trust in the flesh but in his God who freely gave righteousness, not by the law but by those who accepted Christ through faith. This is still our God today.

  I encourage you to look closer at Philippians chapter 3 in several translations and maybe even a commentary and see for yourself what Paul was saying to them by word and showing them by example.  It is available to move on from the past no matter how awful it was; whether we were at fault or not doesn’t matter. The mistakes, that no one is immune from making, do not matter. TODAY matters! Let’s not allow anything from our past, whether it’s from 15 years ago or yesterday, to slow us or stop us from preaching,  teaching and healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s continue stepping out everyday as able ministers, being led by the spirit of God, operating resurrection power.  If we reflect on anything from the years gone by, let it be of the blessings God has poured upon us, the growth of our relationship with the Father and His Word, what we have learned from our mistakes and the friends we have gained. Do we have overflowing joy like Paul and look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, the chief cornerstone of the church, who is actively making intercession on our behalf?

Hebrews 12:1-2 (God’s Word Translation) 
¹ Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us.  We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 
² We must focus on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest  position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God.
³ Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up. 

  We are eternally God-connected and there is not a person or happening that can take away that relationship with our heavenly Father. The past does not bind us to bondage, because Jesus Christ has opened the door to freedom. Now that is something to reflect on! 

  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Philippians 4:23 

Love and a BIG hug,

Tonia