Posts Tagged ‘ Daniel Klem ’
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV
The new has come already, yet we await what we do not yet have. We have hope in Christ that our renewed souls will be joined with our Glorified bodies in eternity.
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Psalm 143:8, ESV
The only hope we have in this world and for the next is Jesus Christ, the only way to eternal life and forgiveness for our sins.
Apparently stuff happened this year. (*sarcasm)
We will avoid the political stuff for now, some the results of media drama, and much of the sadness, stupidness, and crazy surrounding … 2020.
On some positive notes, my wife finished her Masters degree in May! She has been utterly amazing in the current state of education, teaching English Language learners in the very much upturned education landscape this year.
My friend’s coffee shop – Third Shot Coffee – definitely defied the trend of many businesses this year to thrive amidst shutdowns, lock-downs, and distancing. That is pretty cool.
Overall, we had a good year. Yes, we went through the ‘rona things, being secluded for a few weeks with very mild symptoms; but we also did a lot of upgrades around the house, got much of our debt under control, and otherwise have done many things we wanted/needed to do.
And God is still good and in control.
This next year will definitely be … 2021.
In any event, may you receive an abundance of bunches of blessings this year. And though life may take some effort to trudge through, fall on the promises of God, this year and always.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 ESV
In His Love,
Daniel
As I will share briefly tomorrow, 2020 was certainly a year.
But it ends today. (Why are so many people shouting “Amen!”? ;p)
Yet, overall, it was pretty good in my little sphere.
I personally stepped back from most of social media. It seems most people could not handle civil discourse. I was blocked and unfriended by people for merely offering reasonable/simple thoughts. I had to block and unfriend a few people for crossing too many lines. (And all of those attend church, for what it’s worth. I did not have to block or unfriend any of my non-Christian friends.)
In terms of this blog, things went really well. Many new followers have come to the blog, for starters.
I could have said last year that it was the best year. In 2018 I began posting daily thoughts on a verse(s) of the day. 2018 saw the number of visits for the year hit about 2,000. I was stoked. Then, in 2019, the number of posts doubled, but the number of visits more than quintupled to more than 10,000!
If a few more people stop by today (December 31, 2020), a simple man of God will break 11,000 views with fewer overall posts! (But just a few fewer … like 20. Ha!) That is maintaining posting VerseD posts and sharing from several friends and a few other places.
So, thank you, dear readers, for helping this be a good year for the blog.
As I have said all along, regardless of the year that came or went, we should remember that God is in control. Nothing happens outside of His will or sight.
He does not condone everything that happens. He does not like everything that happens.
But God has it all under control. We are working toward the end of this world, so we should not be surprised by craziness, stupidity, sinfulness, or sadness. God warned us it would all come, for one reason or another, even if not specifically called out.
(But it does look a lot like 2020 brought us that much closer to His return than much of history has done! And, no, I am not setting any dates or saying that 2020 definitely set the stage for one End-Time scenario or another. Just that it became very clear His return is closer than ever this year. As His return is every year.)
Did anything good or even great happen to you this year? Has God blessed you in unexpected ways, or are you simply ready for this year to be gone?
In His Love,
Daniel
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Matthew 5:44, ESV
Our hope in Christ pushes us to emulate Him, and, just like He prayed for and loved those persecuting Him, we win over others by praying for and showing love to those who despise us.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1 Corinthians 13:4, ESV
It is easier to love this world when our hope and source of love are found in the One who first loved us. Knowing the world mistreated Jesus helps us be patient with those who do not understand what they are doing.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4, ESV
Our greatest fear (usually) is death.
Through Christ, our greatest hope, we find eternal life.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11, ESV
The armor of God is the gift of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and Son, that Christ may work in and through us to stop evil and the Evil one.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9, ESV
We have the promise given to Joshua and reiterated by Jesus that He is always with us, to the end of the age. We can be sing and courageous in the hope of Jesus’ presence and imminent return.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:7, ESV
God has come to us and saved us, and when He returns His Kingdom shall be the only kingdom full of His saved saints.
