A New Year,

A New Dawn,
A Better Me!

Michael Bimbo Ojelabi

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It is a brand new year, a great new dawn!

The beginning of a new walk, a brighter journey,
The resumption of a pilgrimage in faith with Christ,
With His Light to daily shine and brighten my pathways
His Spirit to guide my thoughts in serene prayers with God,
His Word, a lamp to my feet; road-map leading me to The Lamb!

What a new dawn, what a new year,

A time not to be heard, seen, praised, but Christ!
What a new me, what a transformed self,
A time to live anew with Christ from day-to-day!
What a wonderful time, full of expectations great,
That I, by grace and not by works, will be fit for His Throng
When He comes to call up His saints in Rapture!
O God teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom. (Psalm 90: 2).
Another Year Is Dawning
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,

Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee. (Frances R. Havergal).
Traditionally, a new year is often attached to new beginnings, new orientation and new
resolutions. Time has become a constant issue in the affairs of man.
Like money in the bank, time is a vast resource available for your judicious use as we
wade through the New Year. However, many of us failed to use our time wisely just as
we most often fail to handle wisely financial and other resources put into our care.
As time is difficult to manage and elusive to control, the best is to manage one-self and
develop habits that keep you in checks and balances through time and space.
God exist changeless from everlasting to everlasting. GOD IS THE SAME
YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER.
GOD has a Grand Plan for all His created beings, especially you and I, the crowning
glory of His works.
Because death is certain, not many people live above a hundred years anymore, you
must live well before you die.
Because judgment is sure, after death comes judgment, you must choose to live right
to be judged right and not condemned.
Because proper understanding of God, time and eternity reveals that there is a Plan of
Redemption for man after his fall into sinfulness, and that embracing this Plan, man
could live in glory eternally after death, I seek Redemption to make Heaven.
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Steps to A Fruitful New Year

1. Commit Thy Way unto God
New Year resolutions become mere wishes and empty desires when they are
unrealistic. Setting realistic goals and aims for every discernible project is the hallmark
of serious-minded people and successful men and women.
Set forth at the dawn of a new era
Plan well for every twist and turn in life affairs and matters
Pray that God help you to live right, and apply your plan unto success.
Setting out in life with absolute trust in God, unflinching faith in His promises and
holding forth doggedly without any iota of doubt to His Word is the only sure way
to make it in this life and in the Kingdom to come.
Make your resolutions attainable, your goals achievable, and your dreams come true
this year by committing your way unto God in all matters.
Commit unto God whatever realistic and noble goal you plan to meet this year, obey His
commands, and strengthen your faith, because God giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But
they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary; and
They shall walk, and not faint. (Isa 40: 29 31).

2.

Keep Faith in God and Focus on Your Goal

God is who He is, and knowing who God is makes the believer to be fully persuaded
that, what He had promised, He is able also to perform (Rom 4:21).
Faith is an active demonstration of personal principles and belief in what is yet to
manifest as if they already exist.

Maintain positive postures, regularly declare affirmative speeches, while keeping faithful
thoughts to excel and be successful in chosen goals through the year - as a man
thinketh in his heart so is he.
You become literally changed to the thoughts and affirmations of your mind as well as
the declarations of your mouth.
Faith is a deep-down belief that, regardless of the present circumstances, you are going
to make it, and meet what you have set out to do. Having faith in God gives you extra
strength in seeking to achieve what you know to do best.
3. Commitment & Integrity
Power as of old confirms the capabilities of God in modern times as it happened during
Biblical eras. Nelson Mandela rose from prison to become the President of South
Africa just like Joseph, who came out of prison to rule Egypt as a Prime minister.
Be confident in your God-given talents and endowments with unflinching
commitment and integrity.
Whatever and whoever you are, painter or Professor, orator, writer or musician,
engineer, technician or technocrat, salesman, marketer or preacher, whatever it may
be, you always need to work in partnership with God and His Plan to achieve success
from difficulties, trials, and tribulations.
Be committed and dedicated to the goals and aspirations well-thought out and
adapted as your purpose and dream in life. Focus on your raison dtre for life
and living.
4. Persistence
Have what it takes to go get it. The tough guy keeps going, even when the going
gets tough!
The determination and persistence to concretize your aspirations and desires will lead
to your creativity and success in the end.
Keep your mind on your longings, your yearnings, and your heartfelt desire. Persistently
hold on to attaining them till they are materialized, but in exact proportion to the intensity
and persistence of your thought and your actions.
Impossibility is nothing

The man who set his mind firmly toward achievement is in himself success in areas
where many have failed and others see nothing but impossibilities.
You always find out the tough guy in times of adversity, when obstacles loom large, and
in situations when recurring challenges seems unwilling to abate.
Persistence and resolute determination keeps you from getting discouraged come rain
or sunshine.
Think out your goal in concrete and plausible terms, be persistent and dedicated unto it,
and youll soon see the concrete realization as days go by in the New Year.
5. Passion
Working with passion and commitment is the hallmark of mentally strong people.
However, no mental trick or hypnotic device could make you successful without the
special collaboration of hard work, common sense, intuition, personal skills, creativity,
discipline, organization, resolute determination, and passion.
Passion for your real calling in life demands that you have found out your life
purpose, and determined to follow through with a clear vision, flexibility,
knowledge, communication, and hard work.
These are the essential characteristics of the man and woman desirous of making
his/her resolutions come true. Strive to develop them.
6. Flexibility
Life and circumstances are not cast in iron, and neither are the fixed permanently. You
must display needful flexibility in fulfilling the role dictated by the nature of the specific
situation. Flexibility is an important quality against futility, because, without some
flexibility in your approach, you could end up trying to move an immovable object for the
rest of your life.
It is the man that makes needful adjustment to original plan, and flow with it, while
keeping his eyes on the goal, that delivers at the end of the day.

Successful people are willing to reinvent themselves while staying

focused to their dream and resolutions. Those who stay stagnant and ignore
trends remain lagging behind.
Take off with the master plan early in January
Update yourself on new ideas, trends or innovations at intervals
Create time for interludes and critical assessment
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 Learn new skills, methods and ideas to sharpen your focus on the master plan
Review the whole process and project regularly and make necessary
adjustments.
7. Gratitude

To be thankful to God and appreciative of humanity attracts blessings

and goodness; it cast away depression and stress, with resounding
progress and growth in personal and social adjustments.
Learn to be thankful and grateful this New Year. Gratitude is fundamental to maintaining
an optimistic outlook on the Creator, mankind, and life, even in the face of difficulties.
Learn to thank God and man for past mercies. Pray to God for expected blessings,
casting all your cares and worries upon Him, who alone can do all things. Now

therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me

hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. (Gen 45:4 5).
Despite the harsh and wicked treatment from his brothers, the dehumanizing
circumstances he went through in the house of Portiphar, Joseph down-played the
negative aspects of his predicament in life, while emphasizing the positive outcomes of
those events. This is the attitude that led to his greatness. Learn to be grateful.
8. Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness implies "having a mind open to new ideas". Giving recognition

to the rights of others, to be unprejudiced to other peoples ideas and

opinions is open-mindedness. Let not rigidity take over you this New
Year.
Be tolerant as tolerance is open-mindedness on all subjects. It is not
a willingness to change one's own opinions but rather recognition of
the rights of others to have their own opinions.
It was open-mindedness that made a Thomas Edison saved a lonely baby from the
tracks of a moving train; made him engrossed himself into the work of telegraph
operator which transformed his life from a newspaper vendor into one of the greatest
inventors in history.
Tolerance and open-mindedness is the habit of great men, and the hallmark of
successful people.

Receive our peculiar endowments with open mind and enthusiasm

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Work with it in positive outlook to get the best for self and civilization.

Divine influence will definitely guide and lead you as Daniel was guided,
as Joseph was led, and as Jacob was assisted, to meet your lofty goals and dreams.
9.

Renewed Authority

The New Year demands that you come off the old era with brand new

authority over obstacles, disappointments and principalities.

You must be on the side of Christ to have and manifest such
authority.
Divine authority is a gift in faith from Jesus Christ and not Satan.
Take His way this New Year and not your selfish path, to live right and move
mountains.
Claim His Promises and Assurances in faith and righteous living to overcome
situations, and attain sweet and enduring success. The Almighty God will confirm His
Word in the believers mouth.
Learn to pray in faith today to be able to be fit for the Rapture, or sing praises in
thanksgiving unto Him at the end of year, or whenever death comes.