5+6=11 which means a new year!

It’s my birthday!  I am 56 years old today and I’m grateful.  For those who know me well will understand the title of this blog.  For those who don’t, I will explain it later in this blog.

On January 1, 2020, I wrote a blog titled “Will You Be Remarkable in 2020?”.

Will You be Remarkable in 2020?

In this blog, I wrote about how the word remarkable was going to be my word of the year.  I would respond to every question with the response, “Remarkable!”  No matter if the person was asking about my work, my family, my faith, or anything else, the response would be the same.  Remarkable!  Well looking back, the year has been remarkable which means to draw attention to or noteworthy.  A dead-on definition of this year so far.  Unfortunately, I was thinking remarkable was going to be a positive word to use but then realize now that was my one-sided interpretation.

I have decided that since today is my birthday I will begin a new year today.  I am not living out the rest of 2020 in negativity and despair but starting fresh today!  Will you join me?

So let me go back a bit and explain the title of this blog 5+6=11.  People who know me well know that whenever I see the number 11 it is a connection for me to God.  It reminds me He is always near and when I see the number 11 many times it’s immediately after praying and brings comfort.  When my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several weeks back I let anxiety get the best of me one day.  I let Satan get in my head and draw me away for God’s goodness and healing powers that I know God offers.  As I worked at my desk that morning worried and broken in anxiety it seemed like I was inundated with sightings of the number 11.  I had 11 new emails, 11 Facebook notifications, it was 8:11 am then 9:11 am, invoice numbers on my work ended in 11 and it continued for about an hour until I said, “Yes Father, I see you are with me and have nothing to fear.”.  11, my comfort number and now 56 broken down is 5+6 which equals 11.  A whole year of 11!

Joshua 1:9 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.”

Who says a year has to begin on January 1st?  Yes, the calendar year begins in January but spiritually and faithfully we can choose any day to begin anew.  I am choosing today, August 19,2020.  I am walking forward fresh, renewed, faithful, confident, strong, loved, and blessed and I am bringing you with me.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Today I am walking as Jesus did in love, with forgiveness and blessing others before myself.  I am taking to kindness with a heart full of love.  No more darkness, no more negativity, no more letting the media take away my joy.  I am a child of God with a purpose here on earth that He is guiding and I am walking in that light.

When I realized my age added up to 11 it was a bright spotlight from heaven saying, “This is your year girl.  Go and get it in My name!”   No excuses!

In Luke 14 verses 16-24 talks about not missing opportunities with making excuses.  It’s a parable of a great and beautiful banquet that many were invited to but everyone had something more important to do.  They made earthly excuses and did not attend. They prioritized earthly things over the opportunity to experience the kingdom of God. I have done this many times but not today.  Today I am attending the banquet and staying.

Luke 14:16-24 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ …

Please join me in starting a new year, God’s New Year!  Goodbye to the earthly things that have robbed me of my joy and happiness for the last 5 months.  Hello again to gratitude, love, faith, kindness, peace, joy, and praise.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.

Thank you for sharing my birthday with me and beginning a new year in Christ.  My love, gratitude and God’s blessings-LoLo