Think on These Things: Wish for the new year

My New Year’s wish for you all is to find hope, peace and salvation in our Savior, Jesus Christ...

My New Year’s wish for you all is to find hope, peace and salvation in our Savior, Jesus Christ. I wish that we could all experience what it is to live in harmony with the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

I wish that common sense would reign supreme and that the so-called “political correctness” would be subservient to common sense all the time.

God has a plan and a destination in mind for us all. That is heaven. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Admit that you are unable to live a perfect life without God’s help and accept what God offers freely to each one of us — the help we need to be more like Him.

It is God’s plan that “You prosper and be in health.” (3 John 2) To this end, He has given us health principles, which can be summarized as follows:

•godly trust;

•outdoor deep breathing of pure air;

•daily exercise — try for an hour a day;

•sunshine — about 10 minutes a day during the summer;

•plenty of rest, including the Sabbath day of rest and worship;

•lots of water, inside and out;

•always temperate in all things; and

•nutrition — our diet should include as many colours as possible and plenty of fruits and vegetables. With all the wonderful produce we have in this beautiful valley, we really have no excuse.

Following this simple plan for health will help each one of us this coming year to be happier and healthier.

The Bible at Ephesians 5:16 tells us that we should be “redeeming the time for the days are evil.” We know evil exists, even in our own hearts, but have you ever thought that today is the oldest you have ever been? But it is also the youngest you will ever be, so enjoy today and redeem your time!

Ian Cotton is the pastor at Creston’s Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Creston Valley Advance