Happy New Year.

Well, Happy New Year!

It's been a while since I've written anything, but the holidays were really good. I have to thank and praise God for that. Christmas day was actually enjoyable from start to finish (You have to understand that, with my family, eventually, someone will invariably say something that will hurt or offend another family member, or we'll get into some big argument--it's not that we're bad people, it's the way we learnt to talk and deal with out feelings... But it DIDN'T happen this year! I had a really good time with my folks, my brother and his wife).

With my first posting of 2005, I want to send out a blessing to anyone who is reading this (all one of you :). But how many people are reading this is unimportant. What is important is that I am declaring this over the web!

2005 is a year of the Lord's favour... If you will believe it! For the last month and a half, that's all that I've been hearing, reading and seeing... The Lord's favour! Ultimately, what that means is that we will receive preferential treatment when we go to work, or school, or church, or when we meet others, when we try to close a deal or a sale, or in what ever other area you can think of. It doesn't mean will will not have to do our part. But it DOES mean we will see results we weren't expecting, if we're persistent enough. Let me explain with two examples out of my own life.

The first is how Cindy and I bought our house. At the time (nearly three years ago), I was only working part-time as a teacher at Dawson, and my contract was up in June. We were getting married in May. Cindy was only working part-time and was in school. I had huge amounts of debt, plus car payments. My debt ratio was insanely high (your debt ratio is some calculation banks do that compares your salary to your debts... And normally, it should be less that 30% or so... I was somewhere over 40 or 50!!!) We also did not have to down payment for the house. But I believed that this house was to be ours. I believed God would give it to us. At that time, I had no concept of God's favour... But nevertheless I believe God would do it for me. And what did He do?

Well, we got approved for the loan (miracle #1) and I didn't close all my other debts (miracle #2). We got the house for $18,000 less than the asking price (miracle #3). I moved in one week before our wedding (miracle #4). The monetary gifts from our wedding paid our down payment and more (miracle #5). And we got to live in the house rent/mortgage payment free for three months (miracle #6). THAT is the favour of the Lord.

The second example happened more recently. Cindy and I applied for a line of credit so that we could consolidate our consumer debt. I still had a whack-load of debt, plus our tax return payments for 2003, which we could not pay due to our financial situation (I still was only working part-time as was Cindy). Anyway, we had been to the Royal Bank, and they declined us because my debt ratio was too high. Besides the payments would have been over $500 a month, and we could not handle that (I was missing payments on the credit cards because we were paying over $500 a month on them). So on Cindy's faith, we went to the National Bank and asked for a line of credit, which is actually more difficult to get than a personal loan, because the payment plan is more flexible. To make a long story short, we got it... And the only reason is the favour of the Lord!

So go out in 2005 and believe that God's favour is upon you in everything you do. Expect to be blessed. Expect to receive preferential treatment. Expect to get the unexpected!

Be blessed.