Our favorite New Years Day tradition

Grand Rapids friends, our Monday Night Bible Study begins this Monday, January 3rd! We’d love to have you join us! 🙂 AND

if you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly New Year’s Day tradition ~ here’s my New Years post from last year! We’ll be doing the same thing this New Years Day too ~ I can hardly wait! Woo Hoo! Enjoy!!

Happy New Year from our home to yours!!

We hosted a fun, family friendly New Years celebration last night. We had 19 people (kids and adults) enjoying a taco bar, sledding, games, an ice cream sundae bar, tattoo stand and so much more! 🙂 What fun!!

For today, we have a simple family New Years Day tradition.

I’ll bring out markers and paper, and then each family member draws two pictures. The first picture is a note reflecting things we want to say “Thank You” to God.

For example, here is my picture from 2002…

That year, I was thankful for John, my two boys (the girls weren’t born yet), Harbor Clubs (a ministry at Church), the opportunity to serve in Africa, and growing as a disciple of Jesus.

Here’s a fun example from my son Jake (shared with his permission). Jake is now 16, but here’s his Thank You for 2002…. 🙂

Or here is Benj’s from last year…

For our New Years Day tradition, after we share our “Thank You” page, we take a new piece of paper. On this paper, we write out/draw specific prayer requests for the coming year. For example, this is Benj’s paper for 2009….

It is always so fun to see what the kids come up (side note: school friends, isn’t it fun to see how Benj was praying for the new GRCES 2 years ago!!!)

It’s also fun for me and John to put our requests on paper, and then watch how God works over the year! When I pulled out John’s paper this year (I keep them all in a special New Years tub) ~ I gasped out loud. God answered every single item on his list (and they were big prayers!).

For my New Years Day prayers last year, I had written “opportunities to share Jesus with others”. (I just love Him so ~ and want to tell everyone I can!) I had no idea at that time that God would open a door for me to lead a Bible Study of 80 women on Monday nights (and less than a month later, no less)!

God is so faithful, isn’t He?! 🙂

I can’t wait for our special tradition to get started today !! I’ve pulled out the paper and markers, but John just said first I can sneak off to the bookstore for a bit with my Bible, while the kids are still waking up after their late night. Woo Hoo!!

What about for you?? Do you have a special New Years tradition?? Share with us please!! I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

Happy New Year! May your year be filled with much joy, peace, good health, and God’s richest blessings!

9 Comments

Heidi on December 30, 2010 at 11:57 pm

Happy New Year Cindy, praying this one is just as blessed as your last!

Let'sMakeADifference on December 31, 2010 at 1:29 am

Great post! Very inspiring! I love any excuse to start again…for another chance…for new beginnings!! Happy New Year!!

Lily on December 31, 2010 at 5:17 am

What a beautiful idea! Great post. May 2011 bring many blessings for your family. 🙂

Heidi Pocketbook on December 31, 2010 at 10:39 am

Looks and sounds like you had a great party. The New Year's tradition is very cool.Happy New Year to you, Cindy!

Anonymous on December 31, 2010 at 5:23 pm

Cindy, Happy New Year to you my friend! Getting to know you more and meet you in person is one of my most special blessings of 2010! As for our New Year's plans, our kids are away at Winter Youth Group Camp (a great blessing for them) and sadly I have a terrible cold so my hubby and I will probably spend a quiet evening at home (except for my crazy coughing!). But, God is good and I am anxious to see what He has for us in 2011. So blessed to follow the Lord into the New Year . . . and each new day! Love and a big hug, Jenny C.

Marilyn in Mississippi on December 31, 2010 at 8:43 pm

Loved reading about this tradition in your family Cindy! And what gread artists you all are!!Happy New Year!Marilyn…in Mississippi

LisaShaw on January 2, 2011 at 3:13 am

I always feel so welcomed at your blog Cindy. Beautiful family photos! Came by to say Happy New Year!Looking forward to all the ways GOD will use our lives for His glory in 2011. Love you!

Brandy on January 2, 2011 at 7:59 pm

Happy New Year! I am a new follower. I love this idea. It is awesome and I want to get started right now…I know today isn't New Year's Day but it is the day after and what better time to start than now. Thanks for sharing your tradition.Spotted Smiles

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend on January 3, 2011 at 5:50 am

Happy New Year,…What a fun tradition and sounds like a great party