Last Sunday I attended Victory Alabang service and I'm really inspired by the preaching of Pastor Paul Baker.

These are the key points that are really worth remembering:

- The key component for wisdom is CHARACTER.
- PAIN develops CHARACTER.
- ACKNOWLEDGE the hands of God in the painful circumstances of your life.
- HOLD tenaciously to what God has told you.
- Never try to EVALUATE the events of your life until the end of the story.

Joseph's Dreams

1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

2 This is the account of Jacob.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

Genesis 37:1-10 (NIV)

27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:27 (NIV)

27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.

Proverbs 10:27 (NIV)

23 The fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Proverbs 19:23 (NIV)

33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 15:33 (NIV)

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes
and showers righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows.
We praise You for Your unequaled greatness.
Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead.
Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day.
We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.
Forgive us for falling short this past year.
We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.
We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..
I say it again, we rejoice!

In Jesus name,
Amen.

Have a Prosperous New Year!