Aren't you so thankful for fresh starts and new beginnings? I know I am! We are drawn to newness and start-overs. For many, 2021 was a tough year. There were losses, hardships, unexpected events, and fears. You may have felt the spiritual warfare around you like you've never felt before. But the beginning of a new year marks one of those fresh starts. Just as Spring brings about beauty from the cold, dark months preceding it, so too can those trying times of 2021 bring about beauty in your own life. I am reminded of Lamentations 3:22-23 "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." God still loves you. God is still showing you His faithfulness and compassion even as you read this. And He has given you another moment to make a fresh start in your relationship with Him. Determine to make 2022 the ultimate year of spiritual growth. Let's look back at this upcoming year as the turning point in our walk with Christ. This could be the greatest year of Shady Grove's history. This could be the greatest year of your life. But it all depends on how YOU respond to His mercies, compassion, and faithfulness. Start this new year off right by being in God's house, with God's people, and gathered around God's word.

In Christ, 
Pastor Marcus