As we step into the New Year, dozens of resolutions are being made, a new political atmosphere is being created, and horrific attacks are already marking our year. Mark Twain once said, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." So, as we are already facing the reality of the New Year, to realize no magical switch has flipped, let us acknowledge fear but not let it drive us.

It is easier said than done, as we encounter daily struggles as well as larger problems. But we must always remember how big our God is. He parted the Red Sea, heals so many, and takes the time to intervene in our mundane issues. So, how do we do this, when we are facing a major project or family crises? We can always draw back to the testimonies in our lives and others. For me, it means going back to how God has provided throughout the college process or how I've seen so many in my church healed.

Testimonies carry more weight than we may realize. So, let's take all of the lessons we learned and crazy things God did for us in 2016 and use those as our declarations in 2017. Even though we are well into 2017, let's have hope and not fear what lies ahead of us. There is a lot of terrifying events swirling around us, but having peace in the storm is beautiful. Having courage as we face the New Year and the troubles it brings, is not ignoring the events around us, but rather controls our reaction to it. We cannot manage the world around us, but we can certainly (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit) manage our reaction and ourselves. Happy New Year! May 2017 be filled with peace.