Tomorrow, the Denison Forum will launch First15, a new daily resource that will help you spend 15 minutes alone with your Father. Craig Denison has written 365 devotionals designed to lead you through worship, biblical reflection, and personal prayer.  Our team is praying that this strategy will help thousands of Christians around the world encounter God more intimately and passionately. On January 1, click this link to visit First15.

It is the edge of a New Year.  Tonight there will be fireworks, shouting and the glass ball will drop in Times Square.  Then, the confetti will be swept up, football games will be played and everyone will trek back to work on Monday asking, “How many weeks until the Super Bowl?”  Life is what happens between celebrations.

I thought it would be a good idea to help my readers prepare for 2014 with this New Year’s Eve blog post.  I decided to google the phrase, “Predictions for 2014” to search for good advice.  The first website on the list was an astrologer’s page.  Remembering an earlier blog post about the “Long Island Medium,” I chose to ignore that page.

The next article was promising.  Forbes magazine has an excellent reputation.  Their article, “Top Predictions For 2014 From the VCs That Backed Netflix And LinkedIn” contained important trends expected to impact your business and investment decisions.  I printed the article and read every word.  I understood several of the words I read but not the article.  I should have expected that when I didn’t understand the title of the article.  I had to find a definition for the meaning of “VC.”  (For those who share my business acumen, it means Venture Capital.)  

I’m not sure what VC Firms make, besides money, but the article said that those firms should make more money in 2014 than they have since 2007.  I guess that means we should buy some stock in a VC Firm.  I might do that as soon as I figure out how to find one.

The article spelled out doom for the Blackberry marketplace.  If you got one for Christmas, you might want to return it and get an iPhone or Android.  Tell them you heard it here first!  If that doesn’t work try “my dog ate the gift receipt” or something like that.

The other interesting prediction from Forbes was that the Bitcoin should be thought of as a commodity, not a currency.   The article suggested that everyone accumulate Bitcoins.  I don’t own a Bitcoin and I wasn’t planning to accumulate any.  I prefer to use my Mastercard that helps me earn free miles on an airplane.  When Bitcoins provide vacations I might consider getting some.

When I finished reading the Forbes magazine article, I filed it in the trash can next to my desk.  I take a lot of magazines each year but Forbes isn’t on my list.  If you want business advice I guess you should find a different blogger.

On the other hand, I do have some good direction which I am sure will help you to have a more successful 2014.  Let me share with you some great advice from a few of my heroes:

• “Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late.  In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” – Martin Luther
• “Do all the good you can.  By all the means you can.  In all the ways you can.  In all the places you can.  At all the times you can.  To all the people you can.  As long as ever you can.” – John Wesley
• “We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God.  He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.” – A.W. Tozer
• “When we are securely rooted in personal intimacy with the source of life, it will be possible to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, willing to confront without being offensive, gentle and forgiving without being soft, and true witnesses without being manipulative.” – Henri Nouwen
• “To say that ‘prayer changes things’ is not as close to the truth as saying, ‘prayer changes me and then I change things.’  God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things.” – Oswald Chambers
• “Don’t worry about having the right words; worry more about having the right heart.  It’s not eloquence he seeks, just honesty.” – Max Lucado
• “In our day heaven and earth are on tiptoe waiting for the emerging of a Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered people.  All of creation watches expectantly for the springing up of a disciplined, freely gathered, martyr people who know in this life the power of the kingdom of God.” – Richard Foster

I don’t know a VC from a PC – but I know that I would rather store treasure in heaven this year than accumulate Bitcoins.  I look forward to sharing 2014 with each of you.  I’m asking God to author my words and direct my thoughts.  I pray all of us will set the goal that Richard Foster put before us.  May we strive to be a Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered people.  I predict that goal will be your best investment for 2014.

May you have a happy, holy and blessed New Year!

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