“Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.”

“Deck the Hall” is a joyous melody that’s fun to sing. According to my Christmas carol book, it’s of Welsh origin with a traditional melody.

Although we sing it as a Christmas song, it predates the Christian era in Britain. “Yule” refers to a winter celebration. Have you noticed there is no reference to God or Jesus? In our culture Christmas and New Year celebrations come close together. With its reference to the old and new year, I believe “Deck the Hall” can be sung to celebrate the new year.

The New Year–a time to start over, to let go of the past and look forward to the future. We might make resolutions to become a better person, or we may set goals to achieve.

As the old year becomes history, I hope I’ve benefitted from my failures of the past year. I don’t want to forget the lessons I’ve learned, but I want to be able to move forward from them. I pray for a deeper faith in God, for more boldness in sharing my faith, and for greater joy as I live for Jesus Christ, to “press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) I have regrets, but I have a God of mercy and grace who loves me. With His help, I can become who He wants me to be.

I’m grateful for the privilege of becoming a published author in 2018. I look forward to using the written word profitably in 2019.

Wishing all of you a blessed and joyful 2019!

Sincerely,

Beth