As our nation's economy continues its slow, downward slide, we who live for the one true God must not make the mistake of abandoning the things he has put in our hearts. We do need to reevaluate them. There may be some things that we were wrong about, and some that we were not wrong, but the time has passed, and some that we are to delay. But there will be some things, whether continued from before or newly given, which will challenge you this year.

That is as it should be. If you are not going, you are not growing. Oft times, it takes all that you have to stay in place and avoid being swept away. Other times, you may apparently lose some ground. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. In times of ease, we tend to overextend ourselves. Nations may gobble up too much territory and have to give some of it up in the face of strong opposition down the road.

Hardship forces us to focus our efforts on a smaller number of more important things, and hence, it serves to help trim away the "nice to have" but unnecessary things we tend to get in our heads. So do not be surprised if this year is characterized by a struggle to keep a roof over your head, gas in your tank, clothes on your back, and food in your stomach. The nation's economy is too interconnected. You can get a t-shirt for $4.50, made by small children in Asia, but we cannot keep our own garment workers employed enough to stay in that industry.

This year will be challenging. Are you up to it? Jobs are likely to continue to be scarce. Are you still willing and able to trust in God to help you keep body and soul together? Big businesses are likely to continue cutting back, moving every possible job to low-wage overseas nations. Are you willing to join with others in your community and start building a network of community-based business enterprises? Governments are likely to continue to overspend and overtax, even when they see no results from their "job creation" programs. Are you willing to help build local resources to help put people to work?

As I said, challenging. If you are not ready for it, you'd better start now.