New Year's Greeting from Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut

From Rev. Jerry Drino:

Below is a New Year's greeting from the Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut in Nairobi. He does much of the coordination of our program in Kenya and is a deeply gifted spiritual leader.

Dear all Friends, Whatever is warm and inspiring...Whatever means most to you...Whatever makes you smile and brings joy to you... that's what I wish you this New Year 2009. Let all that I am praising the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good thing he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youths is renewed like the eagle's! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is Compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for our sins; and he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers,we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone- as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation exntends to the children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Praise the Lord, you angels, you might ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and his will! Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! you are robed with honor and Majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You placed the world on this foundation so it would never be removed. You clothed the earth floods of water, water that covered even the mountains, At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. The people go off to their work, where they labor until evening. O Lord, what a variety of things you made! in wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. See ships sailing along, and leviathan, which you made to play in the sea. They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you open supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satified. But if you return away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the Lord continue with us in New Year 2009 forever!. It was wonderful and joyful for me as I keep time without sleeping until the New Year come and to send you this at the same time. Blessings, Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut.