New Years Eve's to remember

New Years Eve never really was a huge holiday in my family even when I was a kid!! I do remember we were allowed to stay up past midnight and our big night was to take my mothers pots and pans out of the kitchen..with big spoons and bang them until our little hands were numb...We also greeted the new day with a display of clanging lids...pounding like cymbals...any kind of noise, yelling, emotion was allowed that night and we seemed to do our share!! But as wild and crazy as those New Years Eve's were, the most memorable were the ones I spent after I was a Christian...We would attend "Watch Night Service" at our church. Our pastor, Ron Bailey, would spend the evening greeting everyone and then we would pray the New Year in at the Altar...On our knees, we would as a church, lay our requests, praise, and adoration of getting us through the past year unharmed and blessed to laying our new praises, and adorations to God for a new and upcoming year...We prayed for one another, we prayed for our families...People just prayed out loud as the Spirit led and it was a wonderful warm time of fellowship. We spent the entire evening with worship, singing and at midnight we all were on our knees...desiring all that God had for us!! Opening our hearts to listen to His voice and lay on our hearts His direction for our lives during another up and coming year...After the service..some families went home, or invited a few friends over for snacks or late supper...But most of us with small families decided to finish off the night with entertainment...Some years we went all night bowling, some years it was roller skating, always a wonderful time of fellowship with the families of those you loved and spent many hours with during Sunday and Wednesday services...It was a family, a family of believers..a family of like people that laughter, excitement and enjoyment filled the night...A magaical night that ended with the sun rising, babies sleeping and parents heading home after a long cold winters night of excersize of one form or another...Those were the most precious times seeing another year in with people around me that I loved and loved me!!...Those days have passed and memories of a closer tie to people you knew... will never be broken...For those days and times I am thankful for the close and warm fellowship!! A fellowship that only God and his love can present...Only on a special day like a NEW YEAR!!...I will always remember the fun, the joy and the love we shared year after year!!!