“Bible Verses Just For the New Year”

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“Sing to the Lord a new song because he has done wonderful things! His own strong hand and his own holy arm have won the victory!”

The Good News: While it’s important to look forward to the exciting new things to come and our goals in 2023, don’t forget to praise God for giving to us the gift of life and the opportunity to thrive in this new year.

PROVERBS 16:9

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“People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps.”

The Good News: While we may think of big picture goals for 2023, God is already thinking how we’re going to get there. He’s two steps ahead of us at all times to make sure we do not fail.

PROVERBS 3:5-6

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.”

The Good News: We may think we have it all together, but at times we need to give it all up to God and trust on him to lead us to salvation. In times of trouble, God will lead us in the right direction. In times that we least expect it, he will send a message to put us on the right path.

PROVERBS 13:16

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“The prudent all act intelligently, but fools display their stupidity.”

The Good News: Don’t enter 2023 without a plan! Pray on your expectations, goals, and whatever you need to make this new year as fruitful as possible. You will be rewarded.

PSALM 96: 1-3

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“Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord! Bless his name! Share the news of his saving work every single day! Declare God’s glory among the nations; declare his wondrous works among all people.”

The Good News: This year, spread your thankfulness of the Lord to everyone around you — don’t keep your faith to yourself. The word of God deserves to be spread to all, as does his love.

PSALM 100:4

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“Enter his gates with thanks; enter his courtyards with praise! Thank him! Bless his name!”

The Good News: Even though we passed over Thanksgiving in November, finish off the year by looking back at what you’re most grateful for. We owe all of this to the Lord! Make sure to give him thanks as we hop into January.

1 PETER 5:6-7

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“Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up in the last day. Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you.”

The Good News: If you’re entering 2023 with hesitation or fear, pray on God for strength and hope. He’ll answer and lead you where you need to go. The Holy Spirit walks beside us every single day, guiding us from above, and we are never alone.

JAMES 1:17

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“Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.”

The Good News: God is a constant in our life, no matter what. He isn’t going anywhere, and we’re reminded of that especially during the special times in our lives. As the new year arrives, take time to give thanks!

PSALM 20:4

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“Let God grant what is in your heart and fulfill all your plans.”

The Good News: By praying to God and following His commands, He will reward us in heaven and truly give us what we need in our lifetimes, including our deepest of desires if that is what he calls for.

ISAIAH 40:31

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“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.”

The Good News: This year may have been hard, but the Lord is here to reignite our lust for life in 2023. Go into this new year with the power of God behind you, and you’ll come out even stronger at the end.

ECCLESIASTES 3:1


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“participate in the New Year’s Eve tradition?”

The State of the Midnight Kiss

Has our modern era dimmed the appeal of making out with a stranger, or are people still eager to participate in the New Year’s Eve tradition?

Couples — some in formal dress, others bundled up against the cold — kiss in Times Square as ticker tape falls all about them.
For any number of reasons, the New Year’s Eve kiss at midnight should have lost its luster in recent years. But has it?Credit…Calla Kessler/The New York Times
Couples — some in formal dress, others bundled up against the cold — kiss in Times Square as ticker tape falls all about them.

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The idea behind exchanging a kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve is rooted in a simple superstition: The way you ring in the new year will determine how the rest of your year will go.

For J.C. Carter, a single 24-year-old who lives in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, it’s something he had often seen growing up, watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV, but has never experienced for himself.

“It’s almost like a fantasy or a dream or something to strive for,” he said.

If you’re in a relationship or dating someone, it’s safe to assume you’ll have someone to trade kisses with at midnight. If you’re single, you might be hoping that you’ll meet the perfect stranger or have a date for the evening. You might even form a pact with a friend, à la “When Harry Met Sally.” But with shifts in dating culture and a continuing “tripledemic,” are today’s revelers still longing for that movie moment when the clock strikes 12?

To be clear, even in 2022, there are those who aren’t aware that it’s a tradition at all, including Rakiah Polk, 35, a hairstylist in Chicago. “If I am romantic with someone and it comes up, I would be interested in doing it, but it’s not something I’m trying to make happen,” she said.

Emily Maldonado, 28, a public relations specialist in Harlem, said she had never had a New Year’s kiss with someone who wasn’t already her partner. This year she is planning to have dinner with friends and then party at a club in Manhattan, she said. Although she’s single, she isn’t hoping for a kiss at midnight.

“Obviously Covid and everything plays a huge factor in our mentality these days but I truly don’t think I was ever of that mind-set,” Ms. Maldonado said. “Even previously, I was very much in my Scorpio tendencies — like, don’t get too close.”

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Bradley Haworth, a barista in Los Angeles, takes the opposite view. He said that the tradition of a New Year’s kiss was something he had always participated in, even when it required pushing aside his Covid wariness these last two years.

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“It’s an age-old tradition, right?” Mr. Haworth, 29, said. “It’s like a thing where you’re sort of born knowing that that’s what you’re supposed to do when the clock strikes 12.”

But spontaneous kisses run the risk of sending mixed signals if feelings aren’t reciprocated. When he lived in Seattle a few years ago, Mr. Haworth and his friends threw a New Year’s Eve party at which he ended up kissing a man who had a crush on him. He said he didn’t feel the same way, which became “an issue” for the rest of the night.

According to Ron Turner, 38, who has worked as a D.J. in Los Angeles for about 15 years, the kiss at midnight is not especially popular with singles. One possible explanation: the lack of slow dancing and love songs played at clubs.

“It’s kind of like physical romance has declined as a whole when it comes to parties,” he said.

He also pointed to an increased awareness of sexual harassment and assault. “I think a lot of men do play it safer,” Mr. Turner said, adding that without explicit consent, many are “not even going to make an attempt.”

As for Mr. Carter, who hosts the street-interview web series “Hopeless Romantic Society,” in which he talks to pedestrians about their love lives, he believes social media makes it difficult to be spontaneous when there’s a chance you might be recorded. Dating-app culture has also stoked a sense of anxiety for many users about approaching a stranger in person, given how accustomed they’ve become to the idea of connecting with a potential partner without having to leave their home.

“So it can be a little bit harder to be present and in person and open yourself up to those kinds of opportunities,” Mr. Carter said.

A kiss at midnight, of course, is preferably an in-person activity. One early recorded reference to this tradition was in an 1863 article in The Times about New Year celebrations in the city, specifically among German immigrants, some of whom rushed “into each other’s arms” and exchanged “hearty kisses.”

By the mid-20th century, the tradition had fused itself into pop culture, becoming common in movies and TV shows. Despite its popularity, it wasn’t always embraced. In a 1970 essay in New York magazine, Jane O’Reilly comically recalled attending a party where she witnessed the end of “at least three marriages.”

“The sudden realization that they were supposed to kiss and wish a sincere Happy New Year to their loathsome mates was too much for people,” she wrote.

George Adjei-Piasare, 18, said he had his first New Year’s kiss at a party last year, something he had wanted to happen ever since he first learned about the tradition via the Disney Channel. He hopes it happens again this year.

“The whole night we were just chatting up and then New Year’s came,” he said. Because people were already paired up before midnight, “it just happened.”

Mr. Turner, the D.J., who is throwing his own party in Hollywood this year, says that he doesn’t really consider the New Year’s kiss tradition when creating a set list, but that he is planning to play a few slow jams during the last few minutes of the night to set the mood.

“I feel like because there’s so much alcohol involved and everybody just wants to start the year off right, I’ve seen some singles actually connect before the end of the night and then have kiss at that point,” he said. “But it doesn’t always happen, like, right at midnight.”

Mr. Haworth is also celebrating at a house party with his roommates in Los Angeles. He said he was expecting a lot of people to participate in the tradition to ensure a good year ahead.

“It’s like doing Christmas without presents,” he said. “I can’t imagine it being a new year without that baked into the tradition.”

Gina Cherelus is a reporter for The Times’s Styles desk who covers a range of topics including culture and trends. @jeanuh_


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“Best places to watch New Year’s Eve”

 

Fireworks
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano

Best places to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks in NYC

Check out the best New Year’s Eve fireworks NYC has to offer and ring in 2023 with a bang (literally)!

Shaye Weaver
Written by 

Shaye Weaver

Could it really be New Year’s Eve without fireworks? Hardly! New York City has some pretty amazing fireworks displays every NYE, from the Ball Drop at Times Square to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. No matter where you are or what you’re doing on that beautiful night, you’re likely to see gorgeous, sparkling firecrackers explode in the sky.

Below are our favorite fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve in NYC.

RECOMMENDED: See the full guide to New Year’s Eve in NYC

What time do the New Year’s Eve fireworks start?

Typically, they go off right as the clock turns to midnight.

Are the fireworks being livestreamed?

The fireworks in Times Square will be livestreamed. Read more about that here.

Where can I watch NYE fireworks in NYC?

Find out below!

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Behind the Scenes at GingerBread Lane

New Year’s Eve fireworks in NYC

1. Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza

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The biggest gripe against New Year’s celebrations is that they’re crazy expensive. If you want to save on the cost but don’t mind a crowd, Santore’s World Famous fireworks display over Prospect Park’s Grand Army Plaza is a color-popping way to toast 2023. Besides, it doesn’t get any more New York than sharing a communal experience on the street, elbow to elbow with your fellow taxpayers. (And it sure as hell beats Times Square!) This is the first year it’s been back since the pandemic began, so expect your fellow New Yorkers to relish the event! Plus there will be live entertainment by Quintessential Playlist who will perform live music at 10pm before the fireworks begin.

2. Times Square New Year’s Eve

  • Things to do

New Year’s Eve in Times Square is the sparkling event of the season. The iconic party in the square celebrates big with live musical performances, the famous ball drop and, once the clock strikes midnight, a massive fireworks display. If you’re brave enough to put up with the crowds and the cold, this display is one you’ll want to see.

3. NYRR Midnight Run

  • Things to do

Run as if 2022 were chasing you (and truly, can you imagine a scarier horror concept?) at New York Road Runners’ annual four-mile Midnight Run, which provides credit to finishers toward the New York City Marathon. At midnight, start your trek with hundreds of other festive joggers at Central Park and take in the gorgeous fireworks display at the end. (Trust us: It’s a hell of a lot healthier than binge drinking and hooking up with a rando.) Be sure to register online before the big date.


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“Get READY to END THIS YEAR… DANCING”

New Year’s Eve…

This is what I used to do, just like you!

AND… when that “MUSIC” is on, that which… I really like … THEN…all that I start to wish for…  and if only “OUR”  wishes could really happen …. just when you really want them too… because we would all be so happy…  if that number one wish…  that we all make … to be nice and  young  just as we  were … when we were “Sweet Sixteen”… and now only you know… how long ago that was…  but think how “HAPPY” we all could be… to be able to “DANCE” like we did … way back then!

My second choice … If only I was  “18”… again… and the music was turned on for all of  us “youngsters”… that are given that wonderful chance in LIFE…  to be able to do all of that…  which we could way back and when!

If you are going to  DANCE…this is how you do it…

As I remember…  when I was DANCING… those extra pounds…  that so many  of us…  do take the time to collect…sitting in front of  that  “BOOB BOX” – – I  do have to thank the Almighty…that we did not have …that new invention… back then… that makes you waste so much of your good  time… just doing nothing!

If you are in the MOOD… to have FUN…tonight…  on  “New Years’ EVE” … grab for yourself… only  the very best “Partner” you can find… then click the LINK… below …watch…  how fast you start to enjoy …  how your body moves…and you now  feel like a MILLION!

There  is nothing better… than this music and dancing… as it is the very best of  medicine… to cure everything and anything!

 

XXX

XXX

xxx

 

XXX

 


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“Learning to Skate with MY DAD’S HELP”

“Christmas Memories”

While – remembering  about  my childhood in the early 1940’s and during those WWII years… I do have an old  photo  that was taken of me and my Father sitting by the lamp in the living room.

 We are looking at this one very large  size “Hail Stones”    in a large bowl… that my Dad had just collected from in the  front of our house.

And  this was during a very bad storm!

In all of my years… those “HAIL STONES” …  were  the largest that I have ever seen.

Why  such a large size – no idea – but since  then  the average size, that I have seen… were  about the size of small beans.

This memory is only remembered… because I’ve seen that old photo, several times and there must have  been a special reason for collecting “HAIL STONES” and taking a picture.

No body was taking a whole  lot of pictures in those days – since there was a WAR going on…  you almost always had to have a “Ration Coupon” to buy so many necessary  things, because… most of the material and  general  supplies the people used… did have to first go… toward the WAR effort – we did want to win the WAR – and all of us in AMERICA… did learn very early to do without, so that America would be victorious in the putting an end… to all Wars!

When we lived in the North Saint Louis area… it seems to me, that we had lots  of  ice and snow.  At least much more than we have today, and there were  no organized street cleaners… since I remember my DAD having to puts chains on the car,  if we were to have to go somewhere. 

So, in one of those early years… I must have ask for “ice skates” …  having no idea… what “ice skates”  even looked like and or if I would even be able to skate… even if … I did receive them?

Well,  I received “ice skates” and there must have been plenty of ice out side on the side-walks…  those “ice-skates” that I received were the kind that you attach to the shoes that you have on, and you should have a good strong and firm shoe on  your foot… so that the skates can be attached properly!

My Father put the skates on me in the house and then carried me out side.

These “ice skates” had double blades, on each skate…  so at-least I could  stand without falling.

So my DAD took my hands and just pulled me, for a while – and then had me move one foot ahead of the other and pulling me slower to see if I could do the leg work of skating.

  All the time I felt real secure… just holding on to him. We only went around our block and for a very long time. I was dressed so warm, in those days little girls worn “Leg-gens”  – which were made to match your coat… plus the knitted hat and scarf around the neck… and also I had  one of  those “HAND-MUFFS” …  it had a long attached ribbon that went around  to the back of the neck… so  that when you took your hands out, from each side, it was still hanging on to you and it did not get lose as it was always ready for you to put your hands in… and  or… some of your stuff or even your gloves  that is…  if you did not need them.

Also…   it had a pocket that zipped shut for some money… it was the best for keeping the hands – warm!    The warmest.

It was so amazing, that my DAD would take the time to hold me  and run along side of me… as I was learning to skate… as I did learn how to skate, and whenever if was okay with my parents…  and the weather was just right…  I was outside skating … and all  around the block!


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“Radio or TV, Which is the BETTER”

Christmas – Then and Now!

Just going back  into those good ole days …

Back then, when we  (kids) were little and  in  the 1940s – my Dad had to go to California to do “welding work” on the ships…  and we, that is my Mother  and I …would write letters.

My Mother would type her letters most of the time … and then…  she would also enclose my “chicken-scratch” letters to my DADDY.

BUT… what made this letter writing  fun for me… and  also one of the  most important parts of the day,  was that waiting for our “MAIL-MAN” to bring  to us…something in the mailbox  from  my DADDY!

Maybe there  were fewer people living in the greater Saint Louis area back then, and of course… maybe letter-writing was a very important thing to do… as there was no TV.

Way back then, we only had the radio and usually if a couple of the families… living in the same close together area, had the same radio station turned on at the same time… you could be out-side and hear that program all the while that you are doing something different, but only listening in!

Back then the RADIO was important to have.

As I am  now thinking about listening to the radio back then,  you could mentally see  and understand all that was going on…  and still  continue to be able… to do whatever you also… just have  to do… till done!

But today, with that TV …  you have to get  yourself  right in front of that TV… just so that,  you will  “know” what exactly is going on.

You just have to see “IT” … watching  every little thing going on… because,  just listening  to a program…you miss out!

In  today’ world you are  –  trapped  –  in front of the TV.

Yesterday… it was fun  for us…  back  in those days …when you only had the radio… YOU were as free s a “BIRD” … since,  you were free to do so many other things… and never ever  missed  out  on  anything important  in the story or program…  something that I feel…  that so many people living now… today…  are  locking their selves  into  another world???

I remember having  so much fun…  just watching for that  “Mail-Man” – when I was a  little girl –  – because the “Mail-Man”  also came two  (2) times a day!  

Something that we do not have today, and if you were to get your letter in that “MAIL BOX” by nine (9:00 p.m.) in the evening… that  piece of mail was delivered the very next day!  

Maybe because of the  “TIMES”  as  America was in that  “WAR”… that was going on,  and the mail had to be moving  – so that everybody would know as soon as possible – what was  happening in the world !  

Even as fast as the mail was received… there were a good many times that my DADDY, would send a “Telegram” to us.

My Daddy was always sending some little special things – just for me – and that is how I remember him – sending some of his-self  …  “sending little bits of LOVE … just to  little ole me… in the mail!”

During those WWII years – those young boys riding  on the bicycles – delivering telegrams – usually were bringing “BAD NEWS”.

 I  also know, that when that young man would be ringing your door-bell…  your heart would just sink…  especially if you had a family member enlisted in one of the different branches of service!

 My DADDY  would also use those “Telegram Services” because, being in California…  a letter would take a couple of days, but and  if … you paid a few pennies more you could send your letter “AIR-Mail”  and then … for  just a few more pennies…  you could have that letter deliver with “Special Delivery” –

So then… you were then able…  to be in touch for  just  a few pennies back then, and  always… just so fast was this service!

Remember … NOW…that was yesterday…

Today it is  a different  story … and, I am not  just a little girl  anymore – waiting to hear from my Daddy!!!


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