Monday, January 01, 2007

Blessings in the New Year

Like my friend Jess, I also crawled into bed at about after only 20 minutes of the new year had passed. Ideas of blogging long faded (along with the knowledge that I can simply timestamp my blog for midnight, if I wanted). Normally I am a night owl, staying up until I have only 5 or 6 hours left to sleep. I thought I would try something new and not push myself to the limit on the first day of the new year.

During church yesterday, my Pastor asked two questions: 1) How many people made new year's resolutions last year?, and 2) How many people kept them? Of the 100 people in the congregation during that Sunday School session, 3 people raised hands to the first question and none to the second.

I guess that's why I don't make resolutions, I've yet to follow through. If I am to start, the first resolution should be to keep my resolutions, or at the least make a whole bunch of resolutions and play the percentages. Math has to be used all through your life to be sure it doesn't go stale.

So here I sit, looking (again) at code wondering where to dive in, watching the now traditional Twilight Zone marathon on SciFi, trying to think of some resolutions. Mind you all resolutions are good, but I think we know ahead of times which ones we make actually have a chance.

Jess made a good start:
  1. Get to know God and his path for me, better and better each day. The one requires a conscious effort but I think the effort is well worth it.
  2. Spend more time with my family. My wife Tiffany and I have four kids: Kat(13), Toph(11), Kassidy(4) and Caeden(2). Unfortunately I am a work-a-holic. I tell myself that to give my family the things I believe they deserve, I have to work harder. I need to strive more to giving them the time they deserve as well.
  3. I need to complete my Bible reading. For three years straight I have tried my church's Bible-in-a-year program. In fact I maintain some web features to help people go through it, and yet I always find myself "too busy" to complete it. Yet I have time to read 10 or more novels in a year. I need to straighten the priority there.
  4. I need to write something. This is the hard one, and therefore pretty high up on the list of things. Like many others, I continually have stories running through my head yet I never put them to paper. I need to try harder.
  5. Most Important, keep the above resolutions.
2006 is gone. Good and bad, it's now the past. And I will try to make a better future for my family, my friends, and any other person I may encounter. Everyday is new beginning, but also a possible last time or last day to see or talk with someone. Enjoy them and leave behind the impression in them that you did.

I am grateful for many things this year, not least of all:
  1. I have a loving family. We has suffered many hardships this year, though God has made us stronger because not in spite of those hardships.
  2. I have reconnected with friends of the past. Those old friendships have become new friendships. I am not sure where they will lead, but I eager to find the purpose in them.
  3. I have dived further into God then ever before and even though it hasn't been easy, it has been encouraging an keeps me wanting more.
May God bless your new year and you.

1 comment:

Jessica Nettles said...

I've tried the read through the Bible in a year thing too. I always make it about as far as 2 Chronicles and then I sort of lose my way. The crazy thing is that I actually like to read the Old Testament, but when I get to the lists of stuff in Chronicles, I can't hold on very well.

I'm finding that I do better when I'm doing a directed study where my reading is guided. Maybe because the guidance allows me to see the scriptures as they relate to my personal life.

As with all my friends, you are in my prayers. It takes a lot to accomplish all we intend to. Just remember it's the journey.You can't get to the end without a little effort, and a lot of extra help along the way.

Ok, enough channelling of Yoda. Lots of love from Atlanta!