Birth of a New Year

January 18, 2006

With the start of the New Year, the birth of the New Year, we've been thinking about birthdays. Birthdays offer a time of reflection, an opportunity to count blessings, to see where you’ve been up to in the past year and what the year ahead might be about. We had a family outing on my birthday last year. We went up to Truchas, New Mexico for a picnic, high in the Rocky Mountains - up some 7,700 feet. The vistas were breath taking. I had my family to thank for the day.

Looking back over the year, there are some things I would have done differently, mistakes here and there. Looking ahead, we’re into some exciting projects, which translates into long hours and hard work.

There were many things I didn’t like facing, the hurts and failures. Then there are a bunch of things I liked thinking about, my accomplishments and successes. But life is made up of both.

The list of blessings makes up a long and varied list - My Beloved wife, my family, my friends, God’s creation, and the health and ability we have to enjoy these things. But most of all – Jesus.

Then, there are things I learned. First, love them – all of them. Second - without God’s spirit there is no real work and real no accomplishment without which there is no real joy. The third, I learned to love praising Him.

God breathed breath into Adam and it all started.
Breathe back the creator’s name.
And blow out the candles.

"...Methuselah lived 969 years…” Genesis 5:27