New Year's Eve / Run For It!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am spending some time here in Memphis with family and friends. It's been nice to be away. Seriously, being back here in this house is always therapeutic. Even though, this isn't the house I grew up in; I am already able to recall some good memories. An update: I am still looking for another part time job or maybe even a full time job. I am thankful that FYE was able to hire me right away, but it's somewhat depressing to work so many hours and get such a small check at the end of the week. So the search continues. I am also excited to be a part of the 29 days series at New Hope. That will be fun I hope.

Anyway, my Christmas day tradition usually includes: Going to visit my Grandma and then going to see a movie. Usually will see a movie with a friend. However, I am currently broke. So I don't guess I'll see anything this year. It's unfortunate, because there are several movies out that I am interested in seeing. It will be good to see my Grandma. I hope she's doing well and that she doesn't resent me for not having seen her in a while.

At the end of 2005, I declared that 2006 would be "The Year." Themes help me focus. When I declare a year to be "The Year," it means that I am focusing on being positive and making things work and stretching myself to try new things. I think that I did that in some ways this past year. However, there are a lot of things about the year that I wish I could take back. I absolutely had no clue that I would have experienced all of the things that I did this year. Just a year ago, I was a youth minister and was digging in for a new year with the youth and with youth worship and all kinds of things. Then had an interesting spring of trying to work out a job transition while dealing with the emotional loss of leaving a community while also navigating a long-distance relationship. What will the new year bring? Truth be told, I am very concerned about the immediate future. I am very uneasy. I'm not sure what is wrong. So with that, I must move on. Maybe that should be the new year's theme: Moving on....I can't keep looking back at all of the frustrations of the past. This is from the Message; Hebrews 12:7-13 -

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!

Emphasis was mine. My new theme for 2007: Run for it! Running the race with perseverance.I know that in context, the verse is talking about the "it" being a mature relationship with God. I realize this and I think that this applies also to my earthly situation as well. So, there you have it.

Resolutions. I can't remember what I made last year as a resolution. I think I renewed a previous resolution to take more pictures. I also wanted to always call people or write people back. I'm not sure how I did with that one. I'm just going to brainstorm what I want to see happen with me in the next year.

• Don't want to watch a movie or show on TV that I've seen before (This will allow me to either find something new; or do something more productive. This is going to be hard for me, I think)
• Want to seriously work with a financial budget (Seems to be so strange to think about now that I have an uncertain income.)
• Want to practice and work on more music
• Want to exercise more and stay in better shape
• Want to be a better encourager

So that's plenty. We'll see how it goes. Some of you know that i've already set goals for the new year. I hope to still be able to attend the convention this summer in Chicago. Keep me in your prayers.