The Christmas lights and decorations are now packed safely away in the basement here at 317 -49th Street. The rush of activity between Thanksgiving and Christmas has wound down, and the old year has quietly passed away.
After attending a basketball game this morning, I have spent most of New Year's Day finishing up the messages for tomorrow's services, and working with Benji in the house next door that we are remodeling. Hopefully he and his family will be able to move into it by late Spring. It will be nice to have two of the grandsons right next door. I always wish the other two were closer (geographically) but we treasure the brief opportunities we have to be with them as well.
There hasn't been a lot of time to reflect today.
It is hard to believe that a New Year has already arrived. Seems like we just did this a short time ago, but alas, we have made another long trip around the Sun since the last New Year celebration. The trip takes the same 365 days to complete, but for some reason, those days seem to zoom by faster and faster each year.
2010 was a full year of work, ministry, family activities, travel, and a little bit of recreation (although not nearly enough of that!). I expect that 2011 will be more of the same. We'll hit the ground running at church tomorrow morning. Our Upward Basketball and Cheerleading season will begin play in two weeks, and I'll be leaving on my mission trip to the Philippines two weeks after that. So, it will most likely be February 15th before I look up and realize that Spring is right around the corner.
This week already has a funeral service scheduled. A dear brother, age 79, passed away at 5:00 pm today and his daughter called tonight to ask me to handle the service this week. This brother and his late wife were precious folks who were members of the second church I served as Pastor, back in the early 80's. So, ministry wise, the New Year will begin the way the old year ended - with a funeral service. My heart goes out to both of these families. The Thacker family who lost their husband and father on Christmas Day, and the Roach family, whose loved one left us a week later. And so it goes in ministry...
Well, back to the New Year thing. I'm not making any New Year's resolutions this year, but I do have several goals I hope to work toward. It's all about time management. I cannot create more hours in the day, but I hope to use them wisely and potentially realize the following goals:
- To spend more time alone with God in prayer and the study of His Word
- More quality time with my aged parents
- An hour in the gym every week day (either before work or at lunch time)
- Less time on Facebook
- Less time spent in front of a television (chewing gum for the eyes)
- A special combination vacation/40th Anniversary trip with Linda next fall.
- Attend as many of my local grandsons ball games (and other activities) as possible
- Make the most out of the fleeting visits with the New Orleans grandsons and family
- Less time in the office and more quality time with Linda
- To try to play a round of golf at least twice a month. I didn't play a single time last year. (When a guy is too busy to play golf - he's just too busy!)
- And in my spare time - try to finish my book!
Ministry is a time and emotion consuming task. For someone like me, who borders on workaholic type personality, it can be overwhelming at times. But with God being my helper, I want to be able to spend more of the time He has given me on some of the other important concepts that also matter to Him. Two of those things are my family, and my own spiritual and physical health.
Truth of the matter is, that we do not know how many of us will still be around this time next year, to welcome the arrival of 2012. Not knowing how many days we do have, we should seek to live every day that He gives us - to the fullest.
Hope you have a happy, healthy and fruitful new year in 2011. May God bless us and use us to His glory!
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