When the ball dropped in New York, we still had an hour to go here in Houston. My family and I were enjoying our traditional fellowship with dear friends from a former neighborhood. We couldn’t let them go.
My wife was sitting to my left. My oldest daughter to the right. Around the table was our host and her daughter, who brought along her two best friends. My second daughter was across from me and my youngest behind me asleep with her feet against my back. My son was M.I.A., but we weren’t concerned. It was time for spoons.
Cards were dealt, four in each hand, with one less spoon than players positioned in the center of a fragile table shaking from many elbows. It was not spoon-ready. The cards went passing, and the chatter was turned up. Spoons were flying and chairs were falling. It was a great time.
I treasure these moments. They make me happy to have a family and friends. They make me appreciate God’s wonderful gifts. He is good and has been good to me and my family.
Three highlights from 2014.
God kept our family at six. Yep, I’m grateful we have all the family members we had when the year began. It’s so easy to take this for granted. People died this year. People we know. But none in my immediate family. (More about my family.)
God moved our family church. Although I’ll miss our old church family, I’m glad God has given us a new one with so much emphasis on the gospel and missional living. The leadership is rich with truth and strong with accountability—down to even the smallest member. (More about our church here.)
God opened the publishing door. Landing a publishing deal has been a goal of mine for a few years. I gave a few heavy hitters a shot and fell short each time. It was difficult to even get their attention. But I’m glad God connected me with a unique publisher who welcomed me into the fold. (More about the publisher.)
Three (plus one) things coming in 2015.
Seminary starts in two weeks. I’m most excited about this. I love to learn, and seminary has been a dream of mine for awhile. I could never afford it, but I got tired of waiting. I’m trusting God and budgeting tightly. (More about my seminary here.)
Publishing lots of books. With the new publishing deal, I plan to release a number of books this year. The publisher will be printing my self-published books, Forgiveness and Faith, under their name. Lord willing, I’ll accompany those with devotional and shorter ebooks. In addition, I hope to have four to six ebooks published, ranging from small group study guides to life lessons on ministry.
Beginning new business venture. My work as a freelance designer and developer has taught me much—particularly my experiences with churches. This year, if the Lord wills, I’ll launch a highly-focused service for churches to help them communicate more effectively.
Goals galore! I like goals. They keep me thriving ahead. I’m still polishing up my goals for the year, but so far they involve running, saving, writing, dating, memorizing, and selling (not the same thing, though). Stay tuned for more about it all as the year passes.
Now you.
Use this time to reflect on your 2014 highlights and thank God for what He has done. Then, list the goals and things you anticipate for this year and pray that God will have His way in your life. Share your highlights and anticipations below in the comments. I want to hear from you.
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