New Years Eve 2011
Many people I know like to spend New Years Eve making plans or resolutions for the new year. I prefer to spend the night watching college football, which is one of my favorite sports to watch! However, I would like to take just a few moments and not only reflect on the year that was, but look forward to the new year to come.
2011 was a year full of events for my family and I. To begin the year, I changed jobs at the end of January going into an industry that I knew almost nothing about. The past 11 months of learning a new industry has been exciting, but it has been stressful at times. Not only that, but I had the joy and the responsibility of serving as Chairman of our group of Deacons at church. Normally that would not be too bad, but we were also at that time going through the process of finding a new pastor. We found God’s man for our church and welcomed Bro Chris Lewellen and his family to our church field in April.
Our youngest daughter Mandy and her husband John presented us with their first child, our second grandchild. One funny side note from the grandchild experience so far is that my wife and I raised two daughters while both our grandchildren are boys! I’ve told both Jennifer and Mandy that I don’t know much about raising boys. It’s going to be fun!
Of course with aging parents, there has been sickness to deal with and many other events that have taken place in our lives. When Mandy gave birth to Easton, she had to have a section, and developed a blood clot which went to her lung. We were afraid that she was not going to make it, but as I look back on this past year there is one constant through all of it. God was there with us!
It is so awesome to look back across time and see the hand of God working in our lives and in the lives of others around us. God has been faithful to us in more ways than I can even begin to name. He has blessed me with a wonderful wife who loves me as I am, warts and all. We will celebrate 31 years of marriage January 24. He has blessed me with two wonderful daughters, two godly sons-in-law, and two grandsons who are full of energy. You grandparents know exactly what I mean.
As I look forward to 2012, I am reminded of a passage in Proverbs chapter 16 verses 1-9. The main point of the passage is this, We can devise all the plans and ideas that we can possibly imagine or think, but it is God who orders our steps, who blesses our efforts, who accomplishes His plan in the earth in us and through us.
I know this post has been long and somewhat personal, but it is my prayer that everyone who reads will realize that we can haphazardly make resolutions and plans for the coming new year, but it is God who blesses these efforts if they are in His will and plan. As Proverbs 16:3 says” Commit your actions to the LORD and your plans will succeed.” NLT
Middle Age Ramblings 
Congrats on the new grandson! And I often consider the Proverbs verses mentioned and consider, too, Daniel 4:17 that reminds that God rules in the kingdom of men and sets over it the basest of men. Each has a political ideology and free will, but in it all, I believe God sits at the control panel… raising up kings and bringing down kings. And that He puts it in the heart of men to accomplish purposes of Divine magnitude.
Again, congrats on the new grandchild. So happy the mother is well. Hubby and I lost a son at birth in 1983. The experience was a beautiful reminder of the fragile balance between life and death…both physically and spiritually. Best wishes to you and your family for 2012.
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