Out With the Old

Out with the old, in with the new. I've tried really hard to come up with a clever blog for New Year's Eve, but don't think it is going to happen. So, I'll keep this extremely simple (not hard for me). As 2010 comes to an end in a few hours I am reminded of one of the great gifts of God, the gift of cycles (not the motorized kind!). God has built cycles into every area of creation. I love that facet of creation because cycles bring new beginnings, fresh starts, opportunities to start over.

It is true that there is no rewind button for life, but there are multiple opportunities to start again. Though we can never undo what we have done, we can start fresh and do it better or differently. God knew we would need this. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months years, decades . . . they are all cycles. And each offers the blessing of starting over.

So, goodbye 2010. The good, the bad and the ugly are in the books of history, never to be lived again. Hello, 2011. Here's hoping for more good than bad, more positive than negative, and more growth than stagnation. Like all who read this blog, I am clueless as to what 2011 will bring, but God is not. He already knows what will happen down to the smallest detail. I'm glad He is my partner through life.

Happy New Year to all!

2010 Christmas Day Hunt

We continued the tradition of the Christmas Day Hunt again this year. Once again the kids (adult kids) had to use their mental and physical abilities to find their gifts. The first thing they had to do was to decipher an encrypted message and follow its instruction. They had to purchase goodies, make a basket, and take it to the maternity waiting room at Baptist hospital. Last year they handed out candy canes at St. Bernard's and enjoyed the opportunity to minister to others. This year they did it in a slightly different way.

Following that, they made their way out to Ridgefield Christian School, where all of their gifts were hidden. They found gifts in dugouts, buried under gravel in the playground, behind rocks and hanging in trees. In addition to finding hidden gifts they had to make a series basketball shots and figure out a number of brainteasers. When all the gifts were collected, we returned to the house to open gifts and enjoy a Mexican meal. We started a new tradition this year by having a birthday party for Jesus, cookie cake and balloons. The girls closed out the evening with their annual Ginger Bread House contest.

It has been great having Joy home for a couple of weeks. We love having all the girls and their families here together. We had a marvelous Christmas weekend. And, we have more Christmas to enjoy, as Jan's family will be coming to Jonesboro this weekend.

We are so blessed. To God be the glory.

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

As I write this, I am listening to my second favorite rendition of "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" by Trisha Yearwood. My favorite version is the one Jan sings. I always love to hear her sing. God blessed her with an incredible voice, a love for singing and with a musical heritage. Whenever her family gets together they usually find time to gather around the piano and sing the old Gospel songs.

Sweet Little Jesus Boy. What a simple expression of truth.

Sweet little Jesus boy,
They made you be born in a manger.
Sweet little holy child,
We didn't know who you were.
Didn't know you'd come to save us Lord,
To take our sins away.
Our eyes were blind, we could not see,
We didn't know who you were.

How sad that so many still don't know who He is. My prayer for this Christmas season is that many will gain a new understanding who Jesus is.

Merry Christmas.