Well, my family and I just got back in town late last night and we're already gearing up to leave again. Several months ago I booked a winter vacation for us to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We love Pagosa and try to go on a trip there every winter. However, having just been away for 10 days, I wish I would have planned this next trip with more time in between. We had a great time visiting with my family in Alabama over the Christmas Holidays. Unfortunately there was a Stomach Virus floating around and everyone in my family was sick for some of the time with the exception of my wife. I think my wife not getting sick was God's blessing because if she would have caught it, I don't know what we would have done. She was the nurse that we all needed :) This unforeseen sickness delayed our return trip by two days so it puts even more pressure on us as we try and get ready to leave again on Thursday.
2007, I look so forward to this year with an anticipation that I can't recall in recent years. I truly believe this will be a great year of harvest for Living Springs Church. This year we will embark in new and creative ministry like we've never done before. We'll try new things without the fear of failure because we realize experimentation leads to discovery! We'll experiment and discover effective means of presenting Jesus to our community with relevance and purpose. The first sermon series that we'll be branding this year will be "WANTED!" It's a sort of spin-off from my sermon late this past year titled: Becoming a Messy Church. We're going on a search for all those that feel helpless, unwanted, unloved and hopeless. We're going to get "invitational" with messy people. Jesus invited people to himself, regardless of their problems or their past. We will do the same!
2007 represents a full year of uncharted territory and I'm eager to begin blazing a path all the way through it!
Are you? What are you most looking forward to this New Year?
2 comments:
Hello Shannon,
Welcome Back, and Happy New Year.
I'm sorry to read about the stomach virus that hit your family. That can definitely make celebrating a season such as this a bit of a downer.
To be honest I have been appoaching 2007 with a bit of apprehension. Reading, however, the blog from a few days ago of my terminally ill niece where she is taking the words of the angel to the shepherds, "Fear Not!" as meant for her for 2007, I have been challenged to do the same.
I am beginning to look forward to what God will do as we move forward by faith in this regard.
Colin,
Thanks and Happy New Year to you and yours as well!
Fear Not! Those are two words that I believe we all do well to heed as we venture into this New Year. The prospect of the unknown is many times "fearful" but trusting God in the uncertainty always seems to diminish those fears enough that we can still move forward. I would rather move cautiously through uncertainty while holding firmly to God than rushing into uncertainty haphazardly in front of God.
I pray this New Year will bring great joy and victory to you, your family and your niece, Colin.
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