A new year

Here we are in 2011! Wooohoooo! I honestly don't think I ever fathomed us being this far in the world.  I mean, that is, as a child I always thought that the return of Christ would be before I was in my 20's and now at 23, I am appreciative of the fact that truly no man knows the hour.

I spent my New Years Eve here at the ranch; as my final act as recreation coordinator, I planned a fun bowling trip for all 36 of our boys including pizza, party favors, snacks, and beverages (plus 3 hours of unlimited play.)  The night was filled with fun as each participating boy stepped up to take their turn at cosmic bowling (many of them had never played before!) There were of course its' highs and lows at the event but it was very retrospective as not only was it the last day of the year but it was my last night in this position.

We stayed up late to watch the ball drop and as it did, I could not help but think there is nowhere else in the world that I would want to be at this point in time but here, counting down the new year, with these boys that God has given me the honor of working with.  It's a very rare moment in my life to be able to realize that things are exactly how I want them, right there . . . it usually takes some hind-sight thinking to remember how good things were.  With this new year, God has blessed me with the opportunity of working here, living out my dream, making a difference (I hope) in these boys lives.  And to be truthful, last night, there was nowhere else in the world I wanted to be then right there, celebrating God's blessing of a new year with them.

When I first started working with the boys, our Program Director gave my training class a challenge; to weigh our decisions here on the balance of justice and mercy.  For me, it has been a scale that has teetered on the side of mercy more than justice more often than not.  Which has brought me to a revelation for my own life - how many times do I, in my own circumstances, prefer mercy to justice? Are they not equally important?

And so my friends, along with my new years resolutions of:
1)  Training at the dojo at least twice a week
2) Allowing myself to be open to the possibilities of falling in love

I now have a third:
3) No more excuses.

If I have to come up with a sentence to explain something that could be put quite simply, then perhaps I protest too much.  Perhaps in my life I could afford to be more rigid on certain areas.  God created me to be loving, caring, and gentle but perhaps I could add a bit more strength behind that and not allow myself to be the push-over.

I encourage you, in whatever paths you are taking towards this new year, that you embrace where you are now.  Let God be glorified in the now.  Happy and blessed 2011!