The beginning of a new year is usually a time of reflection – looking back over the last year – dreaming, planning, setting goals for the new year. For many it is a day of football and food.

  • I began the day praying, thinking, reading. I’m not great at resolutions – they create a lot of pressure and then guilt when I don’t follow the resolve. So I pray about things I believe need to happen and share the responsibility with God. Most of what I’d like to see happen in 2009 can’t happen without Him anyway.
  • Then I went for a 5-mile run which was a continuation of the praying, dreaming and thinking about the new year. This was the longest run since surgery and I was reminded how fortunate I am to be able to run.
  • I spent time reading  on Caringbridge.com about Lia, the three week-old daughter of friends in Idaho, who is battling for her life. I grieve with them because there seem to be no answers for the health issues she has.
  • I’ll spend part of the day making ginger bread men with my grandchildren. It has become a tradition. This is probably the 7th year.
  • I hope to watch a little football – perhaps take a nap (they seem to go together).
  • Tomorrow I am meeting with two men. We are trying to study the life of Christ together to learn more of His discipleship strategy. Both of these young men are serious about their faith – so I will spend some time today praying about how best to challenge them and continue to help them grow.
  • There will be a leadership meeting next week. I will spend some time today preparing for it – looking for ways to challenge them to each have prayer partners and to think about their individual ministries as discipling opportunities – asking them to find someone to really invest in this next year.
  • A part of my praying this morning and my reflecting as I ran was about how to really create a disciple-making movement. I believe the stage is set. I don’t want to miss the opportunities.

New Year’s day is an odd day. It marks the change of a calendar. It comes as often as not in the middle of the week – sort of an interruption to the flow of normal life. It isn’t like Christmas which is a holy day and it seems one should keep it a bit more sacred. Today is simply one of those secular holidays (oxymoron). It does provide a break – a time to catch up on unfinished stuff and perhaps gain perspective as we look to the new year. It is also an excuse to be with family.

So it is a good day. It started well and I assume it will finish the same. The challenge will be not to finish the day well but to finish the year well. I’m thankful for a good start.