Back in the saddle (now if I could just find the horse)

I missed it, missed it all nearly. I missed saying goodbye to the old year. My sick(weak)ness of the past week just plopped me into bed for what seemed the millionth time, and I basically slept/lay in bed for all of Dec. 31. No party. No food. No friends. No good times.

Well, except for the food part that sounds a lot like much of the past few years, but this time I was in bed as the word's firework's market exploded (literally) around me in Eunice.

I woke yesterday, finally rose from the sleep of the dead and moved my base of operation to the couch, which I stayed the rest of the dreary, wet New Year's Day.

Now? Back to work, with so much to do and so little time to accomplish it. But goodness, I feel better. Other than an occasional cough that would scare a suicide-bomber, I'm okay.

I still, however, need to look back to 2012. As 2011 came to conclusion, I, as always, looked forward. But in my wildest dreams I couldn't have seen a move to Eunice coming. It's been a good thing, with its own set of challenges, as have the other churches in Iota and Kinder. God has guided us through all this.

As 2012 drove headlong into 2013, I again simply bow to God's presence and will. I have no idea where we're headed, what we will do when we arrive or even if I know we will arrive. I'd like to invite any and all of my readers to consider going to Israel on a trip with Mary and I in January of 2014. We'll be saving and planning that trip all year, I'm sure.

But for the most part, let's pray that the things we brought with us into the new year become fixable. Our divisive nature, our violent nature, our misunderstanding of what grace really means, our ability to work together on anything all need to be worked hard on. We need to change. All.