A NEW YEAR (2018)

I am glad 2018 began with sunshine and blue skies! Black-eyed peas, hog jowl, cabbage, and cornbread at Grammy's for a late New Year's Day lunch. Back home now, a bright fire in the fireplace and Old Dominion on the radio. As I type, a pan of hot chocolate simmers on the stove and Helen is baking chocolate chip cookies...yum!

At lunch, my brother-in-law said he wants to be kinder to people and to have a more positive attitude in the year ahead. These are such awesome goals.

At this season in my life, I feel like I am waking up after a long gray zombie-fest. Like the fuzz is beginning to clear from my head after a heavy drug-induced sleep. Today in particular, the cold and the sunshine keen the senses...it is good to feel so alive.

Alive and looking forward to a new year.

This year, 2018, I want to pray more, to read more, to write more, to move more, to sing more, to laugh more, to go on more adventures. I want to be more honest about my feelings, about what I'm thinking, about my goals and dreams and desires and frustrations and fears. I want to live out my faith in more practical ways, with more conscious dependence on God and with fuller assurance of his presence and his favor. I guess, in short, I simply want to be more awake, present, and engaged, and more completely saturated with Christ.

Alive...and becoming more alive every day.

From where I'm sitting right now, it looks like 2018 is going to be a great year.

(Mmmmm, cookies are done!)