Must have been a GoodYear cause I'm Tired.

It's 11:30 as I am starting to write this blog entry- I'm sipping on a wonderful mug of Manitoba Rooibos tea from Cornelea Bean trying to stay awake to ring in the new year.  For some reason I just felt content with staying home this year, making some wings, watching a movie, and then chatting on and off with some friends as the final minutes of 2010 ticked by.  Maybe it's a measure of where things are at in my life...  there has been so much uncertainty in the past couple of years - everything from what I would do for a living to whether God desired me to stay single (despite my longing for companionship), and I suddenly sit here right now in awe of God's teaching, discipline, and provision. 

It's not that I wasn't thankful before- I was; and it's not like there are no longer any uncertainties in my life- there are. It's just been a year where more has changed for me than I've experienced in a very long time, and the changes have been good. There's been difficulties along the way, usually resulting from some sort of bad decision on my part, but I count them all as ways that God has continued to mould me as a potter moulds clay, and yes sometimes removing the lumps is painful.  Thing is, it's really nice when you start to see glimpses of a smooth surface making their way through, especially when you know that it's not of your own doing but by the grace of God Himself. 

I'm not really one for New Years resolutions, but I do have New Years prayers. I pray that God would continue His work in me; that He would grant me wisdom as I learn what it means to fill this role of "pastor" for a wonderful church family, as I learn how to care for a girlfriend whom I am truly thankful for,  and as I continue to strive to share the love of Jesus with all whom I know. It is on the third point that I most definitely fail the most often, but that leads directly to my thankfulness for grace. 

To all who read, may you experience the wonder of God and the presence of His Holy Spirit through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ our Saviour. May you know His love, and may He grant you His peace. Happy New Year.

in love.

ben.