It’s time for me to write another post and reflect on the passing year. This post may not be as long as some that I’ve written, but here goes:
Budget Crunch
I’ll start out with the bad news: this was a tough year financially. Record-level inflation, increased costs of living, and high gas prices made things difficult (I’m sure many who are reading this can relate). But it was also one of those years where it seemed that anything that could break did (I’m talking about expensive stuff, like car engines and teeth).
This may come across as a complaint, but it isn’t intended that way. I want to look back at this blog post and remember God’s faithfulness and provisions. We are blessed!
School Days
Clark began attending pre-kindergarten a nearby school this year. He loves his teachers and classmates, and wants to get up and attend every morning. It’s yet another reminder that the time is flying by and he’s growing up.
School did seem to bring some extra sniffles and sneezes into our lives, but that’s OK, too–might as well let Clark build up his immunity.
Notable Books
I didn’t read quite as many books this year (something I need to change next year). Anyway, I did read Trueman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. This book was kind of an autopsy of Western civilization. In other words, the author explained how we have reached such an absurd place in Western thought–a place where believing in objective biological realities about gender is now considered narrow-minded and bigoted. This book was helpful for cultural understanding but a bit difficult to slog through. I wish I had instead read Strange New World, Trueman’s newer book. I hear that it is updated and more readable (less academically oriented).
I also read James Snyder’s The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God. I’ve always loved Tozer’s writing, but I’ve never taken the time to learn much about his life. Snyder did a commendable job of describing both Tozer’s deep love for God and his flaws as a family man. Tozer was faithful to his wife, but he was emotionally distant as a husband and father. This shocked me and I’m still not sure how to wrap my mind around it (definitely another reason to avoid hero worship of one’s favorite preacher/author). Snyder was even-handed as a biographer: honest but not overly critical. I found this book to be very compelling and finished it quickly.
Church/Ministry
Some really good things happened in our church this year. Covid was no longer an issue (at least not in the way it has been) and we’ve had some new younger couples join our church. We also had a good friend of mine who is a pastor join our congregation. I’m thankful for these blessings! This was the first time in a couple of years that we’ve been able to return to a full ministry schedule (vacation Bible school, trunk or treat, etc.).
I finished preaching through Romans and I’m now preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. The more I study God’s word the more I find myself in awe of it!
Family
God continued to bless our family this year. We’ve enjoyed watching our son grow up, another year of marriage, and we’ve had opportunities to visit my family in Alabama. We came to celebrate dad’s birthday back in May and we are spending the holidays in Alabama as I write (first time since 2015).
Future
2023 has already thrown us one little curve ball: we will be celebrating the first couple of days of it here in Alabama instead of Texas. Our return flight was one of thousands that were cancelled by Southwest. That’s no big deal, especially considering that I wrote about God’s prerogative to change our plans.
I know 2023 will be full of challenges, opportunities, and changes. I’m looking forward to seeing what He does through all of these.
Happy New Year!
