Reflections

A little more than a year ago, I was unemployed. We lived in an apartment, cramped. We had moved a few short months prior several thousand miles (again) to an area unfamiliar, unknown.

It is never easy. It’s not. We make friends. We grow to love the area. Leaving is hard. It kicks up stuff like loss. We leave the area and friends we love. We start all over, again.

New work. New schools. New friends. New church. We learn the area, fun and free things to do (some not so free). The “new” is exciting. We like adventure probably more than I’d like to admit.

But, being without work for several months, it has been tough to recover. God provides. It does not always look like we might expect. But, He is with us. He doesn’t leave or forsake us. He gives us a comfort and peace that only He can provide.

Sometimes, He provides additional work. In August, I started providing online therapy to clients. This has been a blessing to me personally and to my family. It helps me stay sharp. My wife, too, has been able to shoot second for various pictures. She’s still working on getting her photography going in East Tennessee. God will provide.

About a year ago, my dad and I reconnected after a long, long estranged period. While awkward at first, it has been a huge blessing to me personally and to my family. We’ve been able to enjoy one another. In fact, today (Christmas 2018), it hit me that it’s been about a year since we reconnected.

In June, I was able to travel to Cleveland for work. I attended an Indians game—something I always wanted to do—and toured the city, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (While interesting, it was a bit of a letdown. There were some definite cool things there, though.) The city itself did not disappoint. There were some warm people in Cleveland. Plus, I was able to connect with some colleagues and get to know them better. Interestingly, I discovered one of my colleagues has a sister-in-law with whom my wife was best friends in elementary school. Yet, it took traveling to Cleveland to figure that out.

In July, I reconnected with a friend estranged for even a greater number of years. Since then, we’ve been in communication near-daily and have visited several times as well. It’s been truly a blessing for me and my family to have that reconnection. My oldest received his learner’s permit.

In August, I started working as a counselor online part-time. At first, I saw international and Montana clients. Recently, I’ve scaled back to just seeing Montana clients. This opportunity also allows me to work with Christians in a therapeutic setting as well. I’ve met some awesome people; I’ve seen some great progress. I’ve seen something work that I believed would be possible years ago. It is still true if you put the work in, you tend to see the results. Also, in August, the kids returned to school. My youngest began his band career; so far, he really loves it. Recently, he was asked to play the oboe and is excited about that.

In October, my wife celebrated a milestone birthday, and we were able to do that with new friends. Earlier in October, she was cleared medically from a scary illness. Thank God she was clear! My wife and I worked Halloween at our church. (We really did work, too!)

In November, we had a bittersweet Thanksgiving. While we enjoyed our time with family and friends, we also saw loved ones lose loved ones. The news came within 30 minutes of one another. We’re still praying for their hurt, for the hole that’s left.

In December, we celebrated Christmas together and with friends and family. We are grateful for being able to do so. Interestingly, we saw some things one would not usually expect to see in places that aren’t inviting to trouble per se. While shockingly unexpected, we still know that God is/was at work, even in that sad, awkward situation.

My word for 2018 is trust. I’d like to say I’ve been more trusting. I realize my knee-jerk reaction oftentimes is to spiral down when something negative happens or when something goes unexpectedly. With God and my wife’s help, I can sometimes catch myself before I spiral. It’s hard work! I tell you, though, that there have been things that happened throughout the year, and as a family, we realized I don’t do some of the things I used to do. That’s growth. That’s God.

I’ve already been thinking about 2019. My word will be love. I don’t know what 2019 will bring. I’m excited, though. There’s a lot of stuff left to explore and hopefully more memories to be made. I’d encourage you if you know Jesus but don’t call Him Lord to open yourself up to that possibility. I can’t tell you what it means to be unified in faith as a family, how powerful that is. I pray friends and family  will learn about Jesus and call Him Lord.

If you haven’t read anything previously, here’s a quick review. Visit Christ-led Leadership and let me know what you think. If I were to pick a favorite, I love the idea of Mosaic. If you have a favorite, let me know. If you see mistakes, please let me know that, too. God bless you and yours in 2019!

January 2018—I wrote a piece called Mosaic about the world coming together to create the image of Christ. In a world that tries sometimes too hard to present we have division and conflict, Jesus unites. If we imitate and love others like Him, the world will be a better peace.

February 2018—I wrote Prodigal Children. I relate how we all are essentially prodigals with regard to Jesus. He awaits us to turn to Him. Jesus followers and those who follow science both maintain a faith-based approach. It’s interesting that, as children, we believe…lots of things. As we grow, perhaps that changes. But, just know that Jesus is there, awaiting for us to return to His loving arms.

March 2018—I wrote Worthy. I talk about how we get caught in a battle between choosing ourselves over our Savior. God provides for the birds, and He provides for us, too. Even though we were without a home for a few days and I was without work, God provided. He continues to do so.

April 2018—I wrote Go. Going looks different for all of us. Be receptive to what your “go” looks like.

May 2018—What My Dog Taught Me About Jesus. Our Great Dane had some health complications that caught us off guard and scared us. We changed his food, and he has been better. But, the point of this article is our pets can teach us a lot about treating others like Jesus.

June 2018—The Business of Busyness. I traveled to Cleveland for work. I had time to observe just how “busy” we all can be or how busy we are perceived to be. With the travel and technology, we seem connected, but are we talking with one another? Are we treating one another with love and respect?

July 2018—Stages of Loss. Grief knows know boundaries. We all experience it. I think one of the best things all of us can do is understand the 5 stages of grief. Read this piece at www.christledleadership.com or www.grief.com. Please?

August 2018—Recognizing Spiritual Attacks. Listen, I never realized how this stuff works. I was skeptical. For many years. Yet, a few years ago, my eyes were opened. I found a couple of articles and summarized them while sharing some experiences. Recently, I added an update. Please read this and be aware of how this stuff works.

September 2018—The Synchronicity of the Spirit. A long time ago, I believed in coincidences. These days, I believe in God’s providence. I’ve mentioned a few things in this piece today about how God weaves things together (see the information above about Cleveland and my wife’s best friend). I’ve operated under the belief “if you look, you will see” for some time. I think it’s still true. It goes the way of skeptics; it goes the way of Christ followers. If you look for something (evidence?), you likely will find it. In whatever way you’re looking. If you’re a skeptic, you’ll find evidence for it. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ll find evidence for Him. I choose Jesus.

October 2018—(Un)Conditional Love? Love is talked about as something that is freely, unconditionally given. Again, if we look for it, I think we’ll see it. Sometimes, it seems hard. What if we love like Jesus?

November 2018—When Restlessness Leads to Rest. Sometimes, we chase something, hoping for something else. I chased the idea of home for a while. I realized home is where my family is, no matter if it’s in the Rockies or the Smokeys.

December 2018—Summarizing 2018. I appreciate each of you. I pray for you. If you pray, pray for me and my family, too. I wish you a great 2019, one that’s filled with love, happiness, faith, friends, and family. I’d challenge you to consider a word for 2019. Think about it; pray about it. My family and I did this for 2018, and it was interesting to see how it worked. You might just learn something about yourself. Also, I’d encourage you to try something different. If you haven’t considered Jesus before, live as He suggests for a month. See what happens. I pray God richly bless you, comfort you in your heartaches, and show you what His love is all about. We have one Earth and one race—the human race. Love God; love others.

#Reflections #NewYear #Goals #YearInReview #Jesus