It's New Year's Eve 2009! what are you thinking about? When you read this, New Years will probably have past and you will only be able to reflect on your actions of this night. Some will spend this evening with friends, some will spend it alone, some with family and others at special events. I will be with close friends that have Pastored for many years. The Lord has blessed their efforts and many have come to have a relationship with the Lord because of their faith. They parallel Jeanine and I in our desires for ministry, marriage and family. We share special events and holidays together because we share a common desire to do ministry as an occupation. This "race" that we run together is strengthened in the Lord's power, but we benefit from the encouragment from eachother as well. Tonight, I will reflect back on a friendship that the Lord brought about for 30 years now between my friend Kelly and I. Not many people share something like that. Because of this friendship and mutual dedication to serving the Lord, we were blessed with wives that are best friends, and our children are all best friends (cousins!) and we will all gather together. A friendship that spans 30 years that involves 11 people in our families, hundreds if not thousands of individuals that we have served over that span of time, and a dedication and love that has been a halmark of our lives and will continue to be for a long time to come. This friendship and these to families are rooted in Jesus Christ - do you have friends like this? If not, make that a goal for 2010 would you? I can look back at the past year and say that I was able to serve better due to a strong, Godly friendship that I have and that can never be taken away. I can't wait for what this next year holds - Kelly - we will persevere and overcome for the Lord and see great things happen this following year.
