This year, I have marked a few milestones in my life. 

I have been blogging (again) for ten whole years. Tomorrow will be post-2750. I always debate quitting, but God continues to show me that he is working through my writing for the good of his kingdom. Plus, I genuinely enjoy writing, even if no one ever reads it. It is incredibly fulfilling to go back and read old posts to see how I have grown as a Christian.

In September, I completed 30 years of preaching in a local Church. I spent 18 months doing it part-time as a college student and then went into it full-time. There have been several occasions where I thought about quitting, and one time, there were a couple of months between ministries where I didn’t preach, but overall, this is the career in which I invested my life.

My third son graduated from college and started his career. Three of my four boys have undergraduate degrees and are doing well in their jobs. My final son will be done before long, and my boys will all be officially adults. The time has flown.

I am celebrating 29 years of marriage. It has been a fantastic journey of ministry, parenting, and marriage. Our life is always an adventure of family and following God together. This year, we took a lovely trip together through Tennessee and Arkansas. We dream of taking a wonderful extended vacation for our thirtieth anniversary next year.

If you know me, you know I continue to dream of the future and am never content with the past. What does God want me to do at the Church I am leading? What are the next steps on our journey of faith and ministry? How can I have my most significant impact for the kingdom of God?

My plans include continuing to find a staff member to help me in ministry work. I am going to disciple as many people as possible. That consists of a one-year Bible reading group, at least 3-4 people in individual intentional discipleship, training and developing our leaders, leading a small group or two or three, and preaching 48 times. 

Every year at this time, I sit at the edge of the calendar and gaze into the new year. It is hard to imagine what the next 365 days will bring, but I am ready for God to lead me every step of the way, and I hope you are as well.