This is not the usual short blog from me- you’re going to
need patience to read it, but there’s a REWARD if you get to the end.
I don’t go in for too much reflection on these pages, but
2017 was a life-changing year, so here goes.
I’m so grateful for such a wonderful wife. My youngest
daughter constantly reminds me that I managed to secure a beautiful woman- well
beyond everyone’s expectations! And to have four children and two kids-in-law,
all of whom love God is an amazing blessing. As for the two grandkids, don’t
get me started!
As I REFLECT on the year, it was mixed, with doors closing
and others opening. To be dropped from the lead team for our Leicester church
was a real sadness. We remain leaders in various capacities at ‘home base’ in
Peterborough and will continue to support Leicester as much as we can.
But other doors opened. Not least with the Leprosy Mission
and Mission24. To be Chair of the Leprosy Mission England & Wales is an
immense privilege. This often forgotten and still stigmatised sickness deserves
all the support we can give.
And to be Team Pastor for Mission24 was one of the greatest
surprises of 2017. It matches my passions for teaching and for encouraging the
next generation. As part of this, working with Jonathan Conrathe and Carlos
Anacondia in Argentina was personally life changing. I was well and truly
REVIVED. I look forward to continuing
the work with our ten Mission24 Interns into the New Year.
Book writing has come on apace. One book was published this
year and hopefully, there will be two next year. I’m mainly writing biographies and ghost
writing autobiographies. I love it!
And the blogs trundle on too. I’m retired from the pensions
industry but I give some support to Pension Geeks- and for that I get the best
job title in the world: Executive Geek! The Pension blog is mainly along the
lines of pension communications. The Church History blog is very occasional,
but reflects my love for it. And this blog has now been read by over 80,000
people from its start back in December 2006. I don’t think that’s record
breaking or anything, but it seems to work. I have readers from all around the
world, including Europe, India, Africa, the America’s and even Russia and
China. (If that’s you- thank you for reading).
As to next year, I look for God to continue to RENEW me. And
there’s the challenge for you too. You’ve read this far. Read on and be
RENEWED. We give New Year resolutions a hard time, but the New Year is a
watershed moment in the calendar, and we can use it as a memorable moment in
our own lives. A date we can attach to change.
Here’s the REWARD for reading this far: Decide on two
things. One thing to drop for the New Year and one to start. The one you drop
doesn’t necessarily have to be something bad. It may be something that has run
its course. Something that needs REPLACING. As to the new, make it attainable –
a step at a time. Not a RESOLUTION that gets broken in the first few days of
the New Year. Small steps work. Martin Luther King said ‘Faith is taking the first step even when you
don't see the whole staircase.’
Decide on those two
things. One to drop. One to start. If you’re a pray-er, pray about it. If you’re
a thinker, think about it. But make the changes. A step at a time. I pray your
REFLECTING results in REVIVAL and RENEWAL in 2018.