Last night the second hand ticked toward midnight as millions of people counted down 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 toward the New Year. Then celebrations and fireworks erupted all over the world. In the midst of the celebration people stopped counting…but the countdown continued anyway. Each of us has only so many days on this earth and the seconds are counting down until those days are over. There are really only four things that will make 2014 and the rest of the moments in our lives meaningful.
Relationships!
Relationship with the people we love.
Relationship with the people who love us.
Relationship with the God who loves us.
Relationship with people who need our love.
Every victory, advance, and possession fades in significance unless it enhances those relationships. It was a good year for us. But the best moments of the year do not appear on a spreadsheet or in a balance ledger. They are recorded in the smiles of little people, in a renewed depth of love in my marriage, in the hope I have seen in the eyes of those who felt hopeless, and in my increasing awareness of the depth of God’s love.
I hope I may have helped bring at least one special moment to your life.
I want to be a part of making 2014 a Happy New Year for you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life.
Comments
Very nice!
It was when I drove all the way from fresno, ca toWashington. I knew God was with me and change was coming on spiritualy.
Happy
My most special moment in 2013 came while lieing beside a small mountain stream after riding all day with my daughter and son-in-law. The horses were grazing around us, the sky was so blue it hurt your eyes, and we wondered if that was how Heaven will be. I wrote a blog post about it. It was one of the best moments of my life. Thank you for asking Ken!
For me it has actually been a moment that has turned into an several month journey. My wife and in September realized we had let a small business we own consume us and become more than a part time job for a stay at home mom. God put it on my heart to take back ijr family and not let work consume us. Over the past months since he showed us a way to keep the business and he allowed it to be very successful and back to being a part time seasonal store. Our marriage and family is SO much better because of this and now with our fourth chil d on the way my wife can be a stay at home mom again.
Thank you for this great story Adam. When does the new baby arrive!
Oh good night! You bring fun and joy to my life every day! Love you friend!
I was suffering from congestive heart failure. Jesus gave me a new heart and
then healed my marriage. All is new again-it’s time to start living fully and letting His glory shine.
What a great way to start the new year!
My best memory of 2013 was being commissioned and ordained as a minister in The Salvation Army in Australia with 18 other friends that I had journeyed with for the past two years and count myself blessed to be a part of their lives.
My 2 year old daughter walking in the room and saying, “What smells? IS THAT YOU DADDY!” I love her anyway…
I remember my kids blaming me for every strange odor they encountered. Unfortunately I had given them reason to be suspicious.
We have followed you for many years and had the opportunity to see you in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. As I recall you were there visiting relatives, don’t you think it is time you visit them again, we never laughed so hard…thank you for the fun time.
525,600 minutes in a year. What would the world be like if everyone took at least 365 of those, one minute each day, to stop whatever we’re doing and truly give thanks for the relationships in our lives?
New year greetings from the North Dakota tundra Ken. I enjoy your sharing of humor and faith so very much!
Eleven months ago….Rozz, my devoted wife of 38 years finished a year of treatments following a mastectomy, for breast cancer. Rozz also has MS. Her oncologist suggested she see her Neurologist, just to get a baseline on the MS. After what was supposed to be a routine MRI, her neurologist told us that she had a sizeable aneurysm in the right frontal lobe of her brain. A whirlwind of tests, and trips to the International Aneurysm Center in St. Paul followed. In early February Rozz had a successful open cranial surgery to repair the aneurysm. She has bounced back remarkably well. The cancer is in remission, and her MS hasn’t worsened.
At the end of October, I retired from my career after twenty-nine years. I’ve been able to start leading one bible study and continue to work on expanding my music ministry. Rozz has decided to retire from her career in May, after thirty-seven years. She’s looking forward to having all the time she wants to enjoy gardening and relaxing in 2014. No special individual moments from 2013 come immediately to mind, because the number of blessings that have come to us are immeasurable! To any and all who might have occasion to read these paragraphs, please know this; No matter what might come your way, give the glory to God. Your faith is always justified, because God is good all the time!
It was a special moment for me in 2014 (30 minutes ago) when I was driving my son home from the high school basketball game and I heard your voice on a familiar yet abandoned-by-my-family radio station. I paused to listen… your spirit gives reflects and therefore gifts my heart with hope. You make me laugh out loud and that very rarely happens. Thank you. 🙂