Thank you Gene Autry for your song, "Back in the Saddle Again"

As John Denver would say, "Ain't it good to be back home again." I told my wife in the middle of last week how much I was missing my daily work routine. She commented how this type of attitude is why she can't see me even thinking about thinking about retirement. But, it is good to welcome you to the first official episode of a brand new year, here on this Monday, January 3, 2011. I lived my entire first 53 years writing 19xx and then we landed on that huge predicted nightmare, the Y2K, year 2000 hysteria. Everything from all clocks blowing up to computer failures along with some who even predicted the end of the world was out there to keep people awake and alert to see what might happen. Everyone sat on the edge of their seat but basically it went off without a hitch and we continued our clicking off of the years. Now I start the 12th year of writing 20xx and somehow it doesn't seem that difficult to move from 2010 to 2011. One thing I would add about the year 2000 fiasco. One day God will bring about the end of the world as we know it and it will be according to His time table not ours. Many conclude that things will go on just like they are forever. The Apostle Peter addressed that very thought and essentially said this was exactly the thinking of those in Noah's day but there did come a day when the door of the Ark was closed and all those who were outside were destroyed by the flood. He went on to say that one day God will do the same thing again with millions thinking something other than that which God has promised. You can read about this in 2 Peter Chapter 3.

Don't get me wrong. I have greatly enjoyed my time off. I am thankful for the Company I work for in how our owner has always tried to give us a break during the holidays. Our family closed the book on 2010 as a year in which we dealt with what seemed to be a huge number of challenges. You most likely did also. No one said that this life would be easy. In fact, the Bible teaches that this life is one filled with difficulties and troubles. Before we think about throwing in the towel we need to finish the thought our Savior left us with. He said that while we will face tribulations, that we were not to lose heart, because He had overcome the forces of all those troubles. (John Chapter 16) The Apostle Paul wrote how that some believers were inclined to try and withdraw from life and do their best to remove all contact with the evil world that surrounds the believer's day by day living. Paul's summation was clear. This is not only impossible but it is also not what God intended for us. (1st Corinthians Chapter 5) He has called us to be salt and light to this fallen world and that includes engaging the culture around us. (Matthew Chapter 5) I am not trying to hit us all over the head with the Bible but it does help for us to see how God has provided us with a daily guide to chart our course here on the planet. I wrote a Crosstrainer theme song one year that reminded us all how that if we are to know how to make it each day, we have to look in the Book. That was good advice to our clubbers back then, and it is an excellent reminder for each of us as we seek to make sense out of our brand new year.

We said farewell to a number of our friends in 2010. My wife and I lost perhaps the greatest neighbor who ever existed as a next door friend. Our dear Ruth meant so much to us and it brings tears to my eyes as I leave her phone number off my calendar book for 2011. Just neighbors, but we had a bond that was like a huge blessing that we can only look back on and thank God for. I can hear her hearty laugh as I write my blog today and I can see her straining to show her love and concern for us all. Her and her husband Ellis were one of a kind people and they are now together once again. We lost others as well. Our dear Bro. Johnny from within our local fellowship was an icon for sincerity and love. He was the 'candy man' and today those candy baskets sitting around in our facilities remind us of his huge smile and warm heart. Okay. Let me see if I have this right? You can be remembered for many different things but how about being remembered like Bro. Johnny? You can't convince me that all the world's accolades would match something as simple as this. The good news is the expression I heard when I attended the funeral service for my secretary's mom many years ago. It was my first time to be at a large black Church and I will never forget the comments of a tiny little black preacher. He addressed the family by saying this: "You haven't lost anything because to lose something means you do not know where it is. And, you do know where your loved one is, therefore, you haven't lost anything, you are just waiting to be reunited with her." That's how we feel about our Ruth, our former pastor Bro. Jess Hill, one of the greatest soul winners we've known, and our Bro. Johnny, and my Uncle Asa, and so many others I could name. Based on their testimony of faith in Jesus, they are not lost. They are where Jesus said He would be and we look forward to seeing Him and all of them again, maybe soon. Well, we are off and running, and I continue to be encouraged and I encourage each of you as we all seek to embrace the life God has given to us in 2011. Amen.     ......More later.