GOODBY 2014; HELLO 2015 !!!

     Here we are, at the end of another year. Today being Wednesday, it is also time for another Hodgepodge of questions from our friend Joyce. I hope that you enjoy this year end edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.

     Actually this occurred on the day after Christmas. SWMBO and I cooked a turkey breast, my famous meat stuffing, mashed potatoes, mixed steamed veggies and toasted the occasion with sparkling apple cider. We had a wonderful meal with wonderful conversation in the quiet of our home. It was magical!

2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?

     As I reflect upon the past I remember the assassinations of the 60's, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy. I remember the TET Offensive of 1968 in Vietnam. I remember the first manned moon landing and the "Giant leap for all mankind" made by Neil Armstrong. In the more recent past, the attacks of 9/11/2001. I think that the terrorist attack on 9/11 was the biggest news event of my lifetime. Yeah, I'm going with that!

3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either? 

     My "Man" genes will not let me comment on this question. Men have lost their "man card" for much less.

4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.

     The historian in me wants me to meet my ancestors. However, my curiosity urges me to see how my progeny makes out. It's a tough call! I think I'm going into the future to see my great grandchildren. I'm curious to see if the future is as wondrous and exciting a place as my hopeful vision anticipates it will be or is it a return to a futuristic form of the Dark Ages?

5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

     "Don't sweat the small stuff and most of it is small stuff!" I have a keener view of what really is important. Most of the stuff that we get our tails wrapped around the axle over is amazingly unimportant and not worth the investment of emotion or time!

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014?

     I really don't know. I don't have need of anything. I don't really want anything. I am very much content with what I have...I don't want for anything. I can't think of anything I bought that fits the premise of this question.

7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?

    Becoming better...I want to be a better Christian man, I want to be a better Christian husband, I want to be a better Christian father and grandfather and I want to be a better church leader. When I look back on the year 2015, I want to be able to honestly say that I have made progress in all of these areas and more. I want to be the man that God created me to be!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

     Last Sunday morning I was given the opportunity to preach the sermon during the worship service. My theme was that the one thing that we all can count on for the future is change. Everyone of us will experience change to some extent in the coming months. So, how might we mitigate the impact of those changes. I describe three things that will go a long way to doing that...DAILY PRAYER...DAILY BIBLE READING...DAILY CHRISTLIKE LIVING. 
     I described what prayer is, namely talking to God. I then shared a couple of Biblical teachings on how we ought to pray. Finally I suggested what we should pray for. Simply stated, we should pray for everything. I did cite some specific items we ought to pray for.
     I next discussed the importance of Daily Bible Reading. If prayer is us talking to God then Bible Reading is God talking to us. Both Prayer and daily Bible Reading are essential disciplines for the spiritual health of all of God's people. Doing so daily will lead to the ability to consistently live a Christlike life.
     Reading the Bible is instructive to us as to how a Child of God ought to conduct himself. The Sermon on the Mount as preached by Jesus Himself, the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Ephesians and the Apostle Peter's Letters to the church are just three places replete with teaching on Christlike living. There are many more!
     So as the New Year dawns upon us all,  I urge all of you to consider doing those three things, especially if you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian there are many like me who would be all too happy to show you how. You have but to ask.
     I sincerely wish that all of you are lavishly blessed by God with all the best of health, prosperity and happiness that the New Year has to offer.