2008 Over, but not forgotten

There are lots of things that people will remember from 2008 as we now embark on 2009. It has been a year in which I have learned more than quite possibly any other year in my life. The most important lessons that I have learned in the past year are this. I spend too much time thinking about things and far too little time thinking about God and people. I learned that every minute is a gift from God and should not be taken for granted. I learned that pregnancies do not always end in healthy babies. I learned that being a pastor is both more challenging and more rewarding than I could have imagined. I have learned that no one is strong enough to make it on their own. We all need people, I would call this community. I have learned that God can do more than you think He can. I have learned that God uses ordinary men. I have learned that no matter how long I am sick, no matter how long I grieve, no matter how much I hurt God knows my pain and walks with me. I have learned that God really is a God of love. I have learned that I love myself a lot more when I recognize God's love for me. I have learned that churches do not change and that is sad. I have learned that God is bigger than church, but that God is active in the church. I have learned that there is only so much one person can do and that God does not require more than He has called me to give. I have continued to learn the power of sin and the enemy. I am beginning to see the power of prayer in dealing with the enemy's attacks. I have learned that God is incredible and sometimes you have to go through the downs in order to understand that we are incapable of anything. So for 2009, I hope to learn how to give more and more of my life to God. I want to learn what it truly means to die to self in order to be used by God. I want to learn what it looks like when God raises a man from the dead and uses him.This picture sums up my 2008. It may be my first full year at Lebanon. It will also be remembered as the year of the Civic as my family purchased 3 civics this past year. With all that has happened in the past year, it is the year that I realized that I was dead and that only God could lift me from death. Thanks be to God that by His grace, God lifts us from death to life. May you all find that life abundant that Christ came to give you. Finally Thank God for friends and family.