A Thankful Look Back

As we all enter into a new year - a new decade, I wanted to take a look back at this year and share with you some of my own highlights... just a glimpse of some of the incredible ways I've personally been blessed. I've been blessed in many many ways the whole year and coming up with the 'Top Seven' as it were, wasn't easy. There is no way that I could list all the ways I've been blessed this year alone - let alone, remember them all. I don't say that for any other reason than to point out the fact that, surely, God has blessed me in ways I am not even aware of. Nonetheless; I've listed what I consider my Top 7 Blessings of 2010 - in a 'countdown' format, if you will, from #7 to #1.

(7) My continued employment as your Midday Guy and Sales Rep with Christian 107.3 FM. I am blessed to work with and be surrounded by wonderful believers in Christ - and work for a company where the mission statement is "To raise the name of Jesus Christ" - not many businesses have this mission. We do, and I find that most awesome and am so very thankful for having the continued blessing of being employed with the likes of such a company that does its best to put and keep God first.

(6) My renewed interest in reading the Bible and other inspiring books. I'm thankful for friends who shared with me some of the best Christian books I have ever read. I shared a small list of these in an earlier blog post - so you can check those out if you'd like. This will continue into 2011 with a bit more focus - stay tuned for exciting details on this!

(5) Selling our home during a volatile 'buyer's' market within 60 days - allowing us to wisely downsize as part of our growing closer to Christ, and keeping things real. Obviously a "God-thing" in that so many houses are/were for sell... at last count, there are/were over 40 homes for sell in less than a square mile of us. Yeh, that's a "God-thing" !

(4) Gaining a new church family, becoming a member at Southview Baptist Church - and meeting some real brothers and sisters in Christ who have welcomed me into their family. Finally finding a church home after too many years has been a wonderful blessing and I look forward to getting to better Know, Grow and Go with them!

(3) Attending Carolina Bible College for their free, How to Study the Bible class. This class alone has literally made my reading the 'living word' come so much more alive! Highly recommended! I also look forward to more classes there in 2011.

(2) Having the privilege to go on my first out-of-country mission trip with Mission of Mercy; having a terrific boss who gave me 'his' seat so I could go; meeting some incredible people while serving and gaining some of the most wonderful, lifetime brothers and sisters in Christ -- AND -- becoming a co-sponsor of little Scarlett in Dominican Republic, thanks to and through Mission of Mercy. All because, despite some real fears of mine being put aside, being given a most gracious opportunity and saying yes - I came to know God in a most real way (more so than I've ever known Him) - my life will never be the same... and I give all the praise and glory to Him. I'm excited at the possibility of doing it all over again! Maybe Africa in 2011 - much prayer will be prayed about this! Mission trips: Another, very highly recommended thing for anyone and everyone to do!

(1) God's blessing to me (and the rest of the family) to allow my wife to 'stay' with us. A healing that doctors said most likely would not happen; in fact, they had told us to 'prepare for the worst' ... which put us in a situation where there was NO hope to be found except in Him. This literally gave us a real opportunity to praise Him 'in a storm'... tough place to be - but thank God, literally for the help of His Holy Spirit. Our God had other ideas for my wife and her unexpected recovery; and, He grandly and beautifully displayed them. Because of this blessing, I still have my wife and our kids still have their Mom to love and I have grown to more realize the privilege and the real power of prayer.

These are truly just seven of the many blessings my family and I have experienced in 2010 alone. I thank anyone reading this who helped pray us through (you too are yet another blessing I thank Him for) and I thank and praise our God Almighty for a wonderful year of truly growing in, and, coming to know Him like never before in my life.... What a year!

As I excitedly enter into another year searching for Him with my eyes set on His Kingdom, I do wish you and yours a richly blessed 2011, in His name - Amen!