first post of the new year goes to...

Banjo Man!
Ok, it's totally just coincidental that I haven't posted yet and he made me smile today and I felt like sharing, but whatever, props to him.
Today he said to me "Hey Darling! Happy New Year!" because I haven't seen him in 3 weeks.

On a completely unrelated note...I'm not really sure how I feel about it being 2008 already. Part of me is looking forward to what this year will bring, and part of me wants to be like superman and reverse the rotation of the earth to go back in time. But I am not superman, despite the fact that I have his costume...and so I must resign myself to going forward. Not that this is a bad thing; I do anticipate the journey of this year and the adventures it will hold...but maybe I'm feeling a little apprehensive about the mystery of it all. In any case, it is 2008 and classes have begun again and so has the frenzy of trying to get everything done in the small periods of available time.
A dear friend of mine gave me a journal which says on the cover "if you wish to be writer, write!" and I am encouraged once again to actually start writing more. Not for school, not for my blog, not for anyone else...and I am excited to see what will unfold.
And, already I have had some significant conversations this year. One was with a guy on a plane. We talked about spiritual direction, how to live peacefully, and Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution. I was reminded of my old prayer that I would pray whenever I would travel or fly somewhere that I would have the opportunity to speak grace and truth into the life of another for God's glory. I haven't prayed that prayer in a while, and yet God gently reminded me of it by answering it before I thought to pray it myself. I am humbled and grateful...so grateful that God does not forget the prayers of my heart even if I occasionally lose sight of them.
And, already, I have been struck by the temporary nature of this world. A friend of mine experienced a traumatic experience on New Year's...she watched her apartment burn down. Nothing was salvageable, and while she had excellent insurance she currently has nothing. Of course, people are donating things to her so she can brush her teeth and change her clothes and stuff, but her two cats both died in the fire and all of her possessions have been ruined. Definitely not a pleasant welcome into the year 2008 for her, and yet she is not in despair. Maybe she's still in shock and reality hasn't quite kicked in, but I believe it's also due to her faith in God. I wonder what my reaction would be if I had been in a similar situation. I don't know, it's a good reminder for me to check my priorities.

Well, I think that's all I have to say today...I hope that you are experiencing God's blessings already this year in unique ways.