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Look Behind and Look Ahead

ByRandy Nicholas

It’s here… 2024 started rather slowly and peacefully for my household. Heck, we didn’t even stay up until midnight. We usually do, but this New Year didn’t seem to have the luster of others over the last few years. I suppose Mrs. Dawn and I are really getting old(er) and not as concerned about the hoopla as some people are. No one invited us to join a party, I didn’t have the energy to go to a Watch Night Service, and Dawn’s ankle was paining her a bit due to the extra activity over the weekend. So, we just settled in with Ms. Sassy for a quiet New Year.

It has been nearly a month since I last posted here on my blog. In my vocational ministry life, I have been very very busy… so much yet to be done, but I am going to try and clear my mind for a day or two and not worry about it. This morning, I started the day with a nice devotional via YouVerse Bible app and it was nice. It was a refresher type activity and, Lord help me, I intend to make this a daily routine to start my days in 2024 with a dedicated – consistent – daily refreshing in the spiritual realm. For my brothers and sisters who are employed in the religious / nonprofit realm, you know how busyness, even good busyness, can interrupt what is best (personally). Some of you know what I mean.

So, instead of going on and on about regrets and victories, I think I’ll make three simple statements about 2023 and 2024. I’ll follow that up with one photo from each month of 2023. I’ll let you guess the purpose or relevance of each photo. Now… onward and upward.

2023

  • In my vocational, ministry life, I was richly blessed with new friends, employees, and healing in certain areas of life.
  • In my personal, physical life, I took a beating – so to speak. As an old friend tells me now and again… “Getting old ain’t for sissies.” Most of my maladies are mobility related… joint pain, inflammation, etc.
  • I am grateful that my immediate family came out of 2023 with reasonably good health and stability.

2024

  • Let’s preface these with “Lord willing…” I’ll work hard to see my vocational ministry (CEF) blossom further with two additional part-time employees, achieving a total of twelve CEF committee members, and gaining a permanent footprint in 3 new additional counties.
  • In my personal, physical life, I will become serious about improving my health and vitality. Generally, this will mean focusing on it week by week, stopping eating sweets (for the most part), and getting back to a routine of some moderate exercise.
  • I’ll get better at managing my time, allowing my daughter and I to finally start the podcast we’ve been talking about for over a year… mostly, the delay is my fault 😉

Gallery – One Per Month

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