A New Year

Even though the rest of the world has flown to facebk, I’m going to continue on here in the blogosphere.  My number one reason for keeping this blog is to have a record of our life for my children to look back on when they are older.  My number two reason is to keep our current readers updated on what is happening in our life.  My number three reason is to allow myself an outlet for my writing.  I’ve always enjoyed writing and this is a great  format for me.  As I’ve expressed in several recent posts, I’ve struggled lately to find computer time at home to write and post.  Well, Santa Claus brought me a laptop to take on the road so I should have ample time at the hotels to write more this year.  As an aside...My daughters all learned the words to the Christmas classic, “Santa Looked a lot Like Daddy”.  Makes me smile every time they sing it.see
I’m considering opening a Time of the Preacher facebk account to reconnect with some people and to be able to see pictures of family and friends. 

To start this year’s blogging I’d like to review 2010......

  My son was born.  He tops the list for 2010.  “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full with them!”

Jonesy and Georgia went camping with me.  So much fun that we’re planning to do it again this year with Leslie, Annie, and West hopefully making the transition from daycampers to overnighters.

 Leslie and I completed Financial Peace University and, in the midst of the “Great Recession”,  had our best year ever financially.  Not because we made a lot more money in 2010, but because we budgeted every paycheck and were faithful in our giving.  
Jones has been saving for the last several months to buy a new bicycle.  I told her if she would work to earn and save half the cost of the new bike that I would pay the other half.  She recently surpassed her goal.  Before we went bicycle shopping, I took her aside and did my best to explain to her about giving of our firstfruits when the Lord blesses us.  I showed her our budget notebook and she saw that at the top of each budget is our giving.  She cheerfully side a portion to place in the offering at church.  I was awed at her understanding and further encouraged to do my best to be a good example of stewardship for my children.

Jones started Kindergarten.  This has been a big life changer for our family.  After years of living on a railroad schedule, or lack of schedule, we’ve had to adjust to a school calendar.  We’ve been blessed to have a great teacher, principal, and school for our daughter.

Georgia started Tuesday/Thursday pre-school.  She continues to mature and has become quite the big sister and is especially protective and possessive of her little brother.

Annie is continuous entertainment.  She loves to sing and talk and is usually doing one or the other if she is awake.

Leslie held us all together.  She painted toes and kept other people’s kids for a little extra income and continued to lead and participate in Mother’s Of Pre-Schoolers, her Ladies Bible class, and her mom’s meet-up group.  

I read a lot of good books in 2010.  I’ll try to recount some of the highlights here in no particular order:
I read the first eight of the seventeen books in Louis L’Amour’s Sackett saga.  Lots of powerful life lessons in those books and I look forward to reading the rest of them.
I read several of Elmer Kelton’s and Zane Grey’s books.  My favorite being “The Call of the Canyon” in which the West was almost its own character and confirmed for me the naming of my son.
I read (and am almost finished with) Herman Wouk’s “Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance”.  I’ve learned more about World War II from these books than I ever learned in any history class.  
I read a few more of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels.  Great entertainment.
I read Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s “The Duggar’s:  20 and Counting”.  This was one of the most encouraging, practical, instructive, and spiritually uplifting books I’ve ever read.  I would highly recommend it to anyone.  
I read a couple of Francine River’s novellas.  “The Priest” and “The Prophet”.  I’ve never been disappointed by any of her works.  She ranks as one of my favorite authors.
“Story Craft” by John Erickson, the author of Hank the Cowdog.  A book on writing, art, and life.  
I read the History of Roosevelt County, NM.  I don’t remember the exact title, but it was compiled by the editors of the newspaper there and published in the 70’s in celebration of the county’s 75th anniversary.  I also read a couple of other books and booklets on the settling of that region that I received from my Grandma.  It’s important to learn about where and who you come from.

I got to attend the 3rd Annual Weekend at the Lake with a bunch of my college friends.  There were 12 of us there this year.  It has become one of the highlights of each year and plans are already being made for this  year’s get together.

I had to say goodbye to Willie, my faithful canine companion.  I often told people that I’d had him longer than I’d had my wife.  He was a good dog.

Jones and I got to meet Willie Nelson the day before West was born.  Just a short visit at the Austin airport, but a chance meeting that I will always remember.