one eye backwards…the other forward

i was awake this morning at 3 am. not good in the light of us being up past midnight tonight to ring in the new year…

as i laid there, trying to sleep, my mind was really going a mile a minute as i was thinking about the past decade.

my kids went from elementary school to middle school to high school to college. crazy.

i went from the 30s to 40s. a natural progression, but weird none-the-less.

i lost both of my parents… we buried two grandmothers. *sigh*

we mission tripped in nashville, georgia, pennsylvania, new york, spain, london, bolivia, and ch*na, as well as in our own backyard. humbling.

we've been to cancun, san francisco, destin, fripp island, myrtle beach, colorado, and more places than i can really count… thankful.

we managed to build our business and hang on during one of the worst economic crisis we've experienced in our lifetimes. scary.

we've gone from innocence (or perhaps better stated as naive) to wised-up. and then to amnesiacs. 9-11 changed us. remember.

we spent more time in waiting rooms of surgery centers than we would have liked. hernias. torn ACLs. ripped/broken fingers. dental bone grafts and surgeries too numerous to even count. wisdom teeth. yay for ridiculously high deductibles. (heavy sarcasm)

we've been blessed beyond our wildest dreams. seriously.

we've learned to walk with the Lord. deepen our faith. our kids have grown into lovers of the Lord. can i get an amen?

we've been in student ministries for a decade. wow.

i was rattling of this list to the hubster, who was wide-awake with me. it wasn't long, however, before he was quietly snoring beside me. i'm not sure what that says about our past decade… i like to think it was the cadence of my voice…

so what does the next decade hold for us?

i'm no fortune teller, but i can imagine that the next ten years will include some changes for us.

i will add to my names of wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law… mother-in-law… and grandmother? yikes on a stick. i marvel at the thought, but really, my kids are right in that age.

wedding showers and baby showers. but instead of my friends, it will be for the next generation. (i think i just heard my back creak. oh, dear!)

our business is undergoing some major changes at this very instant which will change things up dramatically. i'm more than likely going to go from part-time to full-time work. i don't know how i really feel about that, other than i'm an empty nester now, so i guess a few years of hard work won't kill me.

who knows what will happen with my little side-biz that is still struggling to get off the ground (and into cyberspace) but who did enjoy a very profitable first quarter. encouraging to say the least. i just don't know how that will all fit into my full time job…

i'm embarking on a teaching venture, too, as i am looking to team-teach a christian worldview class with a friend beginning mid-january. it's geared for graduating seniors in high school. so excited for what that all entails.

part of my heart is still in the 2000s. and part is expectantly hopeful for the 2010s. whatever the next decade holds, i pray that i will be more humble, closer to my Creator, loving well, giving often, encouraging others, learning more, and honoring Him in all i say and do. a pretty tall order, but with Him, all is possible.

happiest of new years to all of you.