Happy New Year

No, I've not lots my grip on reality. Or been frozen in time for the past 10 days (though that's entirely possible given this).

365 days ago, I was writing about Turning Thirty. Today, for the mathematicians among us, it's time I turned Thirty-One. Check me...

Jings.

What does that mean? Well, I've come to find my birthday as a landmark. Not everyone does, and that's alright, but I like to take stock of life when I mark another year passing in my life. This year is no different - except it is.

Jenny, Beth & I are in a state of transition as we look to sell our current home and purchase another. Let me know if you want to buy it, would you! There's some interesting developments going on with me role at work. Beth continues to grow from an infant into a toddler. But all this change is nothing new. Life is always changing. We are always changing.

So what is this New Year all about then?

Well, as I thoght about this, an email from Clive pointed me towards a talk at Passion 2010 by Andy Stanley. This was just where I was at.

He was talking about some key areas of life.

Imagine 3 chairs that you can sit on -

1) is how you are (character)

2) is who you know

3) is what you do.

We tend to focus on what we do - what Job we will do, where we will do it etc - he said when you look a daniel he was noted for his character, they found no corruption in him.

We focus on who we know - 5000, friends on twitter, networking, getting ahead in life.

We should focus on who we are in christ, and our character - one way of finding this out it is to pick 7 things you would want to be said about you at your funeral.

He suggests that the clearer you are about who you want to be the more you will live it out. This all is held in the light that it is all about God's glory.

Boom. There it is. "7 things you would want to be said about you at your funeral".

So here we go:

* a follower of Jesus.

* a loving husband.

* a great father.

* a teachable son

* a faithful friend

* a willing servant

* a frutiful creator

As I start out on this New Year, year 32 of my life on the planet, my hope is to be these things. Not do, to nurture being.

In many ways, this feels like the culmination of a load of lessons I've been learning over the past seven years. It also feels I'm starting out all over again. And I like that.

There's lots to unpack and a few questions that need answered, but for now, here's to a great year.