So, a new year, a new you, etc. I thought that I would start this year off right (even though it is technically Jan 3) by musing for a while about this last year. I want to say a lot has happened, but in a way it seems like very little has changed. Here I am typing on the same computer as I was 355 days ago and I wonder if I really am different.

Yes, some things are definitely different. And I thank God that almost every change that I can think of is a change for the better. I've completed my formal education (at least for a while), met a few new friends, started dating an awesome woman of God, and joined Wycliffe. But the question is, have I changed, or are all of these things completely external to me? Maybe I have changed. Afterall, I now have a cell phone (562-556-0860) and a new cell phone always indicates something new about your personality, doesn't it? I think that other things have changed me at least in subtle ways. Knowing that I will be doing missionary work with Wycliffe has given me more confidence to talk about the future because I'm sure that God is leading me in that direction. Dating Anna has certainly made me more aware of the priveledges and responsabilities that are inherent in being a man. And the cell phone? Ok, so maybe some things are external.

Here's a question for you in the spirit of New Years: What passage of scripture has been the most influential, thought provoking, challenging, comforting, or just plain interesting to you this year. For me it has definitely been Deuteronomy 8. I know its not the most commonly read part of the Bible, but Deuteronomy has spoken to me a lot more than the other Books of the Law, History, Psalms, Proverbs, Gospels, Epistles, and Prophecy that I've read this year. I don't know, maybe its just because I've been reading through a lot of their history and really trying to understand what they were experiencing that this is so powerful to me. Maybe its just the place I'm at in my life. Does it seem as relevant to you as it does to me? It speaks to me personally, and this passage is key in summarizing the purpose of the Israelites time in the desert and the miracles of manna and quail. Plus it is important for understanding the Biblical view of pain and pleasure and vital for understanding the tempting of Jesus. It makes me wish someone would write a national best-seller about this passage, but it is neither as self contained as the Prayer of Jabez, nor as simple as a Pupose Driven Life. Overall, this is the kind of passage that you can best appreciate only after you have chewed on it for at least a few weeks. Tell me what you think of it.

Ok, I'm tired and fighting off a cold, so I should go to bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll write about my Christmas and summarize all the things that I haven't had time to write about over the last few months. Goodnight.


In Other News...
I am enjoying catching up on my real education, reading Tozer and books about WWII. I am not enjoying a cold that I caught on the trip to Indiana. Please pray for a job for me.