2016

2015 was a very hard year for me and for my family, as many of you know. It began on January 6 when my dear friend and colleague Roy did not show up for an Epiphany service he and I were to lead together at Lindenwood. As it turned out he had fallen unconscious at home the day before due to a very aggressive infection. Heartbreakingly, he was not able to overcome the infection and he died a few weeks later; his absence loomed over many of the ministry events in 2015, as things he and I dreamed about happened, but he was not there to see them. Though I did not know him for all that long — just a few years — he was a dear friend and his huge personality has been sorely missed.

A series of other painful difficulties have mounted since then with family and work, not the least of which being my dad's stroke in May. Much of 2015 seemed like an ever more uphill battle in which the terrain just grew steeper as the year went on. While there may be no substantive difference between yesterday and today, it feels promising to turn over the page and start with the fresh canvas of a new year.

I'm praying all of you have a very happy New Year!