In Which I Channel Scrooge for Some Commentary on New Year's Resolutions:

 I guess I'm a New Year's Scrooge. Since I spent a few years in academe, I suppose I should come up with a seventy-five cent word (inflation) to describe my lack of excitement about changing the calendar on the wall. How about annodisapprobationism?

Here are some reasons for my ADS (AnnoDisapprobation Syndrome):

• I don't drink & can't dance, so that eliminates a lot of the celebration associated with New Year festivities.
• On those occasions when I have stayed up to watch the ball drop, my main thought has been about how much money it cost the City of New York to clean up all that confetti, gum wrappers, and who-knows-what. Why doesn't the Big Apple just announce a shutdown of Times Square, and use the money they save to hire some extra police, build a school, or a homeless shelter, or something worthwhile? Hardly Dick Clark like thoughts. (To those of you who object, that New York makes money on tourism, I say, "Bahh This-is-my-blog Humbug.")
• Having lived for a time where "America's Day Begins," on Guam where it is already fifteen hours in the future, I cynically ask, "Who told New York that they get to be the one who takes the old calendar down? Aren't they the home of the Yankees?" Don't get me started.
• To all the gushy people on TV who wax eloquent about all the opportunities the New Year will bring, I say, "Bahh Chronological  Humbug." If they really want a new start in the New Year wouldn't they be better off getting a good night's sleep.
• Who or what is "Auld Lang Syne" anyhow? 

As the noneventful passing of 1999 to 2000 demonstrated, the passage from one year to another is really no different than any other passage from 11:59:59 to 12:00, or 00:00. (To those who want to argue about the precise time a new day, and in this case, the New Year, begins, I say, "Bahh Overly-Persnickety Humbug." The fact remains, there is nothing magical about this new day. In reality, significant days, be their significance good or bad, are spread throughout the calendar. 

Warning! I'm reeling in my curmudgeonly attempt at humor and getting serious now.

When people ask me if I have made my New Year's Resolutions yet, I generally try to brush the question aside. OK, I'm not completely done with being a curmudgeon. The fact is, I sort of don't like the question. My reaction is not unlike what a "Merry Christmas" produced in the heart of the unreformed Scrooge. Let me explain.

I'm not opposed to resolutions. But, I do find it unhelpful to think that resolving is a once a year exercise.

• I doubt that Abram waited until whatever the last day of the Ur-ite calendar was to resolve to obey and go "out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance . . . not knowing where he was going" (Heb 11:8). When I become aware that God has spoken it is always time for resolute obedience.
• I don't think Daniel "Purposed in heart" (I love that KJV-ism) because it was a special day in the calendar, either Jewish or Babylonian, rather it was because the demand of circumstance happened to meet the barrier of conviction on that day. To quote the Apostles who followed in Daniel's civil-disobedient train, "We must obey God rather than men" (Ac 5:29). 
• It wasn't at a "Watchnight Service" that Paul said, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). If he were at a church's gathering called to "pray in the New Year" (a worthy thing to do, by the way) he might very well have preached that sermon, but the tense of the verb he used indicated that there never was a time in which Paul did not press on with resolve. 

You can supply many more Biblical and Historical examples. The fact is, a deliberate, determined, unsatisfied-with-the-status-quo, disciplined, obedient-to-God, resolute mindset is how we should always live.

If December 31/January 1 serves as a reminder for you then feel free to ignore everything the old curmudgeon who started this post said. Go ahead, RESOLVE!

I'll make a broad suggestion, you fill in the measurable, achievable, appropriate particulars.

LIVE FOR JESUS.

IT'S THE FUTURE, STUPID!

2013 in review:  I'm writing from Louisiana, so I'll begin with a quotation from a famous Louisianan. 

"THE ECONOMY, STUPID!"  

Those were the three words that James Carville put on a sign and hung up in Bill Clinton's campaign headquarters to keep the staff on message. As the saying goes, "The rest is history."
Wasn't it George Santayana, who said, 

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."?

A friend of mine, who would probably just as soon not be named here, says, 

"Put a period on it and go on."

Like so much of life this must be lived in balance.  

Remember the past < - Live in the present - > Keep your eye on the future.

It's not the balance of a peaceful ecosystem.  Satan and Adam made harmony in our world something that has to be worked at--worked at hard.  The Apostles John, and Paul, as well as my physics teacher tell me if you just sit around things will get worse.  (here, here, and here)   It's the nature of the beast in this world we call home. 
The tension in life, here at the dawn of a new year is to remember, and learn from the past without dying there.
So, since I am in the Bayou State:  I offer a sign to hang in the mental office of our campaign for the better future.

The Future, Stupid!  (Don't be insulted.  I include myself in the last word.)

No doubt those who dream big dreams and plan awesome plans are apt to accomplish more than those who don't.  Sometimes, though, those who dream big, get hammered bigger, and awesome plans become impressive wrecks.  Solomon warned that in this entropy-infected world things don't always turn out as they should.   Dreams are dashed and plans are shredded.  Solomon's observation was made through a self-imposed filter.  Looking beyond his providence blocker I know that ultimately, everything will work out exactly as it should.  I trust in the God Who took the greatest injustice, and brought about the supreme blessing.  I totally believe in Romans 8:28, but we're not there yet.  In the mean time the 

"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley,An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,For promis'd joy!"  (Robert Burns)

Given the choice, I'd build my nest in the warm house rather than the cold field, but, though I may have the power to plan, and choose, the power to follow through on those plans is often beyond me.  In my book-educated head, I have no idea what "Gang aft agley" means.  In my hard-knocks trained heart, I know exactly what Burns is talking about.  
So again, I look at my sign I have hung in the Better New Year department of my mind.  "The Future, Stupid"
When I put it all together I conclude that cynicism has no place in the life of the servant of God.  My dreams have no magic power, but they do propel me to the edge of what is possible.  I lack the omniscience necessary to build a perfect plan. Still, well-laid plans help me get there.  Especially when we get to the place where we look back on more of life than we can reasonably expect to look forward to--I don't think I'll make 126--it is important to work at keeping that future orientation.

Often those who win, and always those who lose like winners come to a critical gut-check place late in the game, or, more realistically when the battle is about done.  Be it the three hundred Spartans at Thermopylae, Lee at Appomattox, or the twelve-year-old kid who steps up to bat in the bottom of the 6th, two outs, two strikes, team loosing just one run short of the slaughter rule, that left-hander who looks like his mom put steroids in his baby-bottle is on the mound, the ump has an anniversary date with his wife--if its close, it's a strike.  
Even when we come up short we ought not to allow the past to be the deciding factor.  There is not enough bravery and determination for three-hundred Spartans and a few hundred more allies to hold back a force that numbered hundreds of thousands.  Yet would we tell tales 2,500 years later of the surrender at Thermopylae?  The Rebel forces would have yelled and charged one more time for the beloved General, but would artists lovingly paint portraits of the general who led his men into a slaughter for an empty cause, a cause that would die that day whether more blood was shed or not?.  Leonides had the courage to fight, and Lee the wisdom to surrender, because they looked to the future.  The heroism of the Spartans inspired others.  The wisdom of Lee allowed others to live.
With the same determination and ferocity as those Spartans, and the same calm as the Gray general, the kid adjusts his batting glove, tucks his elbow, and showing several thousand dollars worth of metal on his teeth, casts his best glare back at the Goliath on the mound.  The wind-up--I forgot to tell you the bases are empty--the pitch.  Somewhere from the core of that kid comes a swing worthy of Micky Mantle--no more than that, it is the swing of a Spartan fighting impossible odds.  It is a swing that is about The future.

Lord, give me grace to live 2014 as I should.  Amen

Happy New Year!

My New Year is off to a great start. I'm visiting with 2 of my lovely grandkids.

Maybe I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

I have encouraged you folk who are part of the CBC family, and anyone else who will listen, to read through the Bible this year. I shared with the folk at CBC last Sunday that it only takes about 71 hours to read through the Bible at a "pulpit rate." (http://www.euxton.com/bible.htm) So in less than 20 minutes a day most folk can read through the Bible in 2009.

My plan is to read the Bible through 2x. For the first time through, I'm simply planning to read at least 6 chapters a day. Whenever possible I'll round that up so that I'm reading a whole book at one sitting. I'm simply going to read the books in the order that they are laid out in our English Bibles. I want to be reminded of the purpose and general flow of each book of the Bible.



I have put links to some other reading plans on our church's website, covingtonbiblechurch.org. You may find them helpful.



I plan to, at least from time to time, give a progress report on my Bible journey. I welcome your interaction.

For many of you this is a day off. Whether you are working, at home with family, and/or visiting with family and friends I hope you have a great day.

Live for Jesus,
hm