Past years have included all night Gilmore Girl's show, half stripped runs to the neighbor's home, and even a bit of contention/argument mixed in for spice. Food is always plentiful, including stromboli, wings, shrimp, varieties of cookies and sweets, bologna and cheese sandwiches, chips and crackers. A few brave souls remained awake all night while others crashed on the living room floor/couches for a few hours of sleep. Oftentimes, New Year's Day began bright and early with my homemade blueberry waffles and/or pancakes. Later in the day, there's a typical playful debate about whether or not pork and sauerkraut are Yoder family traditions for the afternoon meal (I whole heartedly insist in the negative).
Today, Tim and I commiserated with our parents about the lack of a farm New Year's Eve celebration. And while I'm certain the change in scenery for welcoming in another year will not dramatically impact our lives, it brings pause.
The new year brings practical changes to my life, so it's not easy to let the change of date to slip by quietly. January begins a three month work adjustment with change in office space, schedule, and role. Rather than holding regular business hours in the main office at 1515, I will be manning a new make-shift walk-in center... underground, in the concourse/train station in center city. An old hair salon store is transformed into "The Hub", a center which includes case-management, medical, psychiatric, and drug/alcohol services. My work day will be split in hours, with morning and evening hours...leaving a large portion of the day open. It will dramatically change any social engagements, but allow space for extra college courses and running. Although I anticipate a bit of insanity over the three months, I look forward to the change.
Another huge opportunity greets me in 2012, with two weeks in Uganda at the end of January. I am incredibly excited to participate in the medical mission and especially interacting with children in the orphanage! Try as best I can, it's difficult to completely imagine the experiences of two weeks in country. I go with an open heart and mind, assured that both will be changed.
A variety of goals and interests for the coming year peak over the horizon - yet to be actualized, but carefully watched with excitement and anticipation!
The year 2011 brought huge changes in my life. One quick assessment at a training determined that I would be suffering an "extreme life crisis", with a near 80% chance of becoming sick from the stress/strain. Geography, marriage status, employment, income, living situation, and school are just a few of the little changes in the year. Established relationships were strengthened and weakened, bonds grew and strained, friendships were sustained, changed, disappeared, and created. My emotions at times felt subject to the pulls of a roller-coaster - trust and patience tested, pain and joy felt nearly simultaneously, relaxation embraced, demanding schedule handled, courage and self awareness required, and a variety of greetings/farewells received and given. All in all, it's been quite the year, to say the least.
Above all I explored, discovered, embraced, experienced, lost, and learned about love... in the difficult journey of finding its truest and most unconditional sense. Certainly I've failed a lot, made selfish decisions.. tough choices.. a few wise ones.. but at least I feel confident that each experience brought me one step closer to the truth. And may that adventure continue!
And so, as the last challenging year closes, assuredly followed by another year full of adventures, I open a bottle of Bordeaux in my quiet apartment and welcome it with open arms...feeling incredibly thankful, humbled, blessed, and loved.
For some reason, this passage comes to mind:
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
Wishing you joy and peace, through all the years
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