A new year has begun

As I sit in my office this morning, I am awed by the passing of time. I can remember the years of my life when I thought the year 2000 was an eternally future event. Now, the millennial turn is only a distant memory. The details of the birth of Courtney and Hannah are as fresh in my mind as the smell of my morning coffee, yet I just finished conversing with them both by phone as they are returning from a college ski trip. For people who do not know the Lord, the unrelenting journey of time must seem terrifying. My heart is filled with praise as I recollect with wonder and awe the provisional hand of God on my family.
We have been blessed in every conceivable way. We lack not for food, shelter, or transportation. The hand of God has allowed me to pursue education at the highest level. Brandi has been able to have choices in her career that meet with personal convictions concerning our children. Our children, though not receiving everything their hearts desired, have enjoyed a life of wonderful experiences. They have been encouraged to reach for all the Lord has in store academically, relationally, and of utmost importance, spiritually.
Brandi is a beautiful, loving wife. Her love for me has been a continual source of strength and encouragement. She has always been a woman of whom I can be proud and boastful. She is diligent in her labors. Generosity spills from her heart so naturally. Her passion for life and love for our children is incredible.
The Lord has certainly blessed this very undeserving servant. The writer of Psalm 23 expressed the heart of God in this phrase: surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The word follow actually means to pursue like a hunter. Thus, it could be written as "surely the goodness and mercy of God will hunt me down all the days of my life and then I will be blessed forever with the Lord. The Lord has blessed me with more than I could ever have imagined. He is pursuing His children with goodness and mercy.
I pray for the Lord's blessing on each of you in the year 2009.