This last month I think we set a record for number of plans made, changed, cancelled, remade etc.  It was getting to be a bit ridiculous talking to my mom on the phone and updating her on the "new plan" which changed every day, if not every hour.  Specifically our plans of how to spend the Christmas holiday.  I will spare you all the back and forth, ups and downs of that craziness but there was one point, totally exacerbated on Christmas eve that I looked up flights to the USA and thought if there is a cheap flight, I'm on it!  (Alas, prices were astronomical...so Ecuador it was).

It is a bit ironic that after all our planning (and re-planning) we ended up just the three of us Christmas day, having a quiet time at home.  No fancy dinner (as I had not done any grocery shopping for at least a week due to the never-ending plan changing).  No gifts (as we had done our small gift exchange earlier in the week).  Our church had been emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas being Christ and that all the other traditions we may have (while fun and life-giving) should not take away from the fact that we gather to celebrate that Jesus came, died, and was rose again!  While we spent many hours leading up to the day making (and cancelling) plans of dinners, get-togethers, travels, gift exchanges, etc the morning of Christmas we really truly were able to just meditate on the heart of Christmas, Christ.  While disappointing to not do all the "things" we originally planned to do, it really brought my focus to the things that do matter.  I've been reading through the book of Ecclesiastes and it was also timely to ponder those verses as much of the book remarks on how all the "stuff" is meaningless.  Over and over it mentions how we all die and when we do, we take none of our "things" with us.  So, what's the point?  Multiple times it would just conclude saying, "It's all smoke, nothing but smoke....everything's smoke.  Meaningless."  A bit depressing actually.

As perhaps many of you, we sit down and write out some goals for the new year and I was praying about a verse or truth to focus on for 2019.  I found it as I read the last chapter of Ecclesiastes on January 1st  (If you like to skip to the main point of things or read the last chapter of a book...) Here's the bottom line:

"The last and final word is this:  Fear God.  Do what he tells you." (Ecc 12:13)

Pretty straightforward.  Pretty simple.  Goals are good, plans are good but in the end it boils down to simply fearing God and following his commands.  The rest will fall into place.

So I don't know how you spent the holidays, if it was filled with joy or if there was sorrow.  If you shared with loved ones or were missing those who are no longer with us.  I always have mixed emotions at the holidays, loving my little family but also yearning to be with those far away.  Maybe you sit down and write a list of resolutions for 2019 or perhaps not.  I encourage you to take some time and evaluate the past year.  Then take some time to listen.  Listen to what God is telling or asking you to do in this new year.  Maybe it's simply to continue on in what you are already doing.  Or perhaps to leave something in the past or bring something new in.  More clearly than ever, I was reminded that we can make the plans, but it is God who guides our steps.  Sometimes they go hand-in-hand and sometimes He brings us to a different place.

Here's to a new year and new adventures!

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