HOPES FOR 2010

Its the end of the first week of 2010 and after last week's reflections on last year, I want to look ahead for this one.

There is one thought that keeps coming to me and that is, that above anything else, I want to live totally in the present moment and live it as Jesus wants me to. I recognise I have a tendency to either look back, to good times past, or forwards, to things eagerly anticipated and the present moment passes without me really living it to the full. I want to inhabit 'now', and be all that I can be, even in the everyday mundane routines of work and family life. Life is not about pleasure seeking, or even seeking 'spiritual highs', its about needing and finding God in every moment of every day and aiming to be His presence to the world I'm in. I can't do this in my strength and so as this year begins I ask Him to help me make this a reality.

Two quotes I have recently come across have re-inforced this to me; one (courtesy of a friend's Facebook wall) says 'While you are dreaming of the future or regretting the past, the present, which is all you have, slips from you and is gone' and the other (courtesy of my 2010 diary!) says 'Today should be our most wonderful day'.

There are other hopes for the year; my son will leave school and has gap year and university plans, we are returning to Cape Town in july / august with another team and are excited about the developing partnerships and friendships there, I am hoping to see growth in our own local church and especially see people from many countries of the world united in fellowship and service, and finally to see our Street Pastors project begin to make an impact into our community.

But much of the year will, despite all these hopeful highlights, be spent working (thankfully in a job I do enjoy and believe helps others), and engaging in ordinary things with family and friends, and at all times I want to be aware of God's presence and living 'life in all its fulness' whatever I'm doing. and constantly being drawn closer to him.