New Year Update

For me this year finally got under way on the 28th February.  No, I'm not on some weird calender but that was the first day this year I had enough energy to get on with anything.  Up until then I had been struggling to find enough energy to be retired!  I was sleeping most mornings and cleaning the house on a Friday meant that Saturday was a washout as I had no energy left.  Given that I hadn't felt like this at the end of last year my suspicion is that I picked up some form of viral infection which left me run down but not ill.

My problem now is that I mustn't overdo it but I am back doing a few exercises and I'm trying to make sure I walk at least a mile each day.  Today I went for a 2 mile walk and I feel a bit achy but at least I was able to walk that far again.

And A Happy New Year

I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions because I know I'm unlikely to keep thembut this year I did set out to make a fresh start on some things so I told myself that I would:

1. I'd do some exercises first thing each working day (with a possible long term aim of running again?),
2. I'd do some guitar practice each day (it had faded out after I stopped having lessons)
   
3. I'd try and keep a journal how I was physically and mentally each day.
4. Start looking for a part-time job.

It's a good job I didn't call them resolutions because I have broken them all already! However, that isn't as bad as it sounds as today was the first working day of the year and I didn't do any exercises or start looking for a job because I have a chest infection. Last year I had 1 chest infection which on the plus side was a big decrease compared to previous years but on the down side it arrived on the morning of my daughter's wedding! Still I got through that day without A) keeling over or B) letting my daughter know so it wasn't too bad. Now if I'm down to one chest infection a year then this means I've already got my one for this year and so I should be OK for the rest of the year (I'm not 100% sure it's going to work like that.)

The guitar practice has started but only today (4 January) so I'm a bit late with that and the journal didn't start till the 3rd.

The first journal entry has got me a bit excited as it could lead to a short series of blogs. I've read, and am re-reading, a book that has got me thinking about the state of the church here in the UK now that we are a post-Christendom society and what changes have to happen to make the church relevant to the rest of the population. My ideas are still forming so I'm not yet ready to kick this off so, hopefully, it's a question of watch this space.

New Year's Eve 2010

I am writing this with less than 2 hours of 2010 left and what a year it has been. Firstly we had the planned happiness of my daughter's wedding (which went very well) and then later in the year my wife and I celebrated 30 years of marriage and on the next day she had a significant birthday (I'm not saying how old she is but she can now use SAGA.) For these last 2 we were at Greenbelt but we also treated ourselves to a week in Venice in October to celebrate.

These were all expected events but there have been some surprises this year as well. One really big surprise was our son getting engaged to be married next year - he wasn't even going out with her in April when our daughter got married but she is lovely and both families think they are doing the right thing.

I started the year on sick leave with depression and although I did get back to work I couldn't handle it and took the option of early retirement when it was offered. In my mind I had planned to work until I was 65 but I found myself retired at 56 with very little pension until I'm 60. Still I'm sure I did the right thing and God is leading me somewhere.

The big shock of the year was the deacons constructively dismissing the ministers; something that the church failed to reverse at a special church meeting. This has hit me hard (but not as hard as them) as not only are they friends but I was growing spiritually under their guidance.

What the future holds (apart from my son's wedding) for me I have no idea but I'm beginning to get the first hints of God leading me into something. I have no idea what so it is a case of watch this space. My current plan is to start looking for part time (2 - 3 days a week) work in January but God may have something else in store for me.

Finally I want to wish a Happy New Year to anyone who happens to read this.

Christmas

With only a visit from my sister-in-law and family to go tomorrow I have survived Christmas. This may not seem much of achievement to most people but this year, for me, it is.

Firstly this is our last Christmas as a family; by next year my daughter will be married and celebrating Christmas with her husband. There were just the 4 of us as our usual Christmas guests, my father and my wife's aunt, both died last year so it was fairly quiet.

Secondly I developed a bad cold the weekend before Christmas which then turned into a chest infection. I'm on antibiotics and steroids and have managed most Christmas events although I missed the midnight service and going as a family to see the Wasps v Harlequins match at Twickenham today. (RATS - Quins lost so my Wasps supporting daughter is going to be insufferable)

Finally this has been an alcohol free Christmas for me but not the rest of them. At the beginning of November I had some sort of breakdown and I'm now on medication which seems to be helping but does mean I can't have any alcohol - a shame as we had some good claret from father for Christmas day and I was on non-alcoholic wine.

So I survived and now look forward to a new year with some trepidation as there are going to have to be some major changes in my life and, as yet, it isn't clear what these will be. What I do know is that God will be with me guiding me and prodding (shoving?) me in the right direction.