Reflecting on 2019 and looking forward to 2020!

As I have become inconsistent in my journaling and posting to my blog, one topic I try to remain consistent on is my annual look back to the events of the prior year as I look forward to ringing in the New Year.  For the 3rd year in a row, I will be heading down to Camp Timber Creek in Pulaski, MS today with the Refuge Student Ministries team over New Years (12/30 - 1/2).  Unfortunately, Taylor won't be joining me this year, nor will Nicole, as none of their friends are going.  My group of 9th graders has dwindled down to only 3 guys this year so it will be a different experience, but at least one with a better weather forecast than the last 2 years.

As I reflect on 2019, it was a year filled with many blessings, enjoyable trips, and a milestone -Taylor's 16th birthday, getting her driver's license, and now working at her first job, at Justice. 
And as I look ahead to 2020, I'm reminded how blessed I am as I have been reading thru the Psalms for the past 80 days in my "One Chapter a Day Bible reading plan".  Reflecting back to Psalm 1, the first verse speaks of the blessed man who separates himself from sin and sinners.  In v.2, he's blessed by meditating on the Word day and night.  In v.3, he blessed by maturation as God develops him which yields fruit and he prospers.  By God's grace, I look forward to renewal and a recharge of my prayer life during my daily quiet with Jesus.  My guiding verse for 2020 is Isaiah 50:4, "...He wakens morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."   

Looking back to 2019:
Feb - for the 3rd year in a row, our family traveled to Disney World for Taylor's Cheer Nationals.
Mar - we went on our 3rd family mission trip over Spring Break to Costa Rica to serve with Rice & Beans ministry.
Apr - Nicole and I took a weekend trip to Dallas for an appointment at Scottish Rite Hospital (2nd opinion on her kyphosis), and I caught a Rangers game on Opening wknd with Dad and David.
Jun - Summer baseball trip to Detroit/Cincinnati.
Jul - Perdido beach trip with Cindy and Nicole (Taylor at Camp Bear Track), and this year my parents joined us for the first time.  We closed out summer with a weekend trip to St. Louis for the Astros-Cardinals series and a fun day at Six Flags.
Oct - though it wasn't a trip, it felt like a month-long journey following the Astros post-season run of 18 games:  5 games in ALDS, 6 games in ALCS, then just falling short in the 7 game World Series.
Nov - Cindy and Taylor went to Cancun over Thanksgiving break for her Sweet 16th birthday trip.

Some other memories from 2019, including memorable concerts:  Mercy Me with the family at FedEx Forum; Dream Theater (2x), in Nashville, and their first ever concert in Memphis at the new Sound Stage at Graceland on their 20th anniversary of "Scenes from a Memory" tour; and taking Nicole and her friends to see Arianna Grande, which also included a visit from Van and Ella.
Movies I enjoyed this year:  Avengers: End Game, Toy Story 4, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Books (read or listened to on Audible):  Power Ball: Anatomy of a Modern Baseball Game; Finding God's Life for My Will: His Presence is the Plan; Northern Lights: One Woman, Two Teams and the Football Field that Changed their Lives; Walk On; Nights in White Castle.

Some other first time memorable experiences in 2019:  the Memphis Express (Alliance of American Football league) kicked off their season in March.  I went to one game, but their season folded before I could catch their final game in April.  Attended my first professional soccer game as Memphis 901 FC kicked off their inaugural season at AutoZone Park.  I ran the Bar Dog 5k in August for the first time, adding this fun run to my list of 7 other 5K's I enjoy running each year.  In September, I joined a new Men's Bible Study, "Fridays at 5am" with men from the Refuge Church.  We're reading through "Systematic Theology" by Wayne Grudem.

Have a blessed New Year!