2009 is on the horizon as 2008 comes to an end tomorrow night. Personally, I cannot wait for a new year. I am excited to think about what the new year could hold. But before jumping on into January 2009, I want to take a look back at the year that was... 2008.
January - Began with a New Year Party at the house in the midst of my long break from school. I was at home most of the month waiting for a new semester with new roommates.
February - A new semester began with new roommates and new friends. We played crazy games around campus enjoying our first weekend back at Union. But the fun came to a standstill on the 5th when the tornado destroyed part of campus. The rest of the month was mostly spent at home, waiting to go back to school. On the 19th, we returned, and I lived in a hotel for the next few months.
March - A cancelled GO Trip led to a spring break at home, which was a great rest from a stressful, hard, long semester that had only barely begun. But summer began looking brighter when I received a phone call to work at Christian Wee Learn for the summer. This was a welcomed phone call since I was no longer going to be able to work at Centrifuge at Union.
April - The semester continued, and this blog was born. It became a place for me to keep friends updated, talk about books that I had read, and vent about whatever popped into my head.
May - The semester finally ended, and campus was looking much better! Dorms were popping up everywhere, but it was time to go home and put an end to a hard semester. Then work began, and I began wondering if summer was going to be fun after all.
June - Work became much better as the kids began listening somewhat better. They were soaking in the material much faster than I ever expected, and I was growing attached to every single one of them. But even in the midst of fun, I was missing Union.
July - Kids Kamp kicked the month off, and it was a great time away from the daily activities at work. But it was also a time of work as I co-pastored for those 3 days. But summer was beginning to end, and the kids were about to head to school.
August - The summer program ended with a huge party day. I was so impressed with the kids and could not believe that they had accomplished so much in such little time. As they went back to school, I really longed to head back as well, but summer was not yet over. I continued to work with them in the afternoons.
September - A new semester finally began, at a "new" Union. Things looked completely different, and it was great to reconnect with friends. We were all excited to begin a new semester on a campus that was still in the process of rebuilding. But we could not walk on the sod.
October - The semester continued along as we saw more work being done all around us. The buildings were complete, all minor repairs were being wrapped up, and little things to help campus look better began popping up (such as lampposts).
November - Campus went through homecoming, and old alumni came to see what the new Union looked like with the new dorms. Another semester was ending, as the election came to an end as well.
December - The economic crisis seemed to grab everyone's attention as the semester ended. But the excitement of Christmas took place over all fears of the world around us. Then the semester ended and we all returned home for a great Christmas with friends and family.
Now here I sit wondering how 2009 will begin. Will there be another life altering event take place that will shake the very foundation of my world again? Or will 2009 begin like some of the more normal years of my life? I have plans for what I see in 2009, but will they be fulfilled or changed like last year? We never can know the future, but when it comes we have to work with what we get.
I hope that I am able to participate in my mission trip this year as well as setting up a summer job that will not be changed. I hope that I have a normal semester in the spring, unlike the previous 2. I hope that I can have a normal, peaceful year. But I realize that in an instance, that could all change. I cannot become comfortable with my life, because the unexpected could come.
Make your plans for the New Year. Set your goals. It is a good thing to set goals in life and work towards completing them. But while you are setting goals for the new era of your life, remember that your goals may not be God's plan. Be willing to change those goals if the need arises. Be willing to conform to God's will and not your own. You may have great plans (like I thought I did in 2008), but I can guarantee you that if God changes those plans, His plans are greater. I experienced that first hand in 2008, and it will be a year that I will not soon forget.
Matt
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