I love New Year’s Eve (NYE).
Not because of the parties…when you have two little ones, the evening usually consists of setting the alarm for 11:45pm in case you dose off during the local news, and you want see the ball drop and the fireworks.
It’s not for the resolutions. I don’t make them. If I determine there’s something I need to do or stop doing…then I usually don’t wait. Seems dishonest or highly inefficient to wait for a completely arbitrary day like January 1st. Why not the second Tuesday in March? That could be a cool day…if there were parties and fireworks.
I love NYE because of the inherent reflection upon the previous 12 months in which I often indulge. (I realize this can be arbitrary too, I can reflect anytime on any amount of time passed…but then again…no fireworks).
So I take pause right now, to peck out on the keyboard a few thoughts about life here at KTOWN the past year.
In January of ‘08 the Wife began to suffer from symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as MS. What a shock that was! But now, almost a year later, we both look back and see how God has provided for us throughout this year. We caught it very early on, started treating it with medication, and just last month found out that although new lesions had appeared on the Wife’s MRI, the old ones were actually healing. That just doesn’t happen. Otherwise known as a miracle.
In March, about 8 months after quitting my job and starting my own business, I was sitting in a local coffee shop doing some work. I ran into a guy I had previously worked with on a project. I told him that I had started my own business a while back, and then he mentioned that he was working for a client that was looking for someone in this area to do some consulting work on a project that just getting underway. That conversation led to an email with an officer of the company starting the project, which led to an interview two weeks later, which led to a long term contract on a major project for my company…just three weeks after being in that coffee shop. The right place at the right time…or…The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).
In June, we decided that our lovely little house in SoKno was just too small for our growing family. How could we afford that? Well, it just so happened that it was a great time to buy a house…especially a foreclosure. We found a house, but it was way out of our price range. We decided to put in an offer. $60K lower than the bank had originally listed the house. The bank bit and after some negotiations, we got the house for $1000 under the maximum price we could afford.
Now we couldn’t wait for our other house to sell, so we are carrying two mortgage payments…ouch! And the cost of the Wife’s medicine each month was almost what we were paying for our first mortgage. So cash was tight, but for ’some reason’, although the Wife had been taking her medicine for almost 5 months before we closed on the new house…we never received a bill. It was only after being settled in the new house for two months did those bills start arrived. Just enough time to recoup some of the costs for closing.
And in November, we found out that the Wife was accepted into a program offer by the drug company that will cover the cost of her medicine for a year. So what was the equvilant of another mortgage payment going out the door was reduced to the cost of taking the family out to Chi-fil-a (we go big when we go to Chic-fil-a).
Money is still tight around KTOWN, but the business I started in 2007, led to another business in 2008…and that business is on track to have a very good year…and 2009 hasn’t even started yet.
My intent in this post is not to brag (I apologize if it seems I have done so), but to reflect upon the past year and share our journey. And remind those of you that need it, and demonstrate to those of you who don’t realize…
God is in control. Whether you think it’s good or bad…(Romans 8:28)
Bring on 2009!
