Resolutions and a Good-Bye

So today, we are saying good-bye to an old year as well as to an interim pastor.  Today was Pastor Phil's last day with us and on my part, it was met with many tears.  I was once okay with good-byes, but ever since my father died eight years ago, saying good-bye to anyone has been nearly impossible for me. 

We managed to coerce him into singing the sheep song for us one more time and the praise team performed "Friends" as the offertory.  After Sunday School, we presented both he and his wife with prayer shawls.  I know that they will be back to visit, but I sure will miss him in the interim.  I'm not so much sad that he will no longer with us as a pastor (though as far as pastors go, he is amazing) but I'll miss him as a friend. 

And the New Year

I'm not sure as to why I make resolutions.  Maybe it is so that I feel as if I have a game plan, even if I don't stick to it.  But I am going in with the best intentions and we'll see what happens.  Some I'll share with you and others I won't and at the end of 2007, we'll see how we end up.

1) Drink water: I could say "drink more water" but a tablespoon would be more than I currently drink.  I generally start the day with coffee, and then have one or two Diet Pepsi's before the day is through.  So, though I'm not drinking soda with lots of sugar, or even drinking lots of soda, my water intake still sucks.  I'm going to do better.

2) Go back to Curves: Really need to get back there and stick with it.  The goal is three times a week.

3) Private

4) Spend less money: I can hear the Brit applauding from here when he reads this.  I don't think I'm a frivilious spender, but I also don't hold back if there is something I really want (We're talking small items here; ie, yarn, a book, etc).  I'm going to do better and only give a treat now and then.

5) Knit myself some hats!  With the Christmas knitting done and only one more project that I promised to participate in, I am then going to do a little selfish knitting.  One of my favorite thoughts about knitting was hats, because like my father, I have a big head, so finding hats that fit is always a challenge (my head is proportinate by the way.  I don't want ya'll thinking I'm some kind of circus freak).  Now, I could knit hats to fit and felt them even!  How many hats have I done for myself in the year and a half since I started knitting?  Right.  Nada.

6) Write more: Whether it be blogging, or story telling, I want to write more.  I haven't given up the dream of being published, even though I am not quite ready to completely commit.

7) Private

Last year in review

I gave a lot of thought to what the lessons were from 2006, but fact is, not too much significant happened this year.  There were no major changesm either good or bad, so there were only a few things I could think of that really were any kind of impact.

2006 was a year of healing spiritually
The split in the church occured at the end of 2005, so this year the congregation of CELC healed.  We were blessed with faithful, good people, and a wonderful interim pastor.  I've made some amazing friends in church that I didn't know all that well before when we were so much larger.  All in all, the journey has been amazing and we are now getting ready to embark on a new chapter with our new pastor.

2006 began a knitting group and some new friends
When Lisa and Micki hooked up, a knitting group began.  At first, the only new folks for me were Micki and Sheri, but now we have added a few others to the group, including a few sisters from Shepherdstown.  This group is one that I look forward to every month, even when nearly everyone is a more advanced knitter than I am.  The ladies there are a wealth of not only knitting, but of wisdom in general.

And honestly, that may be it, but sometimes an uneventful year is a good thing.  I've had years I could hardly wait to get over with (like 2006 is for Shell and Robyn) and years that were incredible.  This year was just quiet with no major upheavals, which turns out, was a bit of a blessing for me.

So, onward and upward!  I have many pictures to show you; from Christmas and our open house, once I get them downsized to fit on here.  In the meantime, happy New Year to all of you!