...and in with the new.

Before we begin I ask that you bear with this one until the end... I promise not  to ramble for long   ;-)


What to say about 2010?


I was evaluating 2010 today, and numerous times came to the computer to write my final blog of 2010... only to stare at the cursor and go do something else. I mean this year has been such a strange, terrible, wonderful, confusing, clarifying roller coaster that I had no idea where to begin and definitely didn't know where I wanted it to end... and the idea of coming up with a coaching question? Forget about it!


So, instead, I am going to make a confession to you. Yes to you, but only if you promise to keep it between us. My "blogs" have taken on a direction that isn't exactly what I intended when I started.


Dictionary.com defines a blog (weblog) as a journal, written on-line and accessible to users of the internet. I started blogging with a plan. I was going to start getting my feet wet with some personal observations and eventually grow into this journal where I gave social commentary on politics and issues of culture and society, and all of these grand topics... I mean believe me, I have opinions on all of it, just ask me... cultural bias? political hypocrisy? Social injustice? Spiritual growth? I have an opinion... It was going to be a MUST read blog, hey maybe I could be a staff writer for some blog site some day! LOL...


But somehow, Once I started writing about my journey, and the people in my life started responding, I found how my opinions on those matters might make for a great debate over lattes at Starbucks, but that my voice, and my extension my blog, was much more personal... that I was comfortable just sitting in front of my computer and just talking to whoever was reading like I was talking to a friend... saying "hey, this is what I'm going through and how I got through it or I'm getting through it... this is how I see the world I live in, my personal world... I know I'm not alone and maybe these words can help."


That's what I've tried to share since I started this year... and what a year it's been...

• A year of great loss (I can't tell you how much I miss you Rain), and great victories. 
• A year where steps forward felt like steps backwards until I got some clarity. 
• A year of joy and pain, uncertainty and yet security. 
• A year where I had the joy of watching my daughter grow up in some major ways and the sadness of watching my daughter grow up in some major ways. AND had the joy of singing with her and my wife in a public forum for the very first time.
• A year where I have been blessed with health for me and mine, and yet have had to pray and deal with serious illnesses of others close to my heart.
• A year of making new friends (shout out to the Boone peeps and the Dayton fam), reconnecting with old friends (Thank you FB), deepening relationships with some and learning that some people you just need to cut out of your life.
• A year of learning; of developing new skills and strengths and building upon old ones.
• REALLY... If I were to try to list all that 2010 was, a REALLY long blog would become even longer.

I look forward to 2011 with excitement, anticipation, wariness and a little trepidation... for it promises to be a year of growth, learning, focus of vision and direction and more changes... AND MY BABY STARTS MIDDLE SCHOOL.

To those who have been following this blog, I really hope it has been helpful, intellectually and spiritually stimulating or, at the very least, entertaining... I hope you'll stay with me... this is definitely going to be a year to write about.

For those of you just entering the esvbrainstorm... I hope you'll come back...and let me know what you think. Really... good or bad... I invite and welcome all input.

HAPPY, HEALTHY, WONDERFUL, PROSPEROUS, BLESSED, FULFILLED NEW YEAR!

Oh yeah, a coaching question:

How can looking back (without getting trapped there) at the year before, prepare you for the year ahead? How are you getting ready to grow in 2011?


Be safe.