Two Thousand Eleven

Here's to another year.
I brought it in at my house, on the farm, in the mountains of La Calera, Colombia.
I ushered it in along with kids, teens, and young adults, and with staff members new and old.
At my house we had finger foods -- mini pumpkin pies, hummus, and the like -- and a costume dance party. I was the Christmas tree, plugged in and all. My lights flashed and my ornaments fell off, along with the majority of my pine needles, as I danced the night away.
Just before midnight, we went up to the other house to sit around the bonfire and watch the fireworks. They burned the "old year" -- an effigy made of old clothes stuffed with straw or branches. His head fell off into the coals. The best fireworks of them all were the stars. Orion and the seven sisters and myriad of others whose names I never knew.

This year will be different, but it will also be the same. I will continue learning and living the processes and progressions that began while we were using the pages of other calendars, a system created by men long gone, enumerating our lives so we think we can start over every 365 days.

I awoke on 1/1/11 to a beautiful blue sky... (part of who I am for God -- sunny blue sky!)... went to take the baby out of the crib and lay him in my bed, where we cuddled for about an hour and I read, until Li'l J. woke up and came in to greet us, fresh after his midnight tantrums. (Small children shouldn't stay up so late!)

This may be my verse for the year:
"He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure [is a treasure from him]." Isaiah 33:6
"El sera la seguridad de tus tiempos, te dara en abundancia salvacion, sabiduria y conocimiento; el temor del señor sera tu tesoro."

A SURE foundation. Unmoving, stable, definite, without doubts, strong.
wisdom and knowledge -- I need more and more! he has a rich store of them both, for me!
the fear [respect, honor, submission and obedience to above all others] the LORD is the key to this treasure, and the treasure itself.

I think that learning about the fear of the Lord was one of the biggest things I learned in 2010.... and deciding to live in it. I predict that in 2011 the fear of the Lord will continue to be my treasure, and to bring more blessing to my life. I have a sure foundation.

Happy new year, everybody. The same divine invitation is open to you all.