Where did time go?

With the stroke of midnight, it will be 12 years since Y2K. Remember that event? Oh yeah. Stockpiled guns and water and food. Bomb shelters and alternative communication tools. Many folks were preparing for civilization to end 12 years ago. Some still are. Only now it’s not Y2K — it’s December 23rd, 2012. The end of the Mayan calendar and, many believe, the end of the world as we know it.

So here’s to 2012! The last year on earth! Or not.

It has been a busy year for me. I started out this year much as I end it — working for Crossroads Bible Church in communications. Only my time there will be short-lived in 2012. I’m raising support and starting business ventures in preparation for moving to Scotland next summer. That was the big development of 2011 for me. I applied for and went through the process of joining Christian Associates (CA), a great organization that plants and oversees churches around the world. They have a church in Glasgow, Scotland, that I want to plug into. Where I go from there is in God’s sovereign hands.

This year I traveled quite a bit more than normal. After working hard with no vacation for seven months, I took 10 days off in late July and early August to follow the Colorado gold rush trail. It was a camping/history/culture trip that saw me drive nearly 3,000 miles over nine days. In September, I went to Haiti with a church team to visit a sister church there. It was an amazing trip with amazing guys that really encouraged me. In October I traveled to southern California for my final interviews and candidate training with CA. Venice Beach was a cool place and, once again, the people were amazing. Wednesday I got home from Cajun country in Louisiana, where I spent a few days with family. So that’s Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Haiti, California and Louisiana in a five-month span. I can’t wait for my next trip! I love to travel.

So 2011 is behind us and 2012 lies ahead. What will this next year hold? Neither you nor I know. I believe the future is in God’s hands for worry and care. No, I don’t think He has pre-programmed every single happening but I believe that all things are always firmly within His control. This leaves me with a great sense of peace. I hope it does for you, too. Be sure to stay tuned to Growing Young in 2012. I have some exciting changes planned, including a new design and, maybe, a real domain name. We’ll see.

Happy New Year!

— John