Thank you for another year.

Dear Father,

Another year has ended - another gift from you has been used up. Thank you sweet Father for giving me 365 more chances to draw closer to you, to serve and glorify you. Forgive me for being so slow and so selfish. Forgive me for the years that I spent trying to impress others over you. Forgive me for the years that I took for granted and spent them like cheap tickets to a carnival ride. Thank you for being so patient and forgiving. For letting me run back to you from the pig pen over and over. Thank you for the ring that represents my life with your servant Donna for thirty-four years; thank you for the robe of family that covers me with love and wonderful times of togetherness; thank you for the sandals of service that take me in your Son's steps and keep my feet beautiful because of the message I get to share; and then, there's that calf that represents - not a sacrifice, because forgiveness was already given, but taking care of my every physical need. Forgive me for enjoy it too much. Thank you for finding us a home at Florissant. It's been two years since we arrived, immediately feeling incredibly loved and needed - wounded far more than we realized - but thrilled to be with a family so deeply in love, so united, and so happy in Jesus. Thank you for leading us to good men with true shepherd hearts. Please, please protect them from political thinking and power grabbing. Keep us all humble and prayerful. Thank you for answering so many prayers for our family and friends. Thank you for a good heart catheter last week, but even more, thank you for giving me a clean heart, with no secrets and no pretending, just an honest desire to know you more. May I do my part in making 2007 glorify you in every way possible. May our plans be your plans. Help me to be a living sacrifice to you 365 days or whatever days you decide to give me. I love you and long to be like my brother Jesus. Help me to do a better job in '07 than I have in the past. Help my life to be all about Him for there is still salvation in no other name under heaven. Jesus! Amen!