Wishing everyone a great New Year & a wonderful time with family and friends! May you be blessed beyond belief this year!
Beginnings
Hello WordPress!
Since the beginning of the year, I have been working hard to reduce expenses & to be diligent in getting “gazelle intense” as Dave Ramsey says regarding debt reduction & other things. So that means that I will be transferring my blog to a free service to help conserve my cash. In the end the cash isn’t that much (but I am trying to be a better steward of the resources God has given me) & TypePad has been a great platform for helping to extend my thoughts & the message of Christ with Agape. As of this Friday, I will be shutting this blog down on TypePad as well the Agape Singers blog & both will be transferring over to here (Elevate) & here (Agape). I will setup subscription services to the other sites so you can connect quickly. (Google Reader is always a good choice too)! Thank You TypePad for 2 great years!
Bammm!!! Quote of the Week
Started something new at work – a quote of the week – which I have been doing on this blog for some time. Enjoy the new quote of the week.
Goals from 2007
(Old Post from 2007)
As we have now successfully set foot in the New Year my thoughts turn to the notion of the resolutions most people set for themselves. Looking back I realize that resolutions are not what I am seeking but rather it is goals for the New Year. Last year I completed my Master’s Degree which was huge goal as well as started a couple of bible studies for the high school guys, helped implement a creative planning team at church and initiate contact for bringing a business seminar to our church. In addition, I dropped nearly 20 minutes off of my 10K goal time for a trail race, and most important was developing a quiet time in the morning with God.
As for 2007, the goals include the following:
• Maintaining and growing in my relationship with God
• Helping guys to go deep and develop accountability
• Write a book on coaching and mentoring
• Develop and grow meaningful relationships
• Expect God’s blessings
• Lose weight and beat times from last year’s trail races
That about covers this year, but as I look ahead I ask that God will give me wisdom and strength as I pursue God’s best for my life.
Happy New Year
Here we are again – the day has turned and we are once again looking at the beginning of a new year. Hard to believe we said good-bye to 2007 just about an hour ago.
Happy New Year! May each of you have a wonderful and blessed new year.
It’s That Time of Year
It seems that Christmas comes earlier and earlier each year. By Halloween, Christmas decorations are hitting the stores, Thanksgiving seems to skipped in favor of “Black Friday”, and the malls fill up with people hustling and bustling from store to store.
This year, I did things a little different – I gave my best friend his Christmas gift tonite. That’s right, tonite. But you might say, its Nov. 29th – that’s to early. The truth is, the gift was less about Christmas and more about letting him know how much I value his friendship. It’s been a tough couple of years for him, and I just wanted him to know that his labor has not been in vain. People are changed because of who he is, and what he does. We all make mistakes, but learning to forgive and move on is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.
As the Christmas season swings into full gear, let us not forget that gifts come and go, but people are our true gifts – without them we have no one.
Reconnecting
Well. . . its late and I have to be at work early, and I know I should be getting off to lullaby land, but I just checked one of my social networking sites – Continental Memories – and I have reconnected with my old director from two tours with the Continental Singers.
The power of social networking – the power of the internet – to reconnect people who seem to be lost, it’s absolutely fascinating! Things are sure not to return to normal, the way they were back then – life moves on, we grow older, change our friends, change our jobs, change our homes, but in the end – friendship lasts a lifetime, and that’s really all that matters.
Relationships are important, don’t let them slip away.
Everyday is a New Beginning
Looking for a great way to begin your day – look no further than Max Lucado’s daily devotional. They are short and to the point, and a great way to begin the day.
New Features
I have made a couple of changes to the blog that I think you will like. First, I have a quote of the week and second, a verse of the week. I am hoping that these will give you inspiration as go about your week.
Enjoy.
A Bridge of Change
Life is full of changes, in fact if it weren’t for changes we might just go about life accepting things as they have always been – never questioning. For me, my life seems to just get more and more interesting. It all began around March when I went on my second trip to Russia and Moldova and my first trip to the Czech Republic. It was on this trip that my prayer and devotional life was the strongest it has been in years, and it was also on that trip that God began to cultivate my heart for new opportunities.
You might be asking what new opportunities – well, some I will mention now and others will be revealed a bit later. As for those I can speak of now, a renewed passion and heart for reaching our youth with God’s message. Over the past year, I have been leading two small groups – one for the juniors and one for the seniors. Each group has its own dynamic and it is great to work with these guys one-on-one. In addition, I have been focusing more time on men’s and business ministries as well as affinity groups such as mountain biking fellowship. So that brings us to now. The youth choir I work with leaves on its week long tour in just 3 short weeks and they have some really cool things planned for the week. So. . .that’s all I can say for now, but check back soon and I will fill you in on my next adventures.
Dave Anthold 