Happy New Year

Today marks the end of 2006. When our kids were little, New Year's Eve was marked by banging pots and pans, sleepovers of giggly girls, video marathons, and phone calls at midnight from friends and family. Bruce & I will probably bang some pots tonight, make those phone calls, and maybe I can get him to watch six hours of A&E's Pride and Prejudice with me (he's never made it through the whole thing before).

We're Penn State fans, so tomorrow we'll watch the Nittany Lions take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. Our daughters got indoctrinated early on into the appreciation of football watching Penn State in its heyday, and being dragged through the shrine to JoePa at Happy Valley numerous times over the years. I hope they win.

The beginning of the new year is also a time to look forward to new adventures. My friend, Melodie, has challenged us to look to the Holy Spirit's direction to 'name' the upcoming year, representing what we believe God is speaking into our lives. I'm naming my new year 'breakthrough'. In Genesis 38, there is an account of twins being born, with 'twin number two' (Perez) breaking through and becoming 'twin number one', ...of something happening which would not have happened in the 'normal' course of events. That event became a blessing later bestowed on Boaz and Ruth "...may your family be like that of Perez" (Ruth 4:12). I'm looking for a Perez year for my family!

I hope that you, too, enjoy the final few hours of 2006 and that 2007 is your best yet!