ANOTHER NEW YEAR
I have Christmas songs still playing in my head. I hate to admit that one of them is Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer… but it is. I also have my annual fresh cuts and bruises on my hands from wrestling the Christmas tree to the ground and tying it like a steer and stuffing it back into the two boxes that are the size of coffins. And I’m contemplating another new year.
365 sunrises and sunsets. Seems like a lot when you think about it like that, but with time that perspective changes. For many of us; we know the reality is that we have less years ahead of us now than we have behind us. That’s life.
In some ways 2017 has been a tough year. There have been family illnesses, close friends fighting for their lives, and the stress of business along with the personal struggles of life. It’s been busy. This is the first time I’ve punched out a new post in about a month.
I met with one of my good friends yesterday. He was recollecting his past, which is eerily like mine, and brought up a name that I hadn’t thought of in years; Malarky’s. Malarky’s was a nightclub in Phoenix that fools like us would frequent. It was the eighties. We were young and, it goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway to remind myself, dumb.
I can’t remember the year, probably ’85, and I was with a buddy of mine and our girlfriends to ring in the New Year at Malarky’s. It was wall to wall young people. That mixed with alcohol is a recipe for disaster.
Two guys went at it in the lobby, one ended up breaking a beer bottle and using it like a multi-knife on the other guys face. That was as much blood as I’ve ever seen.
That was back when a year closed and another New Year opened with a kiss. Most years close and another one starts these days while I’m sawing logs. Although I’m known to throw a firecracker or two if my youngest is around.
I think most of us have done dumb things, I’m still not immune from them. We all have memories, good and bad. We’ve all shared these years, good and bad. We’ve endured hardships, heartaches, and headaches, caused a lot of them ourselves. But we’re blessed to be here and it’s due to the grace of God.
So here we are, celebrating another New Year together at this time in history. I’m honored to have another New Year with you. May your New Year be blessed by God. Happy New Year!
Pam
Sunday, December 31, 2017 @ 8:06 pm
And may God bless you, Floyd! Your posts always make us face up to the truth about ourselves–and sometimes that ain’t pretty but we are the better for it. Thanks for you encouragement this past year; looking forward to more nuggets of truth from you as God leads you in 2018.
Cheryl
Sunday, December 31, 2017 @ 8:38 pm
So great to visit with you on this New Year’s Eve. I am so sorry about all the things you have gone through this year, and I trust the Lord will bless you and your family in this coming year. We are so grateful for your friendship and support and prayers.
Lisa notes
Sunday, December 31, 2017 @ 8:45 pm
“But we’re blessed to be here and it’s due to the grace of God.” Amen. It’s been a ride this year. Wonder what 2018 will be like. I look forward to writing alongside you again for another year. One thing I know: God will be good to us in 2018. He is always faithful.
Hazel Moon
Sunday, December 31, 2017 @ 9:18 pm
Some years are like that. When you think another bad thing just can’t happen – it does. Bob and I had a year like that once. Equipment that was almost new would break down, trucks motors would blow up, and accidents seemed to happen daily. I told Bob, I think the devil is mad at us and we are under attack. We decided to hold hand just before he left for work, and take authority over disaster and claim an accident free day blessed by God. Some would say it was just a co-incidence, but I would rather believe the angels put a stop to the disaster. From that day on, things were relatively normal and smooth. For you Floyd, I claim a normal and relatively smooth new year, health, financial and above all in your relationships with family and friends. I am grateful for God and His angels bringing me comfort during this trying year, but I expect greater things in 2018 for us all.
Martha Orlando
Monday, January 1, 2018 @ 6:15 am
Yes, we have all done dumb things when we were young and foolish. I think we need to rejoice in the fact that the years have made us older and hopefully wiser.
Wishing you a blessed 2018, Floyd, filled with joy and laughter!
Dikkon
Monday, January 1, 2018 @ 6:41 pm
Thanks, Floyd. I want 2018 to be a good year for you and your family, as I want the same for myself and my family. May all of us get more than we deserve!
Dikkon
Monday, January 1, 2018 @ 6:43 pm
Thanks, Floyd. May all of us find more blessing in 2018 than we deserve! (Partially to quote Dave Ramsay!)
bill (cycleguy)
Tuesday, January 2, 2018 @ 7:08 am
And I’m honored to have another new year with you also my friend. One of these new years will bring us together for the first time face-to-face for a “man hug.” LOL. I look forward to learning more from you this year than I did last year. Growth is a progression. I want to keep progressing. And I, for one, am glad you share you wisdom with us…not your “dumbness.” It is priceless.
Betty Draper
Tuesday, January 2, 2018 @ 8:33 pm
I am with everyone else, gleaming always from the words you write. I am praying for a not so limited year as the medical issue slowed me down quite a bit. It was needed though to recovery properly, it just goes against my gain. But I am in a better place than I was January 2017, my heart sport a couple bypasses, finally got the artificial knee, I no longer swaddle when I walk. And I got the opportunity to witness to my pain therapist who is curious about this God I serve, she kept telling me she just did not get it. So pray she gets it. Her name is Jennifer. Happy New Year..
Barb Raveling
Tuesday, January 2, 2018 @ 10:33 pm
Hi Floyd! I’m sorry this has been a tough year for you. I know how hard it is to watch your loved ones have health problems. I haven’t yet had a friend fighting for life though and I can imagine how hard that must be. Thankfully, God gives us the good interspersed with the hard. Praying He will bless you and your family this year, Floyd, and your writing!
saleslady371
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 @ 7:48 am
Yes, we all have those young and dumb memories but I like it that this new year is a new beginning in Christ. I look forward to healing in so many ways. Happy New Year to you, Floyd. May God bless you richly.
June
Saturday, January 6, 2018 @ 6:00 pm
Sweet post, brother. Happy New Year to you and your family. My prayer for you in 2018 is that God will draw you closure to Himself.