New Years Eve 2025. We’ve almost tucked away another year to history.  I just realized a few minutes ago that I “officially” retired from Pastoral Ministry. It seems so long ago and I do miss it. Although with all of the issues we have had with Ms. Kate’s health these last two years, I’m convinced that my retirement was a “God thing”. There is no way I could have stepped up and cared for her like I needed to if I was still pastoring two churches. But, I do miss it and am thrilled that I get the opportunity to fill in for their pastor when he goes on vacation. I’ll be doing so on February 1st. 

Have you taken the time to look back over you 2025? Was it a good year, a bad year that you are glad to see gone? Did you have any unfulfilled plans? Do you have any “memorable moments or experiences” from the year 2025? As I look back over 2025 much of it is a blur and I guess it was therefore a good year. I remember that Kate went through Cardiac Rehab the first part of the year and enjoyed that to the extent that we joined Planet Fitness to keep her and my exercising going. But health wise, Kate had a good year up until right before Thanksgiving and it has been not so good since then. We have her in Pain Management and it has helped some but I’m still chief cook and bottle washer and laundryman around here. She’s only been out twice now for anything other than a doctor’s appointment. We went to her sister’s for dinner this past Saturday and today I took her with me to Dewig’s meat market. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason she got sick on the way home from that and started throwing up. 

2025 did allow us a family vacations with the girls and their husbands for a week at Kentucky Lake. That was a fun trip. 2026 promises a full family vacation in Sevierville, TN with all the girls, the grandchildren, and the great grandchildren. I’ve rented a large house with acreage and an indoor pool for a week the second week of June. I really hope they all make it because I fully realize that having all of them at one time is going to be harder and harder. And frankly, who knows how much longer Kate and I are going to be around. Kate just turned 78 and her health sucks. I am 81 and in fairly good health but unable to do so many things that I used to do regularly. I’m much weaker and I have a hard time getting up and down. I’m not sure what is going to happen with garden this year.  I truly hope that they will keep up the tradition once we have passed. It’s very important. 

Do you have any big plans for 2026? Other than the aforementioned trip, we certainly don’t. On February 26th Kate and I will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. She and I have vastly different thoughts about celebrating that. I’d love to “have a shindig” and invite a bunch of friends to celebrate with us. She wants none of that. I suppose it is because her health is so “iffy” that she doesn’t want to make any plans.  We’ll have to see. I guess I just consider it such an honor that God would give us this much time together that we should celebrate it. 

That’s a wrap for 2025 my friends. Thanks for following along on my day to day uneventful life. Give God thanks for another year of living and giving. Peace.