ASNN

...and then.

WARNING: serious introspection ahead.

So how can 2003 top 2002? I don't know. All I know is that I'm excited to see what God is going to do this coming year. 2002 was a blessing beyond our wildest imagination when it looked (on 1/1/2002) like it would be "just another year"; I cannot imagine what will transpire this coming year. However, here's what I'd like to see:

• Our family needs to get settled into our new home and find a new church. Finding a new church has always been the most difficult part of moving, but we have a couple of good leads this time. God willing, this will lead to a body with which we can worship for years to come.
• Ilyana is going to be entering kindergarten and Andrew will be in fourth grade. I pray that they would both be beacons of God's light for their friends, and that they would quit growing up so fast. I also pray that we would be able to enjoy them where they are at without expecting so much from them.
• Unlike a lot of families, we already have a budget. However, we don't really stick to it that well. This coming year, I would like for us to live within our means and stick to our budget.
• In general, I want to be a better steward of my time. As the old preacher's tale goes, the man on his death bed doesn't say, "I wish I had spent more time at work." I need to hang out with my son more. I need to read to my daughter more. I need to reinforce my son's desire to play sports, and be more involved with that. I need to play Barbies with my daughter more. This also applies to my TV-watching time. Our children are limited to one hour per day; why do I sit and watch Cops or Forensic Files hour after hour?

Those are probably not very "cool" to mention; for instance, I don't have great desires or plans for world events. (Not that those are bad; quite the contrary, I'm interested in political and legal issues in the US and around the world, and I'm appreciative of the people who pour their hearts into such things.) But those are the things that I think are important in my life for 2003.