December 26, 2013

Dear Friends:

High Mileage Model

I often joke with friends that I am not all that old but I am a high mileage model. But then, so are you. In the last year, our planet travelled approximately 584,020,178 miles as we zipped around the sun while spinning at about 1000mph. That is a lot of miles to cover for all of us! So, here in a few days we get to celebrate yet another trip around the sun! How was your ride? A bit bumpy this year for many!

2014 Coming at you!

In a couple of days we will get to do our annual ritual of replacing all of the calendars at the house as well as at my offices. I always enjoy an exhilarating feeling looking at all those blank calendar pages and wondering what kind of adventures will fill them. I think we usually put up a dozen or so calendars around the house in various places and several more in my church and counseling offices. We order several by Robert Duncan, a favorite painter of farm and country scenes, as well as one by Terry Redlin who paints incredible pictures of sunrises and sunsets over farm country. Another of our favorite calendars features the incredible photography of Bill Mindak, a longtime friend from the Washington, D.C. area.

While it is possible to flip ahead on a calendar and see what the pictures will be for each month of 2014, other than special days and designated holidays or personal milestones like birthdays and anniversaries, the “stuff” that will fill all the little boxes for each day is “TBA”….”To Be Announced” or perhaps more accurately, “To Be Discovered.” For all of our education and abilities, there are two things that are not possible. Changing history is one. Knowing the details of the future is the other.

There are now roughly 7,000,000,000 (seven billion) people breathing air on Planet Earth. If every single one of us put our best effort into figuring out just what will be happening on (pick a day) June 12th, or September 5th…there is simply no way we can know in advance all the events that will fill those 24 hours.

There is an Italian phrase that appears in music that is called “DC al fine.” DC (de capo) means “the beginning.” Fine means “end.” When a musician sees those words at the end of a sheet of music it means to go back to the beginning and repeat the music all the way to the end again.

One thing for sure, in life, there is no “DC al fine!” Sometimes it seems like it would be great to be able to go back and re-do or re-live some parts of our lives or even the whole shebang. But, in reality, that is NOT possible.

The chapter of life that will be titled “2014” is a brand new story yet to be written for every last one of us. Oh, I am fairly certain that since our lives are pointed in certain directions based on decisions of our past, we will most likely keep heading in those directions. But, since we don’t know what world or local conditions will be or what changes will occur in our personal life composition (health, unexpected blessings, losses, or unanticipated problems), we will find ourselves like the Israelites in Joshua 3:4. Moses had just died after 40 years of leading them around the wilderness following the pillar of fire and the cloud. When those things moved, they moved. Joshua is now in charge and they are belly up to the Jordan River (which was in flood stage) with the Promised Land on the other side. The Lord gives Joshua some specific instructions that the people are to hold back a good distance so they can watch as the priests and the Ark of the Covenant enter the river. Joshua relays this to the people that they are to keep their eyes on the Ark and adds because “you have not passed this way before.”

I think we will all do well to do as Hebrews 12:2 says and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith because while we may not have gone this way before, from His vantage point, He knows what’s coming and promises to never leave us or forsake us…never, never, never!!!

365 days of Gratitude

I am grateful every day for the wonderful folks that I have been blessed to have in my life. Friends, family, acquaintances…all are important to me and I thank God for you. For those who pray for us and for those who support the ministry the Lord has given us to accomplish via CFM, thank you so much and may God bless you.

FYI

For contribution records to apply for 2013 tax deductions, they would need to be postmarked by December 31st

Have a great and exciting new year. God bless each of you as you embark into the new year.

Wayne and Marveen Coggins