Day 2 - Today is the First Day of the Rest of Life

 It`s a cliché often used when to mark the beginning of a new resolution – a clean start – a time of promise to do better than has been done in the past. Today it marks the beginning of a new (ad)venture for us. It is the day we point our mini-van, loaded with three people, two cats and way too much stuff (My wife says I am a hoarder – at least I think that was her on the other side of my stuff), eastward to begin a new life – a fresh start – the first day of the rest of my life. Leaving almost everyone and everything we know behind, we leave with much hope, excitement and anticipation for a new future.

As with any resolution, I begin this venture with great hope for success. With a clean slate, the success for the future will be a sure guarantee of success – NOT! - Two main reasons. First I (we) leave a great support system cultivated after living together in the same community for 20+ years. A support system of family, friends, and contacts whose existence have shaped and made us the people we are today. The second reason is: wherever I go, I take myself with me – my strengths, my gifts, my passions, but also my quirks, weaknesses and the things I hate most about by myself. As these miles of flat prairie flow underneath us, I wish I could leave the junk behind, but life has taught me that there no chance of that; rather it is the very junk which I hate that continually reminds me my need of a savior – not just once but every day – even in the bald Saskatchewan prairie. Today is the first day of the rest of my life –thank God that he goes with us – HJK