As the sun sets on 2014 I’m sitting at the island in the kitchen relaxing with a glass of wine watching Chris and Rahab make stuffed mushrooms for our New Years eve gathering this evening.  I’m reflecting on the year we’ve just completed and are just embarking on.  Certainly I’m in a more relaxed and steady state of mind than I have been on some of the New Year’s Eve’s we’ve been through over the past five years.  We’ve had a wonderful year this year.  The kids are great, we have a beautiful new house on a lake with a view, Alaska Airlines managed to keep our pay checks coming two times a month throughout the year and so on and so forth…  And we are looking forward to a promising  2015.  We were just talking in the car on the way home from the movie theater this afternoon that this coming year marks 15 years since we graduated from high school and 15 years since we met as freshman at the University of North Dakota.  Fun milestones to think about and reflect on! I’m excited to see what this new year will bring; for our family, for our children, at church, at the airline, at seminary, and with our relationships with people throughout the world (Nepal, Africa, Ireland, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, etc.).  I’m excited to begin the new year with a new small group.  I’m hopeful.  Hopeful that the Lord will deem our sacrifice of worship worthy.  Hopeful that we can serve each other and the Church well.  I’m hopeful that throughout 2015 the Lord will bless you  and keep you and that we’ll learn how to be people of blessing together…  Happy New Year!

With love,

The Ireland Cabin