Christmas is now over. It is in the history books. I hope you had a fantastic Christ mas with fami ly, friends, neigh bors and every one you encount ered throughout the Christmas season. Now we get ready for the New Year.

I am sitting here in my office writing this article with Christmas just a few days away but knowing that as you read this, Christmas is past and New Year’s is only days away. This time of year and this particular holiday leads us to reminisce about the past year. We ponder upon all that has happened in the last 365 days and wonder what the next year will hold.

We have continued to see that nasty Covid bug hang on and keep making reappearances, sometimes mild and other times massive. We have added the Rhinovirus to the illnesses this year. The flu, strep throat and sinus infections continue to linger in the shadows.

Ukraine continues to be a contentious war zone. We wonder if it will ever end. Yet, with the Russian-Ukrainian war ongoing we add to it Israel and the Middle East as hot spots and because of Biblical prophecy we watch very closely.

The economy has been a roller coaster. Jobs are plentiful and workers are few. Housing has slowed but prices on houses remain high. Interest rates have finally increased from the Federal Reserve raising prime interest rates. All of this done to slow inflation (so they say, I’m not an economist so I have to take their word for it), and the inflation rate for 2023 is down to 4.1%. Gas prices are going down letting us spend more money for Christmas.

Our weather for this year has been milder than last. Winter was not a frozen tundra with snow and Ice. Summer was not sub-Saharan heat with a drought to go throughout the summer months. The west coast received rain breaking their drought and the east coast and gulf area had minimal impacts from tropical storms and hurricanes (2 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms). Most of the storms remained out to sea.

Tornadoes did plague us this year with some storms in the usual spots and some in the northern states that usually do not see the twisters except on TV.

Wild fires continued in the west, snow storms in the north and northeast. In recent days, floods have come upon some of the southeast states from unseasonal storms.

Death has continued to affect all of us in some way. Family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors or maybe someone you just know by name have left a void in this life for an afterlife. Our nation has lost some celebrities that have made an impact: Tina Turner (singer), Matthew Perry (Friends actor), Lisa Marie Presley (Elvis daughter), David Crosby (singer, songwriter), Burt Bacharach (singer, composer), Robert Blake (controversial actor), Harry Belefonte (singer/entertainer), and Ryan O’Neal (actor) just to name a few. Some of these we are familiar with, some not, but we have our own list of those we remember.

Of course 2024 is an election year and over a year before the election we see presidential candidates making their claim to the White House with promises to improve and make this nation great. There are also congressional elections with candidates lining up to give re-election speeches with others who are aspiring to be elected to office for the first time giving speeches how they are better than the incumbent and should be elected.

Wow! What a year this has been! These are just some things I pondered at my desk going on in our nation. Personally??? Did you grow spiritually? Did you read through your Bible this year? How was your attendance at Church? Did you celebrate any new births in the family? Perhaps additions came from marriage? And it’s always exciting to witness a spiritual rebirth and baptism. Maybe some bought or built a house?

There is so much that happens in the course of a year, 365 days. I hope your year has been a good year and there is much to celebrate.

The whole inspiration behind this article is not New Year’s but Mary at a manger with some shepherds. They came seeking a new born child and found him just like the angel said. So the shepherds told Mary and everyone at the manger and anyone they saw. But Mary… Luke says she just “pondered all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) As the New Year, 2024, arrives, do you have anything to ponder in your heart from the old year, 2023?

Would you take time this week and remember the old year and ponder it. Ponder the memories with yourself and God. Then maybe with some close friends or family and see what their memories are. Let the old year shape and prepare you for the New Year!

Pondering the Past, Looking Forward to a New Year, Bro. Tim