The New Year is a time to look forward and look back.

Much happened in 2009, and God has blessed us greatly.

2009

• We bought a house (albeit subsidised heavily by my parents)
• We started at Bible College (SMBC)
• We had a baby—the delightful Micah!
• We started Soma with Pete and various others.
• We made significant progress with the Geeks Ministry (which I mention because that's likely to occupy a large proportion of my time sometime in the future.)

All in all, it's been a pretty momentous year. I've only really mentioned the big things; there've been lots of small things too.

Lessons

I've learnt a lot too. Bible College has taught me a lot; and notwithstanding all the stuff I've learnt, it's shaped me a great deal as a person, as a Christian. Not only have I met many wonderful people, but I've also had the influence of their lives in my life, and it has been an especial joy to meet the Bible College lecturers and witness their faith and lives. Someone it is not incongruous to combine the scholastic with joy, the academic with godliness and warmth and wit and humour and gentleness. The staff at SMBC are such an immense variety of people, from different backgrounds and traditions and possessing different ideas and dispositions, but nevertheless, the staff are all godly men and women who love Jesus. I love seeing diversity and unity at work.

I've appreciated having godly models to follow, because in reality, Christianity is as much caught as taught. Christianity is about following, not learning.

It's been wonderful to have such a range of godly men and women to follow.

I've also learnt lots about fatherhood, and about myself. I worried before Micah was born, because I am the least clucky person I know. Having Micah confirmed that for me at first, because many of my male friends were able to summon levels of cluck that I haven't been able to do for other people's children.

But I've changed. I'm very glad about that. Sarah thinks it's wonderful how clucky I am about Micah. And I am. I love Micah, and I can't get over how wonderful he is. I could go on, but I won't.

I'm hoping that all my thoughts and ideas about fatherhood will crystallise over the coming years. I have a perfect idea in my head of how I ought to raise Micah (and the children to follow) and I imagine the difficulty will be to a) stay the course, and b) realise that I'm wrong in various ways.

I also surprised myself this year. In 2009, I started gardening, and started baking sourdough. Our vegetable garden has worked well this year. Our tomatoes and carrots are growing well now, and the snow peas and pak choy went crazy in spring. My potatoes died, and I'm going to have to do something about that. And I have really enjoyed baking sourdough. I suspect it's bad to be eating this much bread, but there's something lovely and organic about cooking with sourdough that I don't really get from making normal bread. I'm getting better (I really should start posting photos).

Regrets
In 2009, I haven't read my Bible nearly enough. That's probably a strange thing for a Bible College Student to say, but it is. Things have been hectic, no doubt, but I don't think that's an excuse I'm allowed to make. If I don't read my Bible now, I won't read it in years to come, when I have less biblical input, less time, less opportunity. 2010, I need to read my Bible more.

In 2009, I didn't exercise enough. My excuse, once again is secure: a knee reconstruction, and a baby, have taken away a lot of my time and ability. But I'm much behind on my rehab. I need to get in the gym in 2010, strengthen my knee, and get back into running. 2010 may be the year I start riding a bike. We'll see.