As another year comes to a close, I thought I’d take a look back and briefly summarize how my life has changed in 2016.
I started this year by working a night job I’d been at for over five years. I was feeling more and more burnt out as time progressed and in some ways losing touch with reality. But for a few anchor points, I could barely keep days straight, as one bled into the next. Also, due to my awkward sleep and work schedule, I missed out on opportunities for social interaction, which helped perpetuate feelings of isolation. I felt trapped and didn’t know how much longer I could take it.
Things began to change within a few months, as I started looking for work elsewhere. In mid-April I found a different job that seemed a good fit, even though it was a line of work I wasn’t familiar. From my brief interaction with some of the employees while interviewing, they seemed to enjoy what they did. In addition, it was better pay and hours. After accepting the job offer, I soon began to feel a pending sense of freedom. I think I’ve spent the past several months still recovering from the physical and mental damage of having worked nights for so long, but that time shift alone was enough to begin recovery.
After being there less than a month, one of my coworkers tried setting me up with her kids’ former nanny. About a month later (this was June), I was meeting up with a wonderful woman for what would become the first of many dates. By the end of October, we were engaged and are now looking forward to our wedding in April.
What started out as a somewhat bleak year in my life has ended up becoming one of the best. There were high and low points during this year. Some bad decisions and some good decisions were made along the way, but by God’s grace I made it.
Onward to 2017! It’s going to be an interesting year.
Word of Life, from the beginning
We have heard Him
We have seen Him
We looked and we touched
Life manifested to us from the Father
What we witnessed, we proclaim
We fellowship with the Father
And His Son Jesus Christ
This is our joy. This is our message.
God is light, possessing no darkness.
If we say we have fellowship yet walk in darkness,
We live a lie, not truth
But if we walk in the Light, we have fellowship
And Christ’s blood cleanses our sins.
If we say we don’t sin
We live, though deceived
But sin when confessed
His forgiveness receives
If we say we don’t sin
We call God a liar
His word is not in us.
Little children, don’t sin
That’s why I write
But if you do sin
Your Advocate is Christ
For us and the world
Sin is why He died
If we obey Him
We know Him.
If we say we know Him
But do not follow Him,
Do we really know Him?
When we keep His word,
God’s love is perfected
But when we don’t listen,
His word’s misdirected.
To walk as He walked
This commandment’s not new
Though you heard it before
Yet I rewrite it to you
A new command I also write
To hate your brother
Is darkness, not light
To walk with hate
Is to walk without sight
I write to you, children
Your sins are forgiven
And you know the Father
I write to you, fathers
You know Him
Who is from the beginning
I write to you, young men
You overcame the evil one
You are strong
God’s word is in you.
To love the world,
Its lusts, which are passing,
Is to hate the Father
The One who is lasting
You know the truth
It’s to you I write
You believe Jesus
Is He who is Christ
Those who deny this
Deny Father and Son
And are not anointed
By the Holy One
Now this is a promise
We have in Christ
We’ll not end in death
But from the grave rise
For God grants His child
Eternal life
This is a promise
That you can receive
For you are His child
If Him you believe
How great is God’s love
To be called His child
Yet the world does not know us
For it did not know Him
Abide in Christ
Then when He appears
Your confidence assured
You’ll have nothing to fear
Though we know not what we’ll be
When Jesus we see
We know we’ll be like Him
He is our surety.
In this we hope
And live with purity
Sin and lawlessness
Are one and the same
Yet conquering sin
Is why Jesus came
Sin is of the devil
So don’t live as he
Righteousness is of God
So live righteously
This is how a child is known
Which father he has
Whose seed has been sown
The seed of God results in what’s right
Love for one’s brother
Love for each other
Look at Cain
His brother he killed
The reason because Cain was e-vil
Don’t be surprised
By the world and its hate
Give me a moment
I’ll elaborate
Death and life are mutually exclusive
Hate is of death
Life is of love
Hate is from below
Life is from above
What does it mean?
Perhaps you might ask
Let me illustrate
With one simple task:
You can help someone out,
A brother in need,
Yet choose to ignore him
That’s living selfishly
Love not in word only
But also in deed
Love is best expressed
When sacrificial, you see.
In this assurance
Our hearts can confide
By this we can know
It’s in Christ we abide
This is confirmed
By His Spirit inside.
Now not every spirit
Represents Jesus Christ
Don’t follow the false ones
His humanity they deny
They are of the world
They follow a lie
Love is of God
Let’s love each other so
That we demonstrate love
Of the God that we know
His Son’s death on the cross
How His love He did show.
No one’s seen God
That much is true
But of this we testify
And pass on to you
Jesus is God’s Son
Who came in the flesh
This is a truth
His children confess
By this you can know
Your love is sincere
When you live in the world
Yet without fear
Of the day of judgment
As it draws near
Love casts out fear
And God first loved you
Because of God’s love
You can love too
Now if you say you love God
Whom you’ve not seen
But then hate your brother
How can this be
When love’s a commandment
God gave unto thee?
Christ is of God
His life He did give
In order to show us
How we ought to live
The world full of fear
Cannot know love
When it denies
The One from above
This is the world
That Christ overcame
If you believe Him
You’re promised the same.
Both water and Spirit
And also the blood
Testify that Jesus
Is man, yet He’s God
The Spirit is truth
And so cannot lie
This is the message
That He testifies
These three witnesses
They all agree
Christ put on flesh
Yet is still deity
God’s Son is the one
Who grants victory
These things I have written
To you who believe
And know eternal life
Is what you receive
Since we’re God’s children
He hears our prayers
He gives what we need
And that shows He cares
So if you have a request
He wants you to share
If you see a brother
Who’s caught in sin
Pray that God will grant
Victory to him
There is a sin
Which leads not to death
But sin at its core
Is unrighteousness
Those born of God
Cannot keep sinning
For God who is holy
Is the one who is winning
And He is the one
In whom we’re depending
He’s also the one
Who gives understanding
Here’s one last thing
That I wish to convey
It’s by Christ’s death
Sin’s washed away
So follow the truth
Not that which is false
It wasn’t the idols
That died on the cross.
