A New Year - What Will We Do With It?

Today is the first day of a New Year.  What shall we do with it?  We can go merrily along like we did last year, or we can make some goals that are reasonable, sustainable, and attainable.  I have elected to make and attain two specific goals and perhaps some not-so-specific goals.



1.  I will retire at the end of January.  It is early, but I have determined, after consulting with my family and the Lord, that it is best.  I will miss my colleagues, I will miss my customers, and I will miss the company for which I work.  I will not miss the stress levels, although my stress levels have decreased over the past few months as others began to lift my scheduled duties from me and learn my position.  I have been working in the transportation industry for the past 42 years starting on this journey as a lowly switchman for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company.  I will retire as dual-hat Manager of Equipment Control and International Freight for Andrus Transportation Services (it's a trucking company).


2.  I will put my house in order.  By this statement I mean my residence, but I am also determined to improve my spiritual and physical persona.  We moved into our current home over a year ago and we still have things crated up that we haven't seen since then.  We've made do, or purchased new versions of the same thing, but now we need to put things in order.  It takes me a longer time these days, as my health deteriorates, but I am determined to take care of these things.  I have great expectations of taking care of things little by little until it is all in order. 

I believe I can mitigate some of the dangers in my life.  I am determined to come a little closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I will fulfill my errand a little better.  I will offer more opportunity to share my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those whom I love and with those with whom I associate. 

I believe I can improve the relationships I have with my family.  We are pretty close knit, but improvements can be made.  We have already made some plans that will help us to fulfill this desire.

I believe we can improve our readiness for disaster, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or natural disaster.  We have already, at Princess Bride's urging, started doing so.  Food Storage is important, but it is not everything.  There are so many everyday things for which we need to prepare, i.e. Money, sanitary supplies, temporary living quarters, and food processing/cooking supplies, among other things.  We may never need to use those tools, but we are working to be ready in the eventuality they are needed.

These are the things I will do in 2016.