new year

I am the kind of person that likes making New Year's resolutions. But nothing original came to mind around the passing of 2008 so I couldn't make a big deal about it.

Then again, our scheduled move to Tanzania has potential to inspire a fresh burst of discipline and so here is one little resolution to consider:

Giving more than 10%: I am always pierced by reports of how little Western Christians actually give and how easily we convince ourselves that because we "work hard", we are entitled to spend our money however we like, no questions asked. I am increasingly disturbed by how even among close friends, personal spending patterns and any talk about money and materialism and greed are rarely discussed.

So, economic downturn or not, one goal is to increase our giving and decrease spending on ourselves and to find a few people to do this with.

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"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied,
'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.' "

~Minnie Louise Harkins 1875-1957