Farewell, 2011

It's time to say goodbye to you, 2011. As always, I need to thank you for some things before you go.

First of all, thank you for giving me an action-packed first year as as a department manager.  You gave me many different kinds of situations and issues to deal with at work, all of which I learned from.  And you also gave me three great guys to work with as part of my work family.  We had our moments, as all families do, but all in all, it was a great first year in this new chapter of my life. 

Thank you for your timing.  The first four months of 2011 were almost problem-free for me at work, church, and at home, giving me the time I needed to devote to my Master's thesis project.

Thank you for leaving your mark on my second Master's Degree dimploma.  It will always be a reminder of you whenever I look up at it hanging on the wall and see the "2011" date on there.

Thank you bigtime for doing what I asked last year on New Year's Eve -- taking it easy on my parents.  They had a great, happy, healthy year. Although you were a bit hard on them this summer during our record-breaking heat wave, but they're pretty tough. And you were a bit hard on all of us in Louisville thie year with all of the rain, just saying.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be more involved in activities and things at church. You taught me patience and diligence, and I was very excited, honored and humbled when I was appointed as head of security at church. 

Thank you for giving me the guts to do something that most people just dream about:  starting their own business.  The saying goes that "timing is everything" and this year you sure showed me that was true.  Early this year when I made the decision to start my own church security consulting business, the whole process came together almost effortlessly. Well, not really effortlessly; there was work involved, and a time or two things were moving almost too fast.  But everything fell into place, and I could not have asked for an easier pathway to entrepreneurship.

Last but not least, thank you for allowing me to be part of a Christmas miracle.  You gave me the chance to literally become God's hands and God's feet, making Chrismas 2011 THE best Christmas that my family and I have ever experienced.

Thanks again for everything you taught me this year, and for making it a very happy year for me.  I pray that 2012 will give me much of the same -- twelve months of happiness, health, and opportunity.