2011 highlights

What a year 2011 has been!  While obviously I couldn’t begin to list all of the things that happened, I thought I would devote a day to recalling some of the notable events of this year.

To begin with – I’m going in chronological order – on January 3rd I was informed that my favorite Christian artist, Rebecca St. James was engaged to marry a man named Jacob Fink (the actual wedding was in late April).  I have been a fan of Rebecca since the year 2000 and I’ve always been very impressed with Rebecca’s voice for God and her Christ-like example.  She decided that she wasn’t going to force God to adhere to her schedule for marriage, she was going to wait and let God lead in His own timetable.  In His providence, God led her to Jacob Fink.  I am so thrilled for Rebecca and Jacob!  The Bible actually says, in Isaiah 64, that God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

The next notable occurrence was an event that I had an opportunity to attend on April 9th with former Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam as the speaker.  I was struck with the large amount of Christian apologetics that Jason presented that day.  In fact, I later blogged about it and I mentioned how important it is for a Christian to practice apologetics (check that blog out it was on 4/31, I entitled it “The Importance of Apologetics”).

The third highlight was on July 27th when John Stott died.  He was 90 years old.  You might find it odd that I call this a highlight.  To be sure, many grieved him, but I still consider this a positive development simply because of the eternal bliss that John has been enjoying in Heaven since Stott had a right relationship with God through Christ.  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  That’s where John Stott is now and for those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior, that’s where we will one day be as well!

The final highlight is that Tim Tebow became the starter of the Broncos on October 23rd.  I don’t mention this because of something as trivial as the game of football.  To the contrary, I mention this because of how God is using this young man – he’s only 24 years old – to bring glory to Himself.  Surely you have noticed that at the end of every game, whether it’s a win or a loss, Tim says, “first and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  I’m aware that this rubs some people the wrong way, but Tim is simply being the person that God made him to be.  While Tebow himself is not perfect (as he himself has previously admitted), his lifestyle glorifies God just as much as anything he says after a football game.  John Elway has publicly announced that Tim is going to stay a Denver Bronco, and so it seems safe to assume that Tebow mania is going to continue.

While it’s been quite a year, I’m looking forward to what will happen in 2012!

Kevin