This past year has been unique, to say the least. As we look to turn the page into 2022, I wanted to use this space to remember where we’ve been over the past 12 months. Time flies by so fast, I find if I don’t stop and reflect then the little moments that make up the year can easily become a blur.
It would be disingenuous of me to talk about 2021 and not mention the pandemic that we’re all still dealing with. It’s affected countless families and forever changed the way the world works. There will be many articles written that explore that subject. I would rather spend this time celebrating the moments of joy and celebration that I was fortunate enough to experience, and how they give me so much hope for the future.
Proverbs 17:6 says, “Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.” Everyone who has been fortunate enough to have grandkids knows what a blessing they are, and this year Shelly and I welcomed two into our family. Owen was born on May 8th, and Peyton was born on November 24th. This brings us up to a total of nine grandchildren! We are truly blessed.
We also made some exciting progress on Nashville Rescue Missions’s new Women and Children’s Center. Demolition on the old facility is complete and we’re currently laying the groundwork to begin construction work in July. This new facility will allow us to serve homeless women and children better than ever before. It will also free up some much-needed space at our main campus, where we currently accommodate everyone.
Shelly and I celebrated 38 years of marriage on July 9th. It’s amazing to think we’re quickly approaching four decades together. Shelly has always been a rock in my life. Her support has emboldened me to take on challenges and weather the storms of life. There’s no one I’d rather spend every day with and I am so grateful that God saw fit to place us together all those years ago.
Speaking of big dates, I turned the big 6-0 this year! I swear I just turned 21 yesterday. I am so lucky to have six decades of memories to look back on. Each chapter of my life has been different and brought with it different valleys and mountaintops. I know this next one will be no different, and I couldn’t be happier to see what it holds.
Finally, I celebrated the 10-year anniversary of my first interview with Nashville Rescue Mission on November 4th. From the first day, this has been a journey unlike any I could have imagined. The people I’ve met through my work here have been one of the greatest joys of my life. It’s humbling to get to come to work and play a role every day in the transformation of the lives of others and I’m grateful to be blessed with this opportunity.
I hope 2021 has treated you well, and even more, I hope that you are as excited about next year as I am. Each year brings with it new possibilities and opportunities, and they are almost always unexpected. I pray that when this time comes next year, we can all look back fondly at 2022 as one of our best years yet.