The thin layer of ice on my car in the early days of 2019 reminded me that it is winter in the desert lands of Arizona. People are often surprised that it gets so cold here, where in the summer it can get as high as 120ºF. But it does. For a good part of the year, Arizona is just beautiful—cool to temperate, endless sunshine (there is such a thing as sun fever, where we can get tired of the sun and wish for a cloudy or rainy day—I relish cloudy and rainy days now).
The crisp cool air of the mornings also reminds me that it is, indeed, a new year. The dates are somewhat arbitrary, but they do help us track the passage of time. I don’t know about you, but there are times my calendar stresses me out as I look at all I “need” to do—meetings, tasks, appointments. At other times, the calendar amazes me as I consider all that goes on in a single day, all the blessings that happen all the time, and how much we change with each passing year.
As I turn the page on another year and reflect on 2018, I can’t help but ponder what will come in 2019. Of course, none of us really knows. There will be challenges and hardships, but I image there will also be an abundance of blessings. What can I do to try to amplify those blessings for me, my family, and my community? Part of it is being open. Another part, I think, is engaging in the things that give me joy.
I’m not much for “new year’s resolutions”—typical GenXer, that’s too much determination and commitment for me. But I do often think about things I would like to see happen. I’m told I tend to be a dreamer. There is a fun story about plans I had to renovate the church I served in New York—I did not consider the challenges to that project so well, and it never really got of the ground. Beneath those renovation plans, however, was the desire to dream about how we might serve the community more intentionally. The Spirit moved in those few years, and we did some awesome stuff.
So, in my effort to engage in those things that bring me joy so that I might be more open to the blessings that abound but often remain unseen, here’s a list of “hopes” I have for 2019, knowing that not all of them will be fulfilled and that they may change as my priorities shift during the year. Here goes…
- Blog and vlog more regularly—I am not the most avid blogger. In 2016, I explored vlogging (video blogging) as a possible medium. I loved it, but it was a lot of work. Trying to push out a vlog a week is crazy-making. Even two a month was too much. So, in 2019, I hope (notice the language, “hope” not “resolve”) to blog more regularly (written stuff) and vlog once per month (I think I can handle that). I’d love to hear ideas if you have any—topics or things that might be worth exploring. I also hope to bring more people into my blogging and vlogging, with interviews and conversations. I’m not sure how to do that or if these mediums are conducive to that. A good friend does a podcast, 12Enough—I encourage you to check it out, it’s good. He invites “guests hosts” onto the podcast and has wonderful theological conversations. It was fun to do an episode with him on what he calls “rileage”—a made up word about what angers or upsets us. Check it out at twelveenough.com/podcast (here’s the episode I’m on).
- Take more photos—In the last several years I have re-engaged in my lost love of Photography (with a capital “P”). I even started a photography website—check it out at ericoledermann.com. You can also follow me on Instagram at ericoledermann. I have loved getting more into it, and have even picked up some paying gigs. I’ve even had several of my photos published in The Presbyterian Outlook (see some here and here), Presbyterians News Service (here), and in a book written by my friend Chandra Russo entitled Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State. I’ve even had a few photos sold via shutterstock.com. I love taking pictures, and I hope to do more in the coming year. I even have my first wedding scheduled where I’ll be the photographer instead of the officiant!
- Read more books—This is an endeavor every year that I often do not fulfill. However, in 2019 my church is gifting me a three-month sabbatical, along with some vacation tied on to each end. I will be the first pastor at UPC to receive this gift, thought the policy was adopted several years before I became pastor. I am thankful for the pause—it will be my first sabbatical, after 17 years of ministry. I am aware that many of my colleagues have been in ministry much longer and have never received a sabbatical. I hope more churches and organizations will adopt the practice of sabbaticals. So, this “hope” for 2019 is also about being more intentional about my down time. Mark Yaconelli wrote a great book called Downtime focused more on teens, but it’s worth a read for adults too. He’s writing about teen prayer life, or “holy leisure” as he calls it.
- Travel and explore more—As of Feb. 1, 2019, my family and I will have lived in Arizona for 7 years, and we have hardly explored this beautiful state, full of mountains, rivers, and the well-known deserts. I hope to get off the asphalt this year and explore more of the back country where few people go. I also hope to visit some of the more touristy places. Maybe a goal of one over-night trip a month with my family is a good place to start? Where should we go in January? The possibilities are exciting. Also, with my sabbatical, I am trying to find a way to get my family out of the country and off the continent—either to Europe or Israel. It will be our first trip beyond North America.
- Try to be more positive—I’ve always been a mostly “the glass is half-full” kind of person, but I find myself focusing more and more on the empty part. But, like many I assume, I can get a little too focused and forget about the luscious glass of almond milk sitting in front of me, regardless of how full it is. I have a lot to be thankful for, and so I am going to try to embark on a journey of gratitude in 2019. I’ve begun recording each day something for which I am grateful. I guess this “hope” is about trying to pay attention to all the good stuff that is happening, especially in the face of so much difficulty, pain, and suffering the world seems to be facing these days (the “glass is half full” part of this is that there are so many people working really hard, even putting their own lives on the line, to make the world a better place for everyone).
There are others, I’m sure. But I think that’s a good list to start me off. Blessings on your new year, and may you seek to see the good in life so that we all might more faithfully navigate the difficult.
Be of good courage, and know that you are loved!