Coffee Share 191227

This is a Weekly Coffee Share Essay. I’m part of a small group of bloggers who stay in touch and chat about blogging, writing, travel, photography, children, pets, work, life hacks or just about anything else that might be of interest. Here’s mine for the week of . The photo above is from the Harney & Sons Fine Teas website.

Link to This week’s full list

Link to my Story Blog. Come share a laugh with me.

Good day.

This is our final weekend together in 2019 and the last coffee share of this decade.

I’m not really a new year resolution kind of person, but I do appreciate a structured way to  ask and answer some questions of reflection. So — if we were having coffee today, I’d be anxious to share with you a few thoughts about starting 2020.

While I love stories from the past:

• surprises that happened while we were innocently poking our way through the day,
• challenges that we didn’t see coming,
• things people did or sacrificed for us,
• sparks of brilliant writing and,
• emotions grabbed by the actions or inactions of another;

theses memories are all like packages beneath a tree that has been our life this past year, each bearing the possibility of changing our life is some fun and exciting way.  Opened, each can be:

• a new lasting memory,
• a needed insight,
• a new toy that will be awesome,
• a new or repaired relationship,
• a question that deserves an answer or,
• a winning lottery ticket with enough money to happily live out the remainder of our mortal life in total comfort, (possible but not likely),
• a needed new tool or skill,
• new underwear – ugh – awkward…
• a lesson to realize, memorize, and practice.

But changing how we live our lives can be like trying to stop an ocean wave by throwing rocks and few things are as awkwardly synonymous with ‘disposable’ as a “New Year’s Resolution’.  Regardless, a new year can be a fresh slate on which to write the next year of our history. So, given that:

• our wall clock is going to push us across the demarcation between Dec. 31, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020 whether we like it or not, and
• I’ve learned a few things about how I can live my life a bit better from 2019 events, 2019 people and 2019 studies,

I am not going to embarrass myself with a list of things I can easily say, but not do. I am, however, going to own:

• getting some things done that I know I should,
• restart some habits I know I should develop,
• polish some skills I know need updating,
• stop some things that are either a waste of time or actually injure others, and
• try, once again, to live my life consistent with what I read in the Bible in First Corinthians 13.

(13) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 if I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Regardless of our personal “religious” inclinations, I think there is a lot of wisdom, suitable for anyone, in these few words.  I chose to pursue understanding and, wherever possible, doing them. Expect some progress and more than a few missteps, but this is what I’m going to put on my slate for 2020.

I’m also sure that you have some better ideas on this than me.  Come on – let’s hear them.  I’m always anxious to learn from others with different ways of seeing things.  What’s going on your slate?

Many of us have been doing these coffee meetings for a long time.  Can I close with saying what a delight it has been sharing this virtual meeting with each of you?  I’m looking forward to more in 2020.

Blessings all!

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