A lot has taken place this year, and I'm just about ready to call it a year - as soon as I finish this entry, actually. The reason is, I'm leaving for Myanmar within the next several days, where I'll be almost entirely cut off from communication with the rest of the world. Yes, no internet access, basically. I'll be back only in January.

So whilst the year hasn't quite come to an end yet, my time on this blog is up for the year. This is my last post for 2006, and the first entry for 2007 will be posted up after 02 January. I don't mean for this to be a long post.

In brief, the following are some highlights for me this year:

• Began lecturing Christian Theology in Seminari Theoloji Malaysia
  
• Survived the year-long torment by an unjust and abusive leadership of a Christian organisation
  
• Established many new relationships; probably more than I've ever done in the past three years put together
  
• Became a new member of a faith community in Seremban
  
• Met my wife-to-be for the first time (March), duringwhich I didn't know she was my wife-to-be
  
• Visited the Philippines (May), and will be visiting Myanmar (this month)
  
• Turned down, perhaps regretfully, requests to visit Brazil (February) and India (October)
  
• Bought a new car (July)
  

If all goes well, my focus for the next year will be as follows:

• To complete my doctoral thesis
  
• To persist in my vocation as a minister of the organic missional church and a seminary lecturer
  
• To have my engagement at the beginning of the year and wedding at the end of the year
  
• To cultivate a married life that is kingdomic and missional
  
• To cultivate my faith and life within an organic missional community
  

In living out my life, I embrace the Kierkegaardian adage that "life is to be understood backward and lived forward". We're essentially living out a story in our lives. For me, it's a story of brokenness that was met with the restorative and creative power of the living God. For all it's worth, I do consider myself crucified with Christ, and yet I live; it is not I but Christ who lives within me.

And so, for how I've lived my life this year and how I hope to live my life next year, I offer this one simple life to the glory of his majesty, who taught me to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed by your name,
Your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Leads us not into temptation
but deliver us from the evil one

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.

Until next year, my friends... the peace of the Lord be with you.