jon mark

here we are at the end of 2011 and i have no idea where the last 361 days went! i’m looking back and trying to make sense of all that has taken place and see that one word continues to come to mind…learning. in 2011 i’ve been learning.

i really focused on getting my masters degree finished up and can say with great joy that i’m down to my last 3 hours of credit. that being said, i’ve been learning a lot scholastically…not that it is a great deal of practical information, but learning none the less.

another thing that i’ve been learning about is me. that i am capable of far more than i would ever imagine. (i did something that i would NEVER recommend. in the midst of my fall semester i decided to run a 1/2 marathon…WITHOUT TRAINING!) i’ve been learning that i have strengths and more so weaknesses. that i need Jesus more than i need music. that i like to take pictures. that i still have a lot to learn. that i enjoy learning!

i’ve been learning a lot about family. some of them are hurting more than i could ever know. some give while others just take. some are more messed up than i thought. still others are more valuable than i have ever given them credit for. i’ve lost a cousin to suicide. i’ve seen my wife taken on a great deal, to allow me to finish up school. i’ve seen my children grow and learn and teach daddy a lot of things. i’ve seen how much i need my wife and children and how much of me they need!

last but surely not least, i’ve been learning a lot about God. about the pain that He goes through with His children. about His grace and love and how i still can’t come close to comprehending it. about how much He gives. about how much i mean to Him and how much He means to me. about how He created me and what He has called and gifted me to do.

so in 2011, i’ve been learning…what about you?