I am not even sitting here with a list of what all didn’t get done because surviving it is the biggest praise report!

So let me share some changes that have happened this year . . . Bill is unable to work due to disability. His ulcerative colitis caused a second auto-immune condition to develop and he now has rheumatoid arthritis as well. I don’t want to say too much as we have an attorney and a pending Social Security Disability case. I will say this has made for some huge shifts is how things are done around our house as well as our perspectives on what is important.

One thing we have done as this year closed out is follow the Lord’s leading to start Shema Congregation www.hearunderstandobey.com. This is a Nazarene Messianic Congregation in our town and we are so thrilled with the core group of families and individuals who are studying with us. We go through the Torah/HafTorah and NT portions in order to see how they all fit together and seek a deeper understanding of the message of all of Scripture.

One new thing to watch for in 2010 is the Lutton Family website which will be a hub for all of our existing endeavors as well as some new ones. Another thing to watch for is online seminars I’ll be leading on topics related to parenting (theory and practical tools) and theology and personal development. We had hoped to have it all ready to start in January but now our goal is the end of January to have it all together. Much more realistic.

Realistic is a big word going forward. But not as big as integrated. So much of my life has felt fractured this last year and I have struggled with finding the balance in it all. As we go into the new year I feel more integrated. It’s a good feeling.

I wish you all a Happy New Year. May you leave 2009 with no regrets and may you enter 2010 with hope and dreams and enough practical know how to move towards accomplishing them.