The End of the Road: Adieu, 2011!

 

It’s about 1.5 hours until the end of 2011 and arguably the New Year’s Eve this year is one of the low-key ones. I don’t mind it at all, New Year’s Eve has traditionally been a personal time of reflection and contemplation, rather than a time for celebration. It’s one step forward in the queue – this will be the year when I celebrate four decades of my existence on Earth.

I’m still deep in my thesis data – the same thing that I have been doing day in and day out during this festive season – admittedly working with this has made me mentally weary and I have started to question my plan whether I really want to continue to PhD in six months’ time. It seems like it’s too much to ask from Yani – I’m sure she will support me as she does now, but I can guess how isolated she feels when I’m cocooned in my study room and occupied by rows and rows of data. I don’t know what I would do ultimately – but for now, it’s very tiring mentally being in academic research!

Initially I was going to attend a prayer meeting at 7.00pm at my pastor’s house but I ended up falling asleep on the couch – I suppose sleeping at 4.00am every day has made my body clock out of whack a bit. The hot day in Adelaide has made us very reluctant to go out and do any activities as well. So Yani and I ended up having dinner at home – she cooked Korean Bibimbap and then we are going for a drive to Colonel Light’s Lookout to see the New Year’s fireworks at Elder Park. Afterwards, I’m sure I will end up in my study again and work on my thesis data until 4.00am. Hehe.

So, this is the end of 2011 – the New Year is just hours away. A year that will begind with a scorcher here in Adelaide with the temperature forecasted to reach 41C. A year that some believe will be the end of life as we know it. I don’t believe in such superstition. Whatever comes our way – I know that I am safe in His hands. 2012 will be a year of blessings and successes, of His guidance through the challenges and of wisdom in the midst of chaos. Happy New Year, friends! Wishing you the best that the year will bring – prosperity, health, love, peace, joy, and things that money can’t measure.

 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)