Long Winter Nights

Well it's been a while since my last entry, and despite the passing of time, not very much has been happening in the last three months. The routine of the winter months has become a grind, and I'm really anxious for the snow to melt and spring to arrive. Thankfully, the NHL lockout finally ended almost a month ago, which means our annual keeper pool activated again. The fantasy hockey pool always gives me something to do as well. Watching games on TV has been enjoyable, as I don't have many other shows on the tube that I follow anymore.

Due to some health problems, I was unable to really keep working out on the rowing machine I purchased in early winter. I had been working out quite a lot, and despite not being able to lose much weight, it did help me feel a lot better. I've been getting back to that now, after a month away, and it's a great diversion from the reality of the season. It's hard for me to enjoy winter, and I often question why I continue to endure these harsh winters, but there is something that continues to keep me here.

I began a new beard in the late part of November, the 25th to be exact, with the short term goal of letting it grow untrimmed until at least the 5 month mark. The longer it becomes, the more attached I get, and at this point I'm looking at growing untrimmed for a full year. It's something that has crossed my mind before, but this time I feel like I will attain my goal.

Having grown up in a Christian home, God has always been a part of my life. All the years that I pushed Him away, He was always still kind of there. I gave my life to God many years ago, slipped right back into my old ways, and then again renewed my vow to live a Godly life almost 6 years ago. Again I failed, and with each failure satan got a stronger hold on me. In the last year I've realized more and more how unhappy I am with my life, and the victory over cigarettes seemed to confirm to me how real God can be when we give ourselves to Him. I have once again made a vow to live for God, and though there aren't a bunch of powerful feelings this time, there seems to be something much more real going on now. I've been reading my Bible, with the goal to read it cover to cover in this calendar year. The devil has been attacking me more than ever in the last month, and there have been some unfortunate incidents, but as with the help of Jesus there will continue to be victory.

Although 2013 didn't really start this way, I feel that this will be a great year. I'm looking forward to taking a long vacation on the Harley in summer, which is a dream I've had for 20 years. Change can be exciting, and I look forward to some new challenges in the coming months!