This year is the second year of my retirement, and the year that Rachel is transitioning from working in the public school system to volunteer work. This is also the year where we have been reading and listening to a wider selection of books and podcasts. This has caused us to understand the times we live in better as we are exposed to ideas and concepts that help us appreciate the integrity of the Bible and its historical accuracy.

A term that is new to us as of this year is the word preterist. That term has exposed us to ideas of interpreting Scripture that have been prevalent prior to the introduction of dispensational theories that were popularized with the Scofield Reference Bible. There is significant controversy on the funding of that project, suffice to say that it cannot be concluded that the funding had any credible effect on the initial work that led to the publication in 1909 by the Oxford University Press just prior to World War I. There is a brief historical account on the Plymouth Brethren Writings website here providing details of the origins of the Scofield Reference Bible. Another succinct online source to read about the origin of the Scofield Reference Bible is from Theopedia. Before this time, the preterist view of Biblical prophecy was accepted by many Christian scholars down through the centuries from the time of Christ. James Stuart Russell published a book called The Parousia advocating this view in 1878 which I was given by a supporter some years ago during the time when I was serving on the Haltom City Council. This year Dr. Cindye Coates published a book called The Fulfilled Prophecies of Jesus which references The Parousia along with many other resources and books that have advocated for the preterist view of Biblical prophecy. This book reminded me that I had never finished reading The Parousia when I saw it referenced in the bibliography. Several references on Facebook by acquaintances, podcasts and YouTube videos also served to help understand the significance of this term – preterist.

This year I have also spent time reading up on books that delve into topics such as church leadership, (The Atlas Factor), the reality of the soul (The Immortal Mind) and what it means to be a believer of Jesus Christ in today’s culture (Stockholm Syndrome Christianity). I have put a brief description of these books on the media page of our family website. Clicking on the titles of the books navigates to retail sources for the books along with user reviews. Rachel and I have spent hours conversing about the ideas in these books, which has strengthened our marriage and helped us understand how to love each other better this year.

This is the year that the last living relative of my family’s previous generation has passed into eternity. The sense that my generation is now in the place of those I once considered to be “old” has come into focus in a compelling way. We have responded to this eventuality by researching and incorporating healthier living in the food we eat, our physical activities and priorities and the ideas and thoughts we allow to germinate in our minds. For instance, seeing ourselves the way God sees us, and learning how to handle and dismantle negative situations before they have a chance to impact our emotions and judgments. We have learned to set boundaries for those people that have ill intent, while praying for their souls with the hope that they will come to know the love of God that fills the needs and heals the hurts that life inevitably brings to each of us. 

Perhaps the most important concept we have lived with this year is the concept of preparation. The winter season for centuries in northern climates in particular was a tough time, but especially to those who did not prepare food during the harvest season to get them through the winter season and early spring. Today very few people in America are concerned about stocking up food for the winter, as everyone knows that with a little bit of money you can trade it for nearly any food you desire to eat during these winter months. Food stores, restaurants, farms and co-ops have erased those concerns from our collective memory. I don’t think most people even think about food that way anymore. Most people have either money or government benefits, which takes away the concern of having enough food to make it through the winter. While we sometimes hear of organizations that tell us children and adults that fall through the cracks of society and will starve if we do not contribute to their cause, it is hard to reconcile this when we all know of local organizations that are effectively providing that need for the vulnerable few. 

Still there remains vestiges of the need to prepare. For instance, many, if not most go to college to prepare for a career, prepare for a career with an apprenticeship or start a business. These preparations establish the ability to provide for oneself in our current society, marry, support children and have a home.  Our current cultural understanding of preparation seems, however, to be relegated to something that is short term in nature, like preparing a meal, or preparing to leave on a vacation. Yet preparation in the long term sense for the future is beneficial for not only our physical existence, as in exercise and diet, but also our eternal existence which is where we will encounter reality in a way we could never imagine here in this earthly physical existence. That preparation should always be foremost in our minds, making the most of every day (carpe diem), and recognizing the resources God has provided for life and godliness (II Peter 1:3) while we live this existence.

I’m more prepared for 2026 than I was for 2025, and believe that I will learn more in 2026 that will prepare me for 2027, when I will have turned 70. And so I am thankful for the events and memories that 2025 has brought to me, looking forward to 2026 and a time in the future where there will be no time, and I will know even as I am also known (I Corinthians 13:12). How about you!