A Fond Farewell to 2023
2023 was a special year. Some years will be remembered as more challenging than others but 2023 will go down as one of the best I can remember. It was a year of great health, milestones met and healthy change. Before we turn the page for 2024, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on some of the meaningful moments and thoughts from the past year.
Moments & Milestones
Julie and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. A great marriage is a gift that keeps on giving. Julie is God’s gift to me. I passed the 30 year mark at McGriff starting at the ripe ole age of 29. We have been been in our wonderful home at 2022 Country Ridge Place for 25 years - moving in the year that Emily was born. Lastly, we found a new church home at MBCC that we are really thankful for.
Paul is thriving at Eli Lilly and leading the charge on a very impactful new weight loss drug for his territory. Holcomb Ministries is flourishing with impact and growth under “Supermom” Catherine’s leadership (with Paul’s help) and expanding into new cities. Annie and Emma love their school and Emma is making great strides in her speech therapy. Bo had so many “firsts” that it’s hard to pick but catching that first fish with his Daddy is a forever memory.
Will and Kate welcomed baby Charlotte into the world back in March. There is nothing like the first year as parents and they are both doing a fantastic job. God has now blessed them with baby William who is to be born late next Summer. Will has really excelled at his work at SSP and made “partner” at a very young age. Kate is a natural and is thriving as a stay at home mom.
William and Emily are now homeowners and moved in to their beautiful new home in December. They have also found a new church home at Church of the Highlands. Emily is a rock star at Briarwood Elementary as a permanent sub. All the kids want her to teach their class of course. William has a great job at H2 but is also a flurry of activity in looking for businesses to invest in which God will lead him to at the right time.
Lauren loves Samford. She has an amazing friend group and is doing extremely well in school. She has fully embraced the charge of “getting an education and not just a degree.” She is also involved in many activities both on and off campus and using the many gifts she has to work with children. She has also found a church home at Redeemer and will be going with them on a mission trip to Cuba for Spring Break.
7 Best Thoughts from 2023
Reject lukewarm living by staying near the fire.
We are “saved” which brings us joy. We are “being saved” which brings us refinement. We “will be saved” which brings us hope.
We can rationalize our way into sin but we cannot rationalize our way out of the storms that our sins bring.
Family never gets in the way - family is the way.
If you are too busy to pray then you are busier than God wants you to be.
Idolatry is the folly of asking that which is a gift to become a giver. Idols are takers not givers.
Our biggest problem in communication is that we don’t listen to understand; we listen to respond.
Stay hungry in 2024,
Big E
Matt: 5:6