Logically, I know there's nothing different about January 1, 2009 vs. December 31, 2008. Yet still, as time-bound human beings, somehow dates are significant to us. A new year feels a bit like a fresh start, even if it isn't. In my case it sort of is, because I'm once again jobless and considering the possibilities of the world laid before me with theoretically no limits on what I do.

Every year since 1999, except for one, something significant or life-altering has happened to me. I define my years by their events. For example, 2004 was the year I went to Africa. 2005, the year I moved to the States. 2006, the year of an explosively crappy relationship with a messed-up boyfriend that propelled me back to God. 2007, I immigrated to Canada.

At the beginning of 2008, I wondered what it would hold. I pondered and speculated what life-changing event might occur. Nothing I thought of happened, and at the beginning of 2009, I have to admit that I can't think of 2008's defining moment. Except for the job I found and seven months later quit. So perhaps 2008 could be known as The Year of the Crappy Job?

What about you? What, if anything, marked out 2008 for you? I could answer for many of my friends, but for others, I couldn't. Leave a comment and tell me what happened in 2008 that has changed your life forever. Or didn't.

I'm still high from an absolutely fabulous weekend at the Newfrontiers Canada leadership conference. We had great worship, great teaching from Chris McLean, Roger Bye, and Joe Crummey, and wonderful fellowship as we prayed for and spent time with one another.

The most exciting bit was our visitors from Montreal. There is a group of young people there who are experiencing a real move of the Holy Spirit. Kids are getting saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and healed. They're not formed into an official "church" per se, but they meet for worship, prayer and fellowship. God has brought about a connection with Newfrontiers in Canada, with the purpose of encouraging and helping them in whatever ways that we can.

Two of the young people who came from Montreal were guys who have only within the past few weeks been saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Both quit drugs, alcohol, and smoking. One had been so violent and badly behaved that parents wouldn't allow their children to hang out with him. Now he's passionate about Jesus and they're both growing and radically changed.

I personally feel that God has given me a connection with them and I feel an urge to help them, pray for them, and do whatever I can to support them. I'm deeply grateful for their friendship, prayers, and encouragement to me.

The weekend ended rather spectacularly with a sledding trip to Toronto's Riverdale Park. The weather has been warm lately and many people have been sledding, so the hill is quite slick and icy. Somebody built a jump at the bottom, and several of us hit it, with predictably disastrous results. One guy has his arm in a sling, one girl had the wind knocked out of her, one guy has his back and foot hurt...and I'm sure there are more I haven't heard about.

I hit the jump on my first run, went flying into the air, parted with the sled, did several revolutions in the air, landed on my back, had the sled land on top of me and then bounce off. I felt fine yesterday but today have symptoms of a mild concussion: a quite peculiar feeling. No more sled jumps for me!