TableStop Thoughts: Faith and Gaming 2020

Happy New Year all!!

2019 was a blur! The last words I said about moving into 2019 was that I was going to push away my social anxieties and take the reins. I feel like I kept my word. For the full details and my feelings about 2018 I suggest reading this first: TableStop Thoughts - Faith

I feel alot of people, including myself, will often prefer to forget the past. Leave those mistakes and mis-steps out to dry. I have certainly learnt to look back and use the perspective to help guide me on my journey. If you can truly see where you have come from, you can turn forward and see where you are headed.

There are a few highlights I want to take from 2019, carry with me as I step forth on the adventures that 2020 will hold.

MY FAITH
First and foremost this is the most important part of my life. If it weren't for my belief in my Lord and faith that He provides me with all I need, giving me opportunities to grow in love, grace and hope it wouldn't have led to my other moments of this past year. Christ died so that I can live. So that I can share. So that I can find my way back to God. It truly is a personal experience that I pray and hope for all to share at some point in their lives.

Part of my growing faith and pushing myself came from the church this year. I am now helping facilitate a new men's group at Life Church. This was me taking the reins for sure, getting outside my comfort zone. I see MoMENtum (catchy name eh?) as one way for me to share my faith, what I have learnt, accountability with others.

MY LOVE
After many years of building a chasm in my relationship with my wife, Cindy, we have built many bridges and are closer now than we have even been. We still have our moments, but I believe we have built renewed trust and understanding in one another that will be hard to break in the years to come. We have shared the best year of our lives for a long time, if not ever.

MY FAMILY
Our kids are all at home, of this past year they have been our biggest worry. My son, our youngest, had his first girlfriend and all the worries that come along with that. But I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. I see growth everyday in all my children and look to 2020 with hope in my heart for a blessed year for them.

MY "FAMILY"
Be it all the new friends we have at Church and all the new friends I have made through gaming this past year. I consider myself blessed every day with all the awesome people I now know and begin to know that little bit better each time I see them.

MEXICO
Tying the above with the below. Thanks to G3 and a wonderful 24 hour charity event, Cindy & I were blessed with a joining our church's mission trip to Rocky Point. It was a humbling experience to behold.

GAMING
Really considered calling this the Clocktower Corner. Taking the reins again and getting past my social anxieties I made it a point to get to gaming conventions this year and run games. Mainly games of my new hotness Blood on the Clocktower. This game has led to meeting many of our newest friends.

I have stated before how I feel that board gaming can be used to create community and experiences like no other hobby I have had. It brings me great joy to teach new people games. To see the excitement on their faces when the game clicks with them. To see them ordering and purchasing their first hobby board game after playing.

I want to push myself in my this area a little more. Either through blogging or creating content to share. I want to stop procrastinating over it. Grab it. Spark joy!

May you all be blessed in this 2020 and enjoy all that you endeavor to do.