Martha and I want to wish you a Happy New Year from Pasadena, California.

We spent most of yesterday in Pasadena seeing the city and viewing the floats for today’s parade. We will spend today at the parade. Just by looking at the number of people in town yesterday, you can tell it will be a huge crowd, over a half million people.

New Year’s Day was really important in my family growing up–mainly because there were only four holidays that my dad didn’t work. On New Year’s day we started with the Tournament of Roses parade.

It’s hard for anyone from south Louisiana to be impressed with a parade but the number of people and the size and beauty of the floats is impressive. Television doesn’t do justice for this parade.

There’s a lot to like here and there’s a lot to not be pleased with. One of the floats–on aids awareness of all things–will have a same-sex wedding. We didn’t sign up for this when we made our plans.

All of this reminds us this world–even with its immense beauty–is not our home. Satan is a liar and he has many victims in this world.

On this first day of 2014, I am thankful for the hope which is in Christ. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord.