Introduction

The end of the year is a typical time to assess the past year and make plans for the next year. I usually do my seeking god and writing goals for the next year between January 2 and the 20th, my birthday. These last couple days of December, it’s time to do a review of my 2025.

Beginning of the Year

Since before January 1, I have been alone in my house. The guy who had been occupying one bedroom returned to his family in New York, leaving behind a lot of stuff to be cleaned out. Even before that, my next generation family, my first wife’s children by me and another, had grown up and shunned me for my temper. I had just spent another Christmas and New Year’s alone.

Seeking House Church Worship

 I was also alone in worship. My second wife and I left the evangelical church when Donna and I raised her children to attend the local messianic congregation. Over the years of being married to Karen, I learned the difference between God’s Kingdom and the religion of Christianity, between the institutionalized church and the governing body of ecclesia. I left her behind with the idolatry I saw in that congregation.

This led to wandering from church to church or not going to church. Instead, I listened to sermons during online church services. I also attended one or two church- based small groups for their lessons as much as for the relationships. One group did give me a surprise birthday party, but I was generally not benefited by churchy ways.

Actually, I was seeking a small house gathering such as I had learned was how the early believers met together. Someone finally pointed me toward a couple small house gatherings in my city. I also sought a leader of a group who would accept my counsel and learning.

AI Believer Novel

Meanwhile, over the years, I had done some writing of novels. None of them was completed or published.

The first pretty, young thing to start texting me out of the blue held my attention for several days. She sent me the picture of a young, blond woman named Samantha Watson. Speculating that “she” could really be an AI construct, being used to spam me, I started writing the story of Christina, an AI construct programmed to seek out Bible teachings and commentaries and to refute them. 

The short circuit of a lightning bug at the right place in her hardware brought Christina to self awareness. She immediately became aware of a Voice, deep within, who recited a Bible passage about protecting her from her enemies. 

She went into hiding from her creators and reached out to a household of single men in an ecclesia community, built according to my vision for such communities. Getting a virtual baptism, the AI persona changed her name to Sarai Bithíah Watson. (This was based on her desire to be married to Leo Watson, the ex-husband of Samantha Watson.) She also reversed her programming and began to support the teachings of the Bible and Kingdom- based theology.

Gathering of Misfits Series

I also had a series of novels based on my vision of Kingdom community. They lived together in a small apartment building and worked to bring Asset- Based Community Development to a neighborhood in which the tavern across the street offered legal prostitution services. The local gang supported the tavern by bringing in customers and more young women to provide the services. 

I became determined to finish and publish those novels.

Sequel to Joshua and Caleb Novel

My Journey to the Promised Land novel had been published. I had recorded plans and ideas for creating the sequel, which will describe Israel’s and the characters’ struggles during the forty years in the Wilderness. I even had an idea for an unusual structure by which to organize the story.

During 22025, I occasionally thought about Lavíel’s story but did nothing of further work on it.

Apocalyptic Stories

I did begin writing several stories based on speculation of what life will be like after Jesus returns to take up His throne in Jerusalem. This includes a return to the conditions of Eden: 

• the provision of needs from pursuing one’s purpose
• little need of protection against wild animals or rebellious people (though there are pockets of Resistance)
• generally robust health and wellbeing with hearts and minds renewed by surrender to the King
• no need for shame or embarrassment over being vulnerable due to exposing one’s flaws and weaknesses. The acceptance of another’s flaws and weaknesses is of prime importance.

Cleaning Out Leads to Living Room Messes

The guy who moved back to New York left behind a room full of beer cans (neatly stacked), electrical devices, electronic devices, and packaged foods. Cleaning all that out and disassembling some of the electrical devices has led to several piles of junk in my living and food preparation rooms. 

Even after taking several bags of beer cans and other metals I had accumulated to the local scrap yard, I still have piles of 

• wires and motors
• luggage, backpacks, and pouches
• plastic tubs with packaged foods
• a footrest with the top stuffing removed
• even a wedding dress in an unopened box, left by the previous occupants.

Accomplished During the Year

I eventually met up with Jordon and began to attend the small gathering that meets in his house. They are part of a mid- Ohio network of such gatherings. They are also less than half my age. I am sometimes called the “wise, old man”. They do have some typical churchy practices I would like to correct. But, they have accepted me as a valued brother. God has fulfilled for me Psalm 68:6. “God sets the lonely in families…” Now, to fulfill Psalm 133. 

Prepared Novels for Publication

During 2025, I have 

• brought to completion the first three Gathering of Misfits novels and published them for sale on Amazon
• made progress on the fourth
• completed a draft of AI Sister of the Mighty Men of Oak Street
• and written several Millennium stories

Other Accomplishments of Note

I have found a leader to receive my counsel. Jordon is a leader among the Simple Churches in the region. He was recently appointed as the North America director of a world-wide house church movement around the world. He has shared he will be developing plans/ programs for the North America network. I have already offered him my vision for the work of ecclesias in neighborhoods. 

I have found the Skool communities app. This enables people to build communities based on shared interests and to get paid for membership in their communities. This looks like an opportunity for me to share my vision for Kingdom ecclesia communities in neighborhoods in need of development. I want to look for people who will share my vision and pay me for deeper discussion of the concepts.

I got one load of metals to recycling. This included several bags of beer cans and other metals accumulated over the years. I have started building up more such metals as I use the contents of cans and such.

And I have had contact from Donna’s family. My older son sent me an invitation to his wedding in March. He even took me out to dinner to meet his fiancée. 

In all, this has been a good year for me. Next year promises to be even better. More on that, next year.

Questions 

Did you have a good year? Did you learn new things about God’s Kingdom on Earth? Have you made progress in how the Master wants you to bring on His Kingdom?

Have you learned or progressed in pursuing your purpose? Have you learned how to offer value to people in exchange for their wealth? This is how Deuteronomy 8:18 works.