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2009 Thoughts and Flights of Fancy

So it is 2009. Nice day here in Auckland to get it rolling. What will happen?

1. Economic Turmoil: I suspect that we have a challenging year ahead as a nation and world with the global economic crisis. It will take at least this year to get out of it. For NZ, I suspect once the New Year sales are over, the lower dollar will mean more expensive stuff, and the market will slow more. The speed of recovery will be completely dependent on the ability of the US government to get their economy rolling again. That may be difficult, how long can they prop it up?

2. Trouble for John Key: He has inherited a golden challice, a slowing weakened economy. If the global economy does not start to get moving again, I suspect the honey moon period will be a short one and National will come under pressure. How will he handle it? Will he make it to a second term? It will be interesting to see if he holds his poise and has the wisdom to do the business as the pressure comes on.

3. Sporting predictions: The Australian cricket team will continue to struggle, lose to South Africa again and lose the Ashes in England. Liverpool will not win the premiership, they will stumble and Chelsea will come through. The All Blacks will continue to dominate but the Wallabies will continue to close the gap... we will peak this year or next! Why? Because it is between World Cups. Nick Willis will become the world's #1 middle distance runner. Bolt will break more records but get injury problems, he is too big not to. The NZ cricket team will start to improve in all forms of the game, we have some great stars of the rise (Ryder, Taylor, McIntosh, Southee, Patel, Redmond, Flynn, O'Brien) and some mature greats (Vettori, Oram, McCullum). We will continue to go well in rowing and if Rob Waddell stays in the sport, he will win the single sculls at the Worlds this year. The Warriors will have a great year, but the Crusaders will not win the Super 14.

4. Disasters: There will be further disasters, earthquakes, wars and other problems. Some will be human causation. Others will be simply because the world is struggling under the corruption of death caused by the Fall. I pray God has mercy.

Have a great 2009. I plan to. I plan to eat healthier, have more rest and recreation (worked way too hard in 2008), keep fit, pray more, read heaps of stuff, blog more, write more, publish a book, some articles, teach well and buy a house. These are tentative plans, because, as James 4 tells us, who knows what tomorrow will bring. One thing is for sure, Jesus reigns and we will be OK, cause he says so... read Romans 8 again!

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