The year 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of my father-in-law, Aaron H. Hollinger. I had the privilege of knowing him for almost 25 years. We had many great conversations over that time. His perspective was unique in that he was a minister, bishop and church leader while also being an entrepreneur and business owner. We could talk about most anything.

Often times our conversations would head down memory lane. One story he told us several times was about the time he and his brother were hired hands for the same farm owner. One day the farm owner said, “You may be brothers, but one of you is a “thinker” and the other is a “plunger.” Aaron’s brother, John, was a thoughtful, careful and calculated person. Aaron was being labeled as the “plunger.” He would aggressively dive in to the project at hand. Every time he told that story, he would laugh at being called a “plunger” by the farmer. Truth be told, my father-in law had the ability to be a “thinker” or a “plunger” depending on the situation at hand. He was a gifted man, and we miss him.

As we begin 2015, perhaps you’re approaching it as a “thinker.” You are making careful, calculated small steps of planned progress. Or you may be a “plunger,” taking bold and aggressive steps of action for the year ahead. You might dive in head first and figure out the details later. Either way, the New Year brings the gift of a fresh start, more days of life, and an opportunity to improve ourselves and have more significant impact on those around us. Regardless of your own unique style, we all would be well-served to remember that our ultimate hope and trust is in God for 2015 and beyond.

Wishing you a healthy, happy, and meaningful 2015.