Thursday, January 31, 2008

Recent Thoughts

I have not been a good little blog host in about, oh almost 5 months now. What can I say? Life comes at you fast. It was very shortly after my last post that I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child. Yesterday I felt it moving in her belly for the first time. July 1 (or roundabout), we will receive our first child, the greatest gift God has given us thus far besides our salvation and each other.

My wonderful cousins Becky and Duane got me some Andy Stanley cds for Christmas which I have listened to 4 times already. He talks about Christian leadership and the things he has to say are really good. Here are some of his big topics:

Never compromise integrity for progress.

Live every day confident that God is with you.

Leaders need to challenge the system, while acting under authority.

Leadership problems stem from heart problems. Guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy can be overcome with confession, forgiveness, generosity, and celebration.

I finished two classes last semester in Hermeneutics and Baptist history. This semester I am taking two courses in Christian history. After this semester, I will be halfway through my degree course on my way to getting a Master's in Divinity from Liberty.

My New Year's resolution this year was to begin a life-long habit of reading my Bible daily - and reading it through in its entirety each year. So far, so good. The more you read the Bible, the more we connect with God and His plan for our lives. And the more times we read the same things, the more wisdom we draw from them (that is of course, the Scriptures).

I am starting a new Bible study group at our church called Transformation which is for 18-29 year olds. Romans 12:2 says that we should not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is what God's Word is all about - changing our lives. Then we take our changed life out into the world and become the salt and light that will preserve and illuminate this dark, decaying world.

I hope to return to more frequent posting effective immediately. Probably by now nobody is even reading this as they have given up on me as a poster. Maybe there will be some curious souls out there who will check it out. Take care and God bless. Come back soon.

The picture below is me on top of Reddish Knob - the tallest point in Northern VA (I think).