New Year - a new blog?

2005 is drawing to a rapid close. It has been a year of milestones for me and my family. My oldest daugther went off to college. (That was harder than I thought is was going to be). My youngest daughter needed hearing aids. (A real answer to prayer - the insurance reversed its original stance and paid all but $500 of the bill!! Praise God!) My wife, Kathy, went to work part time to help pay for college. My step father is currently undergoing his second round of chemo therapy.
And yet, through all of this - God is good. I remember the story of a minister who almost drowned. He was rescued and given mouth to mouth. As the minister came back to life he looked in the eyes of his spiritual mentor and said, "Boy, God is good!" to which to old mentor replied, "If you would have drowned; God would still be good!"
I don't know what you've faced this past year or what you will face next year. But what I do know is this: God is good. ALL the time!

A Good Christmas

Hope you had a great Christmas. This one was a quiet one for us. My mother and step-dad usually come up from Texas; however, this year he is undergoing round two of chemo therapy for prostrate cancer. Needless to say, they stayed home. Just wasn't the same not having the grandparents with us. Plus, we had our candlelight service on Christmas night instead of Christmas Eve - so, I was really out of sync this year!
My Christmas presents usually follow a theme- last year I go a bunch of accessories for my iPod; this year it was a Andy Griffith theme - two calendars, seasons three and four of TAGS (the Andy Griffith Show) - which is just fine with me! Love Andy Griffith!
It's been one of the warmest Decembers here in Utah in recent memory. Bummer. I love the snow and cold - gets me in the holiday mood. Again, another reason to be out of sync.
How was your Christmas?

It is finshed?

I'm on a quest during these two weeks that I have no sermon to prepare for. I love Paul's statement, "I have run the race, I have finished the course . . ." The idea of finishing something is exhilirating . . . gives you a since of accomplishment. Its a good feeling, isn't it?
So, during these two weeks of "down time" - I hope to finish some things I have started. i have already finished a movie I started a month ago - saw the second half a few nights ago. I now hope to finish MYST III Exile, which I've had for several years now. I have a two portraits to finish - maybe I'll just pick one and complete the drawing for the person who commissioned it. I hope to finish reading "Magician's Nephew," "Ender's Game" & "Freakonomics," before starting any other new books.
I'm great at starting things, but not always finishing. This, I hope, will be a season of finishing! Which, come to think of it, has already started. I've finished my Christmas shopping and this blog!
I'm off to a great start! Anything you want to finish?

memories

Loved the movie "Walk The Line" - which chronicled the life of Johnny Cash. The movie brought back some great memories of when my dad would put on a stack of records every night at bed time - Johnny Cash (A lot of Johnny Cash!), Charlie Pride, Mere Haggard, Porter Wagner, Loretta Lynn, etc. You can one of those albums on right now and I can tell you what the next song is going to be!
I wonder what my kids will remember from their childhoods? Here's the deal - you can't always choose what kids will remember. In other words, you can't force memories. I do think we can be intentional - create "memories" - but for the most part, I think memories just flow out of "normal" living.
What are some of your memories?

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A family missed assembly yesterday - so I talked with them last night and asked why. They said that with packing to leave for the holiday that they were just too stressed to come to church. Are we missing something when Christ came to give us peace yet we are too stressed to come and celebrate that peace?! Or, does it say something about how we do church? (Sometimes adding stress instead of relieving it?) Any thoughts?

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Our church packed out a theater on Saturday to see "Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". WOW! What a fantastic movie! Any reaction of the film? I thought the kids, especially Lucy, were great for their roles. Well done, Disney!

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Favorite Books of 2005

With all due respect to Julie Andrews - here are a few of my favorite things from 2005. I know that as soon as a publish this post, I'll think of a book or movie that I forgot about. (Some of these were released before 2005 - I'm including them because I either read or saw them in 2005. )

My favorite Christian books 0f 2005:
1.) Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
2.) Visioneering by Andy Stanley
3.) Breakout Churches by Tom Rainer
4.) The Present Future by Reggie Neal
5.) Creating Community by Andy Stanley


Favorite Fiction books:

1.) Half Blood Prince
2.) Kite Runner
3.) Lion, Witch & Wardrobe
4.) Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
5.) Because of Winn-Dixie
6.) Color of Law

Favorite Movies of 2005:

Cinderella Man
Narnia
Star Wars III
Batman Begins
Walk the Line
Goblet of Fire
To End All Wars (on DVD)
Willie Wonka & Chocolate Factory
Hitch

What are some of your favorite things of 2005?

Narnia ideas; Favorite Things of 2006?

Our church has rented a showing of "Narnia". Been thinking about doing a couple of sermons on Narnia. If any of you have any ideas on that - I would love to hear them.

Speaking of movies - I have a fantastic movie to recommend. Its called "To End All Wars". There is a scene in the movie that you will think "no, that didn't happen" - but, according to the director - he checked it out before including it in the movie - and he says that it did happen. Great film for showing "the gospel". It is rated R for intense POW scenes. WOW! What a movie!

I've been thinking of making my list of my favorte things from 2006. Before I give my list - any favorite movies, books, TV show, song, album, etc. for you?

Leaders Retreat

I'm exicted for a retreat I'll be attending this weekend. I'm not exicted about the speaker - there isn't one. I'm not excited about the location - I'm staying in town.
This is what is exciting to me -the ministers and shepherds of the Southside Church are gathering in a Salt Lake motel for a time of prayer and visioning for the coming year. I'm also excited that our wives are joining us for a breakfast session- because we need their insights! We are all fasting for the 24 hours leading up to our time together.
I'm really excited to see what God is going to do this weekend.