What I’ve found, though, is that I am most prone to attempt to post something when I’m enduring a struggle of some kind.  The drafts I moved to the trash involved deaths of people that I knew.  Ironically enough, I found myself wanting to write today after dealing with a death of someone that I worked with.

So I guess today I’m just struggling with dealing with past relationships and hurts.  Maybe eventually I’ll realize that blogging is good for more than just airing out my frustrations or a way of releasing/letting go my struggles.

So we’ve stayed home today….all 5 of us (6 with the dog).  It hasn’t been too bad of a day.  The boys have played on the Wii, the computer and even done some homework.  They are now peacefully, for now, watching a DVD. 

Susan and I decided to get something done.  We have a 2 car garage at the house, but have only used one side of it.  The other side has been a play area and general collection area for junk being removed from the house.  With the freezing rain we received last night, we thought it would be nice to be able to park in the other half.  So we set about trying to clean up that half of the garage.  It also meant re-organizing our shed out back so we could move stuff out there too. 

A couple of hours later, we have 2 vehicles parked in our garage.  Of course, there currently isn’t a lot of room to maneuver around out there, but both vehicles are safe from the elements. 

We had been talking about still going out this afternoon, but I feel good about we accomplished today.  We have been talking about this project for some time now.  And finally it is done!!  It’s a good feeling.  That feeling of accomplishment.

But in thinking about this advisory of freezing fog, I got to also thinking about life in general.  I’m sure that you’ve had times of fog in your life.  You know those times.  The times when nothing seems clear.  You think you might be heading in the right direction only to find out you “forgot to take the left turn in Albuquerque.”  Fog is quite frustrating. 

I’ve lived in the fog recently.  I wish that it was just a brief time, but the fog seemed to have set in.  I couldn’t see clearly at all.  No matter how much I prayed for clarity, for wisdom, for strength, I just didn’t see anything.  I was upset.  I wanted to see what God was up to in my life.  I wanted to follow Him, but I just couldn’t seem to see Him clearly.  I was reading my Bible.  I was reading about Sabbath and trying to rest and refresh.  But no matter what I did, I still couldn’t see.  The fog was no fun at all.  In all, I lived in the fog for about 18 months.  It was probably the hardest time in my life. 

Through the fog, though, I learned to trust.  I learned to wait for the sun to shine.  I learned to have faith that, even though I could not see Him working, God was there.  I can say now that the sun is shining.  The fog was dissipated.  God has made clear His path.  God has shown me His way.  It would have been easy to lose heart and give up.  Believe me, there were times when I wanted to, but I coudn’t.  I knew that He was there even though I could not see. 

Are you living in a fog today?  Can’t seem to see which way to go?  Feel like you’re wandering around feeling around for the walls to guide you?  Do you feel like you can’t seem to go on?  Has the fog overwhelmed you? 

Hang on, my friend!  The sun is there.  It’s behind the fog, working.  God is there, my friend.  He is still there and He is working.  Trust Him through the fog!

This year I want to make a few more tangible resolutions.  Resolutions where I can be gauged on how I’m doing.  Here they are:

1.  To be a more loving husband and father. (No change.  Will always be on this list.)

2.  To be a more effective minister of the gospel.  (Again, no change.)

3.  To read the entire Bible through at least once, preferably twice.  (Already working on it.)

4.  To drink less soda and coffee.  (May be the most difficult one on here.)

5.  To exercise more frequently.  (Thank you, Wii Fit, for telling me how out of shape I am.)

6.  To lose 10 lbs.  (Not that I need to lose it, but I want to be more fit.)

So there they are!  What are your resolutions?  Do you plan on working on them or giving up?  I encourage to try reading through the Bible with me.  Tried it before, but gave up in Leviticus?  Me too!  Go to www.youversion.com for a reading plan that will fit you personally.  They have many plans to choose from. 

Good luck!!  Let’s do it!!

In all honesty, this is the first of Mark’s books that I have read.  I have In a Pit and Wild Goose Chase on my “to buy” list.  The whole premise of Primal is a return to focusing on the Great Commandment that Jesus gave to us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  My first thought was:  “Here we go again!  Just another book saying the same old thing in the same old way!”  I mean haven’t we all heard sermon after sermon and read book after book on the topic of the Great Commandment.  I was quite surprised, though, that Primal was not just like every other book.  Mark has a very relatable writing style.  He also uses his love of science in conveying his thoughts.  (In other words, definittely loving God with all his mind.)

Admittedly, there were times in the first few chapters where I felt things were a bit cliche-ish, but that may have been the many distractions that I was facing while trying to focus on reading.  The book took a major turn, though, for me in the chapters regarding loving God with all one’s mind.  Fascinating stuff!  A good reminder that we don’t need to stop using our minds when we become followers of Jesus.  We should have a “holy curiosity” regarding the ways of God and the words of God.  Those chapters were a huge challenge for me as I look at the next year. 

One quote that really jumped out to me in chapter 6 entitled “Holy Curiosity” is:  “The church ought to be the most curious place on the planet.  We ought to be a safe place where people can ask dangerous questions, but all too often we’re guilty of answering questions that no one is even asking….What if we stopped force-feeding answers and learned to unleash the primal curiosity in our congregations?” 

As a pastor, this really smacked me right between the eyes.  So often, we feel it is our role to provide all the answers for everyone.  Instead, God calls us to open up people’s curiosity to seek God and to hear the answers from Him.  We, as pastors, have oftentimes taken away that holy curiosity that people have, thinking that we are “helping them”.

All in all, I highly recommend Primal to everyone.  I plan on re-reading it very soon.  In fact, as we look at the prospects of a new year right around the corner, I believe it would be a good first read for everyone.  It is a great reminder that our focus needs to be on loving God with every ounce of our being.  Read it, read it again every year.  Refocus and keep your eyes firmly on God!!

By the time we left the house, though, most feelings of thankfulness had long since dissipated after the boys had spent the greater part of the day arguing with each other.  Even so, I realized how much I have to be grateful for.  My family is healthy (relatively) and happy (generally) now.  We have a nice home that keeps us warm when it needs to and cool when it needs to.  We have the support of our family and many many wonderful friends.  We have a new puppy, Molly, that frustrates us to no end, but also brings much joy and laughter to the house.  We are a part of a good church body that loves and encourages us. 

I guess what I realized was that, even in the midst of the chaos of being cooped up in the house yesterday, there is much to be thankful for.  God is good.  He may not always work things out the way that we want them.  But we know that if we love him and are faithful to him, he will work for our good!  Every time! 

I’m thankful.

While I’ve never met Mark, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading his blog over the past few months.  Mark is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC.  His blog posts are very authentic and real.  So after following his blog for some time now, I’m really excited about the opportunity to receive an advanced copy of Primal and review it and spread the word. 

FYI, the review should be coming out sometime during the week of December 13-19.

I just returned from a CCC Men’s Retreat at our local church camp.  What a great time with those men!  We really have some cool guys here who want to do great things.  The really neat thing is that I didn’t have much to do with the retreat other than playing my guitar a little bit and giving a brief message.  I’m eager to see what becomes of this ministry.

I would have to say that life is good now.  The only thing that is causing a bit of frustration is the adoption of our new pet dog, Molly.  We have officially had her now for 1 week.  She is 4 mos. old and very much a puppy.  After a couple of late-night “potty runs”, she has slept relatively well the past 2 nights.  We’ll see…  If the allergies hold up against her, she’s probably a keeper.  If not, we’ll have to find a new home for her.  She’s a good girl.  Interested?  Give me a shout!

Enjoy life.  It’s probably not as bad as we think it is.  Find the things to be grateful and thankful for.  Celebrate what God is doing in your life, not what He isn’t.

So Eli and I got to spend a little bit of time today.  I love my boys.  They each drive me completely insane in their own little ways.  They each have their own buttons that they push to help me lose my temper.  But I love them.  They make me smile. 

Our oldest, Isaac, will be a middle school student next year.  First of all, that is entirely not possible.  He CAN’T be that old yet.  He’s a reader, an intellect, a thoughtful, caring kid.  He wears his emotions on his sleeve (sometimes to a fault).  The same things that drive me crazy about him are the things that make me appreciate him so much.

Riley, our 7 year old, is our assertive child.  He wants to be the best at everything.  If he can’t win a game on the Wii, he restarts the game before he loses and tries again until he will win.  He hates missing a day of school because he loves having perfect attendance.  He’s smart, too!  I love wrestling with him!  He needs the physical touch to know that you care….and that physical touch usually comes in the form of wrestling.

Eli is our “Drama King”.  He can tell one whale of a story.  You may not understand all of what he’s trying to tell you, but he’s got a story to tell.  He loves to jump off the furniture with no fear whatsoever, yet he won’t jump out of the van when we pull into the garage.  He’s fun to laugh with.

I love all of them.  In the past couple of years, when everything around us was chaotic, they were a constant.  They knew that Dad and Mom were stressed.  They knew we were struggling with so many things.  Yet they love us.  They provided strength and encouragement and a reason to keep on going.  I love my boys!

Can’t wait to get home tonight for some movie and play time!

I stated in an earlier post that it’s been a long week.  Yesterday was the climax of that long week, I think.  My new friend, thanks to Tuesday’s incident, came running to the church in a moment of panic.  He wasn’t dressed appropriately for the weather either.  I wasn’t here, but needless to say, 911 was called and the police and ambulance came to take care of the situation. 

My friend is a good guy.  He is also a hurting guy.  He is a man that needs people to love him for who he is, without fear of being judged.  This week I’ve spent a good amount of time with him.  I believe that through all of our circumstances this week, he has come to trust me.  He is now getting the help that he needs and I pray that God could use me to continue to show him the love that he needs.  He is a self-proclaimed atheist, but it is obvious that God has been working in him this week.

I ask you to pray for me as I try to minister to him, but, more importantly, pray for him.  Pray that he would see God’s love and continue to seek it out.  Pray for his peace of mind and for his strength.

So I need today!  I need to spend time in worship.  I need to enjoy what God has given me and celebrate.  I need to give thanks in all circumstances.  I need to acknowledge God’s leadership in my life!

It’s Sunday!