How will it turn out?

I am working on the church calender for 2011. As I look through the months ahead, it seems to compress the year. Even though the year hasn't even started, I am mentally already at Easter. I have taken note that Cinco de Mayo will be on May 5th this year and that Independence Day will be on July 4th. I think Thanksgiving will be on a Thursday. (I have a firm grasp of the obvious.) I am already counting the weeks until we reintroduce the completely revamped Sunday School department (only 36). It is energizing to look at the year ahead and plan. It is exciting to think of how many different ways that the living and active God we serve can completely obliterate those plans when He chooses to do so. Which week will be the one when I get to announce the sale of the south campus building? What other exciting announcements will there be? That's for God to know and for us to find out!

On Any Given Day

We are coming quickly to the end of another year. Each year has its own story, but the big story for me for 2010 is the new chapter that began for Carole and I by becoming pastors in October. This exciting and daunting calling has easily eclipsed my Inca Trail adventure as my top story of the year.

Pastoring is never dull. I noticed Sunday that the sink in the men's bathroom was draining much too slowly and I made a mental note to check on that later. This morning I was reminded of the slow sink again, so I immediately began to disassemble the p-trap to see where the clog was. When I removed the tailpipe extention I saw something dark and slimey looking. I grabbed it and gave a yank. Imagine my surprise when I pulled a dead frog out. Apparently it had come through the drain system and was looking for a place of  escape. When it made it to the end of the line, I guess it gave up or didn't like the soapy water. It couldn't have been there for more than a couple of days, but it had already begun to stink pretty badly. I gave it a proper burial in the dumpster, reassembled the drain and now the sink drains fine. The bathroom smells better, too.

You never know what opportunities await on any given day. It was better to be the plumber than the frog.

Will Blog for Books

I have once again scored a free book. Mark Batterson, who wrote Wild Goose Chase, (and who benefitted greatly from my cashews and jerky on the Inca Trail) has finished a new book, "Soulprint". And once again I have signed up for a free copy of his newest by agreeing to read it upon receiving it and then posting a review of it on my blog. That is like the best deal ever. I get to read new books. I don't have to pay for them. I get to talk about them on my blog. What's not to love about a deal like that?

Challenges

Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time in several months. A year ago I went several times a week as I prepared for both a 5k run and my Inca Trail hike. I developed a pretty good level of endurance and completed both goals. After my return from Peru, however, I didn't have any goals ahead of me. And as a result, the whole motivation to continue the workouts kinda slipped away. The fact that I felt really good and had a lot of energy didn't seem to be enough to cause me to continue the physical discipline of regular workouts. Now, I am again soft, my energy level is much lower, and it is more difficult to concentrate than it was when I was fit. It would appear that I need another challenge ahead to motivate me toward improvement.

Spiritual fitness is just like physical fitness. If we are just going along in life with no goals or challenges, we will not maintain the disciplines of prayer and Bible study that we do when we are facing something that appears to be daunting or beyond our capability. As a new pastor, I have plenty of spiritual challenge to keep me on my knees and in the Word. But as a soft middle aged guy I need to find a new physical challenge. I'll keep you posted.