Hey youth pastors!!!

I just wanted to pass along a GREAT opportunity to any of my youth pastor friends, or pastors of churches without a youth pastor.  If you are looking for an awesome New Year's Eve experience for your jr & sr high school students, in a safe & fun environment, this is it!  Check out the video and go to www.thenyebash.com for more info!

Naming My Year

Last night at Allison Park Church's prayer meeting, Melodie Leake challenged us concerning "Naming Our Year." I must admit that while my first temptation was to name it "Larry" and be done with it, I persevered through the process and came up with a vision from God for the year that lies before me!

So, as a way of creating some accountability for myself, I'm going on-record as stating that for me, God has challenged me to make 2009 the year of "Discipline." Furthermore, I was challenged to see growth in areas of spiritual, physical, and financial realms of my life. My hopes are that as I look back at the end of 2009, I will be a mean, lean, prayin' and payin' machine!

I seriously doubt that I'll end up with "abs of steel" or that I will become a professional financial consultant, but I need to and want to see growth in these areas. Currently, I'm already taking steps toward growth in all but the physical areas, but I have a plan for that area, as well. We'll see how it works out!

Here's to a GREAT 2009, and to God-honoring disciplines in my life!

New Beginnings!

I love the new year! It's a time for reinventing ourselves...putting some things behind us, while looking forward to what God might have for us in the future. Every new year is full of so much optimism, in my opinion!

I've decided to read through the Bible in the Message paraphrase this year. I love the fresh language, and I look forward to seeing God's Word through a different lens.

Check out this passage I read today in Psalms 1:
"How well God must like you— you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. 2 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,you chew on Scripture day and night. 3 You’re a tree replanted in Eden,bearing fresh fruit every month,Never dropping a leaf,always in blossom. 4 You’re not at all like the wicked,who are mere windblown dust— 5 Without defense in court,unfit company for innocent people. 6 God charts the road you take.The road they take is Skid Row."

Good stuff. I want my year to be full of God's Word...on my mind all of the time. Always full of new life, not dead, dried-up leaves.

That said, I'm looking forward to a great 2008, how about you?