2009 Reading List

I enjoy reading and usually read a fair share of books on a yearly basis. The one thing I have never done is plan out my reading. A guy (great encourager) at church challenged me to do just that. So, this is the first year that I put together a reading schedule with definite timelines of when the books need to be started and when they will have to be finished. Well, so far so good. I finished my first book this morning and will start book two tomorrow.

The first book was called Freedom's Frame by Rick Green (www.rickgreen.com). It was a great book on how the freedom we have in this country is framed by four key principles. I would highly encourage you to pick it up.

In February I am going to read a book called MacArthur's Millenial Manifesto by Sam Waldron and I am also a huge John Grisham fan and his new book The Associate is out and I will try and read that as well. To top that off a dear friend of mine (Allan Taylor - Minister of Education FBC Woodstock, GA) wrote a book Sunday School in HD. It has not gone to print yet, so I am reading the transcript. He wants me to write a recommendation that will be included on the book cover, so I have to finish that book next month.

So why am I sitting here writing this, I need to get to reading...

Planning Conference Recap

Today the IBC staff had its January 2009 planning conference and I believe it went really great! 2009 should be an awesome year in which we see God bless us with growth (spiritual and numerical) in ways that exceed our expectations. I am just so proud of the team that God has put together. They all have great gifts, talents and abilities and are passionate about using them to see people changed with the truth of the gospel. I am absolutely amazed that God has chosen to put me into the mix.

Out with the old in with the new

All my life I have enjoyed new things. Not in a materialistic way, because I also appreciate used things that have been taken care of well. I just enjoy the way something new presents itself. New carpet that has that new carpet smell. A new car that has that new car smell. A new puppy, well....., hopefully you get the idea. For me a new year is very much the same. It is a time when you can let go of what happened last year (the old) and embrace the challenges of a new year. I think sometimes that people get stuck in what happened last year (or yesterday for that matter), forgetting that they have the ability to let that go and embrace something fresh and new. That is also the way it is with sin in my life. I can choose to wallow in it or confess and forget it. For me the second option is much better. I believe this is what Paul meant when he said, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." (Phil. 3:13) HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR EVERYONE