There's More In Store

The first month of 2010 is almost in the books. How has it gone for you? Is 2010 what you expected it to be? Better? Worse?

Well, I think for most of us, it's probably a little early to lay out a verdict. But, I will bet that many of the resolutions we made on January 1 have been laid by the wayside. And, some of our resolutions have been revised, or taken a different shape than we originally intended.

How many times has that happened to you -- a dream of yours becomes something other than what was originally envisioned? Sometimes that dream goes sour, and unforeseen details derail it. But, sometimes that dream explodes into the unimaginable.

For the Christ-follower, the unimaginable is what we are promised. Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. In other words, these ideas God lays on our hearts are only the beginning of a great and awesome adventure.

I was reminded of this truth this week. NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, celebrated it's tenth anniversary. You can watch the 2-1/2 hour service here. It struck me as I watched the retelling of the church's story, that they had no clue ten years ago that their small group of 15 people, meeting in a living room, would have around 15,000 celebrate together in a special service at the BILO Center in Greenville in 2010.

During the course of the service, pastor Perry Noble read a letter he had written in 1996 to his wife, telling her of the burden God was placing on his heart to start a church that was going to be unlike any other church they had seen. But, even he admits to having no idea how God would take that call to plant a church and turn it into a multi-campus force in South Carolina, on the Internet and in Kenya.

I think about the church I attend, North Point Church in Springfield, Missouri. My family started attending when the church was only 11 months old. At the time, there were only around 800 attending three services in a renovated movie theatre complex.

The kids area was a blast, because the floors were slanted (formerly theatre seating), making it difficult for kids to stand up. The youth room was filled with old sofas (also on a slanted floor), and the theatre seats in the worship center creaked when you sat down to watch the service take place on a cramped stage.

This year, North Point will turn seven. I doubt anyone that attends NPC could have ever imagined how God would carry out Ephesians 3:20. Last year, NPC was the ninth fastest growing church in the U.S. Today, the average attendance is over 4,000. Each week, dozens of people commit their lives to Jesus.

And, we do it over five services on Sunday and SATURDAY. That's right, Saturday. What many people thought couldn't be done is happening at NPC. Other church in the Springfield area, large and small, have attempted Saturday services, but ended them after they didn't live up to what was hoped for. But, NPC recently added a second Saturday evening service to accomodate the growth.

Just like what is happening with these two churches, our minds cannot conceive the many different and exciting things God has in store for His followers and His churches if they are obedient to Him.

Monday Ten

1. My family has been dealing with head colds all this week. I hate being sick, especially with a head cold, because it messes with my voice. Radio people dealing with vocal cord issues is not a good thing.

2. I should be getting the last of my tax information this week. Time to get prepped on all the paperwork. Does anyone really like tax time?

3. Saturday night church services at North Point were very good. The KidPoint (elementary) are had 100 kids for the 5 p.m. service. That's the most we've ever had on Saturday night.

4. I felt a little guilty, because I had only eight 4th/5th grade boys during that service while others had 15-25. But, my eight boys were extremely well behaved, with was probably more amazing than the 100 kids.

5. This is going to be my last week hosting the late afternoon show. I switch to a different time slot next Monday. My wife is happy, because I'll be getting home earlier.

6. I'm a little disappointed in this week's weather. I had some outdoor work planned at the house back when the forecast called for sunny and 40s. But, that's up in the air now that we probably won't get out of the 30s, and expect a wintry mix of precipitation.

7. I had some good responses to last week's posts on tithing. Tithing is really a no brainer, but we do have to train our brains to not be so selfish with our resources.

8. The fiance of one of my best friends just got back from Haiti. She works for an adoption agency, and brought back 15 Haitian children to complete adoptions here in the U.S.

9. The great need in Haiti will gradually fade from the headline news, but the need will still be there for a very long time. You can still help by contributing to the Convoy of Hope.

10. I have heard very good reports from churches in the Springfield area who have raised tens of thousands of dollars to donate to the Haiti relief effort. Way to go Church!

They Give But They Don't Tithe: Part 2 of 2

In Malachi 3:10 God says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"

Tithing was important for the Temple in Old Testament days, because it was the design God had created to take care of the priests (who could not work while serving in the Temple), and to operate the ministry of the Temple. That translates directly to the Church today, where our tithes (primarily monetary giving) goes to pay the salaries of the employees of the local churches, and provides the means to operate the ministry of the churches in their communities.

Without the tithe coming in from all believers, the local church suffers, and the worldwide Church cannot live up to its full potential.

My pastor friend that I referenced in yesterday's post told me that most of his congregation give, but they don't tithe. I know other pastors who have encountered this, especially in the current recession. They end up losing income of their own, because the church can't pay them. The various ministries of the church get cut, because there isn't enough funding for them.

Let's do a little math. The average income in America is around $50,000. In a hypothetical church of 200 (50 families of four) making this household amount, the total gross income is $2.5 million. Of that, ten percent should be tithed, giving this local church $250,000 annually. That would be enough to pay staff, conduct all the ministries of the church, and have enough left over to expand or plan for the future.

On the flip side, if all these 50 families do are to drop $5 in the offering plate every week, the total income for the church would be $13,000 -- a difference of $237,000. Obviously, the $5 thing won't keep the lights on at a church. It wouldn't even feed one of these families of four.

These two examples are both extremes. Reality exists somewhere in the middle, but I used the extremes to point out the potential impact of tithing, and the devastating impact of the "$5 special."

Tithing isn't a hard issue to comprehend. God made it very simple to understand and to apply to our lives. And, He leaves the choice up to us. God won't be striking people dead for not tithing, but He can't bless the people who won't tithe. And, the reason he can't bless the people who don't tithe is because these people don't trust God with their money.

So, how does a person go from being a non-tither to tithing on the full extent of their income. I believe it begins with prayer. Since tithing is primarily a trust issue, you need to work on improving that trust relationship with God. This begins by studying the Bible (all of it, not just on tithing), praying to God, and applying the lessons God teaches you.

While you're in the process of building trust, you also need to start somewhere in your giving. If you struggle with letting go of your money, I suggest starting small, and set a time frame for the future.

If you're just getting into the giving spirit, try the $5 special for a few weeks to get into the habit of giving. Then, gradually increase that amount to $10, $20 and $100 dollars. As you adjust to a life of giving, you'll also adjust to living within your means.

These baby steps will eventually lead you to giving ten percent off of your net income. The tithe off of the net is actually pretty easy to do, since you see all that money coming into your account. It's easy to do the math off of what you actually brought home.

The big jump, and the leap of faith comes when you tithe off your gross income. You never see the gross, because taxes, retirement, health and other deductions come out of it first. This makes the challenge of the full tithe a little harder to swallow. I suggest that once you start tithing off of your net income, then you should also set a date in the near future (2-3 months) to start tithing off your gross income. This allows you to prepare for it, and determine in your mind that you'll make this leap of faith regardless what comes your way.

You'll need that determination. Just about everyone I have spoken with on their tithing experiences say the same thing. They didn't seem to have any financial struggles until they began tithing. But, once they made that committment to tithe, it seemed that things started breaking around the home. Gas prices jumped. Cars needed repairs.

Since tithing is a trusting-God issue, that makes it a spiritual issue. It should not surprise anyone that Satan would try to discourage you once you begin expressing your trust in God. Again, this is where the prayer time becomes very important. You need it to stay in contact with God, and maintain that trust and determination.

Last thoughts on tithing: It is not a get-rich-quick scheme that God organized. There is a tendency to read Malachi 3 and assume that the blessings are going to be returned in monetary form. God knows the heart of every person. He also knows our needs and desires.

If we seek monetary gain from our act of tithing, God probably won't grant it. Instead, your blessing will come in different areas. Perhaps a better job, an improved relationship with your spouse, greater ministry opportunities, etc.

Tithing is also not an approval system. I know this will be hard to believe, but there are people out there claiming a relationship with Jesus who will use their tithe as a weapon. If they approve of the decision the church leadership makes, they will give it. But, if they disagree with the direction of the church, they withhold their tithe as a way to punish the church and its leaders.

This type of activity is not only destructive to the church, but as Malachi 3 also points out, it is stealing from God. You are cheating Him of one of the things he asks. The tithe is not designed as a method of voting your approval. To use it that way, I believe, is an indication of an individual's true heart and reflects directly on their relationship with God, or should I say the lack of a relationship with God.

So, there you go. Tithing in a two-part nut shell. What do you think?

They Give But They Don't Tithe: Part 1 of 2

"They give, but they don't tithe."

That was the line a pastor friend of mine recently used to describe the financial state of his congregation. His church is in an economically depressed part of the country where finances are tight and unemployment is high.

I sympathize for his church's situation, but sadly, his tithing condition is not limited to his church and town. Probably even worse is that "giving, but not tithing" isn't even limited to economic condition.

I've been involved in church ministry in one form or another since the mid-90s, and I have seen this condition regardless of how the economy is doing. Granted, "giving but not tithing" is much more common in a poor economy, but I think there is something that needs to be addressed regarding the financial gifts we give to the church.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a tithe is a tenth. It means ten percent. In the Bible, the tithe was ten percent of an individual's (or family's) gross income or production.

Leviticus 27:30 points out that "One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy."

Malachi chapter three has what is probably the most recognizable statements regarding the tithe. Included in this section is God's personal challenge to us to test Him on whether he will bless the tither or not.

So, how does this apply today? Well, I believe that everyone should give or their time, ability and finances. Giving may come in the form of helping out a local charity, or volunteering at the local elementary school. And, yes, it can also happen at church, but we'll save that for the next paragraph. What I want to get at is that everyone should develop within them a giving, self-less heart. A giver can go a long way toward meeting the needs of their community.

As for the tithe, this is strictly a God-and-His-people thing. Leviticus commands it to be done, and Malachi is the dare to try it. Here's how I look at it:

• If you don't make any income, or produce anything, or have no talent, then there is nothing to tithe. The only thing I would add here is that you should be careful in determining what makes up zero income/production. It is human nature to try to twist the facts and cheat God (that's why Malachi 3 exists). Be honest with what you are getting and giving.
• If you're dropping the $5 special in the offering bucket each week, month, quarter, etc., then you obviously aren't trusting God with your finances, and/or haven't bought into the whole God and Jesus thing. If you can't trust God to give him ten percent of your income, then perhaps you should do some soul searching to find out if money might be more of a god to you than the God of the universe.
• When you get into tithing, there is always the debate on what part of the income you should tithe. Should you tithe the net or gross income? Should you tithe things like tax refunds, gifts and the like? I think if you study scripture, you will find that God asks for a tithe off the gross, before you or the government gets their share. If you give God the net, then don't be surprised if your blessings have a "net" kind of feel to them. As far as extra sources of income, like tax refunds, gifts, etc., you're going to have use a dose of honesty to decide these. My take on it is that if you didn't already tithe on the income you receive, then you should do so. This especially applies to tax refunds where some people may have no taxable income, but because of things like child tax credits, they receive money back that wasn't part of their normal wages. If it's extra, consider tithing off it.

Ultimately, tithing is a trust issue. How much do you really trust God?

If you're interested in becoming a regular tither, check back tomorrow, and I'll give you some easy steps.

No More Unchecked Power

Congratulations to Scott Brown on his historic victory yesterday in Massachusetts. The people of Mass. voted for the country on Tuesday, and put into place the only chance conservatives have of derailing the liberals; unchecked power.

Any political party dreams of the opportunity to be able to enforce their agenda without any real opposition. That may sound good if you're the party in command, but unchecked, or absolute power has a tendency to corrupt. It will lead politicians down paths they would have never believed possible, and toward problems they never imagined.

Such is the case with the Democrat Party. The unchecked power they received in 2008 was clearly not a mandate to do whatever they wanted. It was merely a desire by the people to change what the country had for the previous eight years. Unfortunately, voters jerked their knees too much in '08, and gave Dems too much power. Yesterday's election in one of the most liberal states in the country proved that. The people declared that they wanted that power to be balanced.

What is great about the Brown victory is that he campaigned on very specific things. His campaign was all about breaking the Dems' super-majority in the Senate, and stopping the legislative train wreck in Washington. Where the Democrats didn't have a real, straight forward mandate in 2008, Congress and the President now have a clearly defined mandate from the voters in Massachusetts, and it's contrary to the current legislative plan.

Now, with that being said, Republicans should also take note. The MA voters' mandate is a shift toward the conservative. The notion that the GOP should be a moderate or liberal party has now been debunked. The GOP would do well to throw out the progressive voices in their midst, and return to being America's true conservative party.

Additionally, Republicans should prepare for a couple of things. This coming November will likely bring a huge swing in Congressional seats. No party can make as many unpopular decisions as the Democrats have, and still keep their power. Should the GOP return to power in Congress, there are two key things that Republicans need to remember.

1) Don't get cocky. When the party won Congress in 1994, it didn't take long for the power to go to the heads of the new power mongers. Within four years, the Contract with America had been shelved for special interests and personal gain. By 2006, the People had their fill and began moving power to the Democrats.

So, should Republicans regain Congress in the fall, they need to remember the mistakes of their past, and keep a level head about the offices they hold.

2) Don't become wimps. The GOP had been the minority party for so long, that when they won the majority in 1994, they didn't know how to act like winners. Instead, they acted like wimps. Areas where they could have and should have followed through on the public mandate (Contract with America), they ended up compromising with a powerless opposition. No politician should ever compromise when their constituents give them a clearly defined mandate.

A Little Hillsong

Instead of a written blog, how about a little worship today. Here's one of my favorites - Hillsong's "From the Inside Out."

Monday Ten

1. Had a very good weekend. Saturday night church was great, and got a lot of things done around the house on Sunday.

2. We met up with a friend at church Saturday night that we had not seen in several years. I probably came off as a bumbling idiot, because I didn't recognize her. She had colored her hair, and had a few other changes since my wife and I last saw her. After she said "Hi" to me, I had to apologize to her for not remembering her name. In reality, I remembered the name, just wasn't ready for the new look. My wife had a similar experience, only not as embarrassing.

3. The phrase "any given Sunday" proved incredibly accurate this weekend. Who would've thought that both the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, who had hot offenses last weekend, would have their hats handed to them this weekend? And, who would've thought the J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets! would be a win away from the Superbowl? This is turning out to be a great post-season in the NFL...unless you're a Cowboys fan.

4. My wife is about to get me a late Christmas gift...golf clubs. I need a new set. My starter set just doesn't cut it.

5. Rebekah's Christmas gift (new stove) arrived a couple of weeks ago. She baked cookies in it for the first time over the weekend. Very nice.

6. This past week, my four-year-old son told my six-year-old son, "We'll teach you how to burp!" As a parent, how do you respond to that?

7. The radio station I work for, KWFC, is getting geared up for something new and exciting. February 5th kicks off the KWFC concert series. It features Three Bridges and Chris Hester. I'm excited about it, mostly because I get to hang with Chris. He's a great guy. I'm trying to talk him into coming to church with me that Saturday night. It'll rock his world.

8. I was talking with an artist recently, and we both agreed that overproduced music is not a good thing. We both prefer real and authentic, as opposed to computer-corrected.

9. Does anyone remember synthesizers and midi-keyboards? Some are still around today, or have their functions built into electronic keyboards. They should have a sledge hammer taken to them. Seriously.

10. It's MLK day. I'm a little saddened by two things this day:

• The first is the governmental calls to service. There's nothing wrong with volunteering, but I think we're kinda missing the message that Dr. King taught us.
• The other thing that saddens me is the rash of racial jokes I hear coming from some white folks regarding people of other color. Do you really think they're funny? Huh?

10a. Oh, and while we're on the subject of race, I often times get upset over the reverse discrimination junk that goes on in our culture. The white man has caught the brunt of this lately. I think what ticks me off the most is that we can't just all be people, the political correct movement forces us to see retribution by punishing other people. That's just plain wrong. Punishing people today who had no part in yesterday's offenses only maintains the cycle of hatred. God views us all equally. We should do the same.

Haiti Is Hurting

Apologies for not blogging this week. I've been ultra busy, and have been taking in the crisis in Haiti.

I don't think we can ever imagine the horror that is taking place in that island country. For years, Haiti has been plagued by violence, corruption and poverty. It is one of the spiritually darkest places on the planet. Yet, today, it is a country that is hurting.

Today, I would encourage you to send a financial gift to the Haiti relief effort through the Convoy of Hope. Convoy has a long history of meeting needs during disasters. Your financial gift will allow Convoy to purchase the necessary items that are desperately needed in Haiti.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

After watching news reports about the pitch black of the night now that there is no power in the country, these words bring some extra special meaning. Add to the situation that Haiti has a strong satanic influence, and the importance of Jesus' words become much stronger.

We could sit by and claim this is God's judgement on a corrupt and rotten nation. And, there could possibly be some truth to that. After all, Sodom and Gomorrah set the precedent.

However, I don't believe it is our place to be concerned about God's judgement on people. Instead, this is our time to be the "light of the world." This is our time to help, to pray and to contribute.

You know, Jesus' instructions are quite simple. Maybe, just maybe, God is going to use this tragedy to bring hope and light to the Haitian people who are hurting so badly right now.

Monday Ten

1. My wife decreased our redneck value today. She bought a new mailbox. Our mail woman busted our old one up last winter trying to beat ice off of it with a hammer.

2. My wife loves her new stove. The other one had just about given it up for good, so timing was great on this new LG stove.

3. It was a weekend of change for us and our church. New service times saw the addition of a second Saturday night service. This is great for us, because we can teach kids in one service and attend worship during the other.

4. I sent in my bio information to the Singing News. I'll be in their March 2010 edition as their Golden Mic winner.

5. My wife signed us up for a year membership at a local gym. I'm going to drop some pounds and put on some muscle.

6. The warmer weather has finally allowed me to allow my dog outside again. That string of sub-zero temps was terrible.

7. Oddly enough, I never thought a person would really be able to tell the difference between -3 and +10 degrees, but you really can. +10 is much, much nicer.

8. I'm ready for a beach vacation...but, aren't we all.

9. The radio station I work for is going to introduce an annual concert series this year. Right now, we're aiming for four shows, including our anniversary concert. The first event is February 5th at Evergreen Church, and features Three Bridges and Chris Hester. It'll be good...and free (love offering).

10. I used to love cold weather. Now that I'm in my mid-30s...not so much.

Guest Blog from my pastor

Thoughts are hard to come by on this busy Friday, so I'll redirect you to today's entry from my pastor, Tommy Sparger. Enjoy his take on Psalm 51.

Freedom

Today, my wife and I are experiencing something we haven't had since the day we were married...financial freedom. As of this morning, we are completely debt free. Credit, medical and mortgage are all paid off.

No more debt. No more paying interest. No more being a slave to the lender.

For those wondering, we followed Dave Ramsey's baby steps to get to financial freedom. We took a bit of a short cut, but you use whatever means you have. The goal is what your sights are set on.

Debt is painful. It isn't any fun to have creditors calling you wanting to "work with you" on a way to take your money.

Now, don't come begging for money, because we've already budgeted it all away. That's another one of the baby steps..saving toward the future.

Debt is dumb. Cash is king. And, the paid off home mortgage is the new status symbol of America. - Ramsey

Pretending To Be What You're Not

We've all done it. We've all had those moments when we've pretended to be something that we're not. Anyone who has ever dated falls in this category during the first six months of a relationship. We become overly impressive (something most people just don't do naturally) in order to attract a future spouse. But, ring the wedding bells, head off on the honeymoon, and a few weeks later, the good impression train gets derailed and we return to our natural selves.

That's just one common example. If I pressed you for more, I'm sure you could fill a sheet, or book with examples of when you pretended to be someone you really aren't just to get something.

What's amazing about the "pretend" game that we play is that we despise those who manipulates us by pretending to be something they are not. We want people to be open and honest with us.

We don't like politicians, because they're trained to be all things to all people while hiding who they really are when the cameras are off and crowds are gone. We don't like bosses who live out of the "do as I say, not as I do" playbook. We don't like that aquaintence who looks through us as they talk to us, pretends to be our best friend in order to manipulate us, then disappears until they need to use us again.

These folks all leave us feeling kinda slimed and icky. I wonder if God feels the same way when we come to church in our Sunday best clothing, yet hide all our troubles from him and live un-Christian-like during the week. I wonder if sometimes God wants to turn and run when we "amen" the message, but decry the worship music or act like devils in the business meetings?

One of the biggest things that attracted people to Jesus (and still does) was that he never tried to impress people. His tactics never included manipulation. He never pretended to be someone or something that he wasn't.

There are some great examples of the contrast of truth vs. pretend found in the way Jesus interacted with those who were supposed to be godly. One is found in John 3 where Jesus interacts with Nicodemus.

Now, I'm not going to necessarily knock on ole Nick, but I think his behavior during their meeting speaks volumes about the Pharisee culture he was from. First, the chapter begins by telling us that Nicodemus came to meet Jesus after dark. Who Nick was trying to hide from we can only speculate. Most folks assume he didn't want his fellow Pharisees seeing him having this particular conversation with Jesus.

Perhaps, he was also trying to protect his reputation with the people. After all, Nicodemus had a status that he needed to maintain above the common folk. Jesus recognized him as a respected Jewish teacher, which tells us that the people looked up to him. If he was seen being taught by Jesus, it might ruin that status, or even call into question his teachings.

Nicodemus also gives us a very important insight into the group he came from. He tells Jesus, "Rabbi we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you." Essentially, Nick confirms to Jesus that the Pharisees know God sent Him. But, the behavior of the Pharisees was one that tried to deny this truth.

This pattern of deceit on the part of the Pharisees really stands out in Luke 20 where the religious leaders question Jesus about where he got the authority to teach what he was teaching. The trick was that they already knew. Here they're trying to cast doubt and to hurl insults.

The stark contrast between these men and Jesus really becomes apparent when Jesus fires a question back at them, but instead of answering truthfully, the religious leaders consider their politically correct option, and spin their answer.

Later in this chapter, they try to trip Jesus up again by pretending to be honest people with a question about taxes.

And, finally the Sadducees do their best to confuse the son of God with a trick question about something they claimed not even to believe in -- the resurrection. What is great about this final story is that their trickery didn't stump Jesus. His answer was so good that the Bible tells us that no one dared to ask him questions again.

Oh, one last note before we leave today's discussion...you remember Nick, the Pharisee who came to see Jesus in the dark. Well, he saw the light, and the Bible tells us that he eventually quit pretending. He was one of the two men who took possession of Jesus' body after the crucifixion. He no longer cared how his interaction with Christ might impact his reputation. All he knew was that he had to stop the lie and live the truth.

That is a great lesson for us.

Monday Ten

For the lover of lists, here is the first Monday Ten of Twenty-Ten.

1. Snow, Snow, Snow. Love the snow. Hate the cold.

2. I survived my 15th anniversary and Christmas without getting sick, but could not make it past the New Year before a stomach bug nailed everyone in my family.

3. By the end of this week, my family should be DEBT FREE. Dave Ramsey will be proud.

4. I am looking forward to this year. The past two have been difficult. I see some good things on the horizon that could play out in the next twelve months.

5. I see where Missouri legislators will be debating legislation that could allow open enrollment at the state's public schools. That would give parents the right to take put their kids in the school district of their choice. So long as it doesn't get watered down, this should create competition, and force districts to do a better job educating our kids. You can't just throw money at a problem, you have to also hold the recipients accountable.

6. My wife gets a new stove this week. She is giddy with excitement. You would be too if the only thing that consistently worked on your stove was the oven. But, we've had the old one for twelve years. I suppose we can let it go, now.

7. My wife is buying me a late Christmas gift -- golf clubs. We tried to go look at some yesterday at Play It Again Sports, but their loft where the golf equipment is stored was about 90 degrees and unbearable to stand in.

8. I'm looking forward to talking with my financial advisor in a few days about investing for our future, and our kids' college savings.

9. I talked with a local pastor last Thursday who shared some incredible news. His church only runs between 50-100, but in the year of June 2008-June 2009 they saw 55 people give their lives to Jesus, and they were one of the leaders amongst the SBC in baptisms. That's cool for a relatively small church.

10. Finally, with the cold temperatures this week, my golden retriever and my two cats are getting to know each other very well. They're all spending quality time in the garage together.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone in the blogosphere.

It's a new year with new beginnings filled with new opportunities. Take advantage of them.

I'll resume normal blogging on Monday.