In the Zone

When I was younger, I was always jealous of the other kids. While they would play with Nintendos, I would be stuck with an old Atari.  Later when they had Super Nintendos, I had the regular NES.  I never had the newest games, even when I had the latest consoles. Eventually that changed as my family got into better financial situations as I grew older, but I always remember being behind in the technology game.  Perhaps that's why, now, as an adult, I tend to keep up with the technological trends of the day.  I have an iPhone and a XBOX 360.  (Sadly, I still don't have the newest games, but that has more to do with my being a cheapskate more than anything.) It's so easy to get jealous of what we don't have.  We're always told on television that we need to have the next, best, biggest thing there is or we'll be left behind.  And no one likes to be left behind.  We all want to be in the loop. So we get jealous.  Of a new phone or tablet....

I've spent that last few weeks blogging about Christmas, because that has been the tint of our Wednesday night lessons.  We've been asking and answering this question:  what is the point of Christmas?  But since we're not meeting with out student again until after Christmas, I find myself at a crossroads on what to write.  What I decided to do is simply tell you about some books I've read recently (or are currently reading) and give you brief review.  If nothing else, they can make some great last minute gifts or you can get them after you return the stuff you really don't want.  (You can always use your gift cards too.) Radical by David Platt.  I began reading this because our pastor at Gracey has been going through the book each week for his sermon series.  I had heard a lot of good reviews, so I decided to pick it up and follow along.  I finished the book before the sermon series was done.  Good, quality stuff in there.  Perh...

It might sound weird, but for me, Christmas is a witnessing opportunity. I'm not talking about saying "Merry Christmas" at Wal-mart when they say "Happy Holidays."  I mean our Christmas celebrations are witnessing opportunities. When we visit family for Christmas, I know many of our family members don't have relationships with Christ.  I know that if they died today, they would spend etertnity in hell.  I have lost family members.  So does Sara. It's not something we like to talk about, but if we're honest, I'd say you have several lost family members as well.  We all know someone in our family who does not have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.  If this is the last Christmas we see them on earth, it could be the last Christmas we see them EVER. That's why, for me and my family, Christmas is just as much a mission field as it is a family holiday gathering.  I'm keenly aware that while at Christmas dinner or unwrapping Chri...

I've seen a lot of small miracles at Christmas-time. A few years ago, Sara and I (and our dog and cat) were driving to Owensboro from Northern Kentucky.  Northern Kentucky had a few inches of snow, but no big deal.  Central Kentucky had barely an inch.  Western Kentucky, including Owensboro, had nearly 2-feet of snow.  As we got closer and closer to Owensboro, the road conditions worsened.  The storm had moved through the day before and we thought roads would be clear.  We thought wrong.  Thirty miles after passing Elizabethtown (the last decent-sized city until Owensboro) the interstate went from wet to having a foot of snow on the road.  We passed car after car stranded on the side of the road as the interstate got progressively worse.  The radio, tuned to the trucker overnight show, talked about treacherous travel just to our north.  Then it happened, just after midnight, Christmas Eve morning - the back end of our car...

I'll admit it.  I'm not a BIG fan of Christmas.  (And that might be putting it mildly.) The "Christmas season" has not been kind to my wife and I over the years.  It was Christmas 11 years ago when my parents impending divorce hit home (talk about a solemn "family" celebration).  It was a few years afterward that Sara's grandmother passed way two days after Christmas.  Then there was the 360-degree spin-out on the interstate on Christmas Eve while driving through 2 feet of snow.  Last year, my father-in-law died a week before the holiday.  That's just a cliff notes version and doesn't include some of the minor debacles and my two-year experience of working in a toy store during the Christmas shopping season.  (Trust me, that will jade anyone on Christmas.) Needless to say, Christmas holds a lot of bad memories for me.  I love Thanksgiving, but from Black Friday until New Year's Eve, I struggle with depression, anxiety, anger a...