It’s crazy right now. People are crazy. Shopping is just plain nuts.
Work is crazy. Ministry is crazy. Pastors, Leaders, and Creatives are running around like crazy.
My life is crazy. I have four kids under the age of four. My wife and I are extremely blessed and fertile!
But even in the midst of this crazy time of year, this unbelievable time of year, there is something that is simply amazing…
… don’t forget this important promise.
As the year winds down, it’s always fun and interesting looking back at the year that was.
This blog is just over one year old it’s been a great year. I’ve had over 24,000+ views and I’m just blown away by those of you who have dropped by, read some posts, and left me encouraging and challenging comments.
Thank You for being a part of this!
As a result, I’ve tracked down the Top Ten most popular posts of 2011. Some were a bit surprising to me while others were just nice surprises.
If you haven’t read these, be sure to check them out.
We are down to our last two weeks of the year and our last week before Christmas. For most of us, we’ll find ourselves working long hours and hustling to finish up our weekend services, meetings, and parties.
You’ve probably exhausted all of your energies and are running on fumes.
You’re stress level, if it’s not already, is likely to rise to all new heights.
Let’s put aside all of the last minute details of over the top Christmas services and family get togethers for a moment. How are you going to finish strong when the tank is almost empty?
My wife and I welcomed our fourth child… Gavin James. The worship ministry I lead has grown both spiritually and numerically. I was able to attend Story Chicago for the first with my wife which was wonderful. And my St. Louis Cardinals completed one of the best comebacks in MLB history! (No comment on Albert.)
Just like many previous years, they just keep getting better and better. And they go by faster and faster.
It’s not to say that this year hasn’t had it’s fair share of challenges as well. Because I have had to face some extremely difficult circumstances that really tested my faith and patience.
But as I look back at 2011… I see God working in many areas of my life. And for that I am very grateful.
We are all, by now, deep in the Christmas trenches. We are prepping, planning, and making any necessary changes for our Christmas services.
We sent out email after email, gone over our service orders, and picked apart each transition and creative element.
We are almost ready for the ‘big’ show. All of our eggs are in the same basket and we’re counting down the days.
At by point, we’re getting a bit tired of Christmas songs (as lovely as they are) aren’t we? We are looking forward to a more normal routine and a break back to monotony.
As close as Christmas is, New Years’ isn’t much farther away. And with the New Year along come new goals, ambitions, and milestones.
That is if you have any, if you taken the time think through the past year and think ahead to the next.
I love this time of year. I love the start of winter, Christmas decorations, and the goodwill of men.
I love seeing our Christmas tree all lit up and the anticipation of my kids as we get closer to Christmas morning.
I love buying gifts for my kids and my wife and I find myself struggling to keep them secret til Christmas. And I must admit, I enjoy receiving gifts too.
I realize that many folks can get caught up in Christmas for all of the wrong reasons… like shopping and gifts. And subsequently miss all the good news of Immanuel. God With Us.
I believe this is one of our greatest opportunities to share our good news with those far from God. And this gives us more than ample reason to do the Christmas Hustle.
I’d like to start a new series of Friday posts… called the Friday Five.
Basically, I’ll present 5 questions relevant to a topic of worship, creativity, or leadership to you. I would love to hear your thoughts concerning certain issues, ideas, and tensions we as leaders face in ministry and life.
I’ll give you my own thoughts on the questions at hand but this really is a worship community, meaning your thoughts, comments, and interactions are the real reason for these posts.
My hope is that a camaraderie will be developed as well as some helpful advice from one to another.
So what do you say… are you in?! Let’s jump into the very first Friday Five.
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