another book i couldn't put down....

Still got a little time on my hands, with the office closed and all, so I finished Craig Groeschel's latest, Confessions of a Pastor. Wow! I literally couldn't put it down until I had finished the last chapter. Trust me, it's not just a book for pastors - it's a God-send for anyone who sincerely wants to be a true Christ-follower!

Craig is not only wildly successful as pastor of one of the first and largest multi-site churches in the country, he's a gifted communicator - both on stage (as I could attest at a recent conference I attended at Willow Creek) and now in print - and his humor is infectious. (I love people who can laugh at themselves.)

If my opinion counts, click on over to Amazon and get your copy - it's a great way to start 2007!

books you gotta read!

Well, Christmas is over and, as promised, I had lots of time to read. I finished at least 5 or 6 books, including a couple of whodunit novels just for fun. But I'm mainly excited about 3 books that I highly recommend to anyone:

1. In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson - this one was the last one I tackled, and I couldn't put it down. I would have read the whole thing in one sitting if my wife hadn't insisted on turning out the light last night while I was 14 pages from the end (well, I guess I could have gone into another room, but sleep is important, too, ya know).

Mark had already become one of my heroes from his podcasts and blogs, even though we've never met - but this book cinched it! Not only is he a real wordsmith who knows how to turn a phrase and keep you reading, but his insights into Scripture and people like you and me are only exceeded by his own passion.

I'm not going to spoil it for you with all the details, but trust me - ya gotta read this one (unless you wanna wait until I preach the best parts of it, because it's bound to happen sooner or later). Seriously, this book will challenge and inspire you to do what God is calling you to do!

2. Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley - this one was the big surprise of my Christmas reading. I'd heard just a little about Clint Eastwood's latest movie, but it wasn't until a CLC elder, Rich Fiala, mentioned during a Christmas party that he read the book and enjoyed it that I added it to my wish list.

It kept me occupied for several days over the holidays, and I was fascinated with how much I didn't know of this important part of American history. If you enjoy history or just enjoy people, you'll love this book by a son of one of the flagraisers of Iwo Jima.

3. Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham - I hate to admit that I knew so little about the founder of YWAM (Youth With a Mission), but this book tells the story of the humble beginnings of a great missions ministry that is making an impact in the nations, with a behind the scenes look that makes it fun. It's also a surprisingly great teaching tool on learning to discern the voice of God! I highly recommend it to any Christ-follower!

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

I'll be leaving after the last of our 4 Christmas services for 2006, to drive to Detroit with my family - we'll celebrate Christmas at my in-law's as usual, and it's always a good time. Other friends are also driving to Detroit tomorrow - to watch the Bears game! That's ok, too.

In fact, one of the 'blessings' of this time of the year is that after the big holiday and before the first of the year, I usually get a few extra moments to do what I want - and that usually means catching up on some reading I haven't been able to squeeze in during the year.

I'm well-stocked with a bunch of new titles, so I'll let you know which one(s) I recommend to you after the holidays. Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to all my readers and may you also enjoy the blessings of family AND a chance to do what you want in the last week of 2006!

birthdays, anniversaries, and FAMILY

This past week was way outside the norm for me - Chris and I spent Monday night through Wednesday morning downtown, celebrating our upcoming 34th anniversary with a little shopping and a lot of eating and relaxing (ugh - I gained back several of the pounds I had lost).

Then on Thursday, the staff surprised me with gifts and a meal for my 54th birthday and on Friday my oldest son Chad and his fiancee' Dorothy arrived from LA so we could celebrate Christmas as a family on the same day as our 34th anniversary. Sitting around the table with them last night, talking about memories of their childhood and enjoying the companionship even more than the gifts, I realized how precious family really is. I'm sure Chris and I had no clue 34 years ago what our future would hold or the difficulties and the joys we'd experience - but looking at the children God has given us and how they've grown into productive adults - we know it was worth it all.

Thank you, Lord, for family - both our natural one, and our spiritual one at CLC - as once more You reminded me of the value of our relationships. And for all my readers, if you didn't hear Pastor Dan Johnson's message today, get the podcast - we all need someone in our corner!

a personal tune-up or major overhaul...

I'm writing this from South Haven, MI (about a 2.5 hr drive from CLC) where I'm doing something I've never done in my entire 53 (soon to be 54) years: I'm taking 24 hours to work on me!

I had the privilege of joining about 25 other senior pastors tonight and all day tomorrow for a meeting sponsored by the Willow Creek Association. We're interacting with three of the foremost leaders in the world in their particular areas of expertise: Pastor Bill Hybels about leadership strategies; Dr. Henry Cloud about inner-world issues; and Dr. Jack Groppel regarding energy management.

I can't think of 3 more important topics than those, and the latter 2 are probably the least-discussed of any subject that pastor's conferences and meetings ever address, so this is not fluff - this is down-and-dirty, life-transforming stuff that's way overdue, at least in my life. I'm guessing they'll be taking me apart and putting me back together (better than before!) by the time the day wraps up tomorrow, and I'm really excited to be here. God has chosen to do His work through men, and I full-well know how broken and flawed I am, so I hope to get help for my issues and return to CLC better able to lead than ever before.

I guess you'll be the judge of that in the days ahead!