It's a New Year
We have just returned from a short and refreshing break in Kansas City, Missouri. We were scheduled to fly out from Philadelphia last Sunday, but the blizzard that hit the Northeast changed our plans a bit. That foot of snow kept us here until Tuesday.
Of course, that turned out to be a blessing too. The boys got a chance to play in the snow with their sleds they had received for Christmas. That was a lot of fun! I was able to not only dig our cars out, but I was able to shovel snow for two neighbors whose health is not at the level where they should be out there clearing off their own sidewalks.
One of the highlights of the trip was seeing a video shot of Evelyn when she sang her first public solo. She was in eighth grade and sang a number on the Cedarvale Junion Academy Choir's 1988 Christmas program. It was entitled "One of Us." You could see that something special was happening in that moment. She had an incredible instrument even then.
Her family members had heard her play around the house. Skoog and Puck were home for the holidays from Pine Forge Academy. All of them say that their jaws dropped as she sang that night. Well, the rest is history! The girl is a bona fide sweet singer of Israel!
Friday night we opened the Sabbath with John and Toni Hall and their daughter Erica and her family. Ev grew up with Germaine there in Kansas City. Their little son Marly is 2 1/2 now. And the boy is smart. And adorable!
Anyway, it was a nice trip.
It's a new year! And there's so much that I'd like to see happen. I'd like to lose some weight. I'm not trying to do some crazy exercise regimen. I know I need to exercise. But I really want to just do The Full Plate Diet and limit my sweets intake. I think I can lose a lot of weight that way. I figure if I can get 25 pounds off, I'll be good.
I also want to drink more water this year. I believe that'll be good for my skin.
And finally, I want to be a better preacher this year. I am trying to organize the church so that I can focus on spending more time in preparation. I always prepare, but I want to spend more time in preparation. I want to hit the bull's eye more often.
The Lord can use a sharp knife better than a dull one. I know that what happens in a sermon is the work of the Holy Spirit. But I want to be sure that I'm giving the Lord good stuff to work with in the moment when He enters the experience between preacher and people.
So, we shall see!
Of course, that turned out to be a blessing too. The boys got a chance to play in the snow with their sleds they had received for Christmas. That was a lot of fun! I was able to not only dig our cars out, but I was able to shovel snow for two neighbors whose health is not at the level where they should be out there clearing off their own sidewalks.
One of the highlights of the trip was seeing a video shot of Evelyn when she sang her first public solo. She was in eighth grade and sang a number on the Cedarvale Junion Academy Choir's 1988 Christmas program. It was entitled "One of Us." You could see that something special was happening in that moment. She had an incredible instrument even then.
Her family members had heard her play around the house. Skoog and Puck were home for the holidays from Pine Forge Academy. All of them say that their jaws dropped as she sang that night. Well, the rest is history! The girl is a bona fide sweet singer of Israel!
Friday night we opened the Sabbath with John and Toni Hall and their daughter Erica and her family. Ev grew up with Germaine there in Kansas City. Their little son Marly is 2 1/2 now. And the boy is smart. And adorable!
Anyway, it was a nice trip.
It's a new year! And there's so much that I'd like to see happen. I'd like to lose some weight. I'm not trying to do some crazy exercise regimen. I know I need to exercise. But I really want to just do The Full Plate Diet and limit my sweets intake. I think I can lose a lot of weight that way. I figure if I can get 25 pounds off, I'll be good.
I also want to drink more water this year. I believe that'll be good for my skin.
And finally, I want to be a better preacher this year. I am trying to organize the church so that I can focus on spending more time in preparation. I always prepare, but I want to spend more time in preparation. I want to hit the bull's eye more often.
The Lord can use a sharp knife better than a dull one. I know that what happens in a sermon is the work of the Holy Spirit. But I want to be sure that I'm giving the Lord good stuff to work with in the moment when He enters the experience between preacher and people.
So, we shall see!
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