It's been a while

I am officially out of hiding.
I have spent the better past of my last two weeks working on four papers for school.
Those are behind me now and I should be back on blogging track.

A Taxing Time

Just wanted to remind you that your taxes are do today. If you forget or haven't done them yet, go ahead and freak out for ten minutes..then go do 'em

A couple of Books

I have two books I want to put on your radar.

The first is "Experiencing the Spirit" by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. This book is a great teacher about living life in the power of the Holy Spirit. So many folks know about the Holy Spirit, profess belief in His power, but don't truly seek His movement in their lives. This book helps the reader get a better grasp of the possibilities that exist through the Holy Spirit. This book is formatted well and I found it easy to follow the truths being set in front of the me.

The link for this book on Amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_23?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=experiencing+the+spirit+the+power+of+pentecost+every+day&sprefix=experiencing+the+spirit

The second book is "The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the secret of Joyful giving" by Randy Alcorn. This is a small book with giant truth. I found this book to be very appropriate for my life because it can be tough for me to give with a joyful heart. The premise of the book is to remember why we give and to ensure that our value system mirrors that of God. I encourage you to grab this book and find a whole new perspective on giving.

The link for the Treasure principle is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+treasure+principle+by+randy+alcorn&sprefix=the+treasure+principle

Both of these works are great reads...I encourage you to get these books and allow the Lord to challenge you through their pages.

Bracketology 101

Ahh, how I love March Madness. It is hard to believe that it's been three weeks since selection Sunday. I hate how quickly the NCAA tournament passes. Now, I must wait another 49 weeks for the next one. As we close another glorious tournament, I have a couple of reflections.

1) I still love making giant brackets.

I have made a giant bracket (1 poster board for each region) since my sophomore year. I want to give mad props to my wife who lets me take down several pictures to clear space for the madness montage.

2) Sometimes it is fun to see the big dawgs eat.

I love upsets as much as anyone, but it was refreshing to see the powerhouses, who had been dominant all year slug it out in the final three rounds.

3) I didn't win either one of my pools, finishing second in both. But I did pick the National Champion.

4) I want the song "one shining moment" played at my funeral.

Caleb has committed to creating a slide show to be shown while the song plays.

As we conclude another great tournament, I hope you enjoyed the madness! See you in 49 weeks.

Catch Me if You Can

Everyone has those movies that they end up watching anytime they come across it on TV (no matter what part of the movie is playing). One of the movies for me is "Catch Me If You Can." I love it! Tom Hanks, who is one of my favorites, is amazing. Leo Dicaprio is what the girls call dreamy.

The sound track is good, the wardrobe is even better, and it's pretty clean. It's just a good movie.

Immediate Regret

You know those times in life when you think you want something one way, but then when you get your wish, you immediately regret your decision, wishing your could reverse the decision? Well, this past Tuesday, I gave my two weeks notice at work...and it feels really good! My joy is not because I hate my job or the people. In fact, I love being around my co-workers. My joy comes from the weightlessness of obedience. God gave me a word that was tough to follow through on, but I did and now that the decision is made, I feel great.

My encouragement to you is this:
When God calls for you to act, even when it's tough, He will supply the courage to do it. Your obedience may leave you in a tough spot, but God's grace is present to allow you to experience Joy in the midst of strife.

Go ahead, be obedient...I dare you!
I promise you won't regret it.