Merry Christmas!

I'm like a little kid during this time of the year. The presents have all been unwrapped, the eggnog is gone, but the euphoria is still with me.

I don't know what it is, but I love the quiet time between Christmas and New Years. Part of it has to do with my full time job, and the fact that everyone really scales back the amount of work we accomplish. Vacations are happening, and nobody expects anything to get done. It makes for a very restful time. I don’t know about you, but I can sure use it.

We had an awesome worship experience on Christmas Eve. Our pastors were living examples of Christ's love for us and proof that his redemptive spirit is alive and well. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

I’ve taken a right hand turn with my reading this week. A good friend loaned me the book The Science of God by Gerald Schroeder. Reading it is going to open up a whole new avenue of thinking for me. I’ll blog my thoughts on his writing in coming days.

If you’ll notice, there is a new link on the right side of the page. It belongs to Carol Kenreigh and the Women’s Ministry of Freedom Life. Talk about a phenomenal lady. I can’t wait to see what God is doing in the lives of our women.

The other link is from Kara Torres, one of our dislocated military family members. Keep her in your prayers and drop her a line to let her know that we miss her.

d

It's Hard For Spirtual Leaders

I'm learning about a phenomenon that often happens when spiritual leaders are ready to take action. All of a sudden things start going wrong at just the wrong time.

Stuff gets jacked up at church, a family member gets sick or goes into a crisis, friends start disagreeing, doubts about the course of action start to crop up, work turns into a hassle, and so on and on. Things start piling up as the step gets closer to being taken. Satan knows how the Lord works, and how we work.

Since many of us are currently in the middle of this type of situation, the main thing I'm trying to keep in mind is: RELAX. God is still at work. It is the Spirit, not me, that makes Spirit-led actions succeed. I'm trying to trust God, pray hard, and love harder. I know when the time arrives, the Spirit gives a sense of confidence that will chase away the nervousness and the fear. Because even though I'm no match for Satan, God is more than enough.

People who are responsible for major decisions need our support: in person, in prayer, sometimes with a helping hand, sometimes with money or skills. Our job in spiritual conflict is to be with them in the time of trial. This is no time to be alone. It's time to see just how much of a faith community we are. In 'war', some people get wounded. Expect it. God will bring healing.

d

Doing What's Important

As an apprentice for Freedom Life, I'm finding out what it means to be a pastor. One of the cool things I get to do is raid the libraries of Pastor Freddy and Pastor Chris.

The current book I'm reading is Spiritual Leadership by Henry and Richard Blackaby. In this book are awesome principles on becoming an effective leader.

Time management is a place where I sometimes struggle, so I've been taking extra time to take to heart what I've been reading. Some of the things I'm working on:

• Seeking to understand God's will
• Saying no
• Delegating
• Making time for the important
• Scheduling unhurried time with God
• Regular, quality time with family
• Managing my health
• Scheduling time with people
• Avoiding time wasters

I'll let you guys know when I'm finished with the book. I'm sure pastor Chris wouldn't mind if you borrowed it.

On a personal note, it's been a crazy week. Our LIFE Group is scheduling a trip to Colonial Williamsburg for our young adults. It's going to be Friday, 8 December at 6:30 pm. We'll meet at FLC and carpool to see the Christmas lights and holiday decorations. It's been a tradition in my family for the last few years, and we always have a great time.

Drop me a line at Dale@freedomlifechurch.com if you need more information.

Dale