Book Review

Here's another book review, though this is a very different kind of book. It is a resource and a guide.

I find it very helpful for Christian writers as it is easy to navigate and well planned. It has a great amount of detailed information for contacting publishers and their requirements.

Anyone who uses this will find the "How to use this book" section very helpful as my wife and I have. Whether you are looking to get an article published, an opinion piece, self-help guide, or a novel, this guide is well worth the price. I do recommend this for anyone wishing to get their written work out into the marketplace.

My wife just recently finished writing a christian novel and this book is very timely for her as she begins the process of finding a publisher for her work.

You can buy this guide at:
www.amazon.com


Here is a summary from the publisher of this guide:

For 24 years running, the Christian Writers’ Market Guide has remained the most comprehensive, complete, essential, and highly-recommended resource for beginning and veteran Christian writers, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, and those teaching writing classes.
This year’s Guide is even handier with a CD-Rom included that features the full text of the book for easy searches of topics, publishers, and markets, as well as 100 pages of exclusive content including indexes and writing resource listings. This is the resource you need to get noticed—and published.

Completely updated and revised to feature the latest on…

• more than 1,200 markets for the written word
• 416 book publishers (32 new)
• 654 periodicals (52 new)
• 96 literary agents
• 100 new listings in Resources for Writers
• 226 poetry markets
• 316 photography markets
• 25 African-American markets
• and 166 contests (29 new)

Author Bio:
Sally E. Stuart is the author of thirty-six books and has sold more than one thousand articles and columns. Her long-term involvement with the Christian Writers’ Market Guide as well as her marketing columns for the Christian Communicator, Oregon Christian Writers, and The Advanced Christian Writer, make her a sought-after speaker and a leading authority on Christian markets and the business of writing. Stuart is the mother of three and grandmother of eight and lives near Portland, Oregon.

Christianity in Action

I don't usually blog mutliple times in one day, but I'm going to make an exception today.

I was privileged to be part of something truly incredible today. It probably shouldn't be incredible, it should be normal, but it is not. Either way, it was absolutely one of the greatest examples I have seen of the compassion of Christ in action.

An email went out this morning stating that a man was going to shovel driveways in the neighborhood where I live. He gave a time and a corner to start. At 5 pm there was about ten guys standing on that corner. We started down the street, talking and cutting up, just being real. As we shoveled driveways, more began to join us. For the next couple of hours, our ranks grew and shrunk as we walked through the neighborhood street to street clearing driveways and walkways of those who could not or should not do so on their own. No one sought credit. No money was exchanged. No requirements. No one asked us to do it. No pretenses. We didn't even knock on the door, we just started shoveling. We didn't ask for anything or push anything. We just shoveled. Just people being neighborly. Love in action.

Here's the thing: not all the guys are necessarily church goers, much less Christ followers. These guys were motivated by "niceness" and being neighborly, not by the Bible. It was a live sermon. It was truth. It was awesome. Oh that church goers would do this kind of thing more often. Oh that church goers would give and share God's love and not express their opinions and make judgments. Oh that Christians would live the Gospel and not worry about convincing others they are right.

Dino Rizzo calls it "Servolution." (click here for more)

Today I saw Christ in action. Hopefully, we will see a whole lot more of that coming from the church.

Snow Day

It's wednesday, so that means snow storm. :-)
This is a real snow storm too. A little bit of ice and sleet, and a lot of giant flakes falling to the ground. The roads are a challenge. Of course, there is no school today and we will not have activities here in the building tonight. We are most definitely not alone in this.

Allow me to share a thought for today, or any day where plans get changed and you have extra time on your hands. Make the most of it. Here's how I am going to do that:

After I take care of some things here at the office, I will go home and hang out with my girls. We will probably play in the snow, maybe build a snowman or something. I'm sure hot chocolate and maybe even soup will be a part of the equation. Then, I am meeting some guys late this afternoon to go around and shovel the driveways of some of the elderly folks in our neighborhood. We'll laugh and cut up and dog each other; we'll have fun and at the same time touch some lives. Then tonight, once all the activity is over and we are settling down, I may watch a movie or something with my family, but for sure we will spend some time reading the Bible and praying together.

With no school, the flexibility of my office schedule, and the cancellation of church tonight, I have a great opportunity to make today significant. So do you. It's the difference of letting the day happen to you or you happening to the day. What are you going to make of today?

Random Tuesday AM

Woke up this morning to another fresh coating of snow. Thankfully it wasn't enough to call off school. My wife is very appreciative of that. Tomorrow may be another story. It is Wednesday though, so the real snow must come then. Sundays and Wednesdays are the big snow days it seems. At least this past Sunday it waited until after everyone was at church to start. :-)

Read the story of Joseph from Genesis. I love that story. Life change, redemption, provision, the hand of God are all so evident and so encouraging. At some point I hope to do a full series on the life of this great leader.

I also went through my daily blog roll and a few stood out to me that I recommend:

• Perry Noble gives some great insight to the book "The Shack" here
  
• Mike Lukaszewski wrote a great post on Comfortable Christianity here
• Steven Furtick's post on living and dealing with today here
  
• Our own Bart Shadle wrote a nice post about Sunday's baby dedication here

Just wanted to throw those out at you.

We've got a great Sunday on tap this week. It is Superbowl Sunday. GO CARDS! Before and more important than the football game is what God is going to do Sunday morning. Don't miss this! I don't want to give away too much but the word "party" is not inappropriate. I've got a message that has simmering in me for a few weeks and should be at full burn by Sunday.

Stay warm and stay safe in this winter wonderland today.

Sunday Postgame

Oh yeah! Days like today energize me.

We had a very full schedule for service this morning. 4 babies being dedicated, highlighting men's ministries and some upcoming events, report back from our missions team to El Salvador, all this along with our "normal" elements made it a packed morning.

The worship was on today. God was speaking and encouraging some people during worship. He already has the answers we need and the miracles we are seeking. We just need to remember that He is mighty and the victory is His. How incredible would it be if we actually lived our lives like we really believed the Word of God in full faith of His working.

To dedicate 4 babies at once was a great honor! I love that I get to participate in these kind of life events with families. Pastor Staci did an incredible job with getting everything together. Little Noah, Adam, Jesse, and Genevieve all have a very real place in God's Kingdom and He has a great plan for each of their lives.

We have some fun things planned for the men in the coming months. The men's convention, Gameday, in March is going to be a powerful weekend. We'll have more details next week.

Our El Salvador team made it back safely. They had a very impacting trip. They finished painting the prayer fortress and installing new locks on the doors in the dorm rooms. I look forward to hearing more of the details from the trip.

I'll be honest, preaching is like most other things in life in that some days you feel in the groove and some days are a struggle. Today was one of those groove days. The message has been burning in me for several days. Last night as I was going over the message I had some fresh inspiration. It was definitely God inspired and He gets the glory for anything that took place in anyone's life. We had a number of people make a commitment to be more intentional in their walk with God. To be one with God will require everything you've got. We must live in God's image and not try to form Him into ours.

To Muse

Feeling a bit random at the moment as you will quickly see.

I saw the lady on the news this morning that was saved by the worker at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. That man died a hero. The event was unspeakably tragic. She is now suing Wal-Mart. Whether or not she should is not for me to decide. However, her lawyer spoke in the same interview and did not do her any favors in the public relations category. This unethical ambulance chaser (I am referring to him specifically, not lawyers in general), came across as typical, greedy, and over-the-top. His words and insistance on how bad things are for her to try and create sympathy, did just the opposite. I don't know her at all and do not know her intentions, but she was portrayed by the actions of her attorney as an opportunistic money-seeker. Remember, before she fell down, she was part of the mob pushing through the doors of that Wal-Mart. Just saying.

It was great to have a couple of nice days in a row as we got a break from the bitterly cold temps. It's going to cool down again tonight, but not as much as it was a few days ago. That was cold!

Spoke to the Chi Alpha group at OSU last night. Awesome time. God did His thing. I called an audible as I got up to speak and didn't even come close to speaking on what I had prepared. I was going to talk about God's Will. Instead, the word "peace" just plopped in my heart and so we went there. Those students are great! They worshipped without pretenses and they listened with open hearts. God is going to use those who let Him to do mighty things. They are faced with tremendous challenges everyday as they survive college life. On top of the normal pressures of college, they are trying to live a life pleasing to Christ in the anti-christian culture that our major universities have become. They need our prayer and support. I look forward to the other opportunities I will have to speak to these young men and women.

Have a brainstorming meeting tonight as we plan some future ministry possibilities here at CCC. Should be a great time. Of course, food will be involved tonight, so bring it on!

I'm looking forward to Sunday! The message is really burning in me today. We are going to look at being "One with God." Plus, we are doing one of my favorite things I get to be a part of as a pastor: baby dedications! I love that I get to be a part of the positive events in the lives of people. The honor that I feel to join in celebrations of new life, new birth, baptisms, etc. is huge.

The following Sunday's message also has me pumped! Don't worry, I'll only preach one at a time. And, I am working on a series for March that I believe will be very significant for our church. Details will come later.

The Superbowl is coming up quick. As I write this there are 9 days, 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds to go. And oh yeah, GO CARDS! Sorry Steelers fans, I have to root for my man Kurt. And, the thought of the Superbowl champ coming from the NFC West as maligned as it was by the sports "experts" is just a fun thought! :-)

I have a confession: I have never watched a full episode of LOST and I have only seen 2 episodes of 24. Whew! Feels great to get that off my chest. I have seen every episode of Burn Notice including last night's season debut. Love that show. Michael Westen could take out Jack Bauer I believe and make you smile while he did it. I'm sure I just set off a few folks. ;-)

That's it for now before I offend everyone...

Intercession

I don't often do this, but I wanted to post this from Steven Furtick's blog. I thought it was very good.

The Need to Intercede

Lisa Shea, Project Manager, Office of the Lead Pastor

A while ago, Pastor Steven asked me to take the role of his intercessor. It’s quite an honor and I take it very seriously. An “intercessor” is a person who prays on behalf of another. You don’t have to be appointed to be one. We are all called to pray.

If you’d like to commit to intercede on behalf of your leader, here are some tips to get you started:

• Commit to praying scriptures over your Pastor regularly and while he is preaching. There is nothing more powerful than God’s Truths spoken over their lives. One example is that it “is not by wise or persuasive words, but by the demonstration of the Spirit’s power”. I also pray that the words spoken come straight from the heart of God and are “sharper than a double edged sword”

• Pray continually for God’s wisdom, revelation and knowledge to be poured out on them.

• Sensitivity and confidentiality is crucial. If your Pastor wants the entire church to know his burdens or battles, he can tell them.

• Pray protection over your spiritual leader. They are prone to burdens and attacks you may never know about. Put on the armor of God for them as found in Ephesians 6.

• Listen to God intently. He can show you things to pray for so you can be on the offensive. Spirit led prayer is the most powerful and effective.

I want to do my part to support Pastor Steven as he fulfills the call of God on his life. Be determined in your prayers for your Pastor and see what God will do through him and your church!

Decisions

The decision making process is interesting. It is complicated. It is an art, not a science. Everyone processes differently.

Some seem to make decisions easily, naturally. Others can't seem to make even the smallest decisions, they are unsure, they struggle with every one.

The perspective of the moment and available information can drastically change the process, the decision, and even cause morals and values to change or be set aside. A peaceful person who would not normally even consider violence can make a decision to commit a brutal murder given a specific set of circumstances.

We think we know something. We have a set of beliefs. We are convinced. Then, the unexpected, the unthinkable becomes reality and it all can change in an instant. Our beliefs, our convictions get shattered or at least stunned and we become capable of what was unimaginable before. The truth is, the best among us is one or two decisions away from the worst among us. This is due to how we process and handle the external stimuli around us each day. Some handle it well and make good decisions. Some do not. Some rise to the occasion and make extraordinary decisions and do the right thing in the heat of the moment. Others cave and let the moment take over and they make tragic decisions.

But, there are also the ones who allow time and a series of events or happenings to change them and their values. This has happened to us in America. Some of these changes are good. There was a time when slavery and racism was normal, now we are getting closer daily to true equality. Some changes are not good. There was a time that infanticide was unimaginable in this country, yet now we abort babies by the thousands. There was a time homosexuality was hidden and shameful, now it is flaunted and becoming glamorous. (on a side note, there is a good conversation about homosexuality taking place on Anne Jackson's blog here).

We do have to grow and mature and that means change. We just have to make sure that the changes we allow to our character and our values are those that bring us closer to God, not farther from. It's tough. Especially in a post-modern world with so many compelling arguments so accessible through the various technologies and media we use daily. This is why knowing Christ and His character is so important. Now, more than ever we need to each study and know the Word of God for ourselves. We need to be close to Him, the author, the life, the truth.

The more we know Christ, the better equipped we will be to make the right decisions in all circumstances. Life can get very gray sometimes. It's murky and it is dirty. The only way to navigate is with the light and guide of the Spirit of God.

If you are struggling with a decision, be it a single one or one that involves lifestyle, then do all you can to know Christ better and what He has to say about your life situation. Seek counsel. Pray. Listen.

Often the harder decision is the best one, the right one. Many times it turns out the easy and most naturally attractive path is the one we need to avoid. Not always, but often.

Postgame Wrap

I'm sitting here watching the AFC Championship - Go Steelers! Greatly enjoyed seeing Kurt Warner and the Cards continue their unlikely season with a win over the Eagles and an earned trip to the Superbowl in two weeks.

Today was bittersweet.

My wife's grandmother passed away this past Thursday. Due to weekend obligations here and some other factors, Elena went to Kentucky by herself yesterday to be with her family for the visitation and funeral. The funeral was held this afternoon at 2 pm. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and your kind words this morning for our family. My sister-in-law wrote a very nice blog post here about their grandmother.

My mother, sister, and brother-in-law were in for the weekend as well. We had a very nice visit together.

Service this morning was great. The energy in worship seems to be building. There are some great days ahead.

We took a few moments to honor Dr. King in the service and remember what he accomplished. From that we looked at the last prayer Jesus prayed before going to the cross - "that they may be one." John 17:22

All of our petty differences that we let divide us and keep us from accomplishing all God has for us is tragic. We quibble and bicker and hold grudges because of the littlest things. Church people are very prone to believing that everyone has to be just like them. Anyone who thinks or speaks or is different is a threat. Anyone who disagrees is to be feared.

Now I know not everyone or every church is like this, but unfortunately there are many. They exist is almost every congregation and many congregations are primarily this way.

We have to get over it and realize that our diversity is wonderful, it is of God. We need to celebrate our differences and in unity move forward under the banner of Christ. For the rest of the sermon, you'll have to get the CD. We'll soon have the sermons posted online in podcast form along with a new church website.

I just want to give a tremendous shout out to all of our volunteers and people who make Sunday what it is at Capital City. So many people arrive early and stay late and put in time and energy teaching classes, as part of the band, working in the kitchen, running the tech equipment, caring for children, and so much more. THANK YOU!

Well, I'm going to finish the game and then crash.

History in the Making

In one week, history will be made. The United States will inaugurate an African-American man as President.

Now, I don't care whether you voted for him or not or how you personally feel about his politics. Let's not miss out on the significance of this moment.

On Monday, our nation will have a holiday to honor one of the great leaders of the 20th Century as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In his famous speech, "I Have a Dream", Dr. King stated, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

I do not believe that with Mr. Obama as President that racism is dead in America. I do not believe that we are fully living out what Dr. King stood for or what he spoke of that day in 1963. I do believe, however, that this is a significant moment for America. I also believe that it was a bold step forward for this country to elect a man to office that just a few short years ago could not have gotten even the nomination of his party due to his race.

Are we yet at the place where we judge by the content of character and not the color of skin? No, not yet. Although race is less of an issue and it is more socio-economic bias that divides us, race is still an issue. We have a ways to go, but we have come a long, long way.

God created us all in His image. God is diverse. Even Jesus prayed as His last recorded prayer in John 17 that we would be able to unite under His name. Let us each realize the historic nature of this next week and let us not forget the price paid to get us here.

Quick Hits

Just a couple of quick and somewhat random thoughts today.

Enjoyed my day off today more than I have in a while. My wife sent me skiing. Isn't she awesome?! Spent most of the day on the slopes. Got my mind totally rebooted (yes, I'm a computer geek :-) ). After playing racquetball last night and skiing today, I can only imagine what my knees will feel like in the morning.

This is where I went skiing today.

Perry Noble had 3 great posts on what the church can learn from the auto industry (part one) (part two) (part three).

Mark Batterson's post on John Edwards (not the modern one) was quite inspirational.

I appreciated the post from Lifechurch.tv on the life of a pastor.

Eric Bryant weighed in on his thoughts about college football here.

Finally, this was emailed to me and I found it humorous:
A Wisconsin senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of a Milwaukee dealership.
Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.
'Amazing,' he thought as he flew down I-94 towards Madison, pushing the pedal even more.
Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a State Patrol car behind him, blue and red lights flashing. He floored it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120.
Suddenly he thought, 'What am I doing? I'm too old for this,' and pulled over to await the Trooper's arrival.
Pulling in behind him, the Trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, 'Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go.'
The old gentleman paused. Then said, 'Years ago, my wife ran off with a Wisconsin State Trooper. I thought you were bringing her back.'
'Have a good day, Sir,' replied the Trooper. :-)

Sunday Postgame Report

Great, great, great day!

Today was the official "installation" service for us at Capital City Church. What an incredible honor to have Jim Palmer, the founding pastor, able to be there to perform the service. It is such a rare thing that it is even possible for that scenario, much less all parties involved are willing and even excited about it. Total God thing! The shepherd's staff he gave me already has a prominent place in my office.

Pastor Jim's message was right on track with what we have been presenting the last couple of weeks and fits in so well with our statement: to know Christ and to make Him known.

The folks who organized and prepared the food for the reception - awesome! Thank you so much!

The whole transition has been an absolute joy. Our family is blessed and so grateful to be here and to receive such a warm welcome.

The worship today was powerful. There was energy in the room. I believe the level of expectation is growing. May it continue to grow as God desires to completely shake things up and do some BIG things. We are not going to pray small insignificant prayers. We are going to be audacious in our faith. God's plans and His ways are so much bigger and greater than ours. I think He is more offended by our small prayers than He is by our bold ones seeking what seems impossible. Just saying.

I am getting more and more thrilled about what is coming! In fact, I am having a hard time containing it. I want to spill my guts of all that I am sensing the Spirit speak to me and the things I see down the road. Now is not the time, so I gotta wait. I'll just say this: buckle your seat belt and keep all hands and feet inside the ride at all times, because it is going to be a thrill.

After the reception, we got home and chilled. I was wiped. My wife's sister and family were up for the weekend. We had a great time with them. After they left to go home, I crashed for a while and missed part of the Giants/Eagles game. Another one I wish I had missed more of. The Giants looked completely out of whack today. Too bad.

The Steelers played a great game. I'm thinking Cardinals/Steelers would be a fun match up in the Super Bowl.

Played racquetball for the first time in about 14 or 15 years tonight. Loved it, but we'll see if I can walk in the morning. :-)

Good night.

A prayer

Psalm 19:14 "May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight"

This verse jumped out at me yesterday in my devotion time. What an awesome prayer! A prayer we should all pray regularly.

Our words have power. Our words have impact. They matter. We all need to be careful what we say and when. People around us make decisions about us based on what we say. Our children repeat what we say. More importantly, our children find their self-worth in what we say. If our words are acceptable to God, then they are right and they are appropriate and true and we can have no regrets over what we have said. I know I have walked away from situations wishing I hadn't said something. If I had made sure that my words were acceptable to God there would have been no regrets.

If we would make sure our thoughts are acceptable to God, then our actions will be as well.

Every day we face situations that bring us to a choice. Will we react negatively or will we react in a way that pleases God?

May we think and speak according to the character of God and that only happens through real relationship with Him.

Just something to think about today.

Quick thoughts

First, let me answer a question Bre asked me a couple of posts ago. For some reason, my own blog won't post a comment from me, so I'll bypass the comment entirely. Bre asked me what books I plan on reading this year. I've got a few sitting on my shelf that were given to me and are waiting to be read, so I'll start there. A few are: Chasing Daylight, So Help Me God, The Divine Intruder, Pivotal Praying, Discontinuity and Hope, Prophetic Untimeliness. From there, I'll see what comes up. I want to read a couple of biographies and maybe even a fiction book. I haven't read either type in a long time.

Still fighting with the house. Had one thing on the hot water heater fixed and now have a whole new problem. Should have replaced the whole thing last week.

I am loving this week of prayer. Had an incredible time this evening. There was just a couple of us there, but it was a powerful time and the presence of God was so strong. I am greatly looking forward to what God is going to do the rest of this week. His plan and purpose that He is preparing is absolutely incredible.

This Sunday is going to be cool. We have a special treat for Capital City.

Gotta end for now, 5 am is going to come quick.

Sunday Postgame Report

Full day. I love it.

The first Sunday of 2009. It held a few firsts to go along with it. It was the first time for us to celebrate communion together with Capital City. It was the first Sunday for some guests I had the privilege to meet afterward. It was the first time I used video of an atheist to make a point about sharing the reality of Christ. It was the first Sunday that we were in our new house. It was the first time we tried the Mexican restaurant near the church.

The worship band was on today. Great time of worship and good mix of songs. I love that song we ended with, "You Made The Way"! The flow and simplicity of the song is ripe for serious worship. I know Melissa wasn't feeling full strength with her voice today, but she did excellent. God doesn't need us to "feel" our best in order for Him to use us.

The video I showed from Penn of Penn & Teller fame is so real and poignant. He mischaracterizes why many do not share their faith. It is not hate, it is fear that is the culprit. Yet, it is also a lacking of love. If we love someone deeply enough, there is no fear that can keep us from reaching out to them. Paul tells us love casts out fear. If we will allow ourselves to be filled with the love of God for people, we will have a whole lot less reasons not to share His reality with those around us.

Let us all make sure we use the right amount of "seasoning" in our conversations this week. Colossians 4:2-6.

I so enjoy meeting people. I am still meeting people and learning names of those who are regular attenders at Capital City but today I also got to meet a couple that it was their first time ever. I hope that is an every week occurrence because it never gets old.

Had a great lunch with some friends. I love Mexican food.

Got in a nap during the Miami vs. Baltimore game. Glad I slept through it. Sorry I watched what I did. It was quite a turn around for Miami this year. Just being in the playoffs was a major feat after a 1 - 15 year in 2007. As far as I am concerned, Tony Sparano should have been Coach of the Year with that turn around. But, that is just my opinion and others felt like Mike Smith was more deserving for what he accomplished in Atlanta, which is also quite impressive.
Rough football playoff weekend. I really wanted to see Miami take down Baltimore and the Colts continue past the Chargers. Oh well, at least the Cards advanced. And, as my daughter says, "Dad, it's only football!"

This week is our week of prayer. I love the prayer times, but 5 am is going to come early. If you are able and are in the area, would love to see you between 6-8 am or 6-8 pm each day this week.

Happy New Year!

New Year

2009! Stop and think about that for a moment........
Wow! where has this decade gone that we are in 2009? Remember Y2K? It was supposed to be the biggest event in modern history? Of course, it turned out to be nothing, but it seems like that was just yesterday. Yet, my daughter who is in the 2nd grade wasn't even born yet!

Here we are and it is 2009.

I love the New Year time. Everyone talks about goals and resolutions. There is looking to the past and reflecting on lessons learned and successes achieved. There is the contemplation of current life and decisions being made about changes to be made going forward. Plans are put into motion and challenges presented. Some people make the most of it and others completely ignore it. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, using this time for some changes and reflection.

As we enter into 2009 it IS a brand new year. It is a brand new opportunity. For my family, for Capital City Church, and for me personally it is all a new beginning full of the possibilities of God. I see great things in store for this up coming year. I see the hand of God moving and lives being changed. I see people being healed and families restored. I see growth and excitement and the fullness of the life of God. So bring on 2009 and let us take hold of all that it brings and not miss out on any of what God is doing.

Here are five of the goals I have for 2009:

• Read at least 3 books per month (I haven't been as diligent in reading books this past year as I like to be)
• Read thru the New Testament with my daughters
• Baptize no less than 75 new Christ-followers
• To see every regular attender at CCC catch a heart for missions that causes them to give financially and in prayer on a regular basis. It's not the dollar amount we give that matters as much as everyone doing their part.
• Complete the two writing projects I have going currently and help my wife complete the one she has going

I have others, but some are more personal and some are huge and I am not ready to share those. These five are a start and I'll keep you posted how they are progressing.