I'm still here...

Before I forget, please read Dan's Blog on MLK Day. He shares some sections from King's, Letter From A Birmingham Jail. King's letter is very moving and straight to the point. King uses the term "White Moderate" in describing the type of man who is the greatest obstacle to racism. King also labels the church as the "archdefender of the status quo," a term that should not describe the church (but unfortunately it does). Just Read it and follow his links to the complete letter!

Now moving on:
I haven't forgotten about blogging. I have purposefully taken a break and have posted less frequently so I can enjoy more time with my wife and daughter. It's been great! As you might imagine I now have more free time because I am done with school. When I am not hanging with Heather and Maya I can be found reading for pleasure. I just finished my third book for the month (and I still have a week left in January. At this pace of 3-4 books a month I could read 36-48 books this year, we will see if I keep that up). With this in mind I am going to take a small hiatus from my series and mention three great reads. If you have a chance make sure you read Jim & Casper go to Church, The Shack and Quiet Strength (Tony Dungy's autobiography). I shall share from Dungy's book first because I just finished it.

• Quiet Strength - I appreciated deeply Dungy's willingness to share his story. But more importantly I clung to the many words of wisdom that were sprinkled throughout the book. There was always a point to why he did what he did. He defined himself as a man of faith, integrity, and humor in an atmosphere and career that is constantly seeking the world's approval, setting winning above all else. Everything was a process for Dungy, a process of pressing on and remaining firm in his faith. The following paragraph was the second to last paragraph in the last chapter in his book. It reads:

"And so we press on. We press on with our memories, our hearts buoyed by a God who loves us and wants us to know Him deeply. We press on with our sense that life's not always fair. And we press on with the knowledge - and assurance - that even though we can't see all of God's plan. He is there, at work and in charge, loving us. We press on with the conviction that even though we don't deserve the gifts and blessings we've been given, He gives them anyway. We press on into an abundant life on earth, followed by an eternity with God."

• The Shack - All I can say is READ IT! It is a novel, a book of fiction. But within the fiction you will find facts about a triune God who loves you and desires to commune with you just as they (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) do. On the back of the book it states that the book wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" In dealing with this question it brings to light certain aspects of the deity of God that we may not have thought about before (and some might say they are heretical, but I shall leave you to decide). Let me just say this, we cannot place God box. Those who claim to have a grasp of God's Deity, don't. He is God and we are not. The starting point in attempting to grasp and understand God must start with his triune character and this book does just that.
• Jim and Casper go to Church - I bought this book 8-12 months ago and it just sat on my shelf waiting for me to get done with school. It was the first book I cracked open the beginning of this year. It is a book about a former pastor and his atheist friend. They travel to twelve churches around our country, offering their opinions on the parking lots, the lights, the music and of course the message. They attempt to throw their agenda (and they each have their own) out the window but fall short in doing so. But let us not disregard everything they say because of this. Read there opinion and experience and think about it because there is validity to it. If we all could critically think through this book and apply our discoveries to our separate situations I think our churches would be much better off.