Happy Father's Day 2011 - Wherever you are...

Louis (l) and Dad (r)

I will not be able to see Dad on Father's Day. While I'll be staying in his house after meeting #1 daughter on her return from Italy, Dad will not be there. I'm not absolutely sure where he's going to be. See, he's on a road-trip of his own...

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan - A Summaview

Crazy Love is a book I've had on my "to read" list for quite some time. I wish I had gotten to it a lot sooner. Published in 2008 when Chan was serving as pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA, this book is not unlike David Platt's Radical in calling Christians to a lifestyle of total, sold-out obedience to a soverign God. Today, Chan's ministry is one of full-time writing and speaking and I'm greatly anticipating his next book, Erasing Hell: What God says about eternity and the things we made up, which releases in July.

I read this book because I am not immune to creeping staleness in my walk with God. There, I said it.

Let It Rain

photo © Michael Jastremski
for openphoto.net

There were thunderstorms overnight. Given our extreme drought, they were very welcomed. As I drove to the office this morning, a flood of reflections washed through my mind. Without a great deal of polish, I present them here.

• As soon as the lightning and thunder began, I saw the light across the hall come on. I knew #1 son would soon make his way to our room. Sure enough, he crawled over us and snuggled in for the rest of the night. When storms come in our lives, it's good to have a place of comfort and people who we trust to reassure us that all is well. He went back to sleep. I did too - well, sort of.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 4: The Bucket List

Well, here it is. The last of the series of posts from reflections on 50 years of life. Bobb Biehl has encouraged me in my ministry for a number of years. Bobb uses a series of questions to help one focus on their dreams, aspirations and goals. These are: 

1. Who do I want to be? 
2. What do I want to do? 
3. What do I want to have? 
4. Who do I want to help? 

So rather than listing only the things I want to do, I'll expand the list to be, do, have, and help.

The Walk by Shaun Alexander - A Summaview

The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life by Shaun Alexander

Shaun Alexander was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks out of the University of Alabama. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he set NFL and team records in 2005 while leading his team to the Super Bowl. After career changing injuries, Alexander continued to seek after God and today speaks to a variety of audiences, encouraging others to align their lives to God's perfect will.

The Walk examines a progressive pattern of discipleship. Through each of the five stages of Christian maturity, God shapes our lives and guides us through the trials, traps and victories of each stage. Alexander uses Peter as an example of each stage.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 3: Experiences.

Part 3 of reflections and journal scribbling on my life as I celebrated my 50th birthday.

In post 1, I reflected on the spiritual, personal and family areas of my life. Post 2 addressed the social, professional and financial priorities of my life.

Today: I'll focus on experiences.

A friend and colleague once introduced me as someone who had "packed a lot of living into my life." I like that. I do enjoy life. And I enjoy variety. One of the nicest comments ever made on a peer evaluation is that "Neal is a true renaissance man." As I continue reflections on my 50th birthday, here is a "top-of-mind" list of experiences that have contributed to who I am.

Reflections on 50 Years of Life - Part 2

This is Part 2 of reflections and journal scribbling on my life as I celebrated my 50th birthday.

In post 1, I reflected on the spiritual, personal and family areas of my life.

Today: Who am I? Reflections on the social, professional and financial priority areas of my life.