As part of PT 525 Personal Assessment and Introduction to Ministry, I had to read J. Oswald Sanders' book Spiritual Leadership. It wasn't deep or lofty, but it sure was quotable and motivating. I used a FranklinCovey day planner for a few years, even attended a 7 Habits of Highly Effective People seminar but once I was given a Handspring Visor Deluxe, I ditched the paper. Unfortunately I also threw out a good part of my organizing habits too. After reading Sanders' chapter The Leader and Time, I was so convicted that I ran out and bought refills for my day planner and moved back in. I also copied that chapter and the one before it, Prayer and Leadership, cut them down to size and put them in my planner a few months out. I want to review those chapters again too keep me motivated.

There were so many good, quotable phrases that I couldn't pick any out. I wanted to quote the entire thing!

Something that I really appreciate about the PT 525 class is that the prof didn't say "read all of Sanders by this date" or even "read 100 pages of Sanders by this date." Instead the assignment was to read Sanders for 4 hours over the week and write a reflection paper. That meant that I got to pick the chapters and read them slowly and reflectively (which was the point). I even reread about 5 pages, something I couldn't do otherwise.

Update: Pastor Dan was out of town Friday so no meeting. I did get the job description and it seems like things I would be good at. What scared me the other day was as I was daydreaming about the position I began planning what I would do. My heart stopped and I immediately prayed that I would do what Christ would want in His church. I hope I don't fall into such foolishness again either with this ministry or any other.

I spoke with the window washing company and came away pretty discouraged. I turned down the "mini route". When I spoke with the man at church who introduced me to it, he was very positive. He felt I could replace my current income with window washing only a few days a week. I just have to wait for the right route to open up. I was afraid I'd be putting them off by saying "no thanks" so often but Jonathan assured me that they understand. Cool. If I get hired as District Pastor, it is a part-time position so I will need a "mini route" to make up the diff.

No resurrection of the van at this point. However, some friends have stepped up and offered to loan us their vehicles so we don't have to keep renting. That'll help and it takes the time crunch off finding a car this week.

Income tax return has already come and went. Paid off a credit card and paid back some school loan money I'd tapped into. Oh well. My dreams of an iPod must remain only dreams.

The weight of the world seems to be on my shoulders this morning. I think everyone is concerned about the immanent war in Iraq. I doubt that I'll be recalled to active duty for it but I am still concerned about whether we're doing the right thing. I'll get concerned about being recalled if we have to fight North Korea at the same time. Still, I think seminary might be a valid reason for a deferment if it comes up.

School should be a joy since I'm focusing a lot on preaching this term (and I love preaching), but I have a sermon outline due tomorrow on Mark 4:1-20 (the parable of the soils) and I preach a 15-minute sermon on Tuesday in a preaching lab, plus I have a lot of reading and exegesis to do. Too much in too short a period of time.

Work is becoming tiresome. It takes too much of my time and I'm having to become more directive as a supervisor. I had to put down a minor coup the other day when the troops started taking breaks when they wanted and didn't check with me first. I've been offered a "mini route" with a window cleaning company but I don't know how I can do it since I won't be able to scale back my hours at Whole Foods. Still, I'd like to move into window cleaning so it may be a step in the right direction. On top of that, I'm going to talk with my pastor Friday about a possible position at church as the "District Pastor." I really, REALLY miss being involved in ministry at church so I'm hoping that that will be a good fit.

Then it turns out that our van is dead. We know that the engine is on its last legs, it has 230,000 miles on it and is burning oil. It has only has another year or so left on it. Now the transmission is shot and needs to rebuilt to the tune of $1,865 (plus tax). I feel that fixing the transmission at this point would be like replacing the kitchen appliances in a house that has a smoldering fire in the basement. Disaster is on the way, should I put more money in it now?

My wonderful wife reminded me this morning that God loves us. That he has fixed his love on us and that he cares for us. It almost sounds glib but she is right. Jesus took my sins to render me right with his Father. I cannot make myself more acceptable to God than to rest in Jesus. The storm of life rages around me, decay strikes at all I have and yet I face an imperishable eternity worshipping and loving God and being loved by him.

So what did I do during Spring Break? No trips to the beach, that's for sure. I did taxes. Sounds bad but really it isn't since I getting a nice bit back. The other great thing I got to do was breaks on the truck I'm borrowing. What made the job so long and hard was that we were hitting record lows at the time. One can handle frozen blocks of metal for only so long and still retain the use of one's fingers, can't one? A job that should have taken four or five hours took three days.

I had planned on doing some exegesis to get ready for this quad, finishing my PC 501 take-home final a week before it was due, and taking my family to Chicago to visit a museum or two. Those things didn't happen. We did get to housesit for some friends and that was fun. I took the kids ice skating yesterday. They've been taking lessons and are really making me look bad. I tried to practice cross-overs and wound up falling and landing on my knee. It is brused and sore but I don't think anything is damaged.

With these kinds of "big plans" for two weeks off of school, I just wonder what the summer break will bring!

Check me out, I got my old formatting back! Cool huh? Shew. Now I can post the new and improved graphic Paulo sent me.

Strange twist of fate.When I was in high school I had a girlfriend, Sue, who was being physically abused by her psycho mother. We eventually got her removed from her home and placed with some friends. They were great folks and I felt like family. Anyway, once Sue got away from mom, I began to slowly fade in her eyes. The mother of the family she was staying with once told me that Sue always went with her to the grocery store and always dressed up and put on make-up. Sue got interested in a guy who worked in the deli. So now I work in a deli. Sorry Sue, I'm no longer available.