It has been kind of awkward not being in the loop, so to speak. I have been so busy with my own life experiences that I have neglected to faithfully blog as I have privately devoted about a little over a year ago. My vow is to do much better amid all of the seemingly logical excuses I have to 'not blog'. After all - we ALL have things going on. Mine are all too common - trying to get ready to next year's calendar of events/vision/etc. for the church I pastor; finals; tired; funerals; etc. But I have made an astonishing discovery (atleast I think I have) the past week - the entire point of a blog is that the blog serves as a healthly outlet amidst life's tedious upheavals and constant strains. I plan to not only write more, but read more. I have a strange little pet peave - persons who always write blogs and recieve the blogging comments/encouragements of others; but can NEVER be found returning the favor. I know how precious it is to get an occassional comment of encouragement from someone in the blog world; I think it would be nice if I do the same - atleast as time permits. Right now I am reading through Joel C. Gregory's book 'Too Great a Temptation'. I typically read autobiographies and memoirs throughout the year, but particularly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I had the opportunity to read Gregory's work back in '95, taking it off my father's shelf. To think that 13 years have past and I still have not purchased my own copy (I took it from his shelf yet again!) is a terrible indictment, in and of itself. I will have to review this book once I complete it; but there are so many things (nuggets) entailed within the pages - many that I didn't even notice 13 years ago, as a high school sophomore who had only been preaching about a year - and had NO idea I would one day pastor.

It is funny how things can change!!!