There are four things on my mind right now.

1) I read Kevin Harney's NO Is a Beautiful Word: Hope and Help for the Overcommitted and (Occasionally) Exhausted, as planned. I think the book over-promised and under-delivered. The title addresses a subject that a lot of us need to consider, but I think there are other resources that address that subject in a more helpful way. Please feel free to reach out if you're looking for help in this area. I think many of us need to create more margin in our time and finances, etc. But I want to be gracious and avoid being hyper-critical. If any of you read this book with me this week and found it edifying, please feel free to reply to let me know.

2) I'm also reading God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God (by Mark Jones, Crossway publishing). Jones is an author I've come to trust and appreciate, and this book confirms that assessment. He's not afraid to challenge readers to think, but these chapters are brief and include practical application. I highly recommend this book.

3) I get to put on my pastor's hat today to officiate a wedding. Please pray for two of our young people as they enter this glorious covenant together: Ethan and Livy. This is a fun blessing in the middle of my sabbatical.

4) This week marks the actual 25th anniversary of my coming to Calvary. God is good. I'm so thankful for his grace to me and to our church. It is a testament to his grace that I have stayed, and it is also a testament to you that I've stayed. You dear people are such a blessing to me and Janna. I occasionally hear horror stories of other pastors being mistreated by a church. I have no idea what they've gone through. It is a testament to God's grace in you. And you know what else? It is certainly more a testament to God's grace than to me that you have stayed. In talking with Pastor Tom Ascol a few weeks ago, I said something about the sweet spirit in his church that probably reflected at least partially on him and his ministry. He replied something like this: "My greatest contribution to the spiritual growth and Christlikeness of the folks in our church is that they've had to learn to put up with me all these years." My first reaction was that he was a truly humble and unassuming man. I do believe he really meant what he said. And whether his observation is accurate regarding Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral or not, I'm pretty sure it's accurate regarding Calvary Plainfield. I love you. Thank you for loving me.

By His Grace & For His Glory,