Starting the Day

It looks like it's going to be another beautiful day in the Ozarks today.  It's not often that Chris and I work the same schedule and are able to car pool, but this is the second day this week. I suppose the fact that I haven't traded into the additional mid-shifts this week has something to do with it.

I have a little bit of additional time this morning while Chris is getting ready, so I thought I push out a few words on Out of My Hat.

Tomorrow is the first day of Hopedale's Children's Camp. As of last night, we have 71 kids signed up! I'm not sure of the number of adults, but I do know that there are several first time adult helpers coming this year. Even though I'm not completely ready for camp, I'm really looking forward to it this year.  There is just something about the way the Holy Spirit has been moving at Hopedale recently that makes my expectations of camp ... well, it's hard to put into words--exciting doesn't seem to get it. There is just an anticipation of something great and I can't wait to see what happens.

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I joined the small group study on David Platt's Radical last night.  It's a killer book but I'm not sure how I feel about it as a group study, especially one that has so many people in it.  It's really the kind of book that you have to close the door and take your spiritual beating in private. It's the kind that forces you to ask God questions about your own spiritual growth and there really is no way for somebody else to help you with the answers.  That said, it was a good class.

Reading through the 100+ year old book In His Steps is like reading through the 1897 version of Platt's book.  It's like a century old version of the struggle of Christians to impact their world with the Gospel the way that Jesus meant for the church to impact the world.

Both books get my recommendation for a good Christian growth book.  Check them out.

Time to finish getting ready.

John <><