2007, a retrospective in pictures

Klinefelters 2007

So, we’ve been organizing pictures (for the purpose of Christmas cards and gifts) and we made an album of Klinefelter Family pictures of this past year.  Click above to enjoy.

Most of the dreaded Christmas presents are purchased.  I say “dreaded” because I highly dislike the stress that gift buying produces.  I actually like giving gifts for people, it is just a bit anti-climatic when you are buying for people who really don’t “need” anything (that would be most folks we know… which is really a sad commentary on who we know).  Anyway, like I said, we’re almost finished.  We’re yet to write the Christmas letter, but hopefully tomorrow.  I’ll probably post it here once it has been completed.

The semester finished today with a collective sigh heard around the campus.  I feel like I’ve collapsed into to the Christmas break.  I love what I do and have enjoyed a wonderful semester teaching and working with the students and my colleagues.  It is so much fun to watch the students learn and grow as young people becoming adults!  This year I’m honored to teach a Chapel Leadership class for students who plan, organize, and produce our weekly Chapels.  It is a great group of students who love Jesus and earnestly desire to see the student body engage with God in worship.  They are a joy to teach.  Cisco, computer networking, has been good too - we’re behind in the curriculum, but that’s ok we’ll catch up.  I’ve got a wonderful group of student aides working with me this year too - they have been invaluable as we tackle the many technological developments of this year.  And in the midst of all this goodness…. well, it is still school and it is good to take a break and rest.

Unfortunately, my rest will be tempered a bit with the lingering list of things I didn’t finish but need to before the start of next semester (Jan. 2nd).  We need to get the computer lab re-imaged and, though we worked on it all week, one technical difficulty after another has beset us.  I think one evening next week should take care of the job though…. I hope.  I also have grading to do, but that won’t take too long.

Lastly, I’m hopeful that after a few days of rest I can work on articulating church planting mission, vision, and the like.  I have a sense that 2008 is going to be a big year for our Kingdom work and I want to be ready.

Decompressing and Reading

The children are nestled all snug in their beds. Praise the LORD! To those who do not have children and to those who have been parents longer than I… a confession: parenting is hard work. Before I became a parent I had NO IDEA how hard this would be. It is by far the hardest (and most wonderful) thing I have ever done. I suspect that those who have been parents for a long time just smile and nod - “now you understand”. Well, I reckon I do.

Sarah is in a new job now which means she is gone Sunday-Thursday evenings. Eventually she’ll work 8-midnight, but these three weeks she has been in training from 6-10 PM. Thankfully the wee-ones go to bed around 7:00, but that hour and a half from the time she leaves till bed time is a challenge. Happily tonight I had enough energy left to pick up around the house, write a blog post, and hopefully read a bit (oh, and maybe work on a puzzle).

I’m reading these 2 books:

Here are some quotables:

From The Open Secret, p. 34 - “The reign of God is not a new “movement” in which those interested may enlist.  It is not a cause for support, a cause that might succeed or fail according to the amount of support it attracts.  It is, to be precise, the reign of God, the fact that God whom Jesus knows as Father is the sovereign ruler of all peoples and all things.  The announcement means that htis fact is no longer something remote - far up in the heavens or far away in the future.  It is an impending reality, in fact, the one great reality that confronts men and women wit the need for decision.”

From Counterfeit Community, p. 21 - “Community is organic, not contractual or artificial.  In a sense it is a living organism that is continually changing and adapting to challenges in the environment.  …  The degree to which community develops is ultimately dependent upon the nature of the social, economic, and political fabric of a group of people.  Community is not formed by people who get together and agree to sign their names to a document to form a community; rather, it is created over time as people form connections with each other, develop trust and respect for each other, and create a sense of common purpose.”

Ok, that’ll do for now.  Good night all.