With My Own Eyes

I had a flashback today of something my wife did for me years ago that I just needed to share.  Early in our marriage I was commuting from Cadillac to Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary to complete my Master of Divinity degree.  I had a lot of reading to do and an hour and a half drive each way.  So, to make the most of that time, Christy in the evenings would record herself reading some of my text books out loud.  I would then listen to the recordings (cassette tapes!) while I drove.  This was not the most inspiring material, probably some of which she didn’t grasp (or even care to!), but she read it anyway–out loud, so I could make the best use of my time.  This is just one of so many examples of how Christy goes the extra mile.  

https://twitter.com/MarkDever/status/1144219631625875457

An important shift happened for me not long ago.  The shift was from preaching to the congregation to instead preaching to God.  Put another way, the shift was from preaching for the purpose of exhortation to instead preaching for the purpose of exultation (worship).  When my preaching was focused on moving the congregation, I felt such a pressure to make it happen.  But since my preaching has been focused on worshiping God, there has been such a freedom.  And wouldn’t you know it:  the best exultation would seem to result in the most effective exhortation.  I am not far into this book by John Piper, but it seems to flesh out and put into words my recent experience.  It feels good to be on the right track, even if I am a slow learner.

Christy made this collage for our 25th wedding anniversary.  I am a blessed man.

Loved this podcast today from Michael Hyatt:

3 Questions Every Leader Must Answer to Avoid Drift

1. How do I want to be remembered? (Legacy)
2. What is important to me? (Priorities)
3. What single brave decision do I need to make today?

Are you drifting?  Which of these questions is most helpful to your getting back on track?  What other questions would be helpful?

“A study by Hewlett Packard and the University of London found when we divert our attention to incoming calls and messages, it dings our IQ by 10 percent; that’s twice the effect of smoking marijuana.  While it won’t permanently impair your cognitive functioning, “it will make you stupid temporarily,” say neuropsychologist Friederike Fabritius and leadership expert Hans Hagemann.”

The girl’s got some skill!