Half-year update

Can you believe that we're half-way through the year and through the summer too? It's flying by. As I love to do, here's my 2nd quarter update. (To see the last quarter click here)

Goal #1 - Read through the Bible twice

• 1 down, 1 to go. I finished the Bible right on time, June 30. It was really cool to see how God is so central to the Bible. It seems so obvious to say, but how often do we read through the Bible thinking about the human characters or what I can learn or apply from this text? But reading through it so fast, God's prominence stands out. And not just His being, but the commands to worship Him and fear Him. Worship is such a prominent theme as well. It really is the core of our relationship with Him.

Goal #2 - Memorize Titus

• This one is going just fine. I am ahead of schedule, working on Titus 2:6 right now. It's been refreshing to memorize whole chapters and get the flow of thought in the text and not just a verse or a passage. I really love the emphasis on sound doctrine in Titus too.

Goal #3 - Finish the KC Marathon in under 4 hours

• I hit my first major road bump on any of my goals with this one. After starting my training a couple of moths ago, I realized that I was way behind schedule. But somehow, I started catching up and was relatively on pace, until today. I had a lot of trouble with my 13 mile run today. Now, I'm wondering if I might need to put the marathon off. It's just so hot in the summer to be running 10+ miles. We'll see.

Goal #4 - Read 24 books

• I'm on pace - 13 so far. It hasn't been as easy going as it was in the first quarter. I've been looking forward to breaks more than actually reading. I think I'm going to need to lighten up some of my reading as the last 4 books have been a bit serious. They have been good. But I'm going to need something a bit inspirational and/or light I think to re-light the fire so to speak.

When do disciplines become less what you are trying to do and more just who you are? It seems like that answer ebbs and flows. At times, these disciplines are who I am and what I do without at thought. At other times, I need to beat my lazy desires back and press on. Either way, it's good.