2013 In Review

What a year! God brought about some sudden and drastic changes in 2013. As I re-read my post for reviewing 2012 and looking forward to 2013, all I can think is that my life has turned upside down since then. Wow. After a decade of purposeful preparation, I was preparing for God's good fruit in my new ministry. I wasn't sure how it would look or what would happen, but I was excited about proclaiming His magnificent greatness from the pulpit, being a part of His disciple making program and shepherding His sheep. Little did I know, that God's plans were to take that ministry away.

That is clearly the big event of 2013. I haven't really processed it still. God in His kind and good sovereignty has supplied our every need financially, emotionally, spiritually and relationally. In fact, in every way possible, I think we are better off somehow than where we were. But with all the chaos, we cancelled the Lee Family Retreat this year. Only the second time in the last 16 years. So I need to really spend some time in reflection and retrospection to try and make sense of this all, hopefully soon.

I think the second major thing of 2013 is that we used all of the challenges to grow closer together as a family. With all of my time off, I think we redeemed the time well with trips to SoCal (twice), White Sands, camping in the mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Mount Rushmore and Seattle. We had so much fun together visiting good friends and family.

As I try and look towards what 2014 has in store, for the first time in a long time, I have no idea what to plan for. No clue. No real goals other than to try and find some healing this year. The scars are still deep. But God will be faithful as He has proved again in 2013 and countless times before.

I don't think I met any of my goals for 2013. But for posterity, here's what we accomplished in 2013:

Andrew's 2013 Memory Verses

• 1 John 2:15-16
• 1 Thessalonian 4:3-5
• 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
• 2 Timothy 2:22
• Romans 12:3
• 1 Peter 5:5-6
• Proverbs 22:24

 Matt & Emery's 2013 verses

• Romans 8:28
• Romans 8:1
• Galatians 2:20
• 2 Corinthins 5:21
• Psalm 1

2013 Books Read

#28 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
#27 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
#26 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
#25 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
#24 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
#23 - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
#22 - Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn't and Why by Donald Asher
#21 - The Big Retirement Risk by Erin Botsworth
#20 - What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
#19 - The Battle of Mogadishu: First Hand Accounts From the Men of Task Force Ranger
#18 - Joker One: A Marine's Story of Courage, Leadership and Brotherhood by Donovan Campbell
#17 - Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior by Rorke Denver
#16 - A Shelter in the Time of Storm
#15 - Washing: A Life by Ron Chernow
#14 - Spiritual Depression by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
#13 - Fearless by Eric Blehm
#12 - When War Becomes Personal Ed. by Donald Anderson
#11 - The Legacy of William Carey by Vishal & Ruth Mangalwadi
#10 - The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
#9 - God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew
#8 - Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchvidjian
#7 - Dominion by Randy Alcorn
#6 - Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot
#5 - Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
#4 - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones the First 40 Years by Murray
#3 - Conviction to Lead by Al Mohler
#2 - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
#1 - American Sniper by Chris Kyle