Lee Family Retreat Part 2

Our Lee Family Retreat was a lot of fun. It was relaxing and refreshing. I got to spend a lot of time praying and thinking about why I'm doing what I'm doing. It gave me a lot of spiritual perspective on the past year. I think it's too easy for me to get caught up in the day to day and live for the temporal rather than the eternal.I also got to marvel at this bright red cardinal in a labyrinth of ice.

As many of you know, I'm a goal oriented person and a planner. Proverbs 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty." It is good to plan and God in fact makes plans (Psalms 33:11; Isa 25:1). But unlike most planners, I do my best not to put my hope in plans but to use plans as a tool to create more flexibility and freedom to love and serve God.

In my personal plans, I try to use my planning to discipline myself for the purpose of godliness. And by the grace of God, I met all my goals in 2009. I think it was first. Usually, I am too ambitious in my goals. But last year, I met them all! I guess living in Kansas helps me be more disciplined in life.

So this year, a few but not all of my personal goals include:

• Continuing to memorize Scripture - 1 new passage a month in addition to maintaining my previous passages. In 2009, I memorized Psalms 13:1-5; 40:16; 42:1-2; Luke 10:17-20, 38-42; 1 Peter 3:8-9; Matthew 9:35-36; Ephesians 4:30-32; Colossians 3:12-14; Acts 12:21-23; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14; Daniel 4:30-33. If you wondering what's the logic behind the passages, I was memorizing verses on the themes of humility (because I am proud), gentleness (because I am at times harsh) and now having a passion for God (because I often don't love God as much as I want to).
• Read through the Bible - I have read the Bible before several times, but I've never done it in a year. I was reading about George Mueller (worked with orphanages in the 1800's) a while back and was challenged by the fact that he read through the Bible every year and had read it some 50+ times at least.
• Read 16 books - I thought I would up my goal from last year (12). But keep in mind that I want to re-read 3 books, read 3 biographies and read 3 history books - so it's not like I'm reading 16 theological books.
• Run a half marathon in less than 2 hours - I ran the LA marathon 8 years ago and before kids. I ran a 10k last year. So I'm hoping I can run a little more. I think the bodily discipline will help my spiritual disciplines and overall health.

Now keep in mind that I share these goals for fun. I'm not bragging because I know of many people who memorize more than me, read the Bible more than me, know the Bible better than me, live the Bible far better than me, read far more books than me and run far longer and faster than me. I just want to share what I am hoping to do this year to better live for the glory of God and to encourage others to keep pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.