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Top Posts For January 2012

It is hard to believe that the first month of the year is already over!

It’s been a busy month around here, and it seems as if January simply flew by.

But it’s been a great month nonetheless. I’ve been able to focus on reading the Bible like I’ve never been able to before. It’s been pretty exciting for me.

January Word Picture from Wordle.net

In case you missed them, here are my top seven posts for the month of January:

  1. The Principle Of The Path by Andy Stanley – Extended Review Part 4
  2. The Maniac And The Messiah
  3. The Difference Between Purpose, Vision, and Mission
  4. Tips For Becoming More Consistent In Your Bible Reading
  5. Memorize Scripture in 2012
  6. E.M. Bounds On Prayer… One More Time
  7. 2012 Bible Reading Plans

I was very surprised to see that my post containing an image of the Hubble Deep Space Field didn’t make it onto the list this month. In fact, I found it to be so far down the list, as to be almost unviewed. I suspect that this is related to the fact that it was hacked late last year, and it may take a little while to fully recover from that.

Three of my top posts deal with reading and memorizing the Bible. This is no surprise, since January is a great time for people to consider reading their Bibles the year. In fact, another post, not on this list, contains a give-away of Scripture Stickies, a resource to help you memorize Scripture this year. There is still time to enter to win!

Of the nineteen posts written in January, my favorite post from the month was Changing To A Standing Desk, a post I wrote about losing my chair in my office. Which one was yours?

If you are a blogger, leave a comment with your top post for the month. If you don’t blog, leave a comment with a favorite post or blog that you read this month.

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The State Of The Youth Ministry And A Winter Retreat

Over the weekend, I took several of our teens to the Winter Retreat at Rock Garden Christian Camp.

This was a weekend that a few other area youth ministers and I have been planning since back in September.

@God: Winter Retreat 2012

In my opinion, it was a huge success!

We took a bit of a different approach this year rather than how we had been doing it. We brought in a different type of speaker, not your normal local guy, and used a band we’d never worked with before for the worship. Again, it was hugely successful.

We asked John Luzadder to speak to our teens. John is a former youth minister who now works with CIY, overseeing Wilderness, a youth minister’s retreat that I attend every fall.

I was a bit unsure just how all our teens would relate to John. John deals more with youth leaders in his current position, and while he was in the youth ministry trenches in the past, I wasn’t sure how our students would take to him.

He knocked it out of the park!

Our theme for the weekend was “@God: More Than A Facebook Friend“. Over the course of the weekend, we examined each aspect of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and then wrapped it up with a “What does this mean to me?” session.

On top of the excellent preaching John brought about God, here are a few of the things I took away from the weekend:

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Memorize Scripture – Week 4

Colossians is one of my favorite books in the New Testament. And this week’s memory verse is found right in the middle of a passage describing how to put on the new self in Christ.

The next verse, Colossians 3:16, is a well known passage exhorting us to let the Word of Christ dwell in us. It’s frequently used to stress the importance of daily Bible reading. But I’ve chosen to memorize the verse before it, which talks about the peace of Christ.

Read it for yourself in Colossians 3:15:

Colossians 3:15

Honestly, I find this to be a major struggle in my life frequently. I tend to stress over things, often little things. It’s hard for me to be peaceful. My hope is that in those times when I’m stressed out, this verse will come to mind, reminding me to allow Christ to take care of what He’s already taken care of.

And I absolutely love the last phrase, tagged onto the end of a verse about peace: “And be thankful.”

I think there is a stronger connection between peace and gratitude than we realize. And the opposite is true as well; a sense of entitlement does not lead to peace, it leads to more stress and worry.

I think I’ll choose peace.

What do you do to choose peace in your life? You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Book Review: 4 Days To A Forever Marriage by Gary & Norma Smalley

4 Days To A Forever MarriageWhen New Leaf Press sent me a copy of Dr. Gary Smalley’s newest book, 4 Days To A Forever Marriage, I was pretty excited.

I had read a few reviews of the book already, and was looking forward to getting a copy of my own to read.

I was not disappointed.

While the idea of improving your marriage in four days seems overly optimistic, the principles found here are priceless. These four steps are essential to creating a marriage environment that will succeed. However, in my experience, it will take a lot longer than four days to implement them fully. It may take me closer to 40 days.

That being said, I loved the book for it’s excellent material, and it’s easy readability. Crafted in such a fashion that you can read each chapter quickly and easily, each chapter contains input and material from both Gary and Norma. And the publishers have taken key statements and phrases and made them tweetable.

Subtitled Choosing Love Or Anger, the Smalleys have developed four action steps that will help build any marriage: Loving Words and Actions, Communication and Resolving Anger, Affection and Intimacy, and Trials and Treasures.

While each of these four areas are excellent in and of themselves, there are treasure troves of information and resources included in the back of the book; everything from rules for fighting to romance on a tight budget.

4 Days To A Forever Marriage is excellent! It will definitely be one of my go-to books on marriage.

I recommend that you pick up a copy today. It will be an excellent resource for any marriage relationship, whether just starting off, or seasoned by time. Grab a copy and read it. You won’t be sorry!

What is the best book on marriage you’ve ever read? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading 4 Days To A Forever Marriage, by Dr. Gary & Norma Smalley, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

 

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Using Scripture Stickies To Memorize The Word, And A Chance To Win A Set

One of the most prominent features of JeffRandleman.com is the weekly scripture memorization post.

I try to memorize God’s Word on a regular basis, placing key passages into my heart and mind so that I can draw on them when I need them.

In 2011, I worked to memorize the Sermon on the Mount. This year, I’m memorizing several selected passages that have impacted me throughout the years.

Recently, Julie Alvarez, of ScriptureStickies.com, contacted me. She asked if I would be willing to use and review her Scripture Stickies, and give away a few sets.

Scripture Stickies

I was more than happy to give them a look. And I’m pretty impressed.

Sometimes, the most innovate inventions are the most simple. And simplicity is exactly what Julie Alvarez has implemented in Scripture Stickies.

Scripture Stickies are nothing more than Post-It Notes, imprinted with passages of Scripture, that are easily placed just about anywhere you can think of. By strategically placing God’s Word all around you, where you can see and read it often, you can easily memorize dozens of passages in no time at all. Check out their video:

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Memorize Scripture – Week 3

Have you ever spent much time digging into Psalm 119?

Most people seem to dread it because it is so long.

But it is one of my favorite Psalms. It’s all about God’s Word. Completely. In fact, I counted 178 references to God’s Word in 176 verses. That’s pretty incredible to me.

This week’s passage is one of the more well known parts of this Psalm. Take look for yourself. It’s Psalm 119:9-11:

Psalm 119:9-11

What keeps us on the path that God desires for us? Following his Word.

How do we seek to stay pure? By living according to God’s Word.

What prevents sin from gaining a foothold in our lives? By hiding God’s Word in our hearts.

That would be memorization. And that’s why I do this every week.

I can see God’s Word as very active in my life? Can you?

What is your favorite passage that you’ve committed to memory? You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Trying A New Bible Reading System

One of the things I am most passionate about is the need to spend time with God on a daily basis. I’ve compiled tips to help you be more consistent.  I’ve shared my “Gold Nugget” method of Bible study. And I’ve recently made available a PDF booklet that helps you to read through the entire Bible in a year, in a variety of different ways. Subscribe via email, and it’s yours for free.

This is one of the most important aspects of my life, and since I know it’s value, I can’t help but speak about it often.

Bible with Coffee

This year, however, I’m stepping up the intensity a notch, at least for me personally.

I’ve decided to try Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System. The goal is to read ten chapters a day, totaling 3660 chapters of the Bible throughout 2012.

It’s a bit audacious, I know.

I first heard about this method of Bible reading over at TimChallies.com. But I’ve tweaked it a bit to suit my own tastes.

Here’s the basic idea: