As I review this month’s top posts, I’m listening to Christmas music. I have a hard and fast rule that I don’t begin Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving. At that point, it is pretty much on all the time until Christmas arrives. And I love every minute of it. The Christmas season is the part of the year I love the most.

With the season being so hectic, though, I find that I have less time to spend writing. That’s always the case in December, and I always feel a sense of frustration that I am unable to maintain the schedule I want. On the other hand, I know my time is needed elsewhere. And that is okay.

Here is a brief rundown of some of the things that November and December hold for us. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, our church holds a Thanksgiving service, hosts a community concert, goes Christmas caroling in our community, presents a children’s Christmas program, and a Christmas Eve candlelight service. That’s on top of our normal services and programs. And this year’s Christmas series is called Birth Of A King, where we look at each of the nativity accounts in detail.

As a family, after Thanksgiving Day activities are over, we decorate the house for Christmas, celebrate the season with an Advent Night every week, and enjoy several Christmas parties. It’s a very busy season. And when you add the kids’ school activities and sports on top of it all, it makes for a crazy month. And yet, it remains my favorite time of the year.

I love this time of year. The leaves are turning, the air is cooling down, and it is a beautiful time of the year. The holidays are just around the corner, and there is kind of a lull before that busy season begins. This is perhaps my most favorite part of the year.

Usually, this time of year presents an opportunity to slow down a bit, before things get crazy again with the holidays. This year hasn’t really been that way. We have been kind of busy with some family stuff that has kept us pretty crazy. One of our kids had a health scare, and we thought for a while we were facing Crohn’s Disease. After more testing, we have eliminated that as a concern, but haven’t yet identified the problem. It very well may result in some dietary changes.

That is something I have been faced with as well. My diet will be changing drastically in the coming weeks. My doctor recommends that I move to a completely gluten free and dairy free diet. That eliminates almost everything that I enjoy eating, but should result in improved health, for both my daughter and myself.

Those challenges have kept us pretty busy, but I still have managed to set aside the time in order to stay as consistent as possible when it comes to writing. This is an outlet for me. Writing, whether on this site, one of my other sites, or even in my journal, permits me to voice my thoughts, and change or refine them as necessary. I love writing, in whatever form it may take. I have even found myself experimenting with poetry again, which is something I haven’t really done since high school and college. Who knows, some of that may eventually find its way here…

Fall is in the air. The temperatures are dropping, and so are the leaves. And I’m ready for it. I enjoy summer, but autumn is my favorite season, especially when I can see the aspen trees in Colorado turning yellow. And that is where I am right now.

With fall comes a bit of a slower season for me. Summer activities are winding down, and we will have a couple of months of lighter activities for a change. Our big activities for church have all happened, and football season is almost over, and so I will have the chance to focus on a few things with a bit more focus.

One such item is my preaching schedule for the coming year. This month will hold a couple of days where I get away and pray over Scripture, seeking God’s leading on where we need to go in the coming months. I already have been laying out some plans and ideas, but will earnestly seek God’s leading and confirmation on those in the coming days.

Another area of focus will be catching up on some reading and writing during October and November. I am headed to Colorado this week for several days, and I have a half dozen books with me in the van. I plan on finding a nice spot to hang the hammock and sit and read for a while. This will also allow my time to focus more on this blog and get back up to speed. That is something I really need to take the time to do, and it will happen this fall.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the coming weeks hold. In the meantime, I’m watching to see what else God may be holding in store for my family and me this year.

Football games. Cooler weather. Turning leaves. School is in session. Pumpkins. And a whole lot more is just around the corner. Fall is just about here, and summer is heading out the door.

September will be a busy month around here. Between our family activities and our church activities, there is a lot going on. I hope that I can keep my sanity through it all. In early October, I will be attending Wilderness, a retreat for ministers in the mountains outside of Colorado Springs. This is something I generally try to fit into my schedule each year. I missed it last year, and I regret that. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to stop and take a break for a few days.

Even though I know that should happen on a regular basis, it can be hard to do. The daily life seems to keep us busy all the time, doesn’t it? And, unless something big happens, we don’t usually make the effort to step back and take a break like we need to.

That is one reason I consistently post the top posts from JeffRandleman.com each and every month. It is an opportunity to step back, and see what has happened, and where I need to go from here. I take an even bigger view of things on an annual basis, and run a weekly view as well. Those things help me keep my perspective, at least in this one area of life.

For this month’s top posts, I want to take the same approach that I did last month. Each month, it seems like the same few posts consistently make the list. I am glad that my content is continually making an impact. But those same old lists get pretty boring. So, again for this month, I am listing out the next seven posts, in terms of traffic.

1. A New Bible Reading Plan – 9 Months Later
2. How To Gain Insight By Hand-Copying The Bible
3. Tips For Becoming More Consistent In Your Bible Reading
4. Trying A New Bible Reading System
5. Classic Bible: My Favorite Passages From Judges
6. ICR’s Days Of Praise Daily Devotional
7. 2016 Bible Reading Plans

I found this to be a very different list than last month’s, and the fact that every single one of them is centered on the topic of Bible reading or devotional reading is very interesting to me.

My personal favorite post from the month of August was from a conversation that I had while in Arizona, on our mission trip in July. It’s called Slow Down And Listen: Wisdom From An Apache Elder. I learned a lesson that I hope to not soon forget.

I am praying that you have a great month! I look forward to seeing what God brings in the weeks to come!

Question: 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. You can leave a comment by clicking here.

It seems like it was just a few days ago that my kids were out of school and looking forward to summer vacation. And now, teachers are back, my daughter is taking a test as I write this to determine her placement in public school from home school, and my boys are spending time with their cousins at Grandma’s house for one last summer fling.

August has arrived. The fall is just around the corner. Summer has been full of mission trips, camps, vacations, excursions and more. We spent time at the pool, in the yard, on the porch, with family and friends, and enjoyed every minute of it.

I was challenged by an elderly Apache by the name of John Longfeather to slow down and listen, or I might miss something. I was encouraged by a bunch of knife collectors who rallied around me and raised some funds to help pay for my cancer surgery. I rediscovered hope in the midst of hopelessness at a place called Suicide Canyon. I sat in the waiting room while one of my kids underwent an MRI on her head. Our home was invaded for several weeks by family and friends. A lot has impacted me this summer, and impacted my family. I hope I paid attention close enough to learn something. I hope I slowed down enough to listen.

This week, I am preparing a message for Sunday on John 4, where Jesus interacts with the woman at the well. He tells Nicodemus, in chapter three, to be born again. He tells this woman to taste the living water. In both cases, he meets people where they are and gives them what they need.

This summer, God has met me where I am. He has met me in my busyness. He has met me in my stress and worry. He has met me in my frustrations. And he has spoken to me, giving me what I need. I pray that I can hold onto it, and let it permeate into my life.

Summer is in full swing around here. The kids are in the middle of summer camps and other activities and trips. Our church’s mission trip to American Indian Christian Mission is just around the corner, and the AC has been running non stop. Pretty typical summer, actually…

July also brings with it some down time. Once the major, week-long events are past, I will have a chance to slow down for a few days and catch my breath. I’m toying with the idea of taking a couple of days away and finding a nice river with a place to hang my hammock for a while.

June has been a crazy month for blogging and writing. I took a week of vacation during the month, and I refrained from doing anything. I cleaned out one gutter, thought about mowing the lawn, and promptly dismissed that idea, and averaged three naps a day. And I didn’t even turn on my computer to write or check things out. And let me tell you, that felt good, although I was ready to get back to work.

As a result, June was a bit slow around here. I didn’t write as much as normal, and with so many church and family activities, something had to give a bit. July will be more like normal. While we are on the mission trip, I have a series of videos and quotes that I find inspiring scheduled to appear. I hope you enjoy those.