VERVE Happs

This was one of my favorite Verve weekends ever. Easy.

• Friday night we had a Mike Rayburn concert to raise money for the school and church we're starting in Monte Olivo, Ecaudor. We are trying to raise $25,000 for this project. I haven't gotten the final numbers yet, but I know for sure the night raised over $2,000 of what we need! Mike is insanely talented, and insanely cool for doing the concert for us for free.
• Saturday one of the great couples in our church, Jim and JoAnn, got married.
• Saturday morning I met with two guys from a Missions agency. That's the second time I've done that in the last month or so. Seems like we're drawing even more interest from missions groups than from church planting groups.
• Sunday morning was awesome. Before the first service even started I had a couple of incredible conversations with people who are either really hurting, or who God is doing something amazing in their lives, or who are new and shocked they're coming to church and loving Verve. Then the services started and wow, we had a lot of people. In fact, we had more people on Sunday than we had the previous week on Sunday and Monday combined. Monday night was also a good crowd. We ended up with almost exactly 50% more this week than last week, and about 15% more this weekend than we've had in a long time (or maybe ever?).
• I'm more convinced than ever that God is really up to something big at Verve. I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

Vince Recommends...

I've got something embarrassing to admit. First let me tell you that I like authentic things. Like food. When I'm in Thailand, I want to eat authentic Thai food. In Laos with a group of Americans searching for a familiar restaurant, I'll vote for the local place where when you order chicken, its face is staring at you from the plate. My favorite restaurant in Las Vegas is a Mexican food truck.

So here's my confession: I love Chili's salsa. Like it's my favorite salsa. Like if I'm ever on Death Row and unable to communicate, choose Chili's salsa as my last meal for me. (Wait a second, I've got wipe the drool off my face, thinking about that being my last meal before my gruesome death. Yum.)

So if you love the stuff like I do, and you're as cheap as I am, here's a recipe to make some of your own. It's not exactly theirs, and not quite as good, but it's reasonably close, and better than what you can buy at a store.

Ingredients
1 can Rotel (14.5 oz can, with juice)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (14.5 oz can, without juice)
1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
A couple squirts of lime
If you want it spicier, add a tablespoon or two of jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled)

Instructions
    Place onions (and jalapenos, if used) in a food processor. Process for a few seconds. Add can of Rotel and whole tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin. Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree. Squirt in the lime. Place in covered container and chill. A few hours (or more) of chilling improves the flavor.

And ... you're welcome.

this weekend @ VERVE

Let's be honest: Most of us live pretty dull lives. That's why we end up engrossed in the lives of others: celebrities, athletes, people on reality shows. So how do we go from living a life of watching others to living a life worth watching?

Find out this week as we bring back a popular Verve series, "A Life Worth Watching." Last year we looked at the life of a guy in the Bible named Abraham, this year we'll learn transforming principles from Elijah.

Don't miss a week of this 5 week series!

The Power of Inauthenticity

I watched an interview with a famous preacher recently. It was okay, but there were two answers he gave that caused my brain to hemorrhage just a little.

• Asked, "Do you ever have any doubts?" he responded, "No."
• Asked, "Has your marriage ever gone through difficult times?" the response was ... no.

You're telling me this guy has never had any doubts the existence of God, or God's care and provision, or the Bible? And he and his wife have never gone through a tough stage in their marriage?

I guess it may be true, and I hope it is true, buy my immediate gut level reaction was: You're lying. And if you'll lie about that, what else would you lie about?

I talk a lot about the power of authenticity, but this is the power of inauthenticity. My guess is that this guy comes from the perspective that leaders are supposed to be perfect, and for him to admit a fault would make people question his leadership. But the reality is just the opposite. We all assume that no one is perfect, and so if you act like you are, then we question your leadership.

Your Heart For...

A couple weeks ago I met with a future church planter. I do that all the time. A few days later he sent me an email thanking me for meeting with him. That happens all the time too. In his email he mentioned one thing in particular he was grateful for. That happens all the time too. Typically it's something like my thoughts on contextualizing church services to the people you're hoping to reach, or for providing a strategy for fundraising. But that's not what he said. He told me he really appreciated hearing my heart for Las Vegas.

I loved that. It's what I want to have. I blogged about this recently, but in the Bible, it's very obvious that God has a heart for cities. And he seems to have a special place in His heart for cities that have "fallen away" from him. (Think Jonah being sent to Ninevah.) And we see Jesus weeping over cities. What I want is to have a heart for Las Vegas.

And I appreciate other people who have it. Like I love working with Jake Keck, because he has a heart for Las Vegas. And I'm grateful for Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos) for what he's doing with his downtown project.

If for some reason you'd like to learn more about the history of Las Vegas, and maybe even develop a heart for this great city, here are some books and a website you may want to check out:

• Sun, Sin, and Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas, Geoff Schumacher
• Resort City in the Sunbelt, Eugene Moehring
• Sharks in the Desert, John L. Smith
• The People of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces, Jerry L. Simich
• More People of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces, Jerry L. Simich
• www.1st100.com

VERVE Happs

I was out of town Sunday, speaking at one of our supporting churches, but I was at Verve on Monday, and loved watching the guy in that video message.  Wow.

Our attendance was LOW this week.  Where were you missing Ververs?

This Friday is our Mike Rayburn concert, $10, with all proceeds going towards the school and church we're building in Ecuador.  If you haven't bought your tickets yet, get them TODAY.  You can do so at www.vivalaverve.org.

Verve's Super Bowl Party is 12 days away - happens to the day they're playing the Super Bowl this year - so it works out perfect!  Be there, bring some friends, and bring a lot of food to share.

Registration for the new semester of Verve University is underway.  The 6-week courses will be held on Sunday nights, 6:05 to 7:35, starting February 19th.

Vince Recommends...

Been suggesting some movies you may have missed. These fit into the "slow moving" movies (which means I loved them and my wife hated them).

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Fargo
3. No Country For Old Men
4. Rushmore
5. Witness
6. Signs

Some have violence and language, so if you're offended by that, skip 'em.  Other than that, you're welcome.

Sundance

Getting to spend a few days at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.  This is the second year in a row I was invited to come, but the first getting to bring my wife.

Park City may be the most gorgeous town in the United States, and the festival is cool. There's a unique buzz in a town hosting an event that draws artists and celebrities from around the world.

And going to a movie at Sundance is a different experience. It's a very different kind of crowd you're sitting in the midst of, typically the director or some of the actors are there to say something about the movie... It's just very unique.

this weekend @ VERVE

Back in the movie "The Blues Brothers" John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd told people, "We're on a mission from God."

It was kinda funny, but maybe it's what we all need.  Maybe what's missing from our lives is a sense of purpose.  And perhaps God is the only one who can give us a purpose big enough to capture our imagination and fill our lives.

And it that's true, you definitely don't want to miss this week at Verve as we talk about us being "A Missional Tribe."

Dream Team?

Last year in the NBA, the Miami Heat brought in two stud players and formed what they called the "dream team," promising they would win the championship. They didn't. In baseball, the Phillies and Red Sox each acquired all-star quality players prior to the season, and were almost unanimously picked to meet in the World Series. But the Phillies didn't make the World Series. And the Red Sox didn't even make the playoffs. In the NFL, the Eagles signed just about every star free agent available, leading Vince Young to declare them the NFL's "dream team." Make that nightmare, Vince. The Eagles missed the playoffs and struggled to finish at .500.

We've repeatedly learned in the sports world that it's not about bringing together the best group of players. The best group of players almost never wins it all. What wins is a team that plays like a team - a team united for a mission that they put before themselves.

Here's the thing:  In sports we know a "dream team" doesn't cut it because we can look at their record of wins and losses. But what about in the church world? What about in the corporate world? We think the best team possible is one with the best collection of talented "players." You know, the dream team. But it's not. You just can't tell because there's no obvious record of wins and losses.

The best team for your church, business, school, or whatever is ... a team that plays like a team - a team united for a mission that they put before themselves. And that's what I dream about forming at Verve.

Loving Las Vegas

It was three years ago today that my family arrived in Las Vegas. We had lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia for eleven years prior and came to Las Vegas because we felt that God has called us to come and love this city.

Why should we love it? Well, because God does.

Some Christians assume that a pure and holy God could only have disdain for a city that prides itself on sin. And that view would make a lot of sense, if it wasn't for the Bible. In the book of Jonah, we see God declaring his compassion for Nineveh, the "sin city" of the day. And because of his affection for it, he sends Jonah to share his message with the people there. And in the book of Jeremiah, we see God tell His people to move into the "wicked" city of Babylon and to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city."

God is into cities, and He seems to have a special place in His heart for cities that have turned away from Him and have become stained with sin. And while some may focus on the stain, God sees beyond it to the beauty that lies beneath. And I love Las Vegas, and pray I can be a part of making it into a more beautiful place, one life at a time.

VERVE Happs

We had a cool weekend talking about being a Transformed Tribe.

In the Bible, people who spend time with Jesus, who get close to Jesus, always get changed by Jesus. Changing people is something Jesus is really good at.  So ... if you're not changing, maybe you're not as close to Jesus as you might think you are.  Maybe you need to spend time with Him.

At Verve we want to be a transformed tribe.  People who come to Verve do not and cannot stay the same.

We saw an amazing video with about twenty Ververs sharing where they were before coming to Verve for the first time, and how they've changed since because of God working in their life.

And we talked about the process that God tends to use to transform people at Verve.  We've seen people go from our Weekend Services - to attending our Verve University Courses - to getting in a Micro Group - to becoming a part of our Leadership Community.  Question: Where do you find yourself in that process?  And what's the next step for you?  And why aren't you taking it?

Vince Recommends...

We all know what it's like to have a good idea. But every once in awhile you have a lightning strike stroke of genius idea. The kind of idea where to not call it genius would simply be criminally understated. I'm about to hit you with such an idea. You should sit down.

We all know God made bacon the perfect food. And because of it's perfection, people wrap other foods in bacon. Bacon wrapped chicken. Bacon wrapped figs. So are you ready for my genius? Here it is:  Bacon wrapped bacon.

You heard me right. Bacon wrapped bacon. And I don't need to say anything else. Stop reading, go to the store, buy a bunch of bacon, wrap half the bacon in the other half of the bacon, cook, eat.

You're welcome.

Super Bowl Reps(itition)

Hey Football Fans:  Do you realize that over the last 8 years, the AFC has had three teams represent them in the Super Bowl (Colts twice, Steelers three times, Patriots three times), while the NFC has had ... eight teams.

Wacky stuff.

This and That

A bunch of random stuff from this last week or so:

• Saw the new Mission Impossible movie, pretty good.
• Excited 30 Rock is back on, it's been too long...
• The Dodgers are going to have a new owner soon, and the Raiders now have a new General Manager. My future is looking much better!
• Read Redemption by Mike Wilkerson. Really good.
• My favorite moment of the week was in our creative team meeting when Kandyss said, "I mean, how many bad things can happen to a person's butt in one day?"
• My least favorite moment of the week was writing on Jake's bare chest and stomach. Come to Verve tomorrow and you'll know why.
• Watched The Debt on DVD, good movie.
• Pressured all week (book publisher, church consultant) to start a FB and Twitter page. Ugh.
• If you're not so sure about Tim Tebow, read this article. Wow.
• We have a bunch of Ververs doing First Serves this week - awesome. We were made to serve!
• Doing re-writing and putting in some additional extra stuff into the new book I'm writing. Just about everyone I know wants to write a book, but just trust me, it's not fun. On Thursday night I worked till midnight, and then got up at 4:00 am and got back to working. Please pray for me, I need it!
• We have something REALLY SPECIAL in this weekend's service at Verve. Trust me, you really don't want to miss it.

this weekend @ VERVE

What is God all about in our lives?  And what is our church all about?  And what should you be all about?  This week we'll answer all all of those questions with a single word:  Transformation.

We'll learn why God wants to transform us, how people get transformed at Verve, and what the normal reaction to transformation should be for every follower of Christ.

Don't miss this critical week in the history of Verve, and what could be a critical week in the history of your life.

So What Do I Do?

Yesterday I shared 34 characteristics typical of people who have ADD.  I figured someone who reads this blog struggles like I do.  This will be my last post on the topic, but here are some of the suggestions experts give on how to be effective in life, even with ADD.

1. Use external structures.  We're talking lists, reminders, files, daily rituals.
2. Pattern planning.  Plug certain regular appointments or obligations into the pattern of your week or month.  (Make a list of all your regular tasks, obligations, and appointments.  Make a grid of time on your calendar and plug each regular item into a regular time lot.)  That way you won't need to wonder when you're going to do it, worry about not doing it, or forget about doing it.
3. Only handle paperwork once.  Deal with it now, then get rid of it.  (Don't have a "to-do" file, because it will become a "never-done" file.)
4. Break down large tasks into small one's, with deadlines.
5. Make deadlines for yourself.
6. Always have something to write your loose ideas on.
7. Do what you're good at instead of trying to get good at what you're bad at.
8. Notice how and when you work at your best, and try to work in those conditions as much as possible.
9. Leave time between engagements/meetings to gather your thoughts.  Transitions can be difficult for people with ADD.
10. Avoid premature closure of a project or conversation. (This may be my number one ADD-related problem.)
11. Notice other people and pay them compliments.
12. Regular exercise is especially important for people with ADD.
13. Expect depression after success.  Don't be surprised.
14. Accept the fact that you will likely have a fear of things going too well.
15. Accept the fact that your emotions may change quickly.
16. Choose healthy addictions, because you'll probably be addicted to something.
17. You probably need lots of encouragement.  Make sure you're getting it.
18. Remember it's biological, not a character flaw.
19. Learn to joke about ADD, can help other people understand and forgive your shortcomings.

 Hope this helps.  And if you need more help than that, see a counselor.  (Seriously.)

Who Is This Person?

I'm gonna give you a list of characteristics and, as you read through them, try to think of the person I might be describing:

1. Search for high stimulation
2. Intolerance of boredom
3. Many projects going simultaneously
4. Impatient
5. Impulsive
6. Sense of never quite meeting goals
7. Difficulty getting organized
8. Say whatever comes to mind
9. Easily distracted
10. Often creative, intuitive, and highly intelligent
11. Trouble following proper procedures
12. Frustration can be a reminder of past failures
13. Look for problems to worry about
14. Mood swings
15. Restlessness
16. Lots of nervous energy
17. Tendency towards addictive behavior
18. Inaccurate self observation. Don't accurately gauge impact on other people. See self as less effective and powerful than other people do
19. Hate waiting
20. Was class clown in school
21. Received letters home from teachers in school for bad behavior
22. Has a reputation for being rude
23. Lots of piles around the house or office
24. Need to be moving in order to think
25. Need to be the boss, or will probably get fired
26. Move to New York City, L.A., or Las Vegas at some point in their life
27. Can appear self-centered or indifferent
28. Can't stay with emotions long enough to work them out
29. Hyperfocus on negative circumstances
30. Can easily feel rejected
31. Inside find themselves saying, "I'm not stupid!"
32. Can read a page to the bottom and then realize don't know what they just read
33. Fiercely independent: Need to do things on their own schedule
34. Live life minute-by-minute

If you know me, you might think that I just did a great job describing myself.  But it's actually a list of characteristics of people who have A.D.D. (from the book Driven To Distraction).  And yes, it also does almost perfectly describe me.  And maybe it describes you?

If so, you know it sucks having A.D.D.  People like to laugh about it and make jokes, but it's not funny.  There are benefits - I can get more done in an hour or two than most people can in an entire day, and I suspect part of it is my A.D.D.  But in most ways it's really difficult to live with.  And if you're with me on that, I understand.

Tomorrow I'll give you a few suggestions for what to do if you struggle with ADD.

To Be Human

Snow Patrol's new CD, Fallen Empires releases today. Want to know what's a bigger deal to me than that? Very little.

I was thinking about why I love Snow Patrol and it hit me: I think they do a better job in their music than most anyone of capturing what it means to be human. And I think that's what I'm looking for in art. It's why I love Snow Patrol, and Peter Gabriel, and Cameron Crowe movies, and John Irving novels, and why I thought Friday Night Lights was probably the best TV show of the last decade.

Anyone can write songs about wanting to get rich, movies with exploding cars are a dime a dozen, and it's not that difficult to make people laugh, but someone who can really reach down into your heart and make you feel, feel what it's like to be human.

That's priceless.

VERVE Happs

Cool week at Verve.  We're in our new series The Tribe in which we're talking who we are as a church.  This week we talked about being a Tribe of Contributors.

We had a "ministry expo" out in the lobby and had bunches of people sign up for first serve volunteer opportunities.  Way to go Ververs!

Expanding our base of volunteers and leaders is one of the most critical pieces of us being able to grow and become more effective as a church.  You can only grow as high as you are wide, so it's everything.  As Ververs step up, Verve will move up...

Excited for the Mike Rayburn Concert coming up on January 27th - every penny is going to our Ecuador Project!  Buy your tickets, and buy some for your friends!

New semester of Verve University starts in about a month.  Sign up this weekend!

Vince Recommends...

I have to admit, when I heard about Mark Batterson's new book, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, I couldn't help but ask, "Do we need another book on prayer?" and "Do I really need to read another book on prayer?"  I've got about ten on my bookshelves.

It's not that I don't think prayer is important. I totally do. I just wondered what new things could be written on the topic. It's not like prayer has changed a lot.

I was wrong.

Well, I'm not sure if Mark is giving us new thoughts on prayer, or a new way to pray (though he does provide a somewhat different angle). But what he did do was inspire me. Really inspire me. The book is oozing with stories of God doing amazing things through the prayers of His people. And those stories challenged me. I thought about the things that are critically important to me - my wife and kids, who my kids will marry someday, my extended family coming to know Jesus, bringing the love of God to the Las Vegas Strip, living with a courageous risk-taking faith - and was forced to stare in the mirror and ask myself: How often do I pray about those things? Have I given up on the possibility that some could still happen, or that my prayers could really make a difference?

I'll tell you this: With my ADD personality, I often start reading a book and then literally forget that I'm reading it and move on to the next book I want to read. Finally, I realize - "I'm half-way through about six books right now." But with The Circle Maker, I was anxious to get to each new chapter, looking for more stories to inspire me to take my prayer life to the next level.

The 1%

My friend Joe Boyd has a great blog - lots of thought provoking stuff.  If you don't read it, well, from now on you can't blame me, because you probably should.

Anyway, I loved his post a couple days ago on the occupy movement and being part of the 1%.  You can read it here.  And in case you don't care about the occupy movement, the post isn't really about the occupy movement, it's about you.

And do yourself, and the world, a favor - don't just read it, do something about it.

this weekend @ VERVE

We spend most of our lives as consumers.  We go to stores that are designed to serve us and meet our needs.  We go to restaurants designed to serve us and meet our needs.  Just about everything is designed to serve us and meet our needs.

Then we show up at church and ... we expect it to serve us and meet our needs.  But God calls us not to be consumers at church but to be contributors.  And God teaches us that it's when we stop consuming and start contributing that our lives get turned upside down and we're able to turn the world upside down.  Don't miss this week at Verve as we talk about what it looks like for us to be a tribe of contributors.

So What? (Pt 2 of 2)

When I do seminars on preaching, I teach pastors to make sure their message is "Clear, Compelling, and Couched In Love." Clear is about making sure everything is at a level people can understand, about making no assumptions. Couched in love is about the fact that people are open to hearing truth, but not if it's coming from a jerk.

The compelling part hits on this USA Today article I mentioned in my post yesterday. The article reveals that increasingly people in America don't care about church, God, or even "spirituality." They're not searching, not asking questions, and not interested.

Apparently there was a time in America when if you could prove to people that the Bible and Jesus' claims were true, they would agree to become a Christian. Today, if I prove to someone that the Bible and Jesus' claims are true (which I can), the response I would expect is, "So what?" Truth doesn't overcome their apathy. And that's why we have to make it compelling. We must show them why it matters. People need to see not that it's true, but that it's what they need and what will change their lives. We need to present, in a compelling way, that what they really need is love - and God is the only one offering perfect love, and that they need healing from their hurts - and God offers healing, and the difference that having a sense of purpose provides - and God offers that purpose. We must answer the "so what" question.

Video of This Weekend's Message

This weekend we talked about being "A Risk Taking Tribe" and made a huge announcement.  If you are a Verver but weren't able to be with us this weekend, please take the time to watch the message. You can see it here, or ... here it is:

So What? (Pt 1 of 2)

On Christmas Day, USA Today online featured an article "For Many, 'Losing My Religion' isn't just a song: It's life." The article cites studies and interviews revealing that more and more people in America are spiritually apathetic. They're not interested in religion, in God, in church, or in "spirituality." They're not concerned with finding a church, finding the purpose of life, or finding eternal life after this life.

You know what I say to that? Yup.

It's true. I see it all the time. It's true, and it's part of the reason church attendance in America is shrinking exponentially, and even the churches that are growing are growing almost exclusively through absorbing Christians from other churches.

And churches aren't responding to it as they need to.

Tomorrow I'll share a few thoughts on what I think churches have to do.

VERVE Happs

EXCITING stuff at Verve:

1. Our brand new totally re-done website went up yesterday. The new site has a new look, some new pages, the ability to order Verve shirts or apply for a Verve internship, even a new smell if you have a scratch and sniff computer.
2. Even more exciting:  Our 2012 Bible reading plan went into effect on January 1st. And you can now subscribe to the www.vervecatalysts.org blog. That means everyday you'll have the Bible chapter to read emailed to you, along with the post giving you some information on that chapter. Subscribe right now!
3. And most exciting:  This weekend we announced that we are building a school and a church in Monte Olivo, Ecuador! We are partnering with three other churches - in Cleveland, Long Island, and Kansas City - to do this. AND we are partnering with Compassion International. Once the school and church are ready - around August - we are going to be able to sponsor kids in the town for $38 each, which will give them food everyday, an education, vacinations, and the opportunity to go to church and meet Jesus. AND we will do mission trips to Ecuador, where we'll be able to serve as well as meet the kids we've been sponsoring. Amazing! What an honor! God's got an adventure in store for us!
4. To do this, we need to raise $25,000 by the end of June. That's a GULP!, but God is going to do it. I'm psyched to see Ververs step up to make this happen. Maybe you have some savings you can give. Or you can give part of your tax return. Or you find a way to give $10 a week above what you normally give (which would add up to $250 by the end of June). My family has committed to give $1,000 (above our normal giving). That's going to require major sacrifice, but it will be totally worth it! So how can you give towards this?
5. To give, write a check to Verve with "Ecuador" in the memo line, or you can make a donation online and designate your gift to Ecuador.
6. We are doing a Mike Rayburn Comedy Concert as a fundraiser on January 27. Tickets for Mike's shows are usually like $100ish - we're going to charge $10, and every penny will be going towards the project in Ecuador. So come to the concert, and buy a couple extra tickets to give to your friends who don't come to Verve! Tickets go on sale this Sunday/Monday!
7. Later today I think I'm going to have a video of the message (which includes the Ecuador announcement) here on the blog. If you're a Verver who wasn't able to come this weekend, make sure you watch the video and learn why we are a Risk Taking Tribe, and more about what we're doing in Ecuador.
8. Rock and roll people. And vivalaverve.

Life and Year Planning

Last week I spent four days with virtually no TV, food, people, phone, internet. I mostly spent the four days reviewing, praying, thinking, and planning. In my post yesterday I told you I want to avoid living the same year, year-after-year. And this is part of the way I try to prevent that.

I take a few alone days at the end of a year or at the beginning of the next year to look back. I evaluate various facets of my life: Spiritual, Emotional, Relational, Physical, Financial, Ministry. I compare where I'm at to the goals I've established for my life in each of those areas. And I pray through the steps I need to take to get from here to there.

For instance, one of the obvious issues I had when I did this at the beginning of 2011 was that I was woefully out-of-shape physically. So I set a goal of losing 35 pounds in 2011. Unfortunately, I didn't reach my goal. But I did lose about 25 pounds. Not what I wanted, but I'm 25 pounds closer to where I want to be than where I was. And why? Because I spent time evaluating and challenging myself and creating steps to move towards my goal.

Maybe you need to do this too? When could you carve out at least a few hours (if not a day or two) to create some life goals, and to take a long honest look at your life and evaluate how you're doing in comparison with how you want to be doing? Getting into the regular habit of doing this will change your life.

The Same Year Again

One of my greatest desires is to not live the same year again. It's possible. Lots of people live the same year, year after year, every year. Sure, the date on their calendars may change, but their lives are just a bunch of the same years strung together.

What about you? Were you a different person in 2011 than you were in 2010? Were you a better spouse? Parent? Were you more intimate with God? Did you have a more daring faith? Were more compassionate? Joyful? Were you in better physical shape? And if your 2011 was basically a repeat of your 2010, well what's going to make 2012 any different?

I do one major thing to try and make sure I don't repeat the same year. Tomorrow I'll share what that is.