A New Year...A New Focus

 December 25th seems like it was quite a while ago.  The decorations have been put away, the cards have been taken off of our wall, and the spring semester for Jenny is in full swing.  But I would like to reflect upon two gifts I received that day.  They were from my brother-in-law David and his wife Kathrine.  One I had asked for and one I had not.  Kathrine had bought me the book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan.  David saw the book and thought, "He didn't even ask for this.  We should get him something that he asked for."  So he went and got me rap/hip-hop artist LeCrae's albums Overdose & Rehab.  Well it turns out that they were both excellent choices! The LeCrae albums + DVD have served in lessons for the youth.

However, this book is now serving me in a very unexpected way.  I just finished reading it after starting it last week.  This is partly because it is an excellent book and partly because I now have a comfy couch in my office to sit on and read.  This book came at the perfect time.  I had been trying to figure out what God would have me focus on this year.  That's when it hit me.  God was using Kathrine to tell me what He wanted me to focus on.  I had not asked for this book, yet here it was lying on my desk.  So I began to read.  At first it was o.k.  Then once I started chapter 2 today I could not stop until I had finished it today.  

You may now be wondering what was so amazing about this book.  The answer to that is everything and nothing.  Everything in that it was exactly what I needed to hear right now.  Nothing in that I had heard almost all of the content in the book before.  However, the title was right on when referring to Holy Spirit as Forgotten God.  He has been forgotten or at the very least, as in my case, been neglected.  So this is the year of the Holy Spirit for both my personal relationship with God and the ministry He has set before me at West Greenway Bible Church.  It will begin in earnest tomorrow morning when I go on a personal retreat out to Dreamy Draw Park to reconnect with Holy Spirit and refresh my soul for an exciting year of glorifying our Lord & Savior Jesus the Christ!

So if you don't know much about the Holy Spirit or if you have been neglecting Him than I would encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.  I believe that no matter what level of understanding, regarding the Spirit, you have this book can be helpful to you.

Post Script:  Thank you Kathrine for letting Holy Spirit guide you in getting this book for me!  And you too David for the LeCrae music!