Thursday, August 11, 2005
STUDY LEAVE HAS BEGUN
I am privileged to be allowed a study leave from my church each year at this time. Last year was the first year. I am thankful to be able to continue this. I am grateful to my church for recognizing the value and benefit of this time not only to me but to them also.
Some can leave town and be secluded or isolated for a large part, if not all, of their study leave. That is not possible for me. My full time work doesn't allow it. Also, I wouldn't want to be away from Karon at a time who she needs me.
I use this study leave time to try to get ahead on planning for Fall-Winter emphases and preparation for messages I will be presenting at church in the Fall and Winter. I try to get some reading done that I just don't seem to have time to accomplish the rest of the year.
This Fall at church we will be re-visiting the "40 Days of Purpose" emphasis. We went through this study two years ago. We are hoping to emphasize some areas we didn't highlight two years ago. It is a good spiritual experience and new people to our church in the last two years will hopefully benefit as well as those of us who experienced the study previously.
After the holidays and the first of the year I will speak on the lives of well-known, and some not-so-well known, Bible personalities. There are many lessons to be gleaned from a study of these Bible characters. And it is important to know how these Bible people fit into the timeline of Bible history and also world history. This will be a big undertaking. I'm scared just contemplating undertaking a study like this. But it will be so beneficial to the church and to me as well.
In addition to studying and at least outlining the messages for these preaching emphases, there are some books I want to read.
I want to finish a biography I began reading a few weeks ago. And I have another book in process that I started so long ago I think I may have to just begin it all over again. Karon and I have finished the book about which I posted earlier: "The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience," by Ronald J. Sider. A book well worth reading. I plan to recommend it to several friends.
I also want to read John Ortberg's book, "If You Want To Walk On The Water, You Have To Get Out Of The Boat." This book has been highly recommended to me.
That doesn't sound like a lot of reading. But I am a slow reader and unfortunately I am also easily distracted. So reading is not the easiest thing I try to accomplish! And four weeks isn't a lot of time, considering the other things I want to accomplish.
I hope to spend more quality time with Karon. I don't realize how much I am actually gone because of the things in which I choose to be involved. Also, there are several things at church that I need my attention during this study leave. And I have some personal tasks at home that need to be accomplished. There are several things I have neglected to accomplish. I have used the stalling tactic, "I'll do that during my study leave." Well, now the study leave is here and I have to get cranking on some things.
I'm exhausted just thinking and writing about all this. Not to mention I have a stack of DVDs that I'd really like to watch. "Maybe next year!" :)
Jim
posted by jim 3:40 PM 0 comments
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