I am completely amazed at just how quickly 2011 has come and gone! I spent a rather significant amount of time writing on the Apostle Paul at the beginning of the year before moving on to the topic of conflict in the church. I was blown away when I received a request from a church in Texas desiring to use some of that material for a training class they were conducting. I have thought of those saints often and sincerely hope that the Lord used the lessons I learned to help other believers. Very humbling indeed!
I briefly remembered the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks that occurred September 11th 2001. Though many other stories have occupied the minds of Americans, almost constant among them is another misstep by an employee of the TSA. The talking heads on television make some noise about the incident yet average Americans are somehow occupied by other things. Such is life in the 21st century I suppose.
Steve Jobs passed away a few months ago and much was said about the impact he had on the world and the future of Apple Computer without Mr. Jobs at the helm. Very little was said about the views Jobs held concerning the things of God. The lesson I learned from Jobs is this: someone from humble beginnings can truly change the world! Doing so in a way that brings honor and glory to God would be even better!
My children continue to excel in school with my son having been invited to join the Jr. Beta Club this fall. They are both so very intelligent and quickly grasp new ideas and concepts. They are both quite good with technology in general and computers specifically. I am not ashamed to admit that I am so very proud of them. What tremendous blessings they both are!
Melisa has had another hectic year professionally with her longtime employer yet simply loves her job! There is always something new and exciting going on in the wireless industry and it is pretty neat to watch it unfold. As if she is not busy enough, she is contemplating returning to school! Her interests are varied but I am sure whatever she decides to study, it will be as unto the Lord! A man could not ask for a better partner on life’s journey.
I am blessed to be working for a company that is seeing business grow during a very difficult economic period of time in our nation. It is possible to manufacture quality products in the United States at competitive price points! The leadership of my employer is to be commended for their vision and stewardship.
Academically, I completed my 16th of 20 classes and remain on track to finish up the MRE program I began in 2009 next summer. With four classes to go, the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter and I am eager to wrap this up and see what the Lord has for us next. I was saddened to learn that another LBTS student had used material from the blog as his own in an academic submission. I prayed earnestly that the school would show grace in their approach to resolving the situation.
The final topic I want to address here is the blog itself. I am so humbled that so many visitors have come to this site. While intended to be personal in nature, I hope it is also a place with some useful information on a variety of topics. The coming year will likely see some changes here as my time in seminary draws to a close. I plan on expanding the topics about which I write though my regulars can rest assured that the perspective will remain decidedly Christian. Thanks for an awesome 2011!