March Review

I committed to reporting out my progress on 3 major goals for 2013. While the month of March is not quite over, I don't see much progress coming over the last few days of the month. It's time to report out.

Goal 1: Read 25 books.
I got two more read this month. Not great reads, but a lot of good pieces that will be useful. I'm at 7 for the year, so I'm still on track.

Goal 2: Write 75 blog posts.
This is post number 6, which is exactly what I need. I thought I might get a few more in, but it just didn't happen with being gone for a week of Spring Break. My favorites for the month are "Not I" and "Shave Your Vacation Beard." I've got 20 posts for the year and a plan for several posts in April. Good to go.

Goal 3: Write 25 letters.
I wrote two so far. I wanted to write three. Hopefully I'll sneak one more in by the end of the month. I'm at five for the year.

Big Wins for the Month:
One big win was the Dancing for the Dream charity event that Emily and I danced at. It was a big risk for me and definitely took me out of my comfort zone. Preparing to do something (foxtrotting) that one is bad at in front of a couple hundred people can be quite daunting. After a lot of practice, we performed well on game day and had a fun night with friends and family. It was a very rewarding experience.

Another big win was our family's Spring Break trip. Our first major vacation as a family went off without a hitch. Again, good people = great time.

Challenges that Lie Ahead:
As if the foxtrot weren't out of my comfort zone enough, I've committed to coaching 5-6 year old girls youth soccer. I know nothing about soccer. Or 5-6 year old girls. It's time to go to work.

Memorable Quotes from the month:

• "The real measure of our wealth is how much we'd be worth if we lost all our money." - John Henry Jowett
• "Our churches are filled with Christians who are idling in intellectual neutral. As Christians, their minds are going to waste. One result of this is an immature, superficial faith. People who simply ride the roller coaster of emotional experience are cheating themselves out of a deeper and richer Christian faith by neglecting the intellectual side of that faith." - William Lane Craig
• "We know we understand an opposing view only when we are able to articulate it and receive the affirmation of our opponent that we have accurately represented his position. Only then can we proceed to argue against it. - Robert Booth
• "No verse of Scripture yields its meaning to lazy people." - A.W. Pink

Interesting Links:

• Jealousy and Regret Are Great Teachers
• Two Sets of Wants
• Astonishing Message . . .

Thanks for a great March. Many, many blessings, and many more to come.