I haven’t read it but Pastor Craig Groeschel’s new book, The Christian Atheist looks a good read.

Here’s a brief excerpt:

“As if on cue, when I was twenty-three, God opened a door for me to work at a historic downtown church. My dream-come-true slowly turned into a spiritual nightmare. What started out as a good thing quickly became an obsession. My service was never enough. And as my love for ministry burned hotter, my passion for Christ cooled.

My mission had become a job. Instead of studying God’s Word out of personal devotion, I studied only to preach. Instead of preaching messages to bring glory to God, I preached to bring people to church. I promised hurting people I would pray for them, but I usually didn’t follow through.”

HT @JohnPiper
A Christmas sound you thought you would never hear. What if 10 million Muslims sang this? Glory. http://ow.ly/P4Zp

“I felt very special when I looked down at my footprints on the moon. The scientists said that they would be there for a million years. Looking up I could see the earth the size of a marble. It was so beautiful and so far away, and yet, I felt strangely at home on the moon….The days I spent on the moon were very exciting. Not because I was there but because God was there. I could feel His presence….When I was on the moon, I was inspired to quote from Psalm 121, ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?’ I knew my help was coming from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. He made the moon and made it possible for Jim Irwin to place his footprints there….I believe Jesus Christ walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon. Just as surely as He walked 2000 years ago, He wants to walk today in your life. All you have to do is call upon Him….invite Him into your life by faith. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ John 14:6….yield your life to the Master and let Him guide your footprints.”

James B. Irwin, Apollo 15 astronaut

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin
Good tidings of Christmas
And a happy new year

We sing this because of Jesus
We sing this because of Jesus
We sing this because of Jesus
And the hope that He brings
Not presents or trees or carving turkeys
We sing this because of Jesus
And the hope that He brings

Public Domain
Additional verse © 2009 Cedric Tang

If you Google “divorce, Christmas,” you’ll find a slew of self-help articles—mostly geared toward parents. They generally boil down to something like “Five Things You Can Do to Make Christmas Easier on Your Children.” One article varies in its (very specific) angle: Five Things You Can Do to Make Christmas Less Painful for Yourself When You’re Kept Away from Your Kids for all but Four Hours on Christmas Morning.

Click Here to read the rest of this article… from Relevant Magazine

1. Take a walk or a drive: A simple but effective way to shut out the noise of any busy day and to tune in on concepts and ideas. Take time out of your day to walk around you local area, walk around a suburb or down a street that you are unfamiliar with. Do some laps up an down. OR Hope in the car and drive somewhere an 1hr away. A new location

2. Keep a ideas notebook: Keep it with you or have one in your office draw, home and car. Find an app on your iPhone. When you get an idea however unrealistic or ill informed it may be write it down. Not only helps you remember but also helps to take action.

3. Spark up conversations: start chatting to a stranger… ask them about their day, their thoughts on what you need creative energy for.

4. Read blogs: . Consider blogs as an endless supply of people to brainstorm with. Their captured thoughts are there for your benefit. Read some blogs that you normally wouldn’t subscribe to – there are many on art and culture that can inspire you and get your ideas flowing.

5. Sit in a coffee shop: Watch & listen to others experiences and let ideas spark. Politely eavesdrop on strangers conversations.

6. Get a mentor: Seek  someone older and wiser. Not only for good consel but also they have seen lots of things done before. There really isn’t an original thought out there. So listen to the stories and events of past. You’ll also be surprised at their willingness and passion to help.

7. Put a new twist on an existing idea: Look around you and determine what creative expression can be done in a new and unique way. As I said nothing is new under the sun.

8. Pray: God is the ultimate creator and designer and the most ingenious thinker. Ask him to grant you creativity, ideas, deep trust so to take s