It Has Been A Month

A month ago it was still 2008. It was three days before Christmas. I can't believe it, but it's been a month since I last wrote a post. People have probably forgotten that I do occasionally write! I can't blame you...nobody takes off 30 days.

The Mathews clan had a great Christmas. We celebrated Christmas on the 23rd, everybody spent the night at our home and then we went in different directions on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning we all met at Denny's for breakfast. Then Patti and left for Mobile, while Steve and Miranda took off to the Ft. Worth area to see Steve's family.

We had a great time with Patti's mother in Mobile. We spent 8 night with her and she cooked some great meals. We just had fun hanging out with her, seeing friends, and shopping. Our Christmas holiday ended in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl and we headed for home the next day.

School is back in full swing again and going great. It is the first of the year, so the pace at First Baptist Church Pearland and picked up dramatically. We are celebrating "Discovery Day" this Sunday morning, Abundant Life University is in the registration process, and we hope to offer Alpha again. From now until the end of March will probably we quite hectic.

I read a couple of novels over the Christmas holiday. My favorite was written by someone that I've never read before. It was The Collectors by David Baldacci. It was a very good read. I knew I should have read him before now. I've been missing a wonderful writer who kept my attention all the way through. The other book was Crisis by Robin Cook. I always enjoy reading his novels, but not one of my Top 5 authors.

I just started Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase. I am offering it as one of the seven courses we will begin on February 8. We studied Mark's first book, which the people loved. I guess the whole country loved it! Batterson's new book looks just as good. I will be facilitating the study when we offer it next month.

I hope your new year got off to a great start and will just get better and better as the year rolls out. God undoubtedly has something special for us in 2009.