A Little PR

My brother, Vance, has started his own tennis company- Vance Exley Tennis. And due to some PR challenges, he has asked me to plug it here on my blog. My blog that no one reads. (My lack of readers did not seem to bother him, so here I am.)

I can personally attest to his excellent coaching/teaching skills because I participated in a class he is currently teaching. He is upbeat, fun, and patient- all wonderful qualities for an instructor. So if you or anyone you know in the Atlanta area is interested in getting into tennis or improving your existing skills, check him out. His twitter account is @coachvtennis.

A Call to Justice

IJM is a wonderfully faithful organization, and Jim Martin, their Director of Church Mobilization has written a book entitled The Just Church. I have had the privilege of being part of a launch group for the book, and the following is my review:

Jim Martin lays out an invitation to engage in securing justice with both courage and humility. He illustrates how doing so is an integral part of our faith in Jesus Christ--not simply because of the magnitude of suffering and sin in our world but because God has invited us to join Him in this fight.

The fight for justice and righteousness is not an easy one, but Martin reminds us that "love proves itself most profoundly in adversity" (56). It is in these difficult times that fellowship, rest, and the nourishment of scripture become indispensable.

In the latter half of the book, Martin lays out a framework by which churches can effectively participate in bringing God's kingdom to Earth. It is not a formulaic, step-by-step instructional manual but rather a blueprint by which fellowships of believers may recognize how doing justice is essential to their faith

The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking and challenging and make "The Just Church" a wonderful tool for anyone who desires to effectively join in the fight for justice.

A Full Plate without Grumbling

This season of life continues to be so very busy, but I have honestly not found many reasons to complain. I really enjoy everything I'm involved in: internship, community group and Radius (my church home), and classes. While I do wish that I didn't feel as though I was constantly sprinting just to keep up, busyness is a gift... even though the sloth in me wishes I had more time to bum around and waste time.

With all of the complaining I constantly hear (and often have participated in), it's nice to feel that I don't have much reason to gripe. Of course, everything's not perfect, but I am grateful to have a new appreciation for the charmed life I lead and to be grateful for my cramped, crazy schedule.

That is all.