OK, I have certainly given thought to making a blog that my industry peers would find useful and appealing, but it seems that I can continue the current dichotomy no longer.  My journal/blog/etc., as it's title hints (well, not exactly), is tied to XAG in so many ways, so it makes little sense to fight it.  Sure, larger things may eventually grow out of this blog.  But until then, I will write about XAG.

I found another Christian blog (pardon the term) that rang a bell with me.  I think God had it planned that way, of course.  But I digress...

Cheryl speaks of finding that calling that makes a big difference in how we are used for God.  Now, it sounds as though she is very early into the process, so maybe time will offer a better picture of how true her predictions were, but God never makes mistakes.  In a recent post, she stated:

I've been working on several ministry projects lately, but none of them really fit, if that makes any sense. I'm happy to help out, but they're not things I'm being specifically called to do.

I got that calling on Friday. It was an overwhelming moment of "this is it." I love that feeling.

That feeling.  The feeling that God has a distinct and unique purpose for you that has existed since the foundation of the world.  Wow!  Forget all of the wandering you've done before this point in your life!  Now your have purpose.  XAG is my purpose, my mandate.  Until God tells me differently.  I just pray I keep listening to his voice.

OK, I'm not Catholic, and there are some things about Catholicism that I disagree with, but here's an interesting perspective on the Prayer of Jabez "phenomenon" (read "fad") that recently swept the country.  Now, the reason I refer to it as a fad is not because the Prayer of Jabez lacks legitimacy.  On the contrary, the author's own life is evidence that the Prayer of Jabez is substantial.  In fact, he only wrote the book after many, many (10, 15, 20?) years of practice.  I have personally read the book, but being habitual is a virtue that I have not yet acquired.  It's a curse in about every area of my life.  I'm positive that if I (the sincere, well-meaning person that I am) applied the prayer consistently and reverently, I would indeed see blessings in the areas where God wanted to give them.

Resolutions... [Christdot]

This is the text of the post.  I'm including it here, not to steal it, but to preserve it for posterity's sake:

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me--my banner will be clear!

By Louise Chapman Robinson. Text found among his papers in Zimbabwe after he was martyred.

Christmas Worship [Christdot]

Wow!  Check out this description of a Christmas Eve baptismal worship service.  How, very special!  I believe that including a large body of believers in something as significant as baptism is an essential tool in cementing the reality of a commitment to Christ in the hearts of those involved.