As we are about to close the book on 2009, many people including myself go into reflection mode. We think of how we used the past year…did we do what God wanted us to do? Did i do what my doctor wanted me to do? Did I become a better mom, dad, sister, brother, friend? Many times we come up short with the answer.

I know for myself 2009 was the year I DID NOT…

1. Finish my book
2. Lose 30 pds

These were the two primary goals that I went into 2009 with and well, I failed again. So I ask myself what kept me from achieivng my dream in 2009?

1. The tyranny of the urgent - as a wife, mom, Executive Pastor, nonprofit consultant, founder of a women’s organization with a new digital magazine to publish and caregiver to my special needs child there is always something to keep me from what is most important. I am going to use this week to think how I am going to change that. I have to change because obviously I am not reaching what I believe is also in my destiny–the book that I believe will help many women get a new attitude about all the lemons of their life.

2. Non-belief - perhaps what has also kept me from achieving my dream is my lack of belief in me. Many people think I have super confidence but honestly there are days after I preach or teach that I tell my husband “oh boy I think I sucked” or when I see a lack of presence from people I expect to be at an event be it my church or my women’s organization and I say “why am I doing this again?” because I feel that the absence is a sign of not caring and perhaps even non-interest. With so many great people out there in the world doing some awesome things for others, I do think what does my pebble contribute. However, for many years I have kept going in spite of that because I just think God prefers that I trust Him more than I trust my own flakly feelings.

In 2010, I am starting my year with prayer and fasting to hear from God. This year I won’t approach him with MY list but I will take a pen and paper and listen to Him and MAYBE He will give me HIS list for me!

In 2010, I am going to have to make hard decisions - saying NO to somethings I really LOVE but are not within my destiny cone. If it doesn’t fit, I’ve got’ta quit. That means if I can find a way that what I am doing is in line with what my overall God-given purpose is then I will have to give it up.

In 2010, I have to schedule book writing time in PEN and CIRCLED. No more excuses. Rachelle is going to get something from me so help me God. I have to step out of my comfort zone as she has written and make a decision to finally do what needs to be done if I want someone to actually take a look at my writing. God provided Rachelle to me purely through circumstances only He can orchestrate and I have been a lump on a log not finishing what she’s requested of me. Yeah, yeah, all legitimate excuses in my head but really not really! Nothing will be accomplished unless I get to it so this year I gotta get to it in a big way.

So what about you? What keeps you from achieving your dream and how will 2010 be different?

 Now as a new chapter begins in nine days I dare say…

Our generation needs a reformation.
But a single person won’t lead it.
A single event won’t define it.
Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living creatively, compassionately, courageously for the cause of Christ.
 
This reformation will not be born of a new discovery.  It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient. 
 
Something primal.
 
—Mark Batterson, Primal

Have you ever read a book that just makes you stop? Stop the madness of church activity, leading, planning, etc. The book I’ve been reading the last few days named Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson made me do just that. That alone is an accomplishment because not many books have that effect on me. I need books that either wow me or slap me because of the reality of what I need to be thinking/acting/doing. This book kind of did both to me. For that I give Mark a high five!

What makes this even more interesting to me was that I was featured with Mark in Rev. Magazine a few years ago as pastors who “blog” when we both kind of started out in pastoring. Since then I’ve always tracked him to see what he is up to and obviously Mark has “blown up” so to speak and has gone on to be a noted figure in the faith-based world especially in church planting. Bottomline, I was honored to be in his company even if it was only in print media!

I have also read one of his other books “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” so I was happy to read that he was working on Primal and after reading it I have to say I like this guy even more, I would love to meet him one day!

Now to get to the book…

1. I liked the title of the book and made me pause because I do feel that something has been lost in Christianity. Some people think it is the “spiritiual gifts”, others believe its the way “we do church” but Mark suggests in his book that its the fact that Christians have lost their way and have lost their first love. I love the way he put what our primal problem is “It goes without saying that Christianity has a perception problem. At the heart of the problem is the simple fact that Christians are more known for what we’re against that what we’re for.”

2. I liked the way it flows. Reading Primal is like having Mark over for coffee and he’s just sharing his heart and his travel adventures and how they related to his spiritual walk.

3.  It’s just the right amount of pages. With only 167 pages you could read it in a week.  Faster if you have uninterrupted time on your hands.

4. Format of book: The book is divided into four parts: 1) The Heart of Christianity; 2) The Soul of Christianity; 3) The Mind of Christianity; 4) The Strength of Christianity.

5. My reaction to some key highlights of the book:When I began reading the book I was afraid I was not going to like it. Mark takes us back to early Christianity and the catacombs (I never was a big history buff) but he then reminds us that there was a time where serving and worshipping God was not so complicated, I mean when we knuckleheaded Christians didn’t complicate things so much. Mark reminds us that for God its really as simple as this one commandment: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.Mark shares (on pg 7) how 20-somethings who grew up in the church are leaving the church and how our first thought would probably be “what is wrong with this generation?” but he goes on to say that that is the wrong question, the right question is “what’s wrong with the church?” And his answer? “We’re not great at the Great Commandment. In too many instances, we’re not even good at it.” Ouch! [First slap to Liz]

• One of the key themes throughout the book was  Re.

Mark challenges us that the quest for the lost soul of Christianity involves us1.      Rediscovering “what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength”2.      Returning “to the primal place where God loved you and you loved God”3.      Reacting right because “it’s much easier to ‘act’ like a Christian than it is to ‘react’ like one” [Second slap to Liz]

In the first part of the book, there is a chapter called “Tribe of the Transplanted” a reference to the new heart “we are supposed” to get one made of flesh versus stone when we come to KNOW God, Mark reminds us that one act of compassion can change history…not just our history, world history. He retells the story of Joseph and how his simple act of compassion while in prison got him noticed by a cupbearer who NOW knew Joseph could interpret dreams and that simple relational link connected him to the Pharaoh later on and the rest is well…history. So this part of the book challenges us to keep in mind that every little thing we do yes, whatever we view as little could have major impact to someone but that someone could know someone who knows someone that could be the anchor to YOUR destiny fulfillment.

I could go on and on about the fantastic illustrations Mark used in his book to bring a message home for us. My personal favorites were his 93 year old friend who made God his “senior partner” (p. 33) making a reference to how when we make God the first priority he blesses our efforts, the island of the colorblind (p.58) making a tie between colorblind people who live on an island with amazing color filled life and the travesty that they could not enjoy it while living there and how that could be us Christians how we can take everything we have available to us for granted or even worse, that we could be just as blind to the wonder and miracles around us all the time. [slap, slap]

I think Primal is a great book to get even before the year is up so you can reflect on how your new year is going to be different and it’s a must read to begin in 2010. Everyone needs to read this book but I especially encourage  leaders/pastors to read it because if we are honest-we are the first ones to be about Kingdom business and forget the awe of the King.  We need to go back. We need to re-mind ourselves of that PRIMAL encounter with the King of King and Lord of Lords.

This book provided for review by Random House. Buy it here.