Hello 2010.....

2010....It feels like a sci-fi movie to even type those numbers. 2010, 2010....weird. Or is it just me?

I think there is a country song that says, "Welcome to the future...."

We had a wonderful Christmas season. First, we spent a long weekend in NC with my parents and we got a little taste of some 40 degree weather. It was wonderful, since we were still in the 90s here in Florida! We were able to participate in my extended family Christmas dinner, which we have not done in years and we celebrated my grandmother's 85th birthday a little early. She is a Christmas Day baby!

When the actual day rolled around we were back home and my in-laws came into town. We had a great visit with them and the weather was perfect. Cool enough for a sweater and my new boots, but definitely not in the category of "cold."

The kids were thrilled with what they got for Christmas and I was totally surprised with the Kindle that my hubby bought for me! Bryce has been non-stop snapping pictures and her new business, Twin for God Photography should be up and running by March if all goes as planned. More to come on that for sure!

Last night we welcomed in the New Year as we have the past four...hanging out with a group of friends, sharing a meal, a bonfire, a nice moms only walk just before midnight, and a fireworks display put on by the kids to end the evening. Good times.

Now, first and foremost on our minds is our next big event. I have mentioned it before and you can be sure I will mention it again. We are geared up to head to North Carolina for the Institute for Cultural Communicators Masters Training Event. This organization was founded to teach young people to communicate in an authentic way with the culture in which they live. The young people who work so hard to make this organization work and their adult mentors strive to help our young people know what they believe and how to effectively communicate it. After all, we have the best message in the world....the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is our privilege and our obligation to share that with the world!!

I have been reading a lot over the holidays and I have heard many words to describe this new "era" that we find ourselves living in. I have read about the "post-modern" world, the "progressive" education system, the "emerging" church.....You know what I think? I think the world we live in can be summed up in just one word...LOST. Yep, just like the TV show. I also think that the body of Christ, the true Church is a sleeping giant and we need to wake up! We need to realize that we are lethargic while people are dying. We need to flood the world with Truth!

ICC (www.instituteforculturalcommunicators) has a movement underway and they are calling it "Flood the Five." Statistics tell us that only 5% of people are willing to stand up in front of a crowd and speak. Only five percent!! If that is true, and I believe strongly that it is, then it should not be all that hard for us to flood that five percent with a message of hope and truth. Our world is begging to hear it. All over we see the evidence that the masses are ready and willing to follow anyone or anything that offers them "hope" and a "change" from their current life. I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is only One who offers true hope and lasting change and His name is Jesus!

Should we not be training our children to speak out boldly in His name? Should the body of Christ not completely saturate that 5% with the gospel message? I believe we should and the founders of ICC believe that as well.

We are leaving in just one week to take part in this amazing event. My children are working extremely hard to prepare speeches, debate cases, and Model UN positions. They are learning what it means to be able to communicate your message - clearly and effectively. They are determined to be part of the 5 percent and I am so proud of them for the sacrifices they are making to do it. It is not easy to gather notebooks full of data and organize it in a way that you can pull it out when you need it. It is also not easy to stand up in front of seasoned speakers and debaters and practice your own skills.

We are very excited about the upcoming training and we are resting up for the 12 hour days that are on the horizon.

Happy New Year -- Welcome to 2010!!