SamFrederick.Com

Last Sunday night I had the pleasure of receiving the flu.  Last week is a blur of sleep and medication.  I am still not really sure how I was able to function.  The even better news is it’s now Tuesday of the following week and I am still not completely over it.  I heard that this is the worst flu season on record though.  So that’s encouraging.  Maybe they will list my name in the Guiness Book of Records….Woo Hoo!

Saying that, I apologize that there have been no updates to my blog.  I have committed to being a consistent blogger and promise to get better from this point forward. 

Sam

I am blessed to have some incredible people in my life that help me keep perspective and deal with the highs and lows of ministry.  This past week has been a little challenging for me.  As a church, we are understaffed and all of us are having to lead ministries that are definitely out of the realm of our gifts.  For some reason this was just a week that has been trying for me and I have appreciated the support of some amazing friends that have let me vent, advised me, and encouraged me over the past few days.

It’s so important to remember that God didn’t intend for us to walk alone.  We are wired to be relational people and experience life with others.  I am so thankful for the people that I get to enjoy my "life journey" with. 

Jesse, John, Greg, Dana (my smokin’ hot wife)

Thank you for your advice and friendship.

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise” (Proverbs 17:28).

Help me to be a silent fool, Lord. 

A few years ago I had an addiction that I am not proud of.  I have never really shared this with anybody.  But I trust that the few that read this will help keep this secret with me.  Here goes….I was addicted to…reality television.  Some of you are saying, "What’s wrong with that?".  I didn’t just watch a couple shows, I watched a lot of them. 

The Apprentice
The Ultimate Fighter
Amazing Race
The Bachelor (one season….my wife made me)
Survivor
Project Runway (I have no business watching this show)
The Contender
The Real World
Real World/ Road Rules Challenges
The Surreal Life
…and too many more

The addiction began when my wife purchased me tivo and I began looking for shows to record.  It wasn’t until around summer, when a lot of the shows were wrapping up, that I realized how many of these I was actually watching.  The good news is I have been going through the steps to address this area in my life and have removed most of the shows from my tivo season pass… although I have added American Gladiators.  I also challenged myself to get better about watching less television to shut down at night and to read more books. 

My goal for this year is to read 3 books a month.  I missed my goal last month by 1.5 (almost done with "I Sold my Soul on Ebay").   I have always been a big reader.  It just has seemed that the busier my life gets that I am allowing myself less and less time to read.  I have a list of books I am looking forward to reading.  One of the books I have been wanting to read just came in the mail today, "Deadly Viper" by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite.  I have heard a lot of great things about the book so far and visually the book looks very cool.  My hope is that by me posting this I will keep myself accountable and will find time to have this read by the end of next week. 

Expect a review by next Friday.

Better yet, purchase the book yourself and let’s read it together! 

I love the prayer of Sir Francis Drake’s that Craig Groeschel put in his book "Chazown";

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.”

I have some big dreams I’m chasing this year and I am excited about it.