Monday, December 15 - Thursday, Dec. 18 Connie & I spent together down in Williamsburg, VA.  It was a great time away, just the two of us, refreshing, relaxing, fun.  I love my wife and am so thankful for her.  We did all the normal Williamsburg things.  Some friends gave us money to use for a nice dinner at the King's Arms Tavern, which we did, and it was great!

Friday, December 19.  I had a great time catching up with Mark Collins in the morning, and then with Philip van Steenburgh for his final intern evaluation over lunch.  It is so encouraging to see God's work in and through these brothers!  That afternoon, Ben Wright and Geoff Chang helped me come up with sermon titles for the spring series through Revelation.  What a wonderful couple of hours meditating on God's good and certain plans!  I had the privilege (which was especially touching to me) of receiving in the mail from IVP a couple of copies of J. I. Packer's classic Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God with a new foreword by . . . me!  I felt immensely honored to be asked by the IVP editors to do this, and surprised and unworthy.  And to sit there with a copy of the book in my hands--this book that I have used for 30 years in discipling others--with something in it by me just felt strange (and wrong) and . . . a privilege.  I can't imagine my foreword will add any readers, but I do pray that God will continue to use this great little volume, that's been out for nearly half a century now.  If you've never read it, you've got a treat in front of you.  And, later that evening, I got a lot of Christmas gift wrapping done!

Saturday, December 20, I finally finished G. J. A. O'Toole's 1991 book, Honorable Treachery:  A History of Intelligence, Espionage, and Covert Action from the American Revolution to the CIA.  A friend had suggested I get it and read it, and it has been very informative, and an aspect of our nation's history that I had not thought of much.  About 10am Nathan Santamaria, his father, and other friends & family came over to my study to pray.  His wedding to Brooke took place at 11am.  I had the privilege of leading in prayer.  As weeping seems to continue to grow as my unbidden response to God's grace, I wept through singing It is Well and in watching their vows.  I love them both, and it has been a pastoral and personal joy to watch what God has done in Nathan's life over the last few years.  He is dear to me.  And God is so kind to us.  Speaking of which, I then had another meeting in which God's kindness to another dear brother through his brave obedience was evidently bearing much fruit.  I finished Christmas wrapping, Connie & I had a wonderful evening with friends, especially catching up with Justin Leighty.

Sunday, December 21, I attended church for my 3rd Sunday on Sabbatical.  Michael preached a solid message on Philippians 2:1-18.  The attendance was good, the singing unusually good, and the four brothers who were baptized gave phenomenal testimonies.  Again, having known some of these before they were Christians, it was moving to watch their testimonies of God's grace.  I think we've seen more conversions at CHBC this year than any year I've been here.  God again is so kind.  Connie & I had lunch, good conversation with my sister, then I watched Meet the Press, and took a nap.  I meant to take a brief nap, but Connie had begun to play on her viola a piece by Vaughn Williams, and I think God used that to translate me to a particularly deep & long nap.  I got up in time for church.  Good evening service.  Wonderful to sing with God's people & pray & hear his Word.  Scott & Kasey came over for dinner together afterwards.  Wonderful time with them.

So many people asked me yesterday how my sabbatical is going.  Well, here I'm giving a daily chronicle.  On the one hand, after 3 weeks, it doesn't look like I'll get that much done, but I am having a wonderful and restful time not setting my alarm, not going to meetings, not preparing public teaching, being so well fed by Michael Lawrence, and having more flexibility.  And, it's not like I'm doing nothing!  Keep praying that God use this time.  Thanks.