Reached the $400 mark

For my fundraising as of Friday! Whoo-Hoo!

I still have a lot of paintings to sell - I've been spending a fair amount of my spare time painting (and not writing either blog posts or working on the book I want to write).

I won't post a picture of any of the paintings I have for sale, because I have a very high turnover rate - by the time the photos of my previous lot of paintings posted a few days later, all but one had sold. But ask me, and I can show you photos on my camera. All paintings are $20.

I'm also selling felties again, and sell for $5.

I am also going to be selling chocolates, holding a book sale, and a few other things. I am very much wanting to raise all of the costs for this trip as I am looking at moving to Uganda in either 2013 or 2014.

If you have any fundraising ideas, or want to help out, I would LOVE to hear from you!

I hope to travel in June.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock

Who standeth at the gate? – A woman old,

A widow from the husband of her love;

‘O lady, stay, this wind is piercing cold,

Oh look at the keen frosty moon above;

I have no home, am hungry, feeble, poor.’ –

‘I’m really very sorry, but I can

Do nothing for you, there’s the clergyman,’ –

The lady said, and shivering closed the door.



Who standeth at the gate? – Way-worn and pale,

A grey-haired man asks charity again;

‘Kind lady, I have journeyed far, and fail

Through weariness; for I have begged in vain

Some shelter, and can find no lodging-place.’ –

She answered: ‘There’s the workhouse very near;

Go, for they’ll certainly receive you there’ –

Then shut the door against his face.



Who standeth at the gate? – A stunned child,

Her sunk eyes sharpened with precocious care.

‘O lady, save me from a home defiled,

From shamefule sights and sounds that taint the air;

Take pity on me, teach me something good.’ –

‘For shame, why don’t you work instead of cry?

I keep no young impostors here, not I.’ –

She slammed the door, indignant where she stood.



Who standeth at the gate, and will be heard? –

Arise, O woman, from they comforts now;

Go forth again to speak the careless word,

The cruel word unjust, with hardened brow.

But who is this, that standeth not to pray

As once, but terrible to judge thy sin?

This whom thou wouldst not succour, nor take in,

Nor teach, but leave to perish by the way.



‘Thou didst it not unto the least of these,

And in them hast thou done it unto Me.

Thou wast as a princess, rich and at ease –

Now sit in dust and howl for poverty.

Three times I stood beseeching at thy gate,

Three times I came to bless they soul and save;

But now I come to judge for what I gave,

And now at length thy sorrow is too late.’

By Christina Rossetti

Joshua 24:15

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

I was working on memorising some verses, and this verse stood out to me. Now, this verse is usually not quoted in full, the last part of it seeming to suffice – “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” And indeed, us serving the LORD is the most important, and teaching those in our care to serve Him too runs close behind.

But this verse says more than that. It speaks of the unbeliever, and the “modern” unbeliever at that.

“Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.”

Choose what type of false gods you will serve, if you will not serve the true and living God. Choose between those of past and those of the new land. Choose between them. And though there is not much difference in actuality, you can choose your false deities.

Which brings me to the modern unbeliever. And just how much this verse applies to them.

Spirituality is on a high. Many young people today – and even older people – acknowledge the reality of there being more than just the material world. But because they do not want to serve Jesus, they turn away from Him, and choose to serve someone else. Either the false gods of their fathers, or the false gods of those who inhabit the land.

One of the major types of false spirituality is that of the past errors of the European world. Modern day witches (“white witches” or “green witches” mostly) abound. Druidism is a revived religion after having died out over 1500 years ago. Tales of the faerie are popular, believed in, and their guidance and protection is sought with rituals and offerings. And who can go past the popular interest in those cleaned up images of vampires and werewolves as epitomised in Twilight and a whole host of books, TV shows and movies designed to make the most of this craze.

But there is another choice. That of the new land. And a lot of people choose those gods. Westerners, those whose culture knew the true and living God, have turned to chase after not only their own failed “spirituality”, but the “spirituality” of the far East (of Buddhism and Hinduism), of the warm and fuzzy connections between the land and animals and people of native religions (such as following the Dreamtime stories of the Australian Aborigines or the shamanism of the Native Americans).

I know people who have gone both ways. I have friends and a family member who have become “white witches”. I have friends who have become Buddhists. I have other friends who have become devotees of a particular sect of Hinduism.

There will always be those to whom serving the LORD seems undesirable, even evil. Many of those people will still want a source of “spirituality” in their life. But that is not our primary concern. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. We will serve Him even though those around us walk away from Him. We will serve Him even when those around us think we are crazy, and throwing our lives away. We will serve Him, and we will bring up those after us to serve Him.

As for me and my house, we WILL serve the LORD.

My Gift, From A Christmas Carol

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, –
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

By Christina Rossetti

Crossing the Threshold

As a teen, I was fascinated with a lot of folk stories, especially Celtic ones. And while that definitely lead to some things that God has had to work on in my life, occasionally God will remind me of different aspects of them to illustrate a point that He is wanting to teach me.

One that He reminded me of recently was the concept of the threshold.

You see, in Celtic mythology, nothing could enter your house unless you let it. Your house was your domain. As such, everything needed to be INVITED in. If it wasn’t invited in, it could not enter. This gave people a measure of protection against spirits. But once you invited them in, they could enter, and enter whenever they wanted, and do whatever they wanted when in there.

God pointed out to me how sin is literally like this. Many sins are comparatively powerless until you invite them into yourself. But when you do, then they have power over you, a power that can only be broken by Jesus.

Sin, like the spirits of folk tales, have a variety of ways of tricking their way into you, of fooling those that are not fully aware. They make you think that they are not what they really are, so that you want them inside. But it is nothing but a lie.

The solution is to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we will not be fooled, and that we will not desire to invite sin inside. For when God is protecting the threshold of our souls, we will be safe from all principalities and powers that would harm us.

Want To Be A Trader?

Sam's Uganda Diary

For those that are interested, I made a diary of my trip in Uganda. It's pretty detailed, and I took a lot of photos. I am slowly uploading it over at my church's mission blog!

Hope Waverley Missions

Fundraising Efforts

As most of you know, I'm planning on going back to Uganda at least once this year. I will be working with orphans and street children, which is something I am quite passionate about.

In order to raise funds for this trip, I've been busily making some beautiful paintings. Here are some that are available for sale.









I'll likely be posting more in the near future.
All paintings are $20, and go towards my plane fare and other expences. To put it in perspective, flights were a little less than $2000 last time, and staying cost another $650. Immunisations cost over $1000, but I don't need them again. I'm expecting my next trip to cost between $4000-$5000, as I will be going for longer and there will be other expenses.

As of writing this post (18.01.12) I have raised $280 in about 2 weeks! Praise God!

2 Corinthians 5

For the love of Christ controls us / For Christ’s love compels us (from verse 14, EDV/NIV)

This is my verse chunk for the year of 2011, the verse I want to be living by. To live according to His love, and to have it controlling me every though, compelling my every action.

It amazes me the progress God has made in my life this year (for it definitely wasn’t me who made it!) I grew a lot in patience and holding my tongue last year, the kind of grit your teeth patience. This year, I have grown more in loving-kindness, the kind of patience that emphasizes with the one causing the need for patience that emphasizes with the one causing the need for patience. I have grown in my knowledge of the Scriptures, and I have grown closer to Him.

Truly, it is not my love that I expend on those who demand love whilst being ‘difficult’. It is His love, being poured out by the power of the Holy Spirit, though me and my life. And what a privilege to be so used by God.

I need more of His love in my life. I need it to completely control me, that I might truly be a bright light for Him. I need to be compelled by His love to go further, do more for those who so desperately need love and a touch from Christ.

The Mountains of Religion

I love the analogy that so many people use about the different world religions – God is a mountain top, and each different religion is a pathway to God. Some people are just taking a different path from you. And as soon as this statement is mentioned, everyone nods sagely, as though it is a brilliant statement, destined to end all of the world’s ills, including world hunger. I love it, because it’s so untrue I find it funny.

But a few days ago I was thinking – what if religions were actually mountains? What would they be like?

Well, Buddhism is the mountain that states that there really is no mountain, it’s all an illusion.

Hinduism would state that after this mountain, there is another mountain, then another, then another, until eventually, you get to that amazing valley of nothingness.

Mormonism would be that if you climb THIS mountain well enough, you get to go to another planet were you become your OWN mountain.

Islam would believe that there is nothing outside the mountain, that girls aren’t allowed anywhere but at the bottom of it (and they are nothing but distractions to the real climbers, the men), and that you have no guarantee that at the top of the mountain, God is actually there or will speak to you.

Judaism would believe that there is only one way up the mountain, but that if you don’t take all the exact right equipment, even if you make it, you might as well have not made it. Even if that equipment means that you actually would have more difficulty than without it.

But Christianity would believe that while there is only one path up the mountain, the Guide came down and helps us climb it, giving us all we need and helping us – even carrying us – along the way.

Obviously there is a lot more to all of the different religions here than what I’ve stated. But the thing is, different religions are not the same; they are not all pointed to God. They all have mutually exclusive claims.

So what mountain path are you on?

Amy Carmichael

"a confession of love"

My vow.
Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.

My constraint.
Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.

My Confidence.
Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.

My Joy.
To do Thy will, O God.

My Discipline.
That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.

My Prayer.
Conform my will to Thine.

My Motto.
Love to live, live to love.

My Portion.
The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will, O Lord our God.

James 5:1-6

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

This passage is a terrible one for me. I am so rich compared to so many in the world. I have so much. I have used the money I have for selfish things – not things that are “bad” in and of themselves, but things that are not always as caring for others as they should be. Little things, like ordering pizza rather than cooking myself, and using the money saved to make a difference. Things like buying new books when others don’t have food.

I am not alone. So many in the Western church use their money for their own selfish ends. Not bad, just selfish.

We have hoarded in the last days.

Our money is not our own. Nothing we “have” is. It all belongs to Christ. Yet we lay it up for ourselves, spending it on petty pleasures or just in keeping it in the bank “for a rainy day”. All the while, the food, the clothing, the products, we buy is made by people who are desperate for a small portion of the riches we have.

Jesus became poor that we might become rich. We need to aim to do the same, to use our money in ways that will make a difference in the lives of those around us, both in this life and in eternity.

Oswald Chambers

When once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely, we never need sympathy, we can pour out all the time without being pathetic. The saint who is intimate with Jesus will never leave impressions of himself, but only the impression that Jesus is having unhindered way, because the last abyss of his nature has been satisfied by Jesus. The only impression left by such a life is that of the strong calm sanity that Our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.

My Utmost for His Highest, January 7th.

At the SAICFF

Rescued: The Heart of Adoption and Caring for Orphans - Trailer from Rescued The Movie on Vimeo.

You can go to the film's website here.
More information on the different films can be found at Doug's Blog.

A Preacher’s Responsibility

A preacher has a number of responsibilities and hopes for the congregation. Here are a few of them:

1. Represent the words of God to them accurately, so that they can compare everything in their lives with the truth of Scripture

2. Give them a vision of the majesty of God

3. Help them find their greatest delight and happiness in God

4. Instruct them in the flow of history and their place in history

5. Show them the world as it really is

6. Equip them for the work of the ministry

7. Explain and dissect their problems in the light of Scripture so they can see who they really are

8. Bring the whole congregation to live no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit

9. Question the ungodly traditions of the congregation

10. Oppose the sins that have taken root

11. Confront their prejudices

12. Contradict their philosophy

13. Expose the nature of paganism and how it is affecting them

14. Stop them from drinking from the poison well

15. Terrify them with the law and the consequences of breaking it

16. Kill their self love

17. Destroy their comforts in their good works and moralistically high view of themselves

18. Expose their self-congratulatory spirit

19. Incite them to repent

20. Show them their inner pharisee

21. Confront their lack of love

22. Counsel them to grow in love through mercy and forgiveness

23. Stand in the way of their current desires

24. Lower their opinions of themselves

25. Raise their opinions of Christ

26. Cast them hopeless on the gospel of Christ

27. Convert the lost

28. Console them with the gospel

29. Comfort the broken hearted

30. Give hope to those who have lost it

31. Bind up the weak, through Him who is strong

Only God by the power of His Holy Spirit can fall on a congregation for these things.

From this post at Scott Brown's blog.

2 Corinthians 2

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere (verse 14)

Two aspects of this verse stood out to me. Firstly, that God leads us as in a Roman military triumph, showing His glory and might to all who would look upon us. We are a returning victorious army under a victorious general.

The second thing that struck me is how He spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him through us, though such unrighteous sinners as us.

Am I ready and willing to be such a vehicle for my Lord? Am I a soldier, demonstrating my general’s victory? Do I show in my own self (for I am also the battlefield) that Christ has gained the victory? Am I demonstrating to those around me that the Holy Spirit is progressively taking control of my life, giving me through Christ an ever-growing victory over the sins of my life?

Am I also spreading the fragrance of the gospel everywhere I go, or am I hiding my bright light underneath a bush? Points to ponder and pray over.

Voddie Baucham

Unfortunately, however, the similarities [between the early church and modern Christian culture] tend to cease when it comes to the apostles’ response. They challenged their culture; we tend to conform to ours. They embraced the sovereignty of God in the midst of their persecution; we question the sovereignty of God in ours. They considered it a privilege to suffer for the cause of Christ; we have been conditioned to view it as a punishment. Our response to the post-Christian culture in which we live leaves quite a bit to be desired.

From Ever-Loving Truth: Can Faith Survive in a Post-Christian Culture

2 Corinthians 1

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (verse 3)

This passage, and this verse in particular just moved me so much to worship God. He is so GOOD to me in so many ways, pouring out blessing after blessing after blessing. He is my Comfort, my Rock, my Salvation.

Yet how little I truly worship Him! Worship should not be confined to a few house on a Sunday, or even adding in a weekly small group, occasional prayer meeting and personal Quiet Time. Worship needs to be arising continually from my heart.

I feel I have grown much as a worshipper while I have been in Uganda. I have had some wonderful times of intimacy with God, both individually and in the presence of others. But I cannot, I must not, let this greater degree, greater heart for worship stay in Uganda. It needs to be a continuous part of my life, ever growing.

And if my God, who is Faithful and True, He will continue building such a heart in me. He will continue the good work He has done throughout my time in Uganda. And how I praise Him for that!

Fishers Of Men

1 Corinthians 14

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church (verse 12)

Are the Spiritual Gifts we seek for the sake of building up the church, or for glorifying ourselves? Why do we seek after Gifts, such as being able to heal, prophesy, and speak in tongues? Who do we want to please – God or ourselves?

I tend to shy away from the Spiritual Gifts for this reason. I don’t want to end up glorifying myself, and I know how prone I am to such self-glorification. I tend to put in more time and effort seeking after the fruit of the Spirit, which has less potential to be misused by my fleshly self.

But this is not what we are commanded to do. We are commanded to seek after Spiritual Gifts, but to see them for the purpose of building up the church and not glorifying ourselves. So that needs to be something that I begin seeking with greater passion, that I may be able to go and help build up the church wherever I am, whatever church, whatever country. I need to be at work to build up the Bride of Christ.

Thabiti Anyabwile

Christian, throw safety and security and ease and comfort and convenience to the dogs! Give yourself to something greater – the glory of God and the joy of God. Jesus is our reward. Lose your life for Jesus and the gospel so that you will find your life. Give that cup of water – in other words, do even small acts of mercy in the name of Jesus and the gospel – and you will have a reward you cannot lose. Count it all loss so that you might gain Christ. Stop fearing man – and go get your reward, which is loving fellowship with God in heaven. God is your portion, your inheritance. And to everyone who goes out with the gospel of the kingdom, God gives himself as the fulfilment of all their hopes and joys. Go get him.

From his chapter in Thinking. Loving. Doing. (Edited by John Piper & David Mathis)

1 Corinthians 13

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (verse 2).

Love is what Christ most wants us to possess – it is the vital component in both part of the greatest commandment, love for God and love for our neighbour. Love is more important than speaking in tongues, than in knowing everything, than in giving away all we have, even by being martyred. Love is the greatest thing.

Yet how little love we possess! How rarely we are patient, kind, or free of envy and irritability. I know that I am not full with the sort of love that God wishes for me, even if those around me see someone patient and kind. I am still irritable, boasting, and insisting on my own way. Yet God would say that without love, I am nothing and I gain nothing.

Love, Biblical agape love, is not something we can earn. It is a gift, a precious gift from God. We need to value it, to desire it, to pray for a greater and greater measure of it. I cannot manufacture love – my heart is too wicked. But God can give it to me, and as I seek Him, He progressively gives me more and more love, even for those whom it is difficult – even humanly impossible – to love. And I thank and praise Him for that.

Charles Spurgeon

Any Christian has a right to disseminate the gospel who has the ability to do so; and more, he not only has the right, but it is his duty so to do as long as he lives. (Revelation 22:17.) The propagation of the gospel is left, not to a few, but to all the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ: according to the measure of grace entrusted to him by the Holy Spirit, each man is bound to minister in his day and generation, both to the church and among unbelievers.

Lectures to My Students, Lecture 2.

1 Corinthians 12

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (verse 27)

All of us together are the body of Christ. Yet how little we act like it – how little most members do to actually advance His kingdom. It is as though a hand wants to go forward, but the rest of the body can’t be bothered, so it just stays home… preventing even the willing hand from moving.

I cannot make the rest of the body move. But as a member, I can do the small parts I can, encouraging still other to move forwards.

I also need to spend more time in prayer for the church. God will convict others – even those I have no influence over, even those I will never meet this side of heaven – if I spend time labouring in prayer for them.

But am I perhaps holding others back from completing their work for Christ. Do I subtly discourage me friends from chasing after Him with all their hearts? How can I change to be more encouraging of the works that Christ wants to do in their lives? It is something to ponder.

I Can't Believe I'm Quoting this Guy

I believe you can judge the health of a church not by its seating capacity but by its sending capacity. You don't judge the health of an army by how many soldiers sit in the mess hall and eat every week and listen to your Bible study. You judge the health of an army by how many are on the frontlines doing battle in the world.

Rick Warren, from his chapter in Thinking. Loving. Doing. (edited by John Piper)

1 Corinthians 10

(We must not) grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroyer (verse 10).

Grumbling is one of a variety of sins mentioned in this chapter, including idolatry, sexual immorality, and putting Christ to the test. To us, these all seem so much worse than grumbling. I mean seriously! Grumbling or idolatry – no brainer.

But the thing is, all these things are different manifestations of the same basic sin – rebellion against our creator. Grumbling is just as much rebellion as the other sins, for it expresses a desire that God would do differently by you than what He has done.

I grumble and complain a LOT, even though I am actually well done by. I have plenty of food, clean water, clothing, shelter, electricity, and a job so that I might continue to have all these things. I have God’s Word, I have the Holy Spirit, and I have eternal life. I have been incredibly blessed by God! Yet I grumble far too much even for someone lacking these things.

Grumbling is something that I need to work on. The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart need to be much more on positive things, rather than on negative lines. I have so much to be thankful for, that grumbling cannot be justified even in human terms, let alone in heavenly terms.

LORD, cleanse me from any grumbling spirit, that I might glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Goals for 2012

My 2011 goals were a bit nebulous, and so this years goals are very concrete goals, directly measurable things that I want to work towards

1. Learn Luganda
2. Go on two more mission trips to Uganda
3. Start the prayer missions group
4. Memorise to 35 psalms
5. Get down to 100 books (or less) on booklist
6. Make 2 CDs (Hymns & Christmas)
7. Write 3 books (1 Christian Living book, 2 Picture Story Books)

Please pray for me to achieve all these goals and more in 2012!

Top Books for 2011

I couldn't limit to ten, so here are my favourite reads, by type - and not ranked within type:

Histories, Bios, etc
- The Letterbook of Eliza Lucus Pickney (Victoria Botkin - Audio book)
- Orphaned: One Woman's Mission to Save Africa's AIDS Children (Melissa Fay Greene)
- God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades (Rodney Stark)
- Honey, We're Going to Africa! (Harvey T Hoekstra)
- The Invisible Cure: Why We Are Losing the Fight Against AIDS in Africa (Helen Epstein)
- Mama Jude (Judy Steel and Michael Sexton)
- Kisses from Katie (Katie Davis and Beth Clark)
- Navigating the Worldviews of Egypt (Isaac Botkin and David Noor)

Fiction
- Mary Barton (Elizabeth Gaskell) (Audio book)
- Duncan's War (Douglas Bond)
- King's Arrow (Douglas Bond)
- Rebel's Keep (Douglas Bond)
- Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories (John Flanagan)
- Brotherband: The Outcasts (John Flanagan)
- Shirley (Charlotte Bronte)
- The Betrayal (Douglas Bond)

Christian Living
- Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers (Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove)
- Passionate Housewives Desperate for God (Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald)
- Set Apart Femininity (Leslie Ludy)
- The Hole in our Gospel (Richard Stearns - Audio book)
- God's Missionary (Amy Carmichael)
- The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (John Piper and Justin Taylor)
- Politics According to the Bible (Wayne Grudem)
- It's (Not That) Complicated (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- Jesus: the Only Way to God (John Piper)
- Desiring God (John Piper)
- The Living Church (John Stott)

Apologetics
- Reasoning From the Scriptures With Muslims (Ron Rhodes)
- I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (Norman L Geisler and Frank Turek)
- How to Bring Men to Christ (RA Torrey)

Other
- Still Water (Art Garfunkel)
- Prayers of the Martyrs (Duane W.H. Arnold)

Books read in 2011

January
- A Hard Day's Write
- God's Medicine Bottle (Derek Prince)
- Holiness (J.C. Ryle)
- The Fundamentals: Volume 3: Theology (Various)
- The Fundamentals: Volume 4: Modern Thought, "Isms", and Testimony to the Truth (Various)
- The Letterbook of Eliza Lucus Pickney (Victoria Botkin - Audio book)
- The Hour That Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer (Dick Eastman)
- An English Family in the American Wilderness (Victoria Botkin - Audio book)
- Galileo's Daughter (Dava Sobel)
- Abigail Adams: Her Letters (Victoria Botkin - Audio book)
- Orphaned: One Woman's Mission to Save Africa's AIDS Children (Melissa Fay Greene)
- Ordering Your Private World (Gordon MacDonald)
- A Bride Goes West (Victoria Botkin - Audio book)
- The Talent Code (Daniel Coyle)

February
- The Art of Creative Living: Making Every Day a Radiant Masterpiece (Thomas Kinkade)
- Still Water (Art Garfunkel)
- The Inner Game of Music (Barry Green with W Timothy Gallwey)
- A Son of the Middle Border (Hamlin Garland)
- Reasoning From the Scriptures With Muslims (Ron Rhodes)
- Playing the Keyboard in Worship (Stuart Townsend)
- Thunderhead (Mary O'Hara)
- Missionary Methods: St Paul's or Ours? (Roland Allen)
- God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades (Rodney Stark)
- The Christian Atheist (Craig Groeshel)
- Did You Think To Pray? (RT Kendall)
- Battlefield of the Mind (Joyce Meyer)

March
- Winning His Spurs (GA Henty)
- Under Wellington's Command (GA Henty)
- Passionate Housewives Desperate for God (Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald)
- Passion and Purity (Elisabeth Elliot)
- Raising Maidens of Virtue (Stacy McDonald)
- Daddy-Long-Legs (Jean Webster)
- Adopting Overseas: A Guide to Adopting From Australia, Plus Personal Stories That Will Inspire You (Lucy Burns & Ailsa Burns)
- Crazy Love (Francis Chan)
- William Carey: Obliged to Go (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Loving Our Kids On Purpose (Danny Silk)
- Shakespeare: The Man and His Achievement (Robert Speaight)
- Future Impact: Connecting Child, Church and Mission (Dan Brewster)
- Mary Barton (Elizabeth Gaskell) (Audio book)
- Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (John Piper)
- Elisabeth Elliot: Joyful Surrender (Janet and Geoff Benge)

April
- Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World (C. Peter Wagner)
- Mathematics: Is God Silent? (James Nickel)
- God Is Enough (Ray Galea)
- Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints (John Piper and Justin Taylor)
- Love Has A Face (Michele Perry)
- Duncan's War (Douglas Bond)
- Count Zinzendorf: Firstfruit (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Too Small to Ignore (Dr Wess Stafford)
- Audrey Featherstone I Presume? The Amazing Story of a Congo Missionary (Tim Shenton)
- Light Force (Brother Andrew)
- More Than A Carpenter (Josh McDowell)
- True Spirituality (Francis Schaeffer)
- The Two Princesses of Barmarre (Gail Levine)
- Spurgeon Gold (Ray Comfort)
- Too Busy Not to Pray (Bill Hybels)

May
- Revival's Golden Key (Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron)
- Sacred Singleness (Leslie Ludy)
- Visions Beyond the Veil (H.A Baker)
- Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers (Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove)
- Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (J.I. Packer)
- Family Driven Faith (Voddie Baucham)
- Church Planting is For: Wimps (Mike McKinley)
- Ida Scudder: Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Betty Greene: Wings to Serve (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Get More Done In Less Time (Donna Otto)
- With Wolfe in Canada (G.A. Henty)
- Keep A Quiet Heart (Elisabeth Elliot)
- Ballet for Laura (Linda Blake)
- If I Perish (Esther Ahn Kim)
- The Heavenly Footman (John Bunyan)
- The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)
- The Love of Christ (Mother Teresa)
- Granny's Wonderful Chair (Frances Browne)
- The Irresistible Revolution (Shane Claiborne)

June
- So You Want to Change the World (A World Changers book)
- The Consequences of Ideas (R.C. Sproul)
- Set Apart Femininity (Leslie Ludy)
- Rowland Bingham: Into Africa's Interior (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- The Ordinary Hero (Tim Chester)
- Father's Arcane Daughter (E.L. Konigsburg)
- Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Kate Douglas Wiggin)
- Honey, We're Going to Africa! (Harvey T Hoekstra)
- Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is) (Joshua Harris)
- Praying the Scriptures (Judson Cornwall)
- The History of Christianity and Western Civilization (Joshua Phillips)
- Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Kingdom of Love (Hannah Hurnard)
- King's Arrow (Douglas Bond)
- Praying the Saviour's Way (Derek Thomas)
- Rebel's Keep (Douglas Bond)
- The Hole in our Gospel (Richard Stearns - Audio book)

July
- With Kitchener in the Soudan (G.A. Henty)
- Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England (Faith Cook)
- Lillian Trasher: The Greatest Wonder in Egypt (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Jack and Jill (Louisa May Alcott)
- The Joshua Generation: Restoring the Heritage of Christian Leadership (Michael Farris)
- God's Missionary (Amy Carmichael)
- The Cloud of Unknowing (Anonymous)
- God is the Gospel (John Piper)
- A Vision for Missions (Tom Wells)
- Buried Alive (Jack Cuozzo)
- William Booth: Soup, Soap and Salvation (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Appointment in Jerusalem (Derek and Lydia Prince)
- Gogo Mama: A Journey into the Lives of Twelve African Women (Sally Sara)
- Resistance Fighter: God's Heart for the Broken (Susie Howe)
- Treasuring God in our Traditions (Noel Piper)
- The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (John Piper and Justin Taylor)
- Stephen's Music (Sofie Laguna & Anna Pignataro)
- Rome & Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations (Martin Goodman)
- One Red Paperclip (Kyle MacDonald)
- The Hidden Smile of God:The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd (John Piper)
- Mixed Blessings (Deborah Lee)
- Visions of Heaven and Hell (John Bunyan)
- History's Most Spectacular Sin (John Piper)
- With Calvin in the Theater of God (edited by John Piper & David Mathis)
- Prayer (John Bunyan)

August:
- The Roots of Endurance: Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce (John Piper)
- Spiritual Warfare and Missions (Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer)
- Chasing the Dragon (Jackie Pullinger)
- Rediscovering Holiness (J.I. Packer)
- Anatomy of a Doll (Susanna Oroyan)
- Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (Maryanne Wolf)
- The Seven Basic Plots (Christopher Booker)
- The Acceptable Sacrifice (John Bunyan)
- The Family (J.R. Miller)
- Street Girls (Matt Roper)
- Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices (Frank Viola, George Barna)
- When Heaven Invades Earth (Bill Johnson)
- The Supernatural Power of a Tranformed Mind (Bill Johnson)
- The Saint's Everlasting Rest (Richard Baxter)
- Raising Your Children For Christ (Andrew Murray)
- CT Studd: No Retreat (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem)
- Reformation & Revival: The Story of the English Puritans (John Brown)
- David Bussau: Facing the World Head-On (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- The Wise Woman (George MacDonald)
- The Bait of Satan (John Bevere)
- The Sovereignty of God (AW Pink)
- Large Family Logistics (Kim Brenneman)
- Rachel Saint: A Star in the Jungle (Janet and Geoff Benge)
- Sex and the Supremacy of Christ (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor)

September:
- Fabulous Food From Every Small Garden (Mary Horsfall)
- The First Emperor: Caesar Augustus and the Triumph of Rome (Anthony Everitt)
- Prayers of the Martyrs (Duane W.H. Arnold)
- Contending for Our All (John Piper)
- Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ (John Piper)
- Make Poverty Personal: Taking the Poor as Seriously as the Bible Does (Ash Barker)
- Expecting Miracles (Heidi & Roland Baker)
- God's Transmitters (Hannah Hurnard)
- What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures (Malcolm Gladwell)
- How to Eat (Nigella Lawson)
- Shakespeare's Kings (John Julius Norwich)
- The Best Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes (Grace Cheetham)
- Something Beautiful for God (Malcolm Muggeridge)
- Every Thought Captive (Richard L Pratt Jr)
- History's Great Untold Stories (Joseph Cummins)
- The Bravehearted Gospel (Eric Ludy)
- Jumping Ship (Michael and Debi Pearl)
- Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor)
- The Invisible Cure: Why We Are Losing the Fight Against AIDS in Africa (Helen Epstein)

October
- Parables of the Cross (Lilias Trotter)
- To Train Up A Child (Michael and Debi Pearl)
- Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World (Polly Schoyer Brooks)
- Politics According to the Bible (Wayne Grudem)
- Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith (Kirk Cameron & Ray Comfort)
- Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking (Malcolm Cladwell)
- How to Know God Exists (Ray Comfort)
- A God-Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor)
- Don't Waste Your Life (John Piper)
- God's Call to the Single Adult (Michael Cavanaugh)
- Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood (Wayne Grudem)
- Created to be his Help Meet (Debi Pearl)
- Mama Jude (Judy Steel and Michael Sexton)
- I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Joshua Harris)
- For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper (edited by Sam Storms and Justin Taylor)
- The Lost Art of True Beauty (Leslie Ludy)
- Essential Songwriting (CJ Watson)
- Kisses from Katie (Katie Davis and Beth Clark)
- The Gospel for Real Life (Jerry Bridges)
- And Man Created God (Robert Banks)

November:
- Fistful of Heroes: Christians at the Forefront of Change (John Pollock)
- Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories (John Flanagan)
- Brotherband: The Outcasts (John Flanagan)
- John G Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides (John Paton)
- A Picture History of Uganda
- Jesus Culture (Banning Liebscher)
- Shirley (Charlotte Bronte)
- Uganda: Gifted by Nature
- Uganda: The Pearl
- The Power of a Praying Church (Stormie Omartian and Jack Hayford)
- I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (Norman L Geisler and Frank Turek)
- A Tale of Three Kings: A Study of Brokenness (Gene Edwards)
- Just Like Jesus (Max Lucado)
- Jesus: the Only Way to God (John Piper)
- Desiring God (John Piper)
- A Lineage of Grace (Francine Rivers)
- Being God's Friend (Charles Spurgeon)
- Lady in Waiting (Jackie Kendal and Debby Jones)
- Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk)
- Stories of the Reformation in Germany and England (Rev B.G. Jones)
- A Child's Life of Martin Luther (Anonymous)

December
- Refuting Compromise (Jonathan Sarfati)
- Why We Love the Church (Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck)
- The Living Church (John Stott)
- Navigating the Worldviews of Egypt (Isaac Botkin and David Noor)
- Have a New Kid by Friday (Kevin Leman)
- How to Bring Men to Christ (RA Torrey)
- Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (John MacArthur)
- Does God Believe in Atheists (John Blanchard)
- Erasing Hell (Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle)
- It's (Not That) Complicated (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- The Betrayal (Douglas Bond)
- Thinking. Loving. Doing. (edited John Piper and David Mathis)

Top 10 Sermons for 2011

1. Gossip: The Plague of the Church (Scott Brown)
2. Adventurous Femininity: When Being "Girly" Is Not Enough (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
3. A Battleground Not A Playground (Geoff Botkin & sons)
4. The Reformation of Foreign Missions (Doug Phillips)
5. Set Apart Femininity (Leslie Ludy)
6. Your Kingdom Mission (John Cairns)
7. Why we Must Be Ladies Against Feminism (Jennie Chancey)
8. The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship (Voddie Baucham)
9. Semper Reformanda (Geoff Botkin and family)
10. How to Involve the Whole Family in Hospitality (Doug and Beall Phillips)

Special Mention, because itisn't quite a sermon, but I loved it and listed it with my sermons:

The History of Christianity and Western Civilization Study Course (Doug Phillips, Joseph Morecraft, Bill Potter, Colin Gunn)

Sermons Listened to in 2011

January
- The Reformation of Foreign Missions (Doug Phillips)
- Manly Friendships (Doug Phillips)
- Honorable Language, Peaceful Siblings, Gracious Wives (Doug Phillips)
- Children and the Dominion Mandate (William Einwechter)
- Hollywood's Most Despised Villain (Geoff Botkin)
- Symposium on Disney, Film and American Culture: A Theological Critique (Doug Phillips)

March
- Your Kingdom Mission (John Cairns)

April
- A Battleground Not A Playground (Geoff Botkin & sons)
- How to Develope Character in Your Children (S.M. Davies)
- Home is Where the Heart Is (Susan Bradrick)
- Victories! Moments, Large and Small, Which Define Christian Parenthood (Doug Phillips)
- The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship (Voddie Baucham)
- Holiness, Legalism, and the Sufficiency of Scripture (Jeff Pollard)
- The Big Picture (Doug Phillips)
- Simple, Separate, Deliberate (R.C. Sproul Jr)
- What to Expect When Establishing a Local Church (Doug Phillips)
- Listen: What the Bible Says About Being a Good Listener and Its Practical Applications for All of Life (Doug Phillips)
- The First National Conference for Uniting Church & Family CD Set (Produced by Vision Forum)
- How to Pass On Convictions to Your Children (S.M. Davies)
- Teaching our Children to Teach Themselves (Geoff Botkin and family)
- Why the Second Generation Drops the Ball (Geoff Botkin and family)

May
- Family Dynamics with Adult Children (Geoff Botkin and family)
- Raising the Bar for Higher Education (Geoff Botkin and family)
- Semper Reformanda (Geoff Botkin and family)
- What is the Church? (Geoff Botkin)
- The Father and Biblical Leadership (Geoff Botkin)
- Making Allies of Your Siblings (Geoff Botkin and family)
- What Is the Family (Geoff Botkin)
- Practical Courtship (Geoff Botkin)
- What It Means to Honour Our Parents (Geoff Botkin and family)
- Do Not Be Conformed to This World (John Piper)
- Assessing Ourselves With Our God-Given Measure of Faith (John Piper)

June
- The History of Christianity and Western Civilization Study Course (Doug Phillips, Joseph Morecraft, Bill Potter, Colin Gunn)

July
- What is Biblical Feminity (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- Is the Bible the Bible? (Michael Butler)
- Adventurous Femininity: When Being "Girly" Is Not Enough (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- History Gives Our Children Hope: Why the Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail (Doug Phillips)
- Defending the True Canon of Scripture (Michael Butler)
- Discussion on Biblical Translation (Doug Phillips, Michael Butler and Jeff Pollard)

August
- Seven Secrets of Successful Multigenerational Visionaries (Doug Phillips)
- God's Sovereign Grace I (Jeff Pollard)
- God's Sovereign Grace II (Jeff Pollard)
- God's Sovereign Grace III (Jeff Pollard)
- The Framework Hypothesis: Without Form and Void (Doug Phillips, Ken Gentry)
- Evolution in Pop Culture (Carl Kerby)
- Counterfeit Reality (Bill Jack)
- Answers to Difficult Issues (Carl Kerby)
- Simple Tools for Brain Surgery (Bill Jack)
- Special Forces for the Savior (Charles Ware)
- The Ultimate Proof of Creation (Jason Lisle)
- Biblical Creation: Strengthening Your Defenses (Terry Mortenson)
- Scripture Under Scrutiny (Brian Edwards)
- Why 66 (Brian Edwards)
- The Authentic Christ (Brian Edwards)
- Modern Medicine and Ancient Authority (Tommy Mitchell)
- The Code of Life (Georgia Purdom)
- Nuclear Strength Apologetics (Jason Lisle)
- The Legacy of Eve (Georgia Purdom)

Septmeber:
- Does It Matter What I Believe? (Mike Riddle)
- Astronomy and the Bible (Mike Riddle)
- The Origin of Humans (Mike Riddle)
- Do Not Learn the Way of the Gentiles (Scott Brown)
- Set Apart Femininity Part 1 (Leslie Ludy)
- Set Apart Femininity Part 2 (Leslie Ludy)
- Paganism in the Church (Scott Brown)
- Modesty (Scott Brown)
- The Basis of Biblical Ethics (Voddie Baucham)
- Spirituality and Your Mind (Voddie Baucham)
- Answering the Critics of the NCFIC (Doug Phillips)
- Is Age Segregation Biblical (Scott Brown)
- Gossip: The Plague of the Church (Scott Brown)
- Fulfilling the Law in Prayer (Scott Brown)
- Cultural Transformations (Scott Brown)

October:
- Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Voddie Baucham)
- A Wise and Understanding People (Scott Brown)
- To the Young People in the Church (Scott Brown)
- Holy Ambition (Scott Brown)
- Father to Son: Work (Geoff Botkin)
- Father to Son: Adventure (Geoff Botkin)
- Father to Son: How to Talk to Your Sons (Geoff Botkin)
- Recognize and Stop Gossip (Stacy A Johnson)
- Discovering Life Purpose (Doug Phillips)
- For the Sake of Your Traditions (Scott Brown)

November:
- Why we Must Be Ladies Against Feminism part 1 (Jennie Chancey)
- Why we Must Be Ladies Against Feminism part 2 (Jennie Chancey)
- The Reformation of Foreign Missions (Doug Phillips)
- Gossip: The Plague of the Church (Scott Brown)

December:
- Chief Justice Moore's Messege to America (Chief Justice Moore)
- It's Not that Complicated Interview (Kevin Swanston with Anna-Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- How to Organize Your Home to Promote Family Unity (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Cultivate a Love of Reading with Your Children (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Make Mealtime Meaningful (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Involve the Whole Family in Hospitality (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- The Origin of Life (Mike Riddle)
- Whose Daughter are You? (Anna-Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
- Artificial Authority (Bill Jack)
- All Creatures Great and Small (Georgia Purdom)
- How to Prepare for a Year of Home Education (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Handle a Social Worker Visit (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How To Involve the Whole Fmaily in Family Worship (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Encourage Masculinity in Sons (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Encourage Feminity in Daughters (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Use Household Decorations to Teach Character (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Take Children Safely Through an Airport (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Build an Entrepreneurial Spirit in Your Children (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Talk to Your Children about Miscarriage (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Watch a Movie as a Family (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Prepare Your Children to Listen to a Symphony (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Address the Plague of "Jive Talk" in Your Home (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Cultivate a Love of Meaningful Poetry with Your Children, and Why Doing So Is Important (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Take a Road Trip With Your Family (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Wage War on Sibling Rivalry (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- How to Select the Best Locations for Family Vacations (Doug and Beall Phillips)
- Adventurous Femininity: When Being "Girly" Is Not Enough (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)