Life has it's very own way of presenting us with just enough stuff to handle in order to keep us busy and almost off-hook with making any sort of definable progress—be it an exercise program or reading the bible everyday.

Most of us are wise enough by this time to not get caught up in the beginning of the year resolutions that were very popular when we we young. They didn't work then and they don't work now. What works is a change of heart.

And I might also add at this point a change of perspective.

How we view ourselves at home/at work/ at rest and how we view ourselves in Christ and what He has done for us is increasingly more important as cultural time proceeds down its' slippery slope. At this point in my Christian walk I know that I don't see myself totally as I should and this not seeing clearly manifests itself in insecurity, anger and lack of patience and understanding towards others—just to name the ones we all deal with on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

However dark the few clouds in my life's sky seem today, I really am making progress towards being an authentic person and becoming more and more free of the bad habits and character flaws that have kept me from totally seeing the "peace that passes all understanding".

I could go on but that is not the point of this post—the real point is to introduce you to a friend of mine I have referred to here and at reluctant servant as my farmer friend Alan. Among many other talents that Alan has is one of teaching the word in an authoritative and interesting fashion. A couple of months ago he was recorded in a church in Taylorsville, NC speaking on "Perceptions". I haven't yet listened to the whole thing but from what I have read about this teaching in his newsletter, it is going to be rich and worth the time. I have shrunk the MP3 down to a managable size and parked it for listening at my website homepage. It is at the bottom of the page. Let me know what you think.