Tonight at High Impact Praise I was really touched to know that the Southern Hills leadership recognizes that many of the hundreds and hundreds of students who show up there on Wednesday nights are going to be returning home within the next week to homes and families that cause nothing but pain and heartache to them. They recognize that so many of these students are here in Abilene as an escape from the loneliness and dysfunction that they know as "home." For so many university students, the only semblance of normalcy they know is the family they find in the people around them at school, if they even find that. So, for far too many, "happy holidays" doesn't mean a whole lot, nor is the "break" really that. Tonight they begged for these students to pass a note in so that they can be prayed for by name over the break. I thank God that we are recognizing, as a Christian community, the realities of what so many face. Our world, and definitely including our campuses, is filled with people who don't live the life of the Waltons.

On a lighter note, our LIFE Group will be hitting the streets tomorrow night for some sweet caroling action. What's that you say? It's going to be a balmy 19 degrees at that time tomorrow? Bring it on! Besides, we have some wussy Californians who need to suck it up to the cold. Thanks to Kathleen for organizing our outing!