Gone forever: challenge to pastors and ministry leaders

Upon reflecting on any regrets he had, Billy Graham said, "Every day I was absent from my family is gone forever."

While we realize physical absence certainly has an affect, I am thinking today of the realities of emotional absence. As a pastor and leader, you are expected to be on-call and at the ready at all times. You are to be fully available for everyone at all times, and we too often justify this as "the life of ministry".

Pastors, ministry leaders, those days you are absent (both physically and emotionally) are gone forever. [TWEET THAT]

Look at the ministry you have and realize that everything you do can be done or shared by someone else. Only you can be husband to your wife (or wife to your husband). Only you can be mom or dad to your kids.

I am trying to challenge myself to lose less and less days forever.

Book Review: Billy Graham in Quotes

Not many would ever argue the wisdom and power behind the words of Billy Graham. He has stood with dignitaries of the widest array and never wavered in his presentation of the truth of Scripture. The heart of an evangelist has never been lost on this man.

This book is not a memoir. It is not a biography. It is a collection. It is a book for your reference shelf. It is sorted out in a way that makes it very easy to access exactly what you want each time you pick up the book. The arrangement of topics is not only a vast array; but it is easily accessible at the point when you need.

It is not a devotional book; though one could use it as such. There is so much information for the Christian's journey beautifully arranged in this book, you could spend moments or years soaking it all in at whatever capacity you wish and need.

As for me, this book will go on my closest shelf for easy access to a depth of knowledge you cannot easily neglect.

Thank you booksneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishing for an opportunity to review such a great book that is both rich and easily used.