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Top Posts of 2013

2013 has come and now is almost gone. God blessed our family and ministry in many ways that I shared in this blog over the past year.

I also used many of the lessons I learned in ministry and much of what God was teaching me through my study of the Bible as material for blog posts.

Thanks for sticking with us in the journey as we seek to make God and the message of the gospel ring loud in and clear in Ukraine and beyond!
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We have been serving the Lord full time in Odessa, Ukraine for just 7 years now and ironically my most popular post for 2013 was “7 ways to fail as a missionary”  I think there are a few reasons this post seemed to hit a nerve and was shared so widely on Facebook and Twitter.

  • We all have a tendency to fail and to search for answers.
  • Failure is one of our greatest teachers (if we approach it correctly).
  • There can be high, too high of expectations put on those who are in ministry full time.
  • For some reason failure is always more intriguing than success.
  • I know that many other missionaries have experienced some of the failures I mentioned.

Here are the top ten posts for 2013!

  1. 7 Ways to Fail as a Missionary
  2. 5 Reasons You Need to Read Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke
  3. How to Make Your Wife Submit to Your Authority -6 Tips
  4. What the Bible Says About Kissing Might Surprise You
  5. Are You a Fat Christian?
  6. 20 Benefits of Having a Bunch of Kids
  7. Kissing Before Marriage and Other Questions Girls Ask
  8. Beards -Why You Should Have One (Men Only!)
  9. Tensions are high In Ukraine, Prayers Needed
  10. #15 Demons, Death and Halloween, What You Need to Know

Here are a few other notable posts that didn’t make it into the top ten but did produce a lot of good discussion in the comments.

The blog wouldn’t be what it is without all the great comments. Some comments have challenged me, encouraged me, helped me see something I missed and helped me to thinking deeper and in a new way about the content.

I’m thankful for the significant input from some other great bloggers like  TC Avey, Floyd Samons, Dan Black, Loren Pinilis, Dave Arnold, David Sparks, Dan Erickson, Kari Scare, Ngina Otiende, Bill Grandi, Barb Raveling, Betty Draper, David Bartosik, Deb Wolf, Larry Poole, Micah Yongo and Lisa Burgess. Everyone one of theses guys has a blog worth checking out!

Question: What did God teach you in 2013?

10 Responses
  • Paul Sohn
    December 29, 2013

    God taught me that without His presence there is no light. He taught me that there is nothing new under the sun and meaning in life comes through having a relationship with Him.

    • Paul Sohn
      December 29, 2013

      What a wonderful year Caleb. Please keep up your Kingdom work. Wishing an even more spirit filled and blessed year in 2014.

      • Caleb
        December 29, 2013

        Thanks Paul! Blessing to you in 2014 too!

    • Caleb
      December 29, 2013

      Those are 3 great life lessons Paul. The first really reminds me of John 1 “In Him was life and that life was the light of all mankind”. Your second lesson looks like it comes from Ecclesiastes, one of my favorite books of the Bible and your last lesson is something that we all need to realize. Thanks for sharing!

  • Dan Black
    December 29, 2013

    Great list, Caleb!!! Keep writing amazing content.

    • Caleb
      December 29, 2013

      Thanks for the encouragement Dan! Blessings to you in 2014!

  • Barb Raveling
    December 29, 2013

    It was interesting to read this list, Caleb. i read a couple that I had missed before. You have some interesting blog posts and topics! I always enjoy your thoughts and take on things. I also wanted to thank you for the review of Taste for Truth on Amazon – I appreciate it!

    • Caleb
      December 29, 2013

      Thanks Barb! Your book is great, I’m still working on applying some of the principles in it! Blessings to you in 2014!

  • DS
    January 2, 2014

    Caleb it was exciting and encouraging to get to connect with you this year. Thanks for the mention on your blog. Also, I have been able to learn a little bit more about Ukraine as a part of your blog, which I really appreciate. We currently have 2 teenagers with us from Ukraine, so that is an additional special connection to your blog as well. Thanks for choosing to serve, and your work to encourage others.

    • Caleb
      January 3, 2014

      Dave I’m so glad we could connect! I hope you’re having a great time with those kids from Ukraine, that is certainly a wonderful chance to have an amazing influence on their lives.