The Way

It seems that the best made plans are really worthless unless one carries out those plans. And . . . so that pretty sums up my blogging habits this month. I always plan to update the blog and then distractions and busyness creep in and well . . . I end up apologizing in the first blog post back. I headed to Dallas the weekend before Thanksgiving for the Youth Specialties conference. It always proves a good time meeting with youth leaders and catching up with old friends. Being back in Dallas was good too, although we were downtown. Much has changed in Dallas since we moved away in 1989. It was good to run in few areas that I ran in long ago and the weather was nice. I took the week of Thanksgiving as vacation and thoroughly enjoyed the time off. I played golf one day; raked leaves in an exercise of futility (the yard looked great for about 4 minutes); and, enjoyed basically being a bum. Thanksgiving was simply wonderful with my dad and nephew, Mark, Shelbi and Morgan home and ma...

The past couple of weeks have included less work travel so that has allowed for more family time on the weekends. And that is good. I love what I get to do work wise, but I am most fulfilled when I get to hang out with Sondra and the rest of our family. I know over the years I have had to remind myself that what I get to do work wise does not determine who I really am. I have repeated that to myself many times and have shared that with many people I come in contact with in life. Our culture can deceive us into believing that real success is based upon how much you are "out there making a difference". I know that that if I am "out there" making a difference and my family is sucking wind and crumbling, then really I have taught our kids how to gain the whole world and lose their own soul. Definitely not something I want to be indicative of me. A couple of weekends ago we headed to Rome, GA to hang out with Mark and Shelbi. Morgan came home from Union, we jumped...

Yesterday was my turn to work in ETC at church and once again, I learned alot. I am not really sure if I am working with older 3s, younger 4s, and I think there were a couple of 5s in the mix. Regardless, there were a bunch of them and yesterday started out  mild and then got cranked up. . . cranked up in a hurry. Our Bible study was based on Elijah praying for rain and I thought it would be awesome if we mixed in some water balloons for special effects. The kids were pumped but we settled for water colors instead. The two other adults in the class overruled us all. (I went down fighting.) I won't mention names of kids, in order to not break any laws unknowingly. They are an eclectic bunch. Some of them I have learned who their parents are but the majority of them are just kids that I know through that one Sunday a month connection. I see them in other areas of the church at other times and we acknowledge each other, but most of my interaction with them is in the "Purpl...

As crazy as it sounds, I began year 21 at LifeWay this week. I would have never imagined that God would allow me to serve Him through one place this long. What an incredible ride and storied past. I began as an editor for some discipleship resources; transitioned to managing the youth discipleship section; became a consultant in discipleship; ran back to the student area as an editor and most recently as a specialist helping student leaders minister to students and their families. What an amazing run and what a great ministry like LifeWay that has allowed me to grow and stretch and learn and help others. I am excited about a new opportunity that LifeWay is allowing me to influence and guide. In September, Eric Geiger announced a new strategic emphasis for our World Changers and P2 Missions (PowerPlant) ministries called “Change the City, Change the World”. (You can read that announcement here .) The impact of the cities upon the culture of the world is powerful. So . . . God is ...