a heart for children

I'm not old yet, but I'm old enough that I remember when I was getting started in ministry. And some of my fondest memories of that time are of people giving me a chance, of placing trust in me, and listening to and affirming my dreams.

So it was with joy that our church hosted Khory Allen and his family this past Sunday. Khory is establishing a ministry of conducting children's events for churches and equipping those who work with children in church settings. He and his wife worked with our MiniTemples on Sunday morning, and then Khory spoke to our Learning Environments group on Sunday evening.


I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Khory, as we talked about his journey and how God has equipped him for this work. We also had some great conversations with Joshua and Shameer about life as a follower of Jesus in our time and space.

One of my favorite things is to pick up on something that one person enjoys, then connect them with someone else who shares that interest. The shared backstory allows conversations and relationships to form and grow much more quickly. So when I picked up on Khory's enjoyment of video games, I knew he could hit it off with some of our guys, and he did. It was great fun to watch them "nerd out" a little. (And I use that term with the utmost respect. I do the same thing, given the opportunity.)

I'm thankful that God allowed our paths to cross, and I'm excited about what lies ahead for Khory, his family, and their ministry.

work

My FedEx Ground route boss told me I'd need to stay out late tonight, because he needed me to cover some pickups for a truck that had to go in early.

It took two hours longer than expected, which put me leaving work at 8:30 pm, and the truck was so packed that I had fifteen packages with me in the cab on the way back.

I've realized some things about work that have shaped my attitude:

- Work is sacred. To do it with excellence is to honor God.

- My children are watching me. They are shaping their attitudes about work, about responding to adverse work conditions, and about stewardship of what God provides by watching and listening to me.

- My church family is watching me. Young men. Families struggling to make ends meet. Older men who have been through far worse conditions than mine. My attitude about this job shapes their attitudes.

So I am thankful. I do not complain, even when I grow weary. I work hard, and put the needs of others ahead of my own. And in so doing, I pray that God finds this part of my life acceptable, and receives glory from it.

picking up the story

I firmly believe that now is a better time to be alive than any other time in human history. Although...nope, this is it.

One reason is that, more than ever, story is being recognized as the most effective means of communication. And there are more ways than ever to tell your story.

That's why I love to blog, and tweet, and use social networking sites. My story's unique, and different parts of it resonate with different people. My story stirs questions, starts conversations, explains directions. (So does yours, by the way.)

But blogging is a discipline that takes time, and other pursuits have taken priority recently. I continue to tell my story, but it's in a lot of personal contexts, conversations and the like. God continues to do His thing, and I'm more excited than ever to be part of it.

I plan to get back into the rhythm of telling my story here. In the meantime, what's your story? And who are you telling it to?