Good days
Random thoughts...
I had a great time at Weston Sonlight Assembly of God on Sunday. Every time I am there God ministers to me in a unique way. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to serve there.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, my favorite team, really stink this year. With Sunday's embarrassing loss, they're out of the playoff picture.
I had special breakfast meetings Monday and today with a couple of men. One has a position of significant influence and I'm eager to build a relationship with him and see him come to know Jesus. The other guy's life was transformed by Jesus (and continues to be) about a year and half ago, and it is a lot of fun to see him growing.
My mom called tonight and it was good to talk with her. I'm getting excited about the family being together for Christmas in MO.
The last two days have been great. I got up early, started the day with a nice run, and spent time reading the Bible and praying with Kim before going to work. This is something we should have been doing our whole lives and we're committed to making sure this routine continues.
I'll be teaching art at the JH tomorrow, phys ed at an elementary school on Thursday (I hope to have lunch with Danielle again), and history at the high school on Friday. Thank God for work!
Yesterday I met with a new client who has an amazing testimony. We shared scriptures, prayed and "had church" at our Perrysburg office. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the future and plan to show him a couple of properties tomorrow after school. He is the director of a non-profit ministry in Toledo that reaches out to people who have recently been released from incarceration, and I'm sure I'll write more about him later.
Tonight I got to hear my friend Jesse play s in a string quartet at BGSU and it was awesome. Beautiful music.
These are good days.
"Corruption"
Krista Bowley is a student where I substitute taught for the first time last week. During class, I learned that she is a published author and asked her to share some of her poetry. She gave me a copy of her favorite poem and said I had her permission to post it on my blog. I think Krista has a lot of talent and expresses the feelings of many (if not most) of her generation. When you read this, I think it will be clear why God has led me to spend some time in the schools.
CORRUPTION
Innocent and sweet no longer am I
Nor little and naive
What I've seen and what I've heard
And the things I have learned
have corrupted me to the point of no return
That little girl is gone now
Replaced by a bittersweet teenager
My attitude has changed me from the inside out
Replaced happiness with anger
And confidence with doubt
This world is hard to live in
Always a surprise
Sometimes I think, "What's the point?"
We're all just gonna die
A new job!
The reason I haven't blogged for a while is that I was blessed to teach three days this week and had the time of my life! It was neat to have the students recognize me from church, Upward Basketball, funerals, etc. and the favor of God was evident as a rapport was developed quickly with every class.
I spent Wednesday at BGJHS, teaching 7-8th grade Health. I really felt like God's love flowed through me and it was a very invigorating day. The teacher left great lesson plans and I enjoyed talking to the students about drugs & alcohol. Of course, I have a lot of stories about these subjects, and they listened very attentively. The students were respectful, very engaged in the conversation and also enjoyed hearing about the tricks my twin brother and I played on our substitute teachers!
To begin the class, I asked the students to share two things they had done in their lives that they were proud of. This sparked some great discussion and one student shared that she has had some poetry published. To make a long story short, the whole class benefited from her gift. I believe she has captured the heart of this generation in a poem called "Corruption,"and I plan to post it sometime this weekend.
On Thursday morning I met with a real estate client then went to Conneaut Elementary where I taught phys ed, Estep boot-camp style (push-ups, sit-ups, jump rope, jumping jacks, lots of running and, of course, dodgeball!). The 1st, 2nd & 3rd graders were a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed getting to have lunch with Danielle!!
I was back at the JH on Friday, this time with a special needs class. This teacher assists several other teachers throughout the day, including Mrs. Genson's reading class. The goal for the day was to complete Charles' Dickens' "A Christmas Story." I volunteered to read, and it was a real treat. Mrs. Genson talked with other teachers I was supposed to assist and asked if I could read to her other classes, which I gladly did in all but one class the rest of the day!
After talking for a while with another Christian teacher (very encouraging!), I had fun in the science lab, where Jennifer (the pastor's wife at BG Naz) was substitute teaching. She is an excellent teacher, and I really enjoyed the class. I had the privilege of having lunch with Jennifer, and it was really nice to know that they are enjoying life in BG. I look forward to working there again and hope that we can spend some time with the Nichols this winter.
Last night we had the Cub Scout all-nighter at the BG Community Center, where we stayed until after 2:00 am. We left early because of today's Holiday Parade, where I passed out candy and Seth rode on our AA Green Realty, Inc. float. Now, I'm working at the office until 3:00, then I'll head home and get ready to watch the big game and enjoy a relaxing evening with my family.
It struck me yesterday that when I left BG Naz I didn't think I was really qualified to do anything. Now, I am a Realtor, substitute teacher, chaplain, and continue to get opportunities to preach. I have the privilege of living an exciting, diverse life that puts me in new places, meeting new people, and learning new things every day. What a ride!
Lessons
Tomorrow is Kim's birthday. As usual, she doesn't want any fanfare, so we enjoyed a quiet dinner at Chipotle, a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and some great conversation while Seth & Shani enjoyed being at the Dilbones. I'm blessed to have such a wonderful wife who is so faithful to God and so good to me.
We talked about where God has us these days. It's certainly not a place we would have ever predicted, but we are both happy to be where we are and are grateful for the new levels of dependence on Jesus that we are experiencing. This journey of downward mobility is turning out to be pretty liberating, and the temporal nature of this life is coming more clearly into focus than ever before.
Last night I had the privilege of attending another informational/fund raising event for the upcoming Impact World Tour (a powerful evangelistic emphasis sponsored by Youth With a Mission). The goal is to evangelize teenagers in NW OH with major events between Easter & Memorial Day 2007. The church that meets at my house has been supporting this ministry for the last 4 months and it is exciting to see momentum building and increased unity among Christians in our community. I believe that the IWT is going to result in hundreds of new disciples participating in Life Transformation Groups which will be a catalyst for the birth of new churches throughout our region!
While we were singing "Here I am to Worship," one line spoke to me like I was hearing it for the first time. The second verse says, "King of all days, oh so highly exalted, glorious in heaven above. Humbly you came to the earth you created, all for love's sake became poor." This humbe King Jesus ran toward poverty; I have spent my life running away from it. He was motivated by love; I am usually motivated for much more selfish reasons. He chose what I would never have chosen. Yet, last night God revealed something that is most encouraging. Though we are far from destitute, we are in a season of comparative poverty and God reminded me that the reason we are here is love. (I know that compared to the rest of the world we are rich, but we are living on far less resources than we ever have before.) We are here because we love God more than our own comfort, and He loves us enough to do whatever it takes to make us more like Jesus. That was an amazing revelation that lifted my spirits and helped me to fully embrace and be truly grateful for where God has led us.
By the way, yesterday I took my official college transcript to the staffing service used by BG City Schools so I could start subbing any day. Who knows, I might even get a call tomorrow! I have a lot to look forward to and to be thankful for. I'm thankful for a great time at Lifepointe Community Church last Sunday, an amazing family, and for a wife God created with me in mind. I look forward to a Falcon victory tomorrow night (you can watch them on ESPN), making new friends at the schools, and making disciples. God sure is good!
Catching up
A lot has happened since my last post - too much to write about in depth. To be blunt, the real estate market is pretty slow and we haven't had enough income to make ends meet. That has been a hard thing to admit and a substantial amount of pride is being eliminated as we go through the Holy Spirit's classroom of Humility 101. As I shared with the Falcons on Saturday, the more pride one has, the more trials are necessary to reveal it and develop our perseverance and character. The immature will blame God and complain about trials (I know - I've done that) but the mature see them as the gifts they are to conform us to the image of Jesus (I'm learning to do that). So, I've gone from anger and frustration to confidence and peace. Because of God's grace we are greatly encouraged, and through the generous gifts of His servants we are making it. I never thought we would need to be on the receiving side, and it has been most humbling and very enlightening to see this evidence of His love for us.
In recent days, I've been the grateful recipient of fatherly advice, brotherly concern and a friendly kick in the pants to get moving and provide for my family. As a result, I applied for a substitute teaching position today. As soon as my college transcripts arrive in the mail, I'll be put on the call list. It won't make me rich, but it will help me provide for the needs of my family and provide opportunities to be an atmosphere-changer in places that need the manifest presence of God.
Several people I love and respect have been encouraging me to get back into vocational ministry. That makes a lot of sense except for one thing, which is the most important thing. God is not leading me to do that. What is going to happen in the future? I have no idea. What I do know is that I'm where I need to be right now, and I guess that's all I really need to know.
