8 years later

Tonight I went to the Aki Kurose Middle School Girls Soccer Banquet. My friend Bobby just completed his 8th year as coach there. Melissa, one of the girls attending, played for his first team 8 years ago...she's now a beautiful young adult--I remember her as a beautiful middle schooler. Bobby recognized several young ladies who were the 2nd person in their family to play for one of Bobby's teams.

How many of us are consistently in the lives of youth and their families for 8 straight years? I know I had the same 10th grade math teacher as my Mom, and he was SHARP! What a legacy!

My boss was recently honored for being a Sunday school teacher for a group of 4th graders, and then moving up with them all the way through their senior year of high school. He still meets with some of them after a decade and a half.

Relationships matter. The longer term, the better. Courage.

Time Is Short and Hell Is Hot

Where's the urgency? Our president elect at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission mentioned this 7 word phrase several times this past week, as I had opportunity to hang out with him. It strikes me because it is Biblical truth that we don't emphasize very often as Evangelical Christians. Hell and God's wrath are not very popular doctrines, and seem to have fallen to the margins of a message about God's love and desire to be our friend.

If Christians really have a heart for people who are heading for eternal separation from such a friendly and loving God, wouldn't we have more urgency to share even a positive message with our friends, relatives, and neighbors?

Let us plant, let us water, that God may make His life in our friends grow.

Glacier National Park...worth the trip and only about 7 hours from Seattle. We saw 2 bears up close, a moose, and more spectacular water falls/mountain/lakes than I have time to post.

Today as you serve, consider this wisdom from Proverbs 15...

"A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart. A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face. A cheerful heart fills the day with song."

Am I singing? How is it that I can be overwhelmed by the complexity and depth of the challenges my friends and I face, and still whistle while I work? I have a song posted on the bulletin board beside my desk called "You Are My Shield." Here's a link to one brother's powerpoint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0qenDaOjyw This song encourages me.

"A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line.
An undisciplineds, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed life is spacious."

I feel like I'm a fairly accomplished fritterer. I like to run, but I meander. Father give me focus on the highest and best stewardship of my time and energy and other resources for the sake of your Glory and your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Lastly, I had the opportunity to attend a great event last night where I heard the story of 2 families who refuse to fritter. For more info, check out this blog: http://www.jukanovich.blogspot.com/

Watch out Rwanda--here come the Jukanovichs and Crocketts! Grace and peace to all.

Center for the Poor

Hi friends. You've GOT to watch this video by Bill Strickland. He shares some pictures of what he believes he's been called to do. He clearly has the gift of Vision. May we all sit at his feet and learn how we might change our neighborhoods.

Paste this into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHBiHFV9SA&eurl=http://www.bill-strickland.org/seeBill&feature=player_embedded

Grace and Peace.

Intervention

Yesterday my friend Bobby broke up 4 fights, had his car broken into and I-Pod stolen, and had a student have her I-Pod stolen out of her hands right outside of the Youth Reach Out Center where he works. He noted that the ministry climate seems to be rapidly changing--kids just don't care or value one another. It's like there's no foundation of morality, but is every person for themselves, with no holds barred on survival. It's a beautiful and revitalized neighborhood in many ways, but how does one remove the ghetto when it is between your ears? 2 suicides and a bunch of shooting deaths, and many more shootings without fatalities. Makes you want to escape with a nice game of Halo...