Send Me

Last night, our H.O.P.E. group met at our house for dinner, a devotion/discussion, and a service project.  Usually, I lead the devotion/discussion, but last night was different.  Isaac (my son) led the devotion/discussion.

He started this time by reading a verse from Isaiah:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8

The discussion kicked off with a question from Isaac: “What does this verse mean to you?”

It was a great discussion.

What would prompt Isaiah to respond the way he did?

It’s not always fun to serve, but it’s often very satisfying to serve others.

We don’t always see the benefit of serving others, yet we have to trust our efforts will not be lost on others.

But I think there’s more to Isaiah’s response.

If you read the rest of Isaiah 6, you’ll notice Isaiah shares a vision in which he is escorted into the throne room of God himself.  He sees seraphim with six wings covering their heads with two wings, covering their feet with two wings, and flying with two wings.  They are singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.  Heaven and earth are filled of His glory.”

Isaiah’s response in verse 8 is the only way he could respond having experienced God and His glory.

There’s a lot of great reasons to serve others, to volunteer your time, and to even go on missions trips.  But the main reason for doing these kinds of things is to respond to God and His glory.

Do you realize God is holy?  How do you respond?

May we respond like Isaiah – Send me!

(Great job, Isaac!  Thanks for leading.)

Helping Everyone Starts By Helping Someone

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”  Ronald Reagan

Many complain that things need to change.  We know people who are unemployed.  We see people who are struggling to put the next meal on the table.  We live next to people who are facing an uphill health challenge.  We hear about people who have strained family relationships.  The list goes on.  People are hurting.  People are struggling.  People are simply trying to make it through the day.  They are hopeless.

This is true all around you and me – even in the opulence of America.

What’s the answer to all the hurt, struggle, and hopelessness?

The ultimate answer is Christ.

I guess I could end the post here, but I believe God can use each of us to make a difference in this world.

There are things that we as individuals can do.

So why don’t more people get involved to help out?  Perhaps, we feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people who need help.  Maybe, we don’t know where to start.  Or, we think someone else or even the government is the answer to the hopelessness.  Maybe, we just don’t care, or we don’t believe it’s anyone’s responsibility to help those who won’t help themselves.

What if we looked in the mirror?  What if each one of us looked next door to see how we could bring hope to our hurting neighbor?  What if each of us took action to help someone in need?  What if we took responsibility to help someone?

I think we could actually see a tidal wave of change.

If each of us was willing to help someone else, we can help everyone.

What do you think?

8 Ways To Survive And Thrive When Things Get Busy

“Busy is a drug that a lot of people are addicted to.”  Rob Bell

Our family is in the middle of a very busy week.  We have activities every night this week.  And work is just as busy.  We’re closing out the month of January this week, so I’m chasing down invoices, time sheets, and project close out activities.  It’s weeks like this that cause my head to spin.

If you’re anything like me, you have weeks like this too.

What do you do when the weeks get crazy busy?

I’ve found several things that help me survive and thrive when the weeks get crazy busy.  Here are my suggestions.

8 Ways To Survive And Thrive When Things Get Busy

1. Start each day with prayer and time with God.  This is where it has to start.  Even if you can spend 15 to 30 minutes of quiet time at the start of your day, it will be worth it.  This is the time to focus your day in the right place.  When I jump right out of bed and into the fray without spending time to pray, read God’s word, and reflect, it often feels like I’m wheel spinning out of balance.
2. Find ways to exercise regularly throughout the week.  For me, this is the next part of my day.  Even when I’m busy, I try to exercise 5 or 6 days a week.  Raising your heart rate for 20-30 minutes through running, hiking, biking, swimming, or brisk walking can make a huge difference.  I’ve found that regular exercise helps to get my metabolism off and running, and it helps me stay alert through meetings and conversations when I really need to pay attention.
3. Make the most of the small moments in between.  It can seem really hectic when you’re running from one meeting to the next or one activity to the next.  Being intentional in the in between is important to getting things done.  Last night when I arrived home from work, I had a few minutes before dinner.  I used this time to replace a flood light above our garage.  It took me a few minutes to get the extension ladder, and I another minute to climb up the ladder to replace the bulb.  This is a task that needed to be accomplished.  Those precious minutes before dinner were provided just enough time to check this off my list of things to do.
4. Connect with your family.  This probably should be number 2 on the list.  If you’re married, pray with your spouse at the beginning and at the end of the day.  Connect when you both get home from work for a few minutes.  I don’t always get this right, but it’s important to remove distractions for a few minutes to give your spouse or kids your undivided attention.  For your kids, it might mean playing a game of ping-pong before you leave for an activity or before they start the next part of their homework.  Connecting with your family is a huge part of finding balance in the midst of a crazy busy week.
5. Don’t be afraid to say no.  I realize we’ve all made commitments to be part of one meeting or an activity.  There may be times where we have to cancel something or postpone it, so we can take time to catch our breath.  It will be okay.  Really!
6. Remember why you are involved with the activities or meetings in the first place.  When things get busy, it’s easy to lose sight of why we do what we do.  This can happen at work, but it can also happen at the evening game or meeting.
7. Learn from your scheduling mistakes.  Sometimes a busy week is impossible to avoid, but there are also times when we simply don’t schedule ourselves very well.  Build gaps into your schedule.  You need breaks.  You need opportunities to catch up on the little things.
8. Practice sabbath.  Take a one minute break every hour.  Take an hour break every day.  Take a day break every week.  You need time to rest, to connect, and to be restored.

It’s only Tuesday, I’m not sure exactly how the rest of my week will go.  But I do know that following these simple tips will help me though my crazy busy week.

What kind of week are you having?  What helps your survive when the days and weeks get crazy busy?

Don’t Lose Sight Of The Difference You Make

Am I making a difference?

I work in the construction world.  Especially here on the east coast, it can be a cut-throat, brutal experience.  People are clamoring to get ahead of the next person or to squash the competitors.  Language choice is colorful to say the least, and sometimes the content of conversation makes the Howard Stern Show seem like a visit to Sunday School.  Living and working in this environment can be a challenge especially for someone who is trying to follow Christ and to represent Him with integrity and character.

I’ve worked in the industry for nearly twenty years, and it hasn’t always been easy.  I don’t always have the right words to say, and I sometimes regret the actions I’ve taken.  I question myself wondering if I said what I should have said or if I did what I should have done.  I want others to see my faith come alive in my words and in my actions.  After twenty years, I sometimes wonder if I’m making a difference.

Sometimes it’s the simplest conversations or interactions which remind me I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

A few weeks ago, one of my team members came into my office to tell me about the struggle she was having outside the office.  Her mom had been taken to the hospital.  The doctors at the hospital informed my teammate and her family that their mother was in her final days.  I listened for several minutes as my teammate explained the situation.  As she was leaving my office, I asked her, “I know this isn’t the typical question you get in the office, but I’ll ask anyway.  Is there something specific for which I can pray for you?”  She responded very affirmatively.

Then late last week, another one of my team members stopped by to inform me his young son was being taken to the hospital in response to some type of virus or infection.  I had the opportunity to listen to him and to offer my encouragement.  He texted me a couple of times throughout the weekend to give me progress reports on his son’s improving condition.  We didn’t have a major conversation, but I still had an opportunity to let him know I cared about him and his family.

It’s interactions like these which remind me I am making a difference.

I’ve been more aware of conversations and interactions with other employees throughout the office over the past couple of weeks.  People want to know you care.  They may carry around a rough exterior, but they are people who are going through all kinds of challenges and frustrations. They are crying out for someone to listen to them, and they are grasping to find the truth.  As Christian leaders in the workplace, we have a huge opportunity to show our team members a glimpse of Christ.  Will we always get it right?  Probably not.  But I’m convinced God can used messed up people like us to make a difference in the lives of others by shining His light.  We shine God’s light by being alert to others, by making wise choices, by acting with integrity, and by speaking with truth and love.

I hope and pray I never lose sight of the opportunity to serve and represent Christ right where I am.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… I Peter 3:15

How are you making a difference right where you are?

MLK Day – Finite Disappointment, Infinite Hope

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This post originally appeared in October of 2012 in the middle of a volunteer work week in which our team was helping to clean out the home of a woman who had fallen into a pattern of hoarding.  This post came to mind as I was thinking about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which we are celebrating in the United States today.  I had a huge feeling of despair as I wrote this post over a year ago, but I have seen the other side.  The woman we helped is still living in the house.  Other experts have stepped in to help.  And she is now part of our H.O.P.E. serving small group.  Do we face disappointments in life?  Absolutely!  Is there still hope?  You bet.  Take a look at this post.  I hope you’ll find hope in the midst of whatever disappointment and despair you may be facing.

Over the past four days, I’ve been working with a team of people to clean up and empty out the home of an elderly woman in our community.  Each night this week, a team of 12-20 eager volunteers have arrived at the home ready to work.  They’ve put everything they have into this project, and they’ve remarkably emptied the main floor of 2 1/2 dumpsters full of trash.  It’s amazing what can be done when good people work together.

What has been challenging to me especially over the past two nights is the revelation of how bad things still are for this woman and her home.  As we’ve emptied rooms, we’ve discovered mold and mildew beyond anyone’s imagination.  And last night, a few of us journeyed into the basement to discover conditions that I can hardly describe without crying or vomiting.  She has been sleeping in this basement which is full of mold, trash, and raw sewage.

It became quite apparent last night that we had taken this project to a point that goes far beyond the scope that a team of untrained volunteers can handle.  On one hand, I’m so grateful for the powerful force of willing volunteers to get this project to this point.  And on the other hand, I feel so sad and over my head to realize that we may not be able to do much more right now to restore this woman’s home to a safe and healthy living environment.

So where do we go from here?  It’s a great question for which I don’t know the answer.  I know that there is still hope.  And I need to lean on this hope despite the huge disappointment.  I pray that the actions taken so far would not be a waste of time, energy, and money.  I pray that this woman’s life would be changed forever because of what has taken place this week.  I pray for the neighbors that they may know Christ’s love because of the actions taken this week.  And I pray for those who volunteered that they would live their lives differently because of what they saw this week.  Please pray for these things and for direction as we discern how to proceed from here.  Thanks!

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18

That’s all I’ve got.  What keeps you going?  How have you seen disappointment and despair turn into hope?

2014 Goals

Over the past week or two, I have been working on goals for the new year.  I work well from a position of “To Do Lists” and targets, so it’s natural for me to create new goals heading into 2014.  I want to be intentional with how I live my life, and I believe a list of goals can be a huge part of being intentional.

Last night, I took time to write them down.  Actually, each member of our family wrote down at least 5 goals for the new year.  We shared them with each other as a way to make the goals real.  The kids wrote goals in these five areas:  spiritual, fitness, academic, financial, and interest.  It was pretty amazing to see their goals for 2014.  For example, Isaac wants to put $20 in the bank each month, and Hannah wants to qualify for PACs in the mile.

My list included spiritual goals, marriage goals, family goals, fitness goals, financial goals, work goals, academic goals, and writing goals.  I hope and plan to accomplish each of the things written down on this list; however, I’m not convinced this will happen.  And I’m okay with this.

At the bottom of my 2014 goal list, I wrote a verse:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

I want my goals and plans to be God’s plans for me in 2014.  And this may mean some of my goals need to be refined, refocused, and possibly removed.  And so I start 2014 with this prayer:

God, Thank you for a fresh start today and every day.  I have many goals and ideas for the new year.  Each of these plans is nothing without you.  Ans so I give you my agenda.  Make my goals your goals and plans for me.  Where I am off base correct me.  Where I am right on encourage me.  Surround me with people who will keep me pointed at You, and use me in the lives of others to do the same.  May 2014 be a year of amazing blessing and stretching.  Amen.

Do you set goals or resolutions for the new year?  Why or why not?  What is one of your goals for 2014?

6 Ways To Rediscover Patience

This was the top post written in 2013 on The Stretched Blog (there are three posts written prior to 2013 which actually drove more traffic this year).  This post on patience was written back in early April of this year.  Reviewing this post provides some great reminders for me, and I hope you’ll find encouragement from this post as well.  I am still be stretched by the thoughts in this post.  Here goes….

I’m Losing My Patience – 6 Ways To Rediscover Patience

As a kid, I can remember a few times when my Dad’s fuse was shorter than normal.  Especially when he was tired and under a lot of stress, his patience would grow thin, and he would become frustrated and somewhat angry as my brothers and I would push the limits on what he could tolerate.

Overall, my Dad is a great father, and I’d honestly be honored and blessed if I could pick up half of his qualities.  He’s a leader.  He’s wise.  He’s extremely intelligent.  He’s caring.  I could go on.  But if I’m honest, I hoped I would miss out on his occasional short patience “quality.”

Well, I’m afraid that didn’t completely work out.  The other night, Leanne said to me, “I think you’re getting more impatient as you get older.”  Whoa!  First, she’s calling me impatient.  And then, she’s calling me older!  Maybe she’s right.  By the end of the night, my tolerance for horsing around diminishes, and I can often tell that I’m losing my patience.  It’s not a feeling I completely enjoy.  I don’t want to be grumpy or to be known as the “wet blanket” in the house, so I need to find a way to restore my patience levels.

Here are several ideas that come to mind for bringing patience back into my life.  Maybe, they’ll help you too!

6 Ways To Rediscover Patience

1. Recognize that patience comes from God.  According to Paul in Galatians, patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience (or forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23
2. Pray for patience.  Many would consider this to be a dangerous prayer.  I’m not so sure.  If true patience comes from God, doesn’t it make sense that we should ask for it?  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Matthew 7:7-8
3. Learn the things that cause us to lose our patience.  Maybe it’s lack of sleep.  Maybe it’s financial stress.  Maybe it’s pressure at work.  It’s important to learn these causes, so we can come up with a plan to combat the problems.
4. Take counter measures.  If it’s lack of sleep – get more sleep.  If it’s stress – find ways to eliminate or alleviate the stress.  Running is a huge counter measure for me in the battle against stress.  When I get regular exercise, my patience tends to improve.
5. Get someone to watch your back.  Use a friend to keep your patience levels in check.  I’m thankful that my wife would call me on the carpet about my patience.  I need people in my life who build me up and who help me deal with some of my “demons”.
6. Ask for forgiveness.  On the rare occasion when my Dad would lose his patience, he would come back and apologize.  He would ask for forgiveness if he had somehow wronged on of us.  We’re not perfect.  Not one of us gets it right all the time.  We all make mistakes.  We will lose our patience.  Admitting failure can be a positive step in the healing process and in STRETCHING us towards the personal growth we need to pursue.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  Colossians 3:13

Do you struggle with patience?  What helps you when you lose your patience?  What thoughts can you add to the list above?

5 Tips For Handling Life Stopping Experiences

As we wrap up the year, I’m taking some time to reflect on the top posts written this year.  Today’s post is great to review.  As the weather has turned colder again, I’ve been logging more mileage on the treadmill.  I hope today’s post will STRETCH you again.  (This post was originally posted in February 2013.)

When The Treadmill Stops Suddenly – 5 Tips For Handling Life Stopping Experiences

I’ve been logging running mileage again, and it feels great.  Most of my miles these days are happening on the treadmill at the gym thanks to the cold weather and early morning darkness that blankets our area at this time of the year.

The other day, I was up early running a quick 4.5 miles at our local YMCA.  I had the treadmill ramped up to 7.8 miles per hour (which for me is a pretty decent pace).  While I’m on the treadmill, I listen to podcasts and glance up at the televisions to see the latest sports highlights and news updates.  About a mile into my run as I was lost in my own world, the treadmill suddenly stopped.

Imagine driving your car at 65 miles an hour and it suddenly stops completely.  Or imagine riding your bicycle at 15 miles an hour when someone jams a stick in your spokes.

This is how it felt when the treadmill stopped for me.  I somehow managed to catch myself before a complete catastrophe occurred.  The guy running next to me commented, “Wow!  Nice catch.”  I tried to get the treadmill back up and running, but it wouldn’t power up and restart.  I switched treadmills and continued my workout.

Sometimes life is like this.  We are coasting along when something happens in our lives that brings things to a screeching halt.  It’s happened in my life a few times – like the time I crashed my car two weeks before my wedding, like when my wife was rushed to the hospital shortly after our son was born, and like the moment I learned that my grandfather had passed away six years ago.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’ve learned a few things through life events like these.

5 Tips For Handling Life Stopping Experiences

1. Hang on.  Sometimes this is all we can do.  When we don’t understand, when we don’t know the plan, we can trust God and hang on to His hand.  I remember asking during these times, “Why?”  Even in the toughest moments, we must remember that He will never leave us.
   

   “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua 1:5

2. Trust God.  In times like this, I’ve gone back to Proverbs 3:5-6 as a promise that God will make my paths straight even when life doesn’t make sense.
   

   Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Lean into family and friends.  I can’t tell you how much family and friends have meant to our family when life’s train seems to have derailed.  It helps to know that someone is praying for me, is willing to talk or listen as I wrestle through the challenges of life, and is willing to be there when I can’t fully focus on my daily needs.  If you’re missing this in your own life, I’d encourage and challenge you to seek out this kind of friendship.  Our church small group experience has provided many of these types of friendships.
4. Consider a change.  Sometimes a life stopping experience can be the catalyst to positive change in our lives.  This week, I switched treadmills.  Maybe these experiences are a call to change direction.
   

   “See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:19

5. Learn and grow.  Life halting experiences can be life altering experiences if we take time to learn and grow.  This is why I recommend a journal or even a blog as a way to record life’s happenings.  I have learned so much through the major speed bumps of life and the blog and my journal have become great places to record and process these experiences.

I returned to the gym this morning to run more on the treadmill.  I’m sure I was a bit more cautious, but I’m ready to keep going.  I’m thankful for the reminder that a simple treadmill experience can provide.  I have no idea what the rest of the day holds, but I look ahead with confidence knowing that it will be okay no matter what transpires.

What have you learned from a life stopping experience?  What other tips do you have for handling these kinds of times?

8 Ways To Protect Your Teenagers

Parenting is an important focus for my wife and me.  We want to raise our kids well.  We want to protect them, and we want to give them their independence as they get older.  Today, we look back at the third most popular post written in 2013.  If you are a parent or plan to be a parent, I think this post will STRETCH you.  Check it out, and let me know what you think….

8 Ways To Build A Hedge Of Protection Around Our Teenagers

We’re approaching a parenting milestone later this year.  Our daughter, Hannah, will be able to get her driver’s permit towards the end of the calendar year.  It’s a bit scary to imagine our little girl behind the wheel of a car.

Over the Easter weekend, I had a chance to talk with my Grandpa who lives in the Midwest.  Our conversation was filled with updates on our family and the activities that keep us running from one thing to the next.  At the end of our conversation as always, my Grandpa prayed for our family.  He inquired about things in our family that could use prayer.  The subject of Hannah’s driver’s permit came up, and Grandpa specifically prayed that God would put His hedge of protection around Hannah and our family as we navigate these times.  He recalled a verse from Job 1 indicating that God put a hedge of protection around Job and his family:

“Have you [God] not put a hedge around him [Job] and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.”  Job 1:10

The teenage years can be pretty challenging.  Kids in the age group are faced with pressures from peers like never before.  They are faced with a world full of media that points people away from God and toward themselves and stars who are undeserving of such adoration.

As parents, we play a huge role in creating a hedge for our children.  It can be such a tough thing to do – to create realistic and appropriate boundaries while fostering independence and responsible decision-making.  We want the best for our kids.  We want them to experience things that we never experienced, and we want them to have the things we never had.  In the pursuit of providing the best for our kids, we can overlook the ultimate purpose in our parenting – to point our kids towards God, His Son, and His Word.

8 Ways To Protect Your Teenagers

1. Keep God first in your own life.  We must lead by example.  If we expect our kids to follow God, we must seek Him first.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33
2. Place God’s Word at the foundation of your family.  There are tons of great parenting resources today, but the Bible has to be primary resource for everything in life.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9
3. Pray like you mean it – like it depends on God.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  James 5:16
4. Learn that ‘no’ doesn’t have to be a negative word.  Parents these days are bent on becoming their kid’s best friend.  We are scared that saying no to our kids will somehow damage them.  Saying no is part of creating a hedge.
5. Lean into the tough conversations.  I learned this week that the best conversations can sometimes be the toughest conversations.  Talking about tough things provides an opportunity to help your teenager process and establish their world view.  These conversations help our kids navigate and discover the truth.
6. Find the strategic opportunities to demonstrate trust.  At some point, our kids will be on their own.  We will release our kids like an arrow leaving a bow-string.  If we aim them towards the Target, we need to trust that the arrow will fly straight.  Spreading their wings doesn’t have to be an all at once thing.  It works best as baby steps.
7. Be a constant student of parenting.  Find parents who have gone on before you.  Learn from their experiences.  Seek out resources that will teach you how to be a parent who honors God.
8. Balance truth and grace.  Our kids will make plenty of mistakes (just like we did).  We must teach them truth, and show them grace.  We must show them love.  Love speaks truth, and love shows grace.

Are you a parent?  How do you protect your kids?  What did your parents do to point you towards God, His Son, and His Word?

A Letter To Me – Note From Guatemala (2012)

This week, I received a letter from me.  It’s a note I wrote to myself the day before I left Xenacoj, Guatemala for the first time (in 2012).  It’s interesting to read my thoughts in this letter.  The letter really only scratches the surface on the reflections I’ve had since leaving Xenacoj the first time and returning again last summer.  Here’s the letter:

Dear Jon,

When thinking back to all of the incredible things God did during my trip to Xenacoj, Guatemala with Adventures Youth (and RIOT Missions), I stand amazed.

What an experience it was!  I couldn’t stop laughing when Spencer (Ware) shared his funny stories.  And you’ll never believe me when I tell you about the time when we built a home for a family in just 2 1/2 days.

This experience wasn’t just new places and faces, God showed up in huge ways.  My favorite part about ministry was sharing and praying with locals and I will never forget the way their openness impacted me so much.  I especially loved the time we were able to bless Zuli’s family by building a home and giving her family paint for their new house.

This week, the rhythm of my life was interrupted.  I learned to connect with God by avoiding distractions.  The big groups and devotions helped me discover that I have a unique sound and story.  In the wavelength of my life’s experiences, my highs and lows, I can see how God is involved in my life.  During this trip, I saw God in key moments like the time we returned from dedicating Zuli’s house.

Being empowered to access the kingdom and hear God’s voice, I learned sharing our faith is simply a matter of offering prayer and a hand of help to those in need.

Something I never knew about myself until this experience is kids (teenagers) actually look up to me (and not just because I’m tall).  The biggest thing I learned about God and His character is He speaks to me.  Because of Xenacoj, I will never live life the same way as before.

The world is waiting and it’s time I amplified the messages I hear from the Lord, time to proclaim my story.  And it’s not just enough to amplify.  After this week, I realize the need to reverberate; I must keep moving again and again, allowing the voice of God to echo through my own story.

Jon

A missions trip of this type is pretty powerful.  It stretches you in ways you could never fully imagine.  This initial trip which was spurred by a question from a friend and a leap of faith has led to significant life change.  My family has been forever changed.  And I’m convinced we can help other individuals and families to experience this same type of life change.  Xenacoj left a huge mark – a STRETCH mark – on me.

Our family is in the process of planning a return trip to Xenacoj in 2014.  We would love to have you join us.  I can’t promise it will be easy.  I can’t promise it will be comfortable.  I can’t promise you’ll have the exact same experience as I have had so far.  But I can promise this – you will be stretched.  You will be wrecked (in a good way).  And you will be forever changed.

How does that make you feel?  Scared?  Excited?  Inspired?  Encouraged?  Unaffected?  Really how does the thought of joining me and my family on a missions trip to Xenacoj, Guatemala make you feel?

What are you waiting for?  What will it take for you to go?

Seriously, if this is something you are interested in pursuing.  Please leave a comment or reach out to me.  Let’s talk!