Dream

Dream:
a deep aspiration; a cherised desire

I had the hardest time the other day answering just one question. It wasn't like some 6 part AP Physics type of question either. It was just right there in front of me. It was easy to understand, but just incredibly difficult for me to answer:

"At the end of your life, what's the one thing you want to be able to say that you've changed for the better?"

Right away I'm thinking
1. Is this question about me changing me...or about me changing the world?
2. How much time do I really have to make this change?
3. What needs changing?
4. Can I actually do something about this?
5. Am I doing this alone?

There is so much pride in me that wants to say things like, "Shoot. Tell me what to change and I'll change it, period." However, I've been coached my whole life through challenging situations and I often feel the need to be coached into "getting it done" in life. Almost as if I'm waiting for someone to say, "Jason, if you want to be a better husband, youth pastor, event organizer, son, brother, and friend, then here are the steps you need to take."

Problem is, I've got to be the one to initiate true change in myself. And as far as relying on others to tell me what I need to work on as a person, is stretching it. I'm always one for conversation and thinking with others about life and it's complications for me as a Christian Leader, but it really is up to me to dream big for myself, for my family, and for the ministry that God has called me to. I don't leave enough time in my day to dream about ways to accomplish life's big challenges, and to share those big dream visions with my wife. The moment I slip into a life that stops being risky, selfless, and passionate, is the moment when I have hit rock bottom. My wife deserves a husband who dreams. My God deserves a disciple that says, "What if?" and runs with it.

If I want to be a person that changes himself or the world, it's got to begin with God and continue with a little bit of Dreaming. Change...in me...in anyone...can happen.

Middle School Missions?

I've been gone for a couple of weeks here and there, and soon August will be upon us and I'll be getting busier and busier. Now is the perfect opportunity for you all to catch up on a little missions experience called the Jeremiah Project. I know I mentioned the trip in a previous post, but I just had to post a picture of my team from Week 1. They worked hard, they played hard, and we just had the most amazing week together. I sometimes forget just how real God can be to a middle school student, and I am reminded of that every time our church joins the Jeremiah Project for an event.



Middle School and Missions haven't always been words used in the same sentence, mainly because of most people's preunderstanding of the 12 year old mind. "They only think about themselves," or "they can't quite handle abstract thought," or "they're too busy making out to think about what God is calling them to." At times, these statements can seem very real. At other times, when you are able to really invest in the life of a young person, it becomes incredibly clear that they are capable of so much.

I challenge you to invest in the life of someone younger than you. Really dig in, and find out their story. Forget about your story for a moment, and discover the lives of young people all around you that are screaming for an adult to play with them, set boundaries for them, and walk beside them for a season. When they discover that someone is willing to say " you matter to me," and take them seriously, watch out. They will grow up right in front of you.