We recently received an offer to buy our house. We moved out of it 2 years ago. So, I should be jumping for joy that it is finally gonna sell. But, I’m not. House prices have fallen so much that we are going to have to empty our savings and borrow some money to make the deal work.

And if that weren’t enough, I just lost my tooth! I lost the whole thing. Crown. Post. All of it. More money…gone.

For a while, I was frustrated with the whole thing. But I have decided to gain some perspective on how truly blessed I am. So, here are 7 reasons I refuse to let it get me down.

1. There are people in the world who have never and will never own a house. I have and probably will again.
2. I know lots of people who have lost jobs or who now have jobs that they don’t like. I am working at the best job I have ever had. It’s so good that it’s difficult to even consider it a job.
3. I know lots of people who have had to suffer through families being broken by divorce. I have seen the pain in a child’s face when their parents are divorced. My parents are still married (over 40 years now.) My wife and I are still married (16 years) and we’re gonna go the distance.
4. There are people in the world who cannot afford a $10 net that could save the life of their infant by keeping malaria-spreading mosquitos away. I don’t worry about my kids getting malaria…at all.
5. There are people in the world who don’t have food to eat and don’t know where there next meal is coming from. According to poverty.com, 25,000 people will starve to death, today.  I haven’t missed a meal in this whole process.
6. There are places in this world where children are abducted to become soldiers. They are forced to participate in horrific acts to desensitize them to killing. I never worry about this with my children.
7. There are people in the world who have never heard the Good News about Jesus Christ. I have heard the Good News and have been saved from a perfectly just eternal punishment and have been given a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, meaning and purpose, and eternal reward.

So, I still have a little financial difficulty. But, perspective has helped me see that it’s really not bad, at all. So, what gives you perspective? How have you been blessed?

I still look at you and wonder what you saw in me
I look at you and know exactly what I saw in you
Compassion, kindness, gentleness, a giving spirit
Things I wanted for myself
But had never been able to get by myself

And now many years later I wonder
As we stood in that church, what did you see?
A young man, needs some work, rough around the edges
Things I knew to be true about myself
Things I hoped you didn’t see

And so I sit here writing and wondering
What did you see?
I hope you see in me the things I see in you
Attractive, intelligent, beauty beyond compare
While I’m not sure I can be those things
I know you are…and even more so today than yesterday

I still don’t know what you saw in me
But whatever it was
I’m glad you saw it
You are the love of my life
I wish you could see what I see
Then you’d know exactly how much…
I love you.

Happy Birthday.

About a year ago, I read a book called Rethink, by Steve Wright. He is the Pastor of Students at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Although this is not a review of the book, I highly recommend it to anyone involved in youth ministry.

One of the things the book inspired me to do is to make a list of my values and beliefs. Using Wright’s list as a guideline, I have written 15 things on my list that I want to share.

1. Everything I do must honor God. This is the ultimate goal. Other things are the means to this goal.

2. Christianity is a way of life. Worship, missions, evangelism, and discipleship are as well. These are not add-ons to life.

3. Private habits impact public ministry.

4. Prayer is vital. Everything I participate in should be bathed in prayer.

5. Effective student ministry champions the church and the family.

6. God has ordained parents to be the primary (not only, but primary) disciplers of their children. Friends of the family and the family of God should also be disciplers, but Parents should be primary.

7. Evangelism and discipleship are the “means” of ministry. Evangelism is the first step in discipleship. Discipleship and evangelism do not exist apart from each other. People who are discipled will express their love for God and other people through a lifestyle of worship expressed in various ways (fellowship, missions/evangelism, personal growth, service to others, praise,

8. God has ordained the church to equip and resource families. (This includes Leadership Development so that church members are contributors to ministry and not just consumers of it.)

9. The goal of student ministry is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who will bring others into relationship with Jesus Christ who will then become disciples of Jesus Christ who will bring others into relationship with Jesus Christ who will then…

10. A Biblical framework is valued above cultural relevancy. God’s Word is culturally relevant. Therefore, all teaching that is based on God’s Word will be relevant.

11. We are to be faithful stewards of everything God has entrusted us with.

12. The primary needs of people are salvation, love and care, a model to follow, and truth to build their lives on.

13. People who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ should be focused on needs outside of the body as well as inside.

14. Communication is a must. Communication is not just so people will know details about specific events, but also so that students, parents, leaders, and the church will know the heartbeat of our ministry.

15. In all things we should be led by the Holy Spirit. Of course, this is a way to honor God. (see #1)

Of course, only God’s Word is flawless, so I will modify this if I need to. Blessings!