Sometimes "S"

My willbesixbeforeweknowit year old son, the loving linebacker, JM, is learning to read and write in Kindergarten. It’s amazing to watch how his world is expanding. His little world of audible only words is becoming a greater world of written word. Couple those new skills with his God-given problem solving ability and you never know what he is going to come up with. Or when.

A small percentage of his original, oft humorous, offerings have made it to my quotes page as Markese. Read those in a moment.

His most recent, arresting pronouncement and the reason for my post is this: 

Sometimes “s” can be a good thing. Like “friends”. You just add “s” and you have more friends.—JM, age 5

His world, though rapidly expanding through language, is still so simple. Add an “s” and get more friends. He is learning language skills. But that observation reveals so much more about him. What’s important to him. Friends. What we all need more of. Friends. What we could all be more freely for others. Friends.

JM’s childhood logic begs the adult question: If you could add an “s” to anything to have more, honestly, what would it be?

What does that tell you about yourself?

XYV

With a gleeful snicker, most any kindergartener can demonstrate their newly acquired alphabetic ability to an unzipped friend, “XYZ.”

You might have been the embarrassed-and-hopefully-not-scarred-for-eternity recipient. Or you could have been the thinking-you-were-clever-and-glad-it-wasn’t-you deliverer of the phrase. XYZ.

Examine. Your. Zipper.

As adults we may still use the phrase. We may still snicker. Or be embarrassed. Depending on which end of the phrase we are on.

How about a new phrase that more often & more seriously applies to adults? XYV.

Examine. Your. Values.

Just as the downed zipper may expose the garments we think are guarded, so too do our words, or lack of, & our actions, or lack of, speak of our values.

No matter what you say.

No matter what you do.

Your values are showing.

XYV.


Who I Am

 

The reFocusing proccess at my church asked us to discover who God has created us to be. As a reminder to myself, here I am.

My Biblical Purpose

I exist to be loved by God through the risen Savior & the powerful Spirit.


My Values

1. Kingdom: Living faithfully by the principles of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

2. Discipleship: Becoming evermore Christ-like & influencing others to be the same.

3. Missionary: Extending the Kingdom in an Acts 1:8 movement.

4. Courage: Surrendering in faith to take risks for the Kingdom.

5. Family: Loving my family whole-heartedly without compromise.


My Vision

My vision is to love my family in words and actions, prayers and presence as God loves me so that Melanie will be vibrant and my children will be confident.

My vision is to love the Church as a discerning pastor and a passionate preacher as Christ loves me so that we might see with an eternal perspective, walk in transformational discipleship, and live with a missional impact.

I desire the Kingdom of Heaven to be enlarged because I gave my life away.