100!

I noticed about a week ago that my next post (now this post) is my 100th post! Getting here has been a journey of almost three years. Even as I sit here and write, I can't help but think of all that has transpired in my life over the last three years. Most of the major events have made there way to this blog and are available for anyone in the world to read. Many of the smaller events and routine living of life hasn't appeared here. Most of that is very intentional. I tend to be private person. As I have done a lot of soul searching and personal discovery over the past 5 plus years I have learned that most of my outgoing nature was an attempt to cover my low view of myself and have people like me (so that I could feel good about myself). Now, I live a much more congruent life. I enjoy going home after work during the week and relaxing by watching TV with Amy (and keeping the house straightened up). I love just hanging out with my handful of friends. I love watching football on the weekends. I love that Amy puts up with my love of sports (and football in particular)!

Life is a journey. And I am discovering that it about living as the person God created each of us to be. Sometimes (many times) our culture tells us somehting different. That who we are isn't good enough. That we have to be something or someone other than who God created us to be. That is not what God intended. I believe that is what God is telling us through the proverb found in Proverbs 22:6 (from The Message)

Point your kids in the right direction—
when they're old they won't be lost.

This verse isn't about instilling the right morals in kids and when they are old they won't leave those morals. Instead it is God's instruction to parents to help their children discover who God created them to be and help start them on that journey. When I am who God created me to be--I won't be held captive by culture. I won't stray from who God created me to be just to please someone or have someone like me. Perhaps the reason we have so many people in our society who experience a "mid-life crisis" is due to the fact that they were never pointed in the right direction. So they get to a point in their life when they hate themselves and their lives--because they are not being true to who God created them to be. Sadly many have never discovered who God wants them to be.

I don't know where God will lead me in the future on life's journey. Even though there is a pat of me that would love to know God's master plan for me, I think it is more fun not knowing. But one things I do know. I intend to continue to live more congruently with who God created me to be and his will for my life every day--one day at a time.

When I sat down to write this post earlier, I intended to write about a ministry event from this weekend. However, these ramblings are what flowed from my heart. I'll write about the ministry event later...(maybe!) ;)

Tutoring

Since leaving Wonder City last December I have not been as involved in direct ministry. Although I am still teaching and preaching, I am not doing these activities on a set regular basis. My ministry has been more through developing new relationships and helping out where needed.

Yesterday, I started attending “1 Up” as a tutor to elementary age kids. “1 Up” is Memphis Urban Ministry’s after-school tutoring program in the downtown community. This program was started earlier this school year. Although, I am needed, this will now become a regular part of my ministry with MUM post Wonder City.

I enjoyed yesterday. Although different from the after-school program we had at Wonder City, it was good to hang out with the kids and help them with their homework and subjects where they need to improve. Yesterday, I was helping Tameesha, a kindergartner, with matching and phonics. Her phonics homework involved looking at a picture, saying what it was, and writing the letter that made the final sound in the word (ex. one picture was of a fan and she needed to write the letter “n”). No matter what word I used to indicate the final, last, end sound of the word, Tameesha kept saying the beginning sound of the word. Eventually she got the hang of what she was supposed to be doing and finished her homework quickly.

So far “1 Up” is enjoying success. Yesterday the student brought their second report cards. All the students were able to improve at least one letter grade in most of their subjects. I don’t remember any student who had an “F” on their report card for this previous grading period. I believe this is due to the quality of volunteer tutors our Outreach Minister, Dorn, has put together and the one on one tutoring the students have been receiving two days a week. SAY YES! at Wonder City didn’t enjoy this level of success for a couple of reasons: 1) only one day a week and 2) 5 students to one mentor/tutor. I hope and pray that God will continue to allow us to see this level of success at “1 Up.”