Seven

This May will mark 7 years for me here at Mayfair. It has truly been a blessed 7 years. There are more people who deserve so much credit for me to have even be here to this point than I can name. I'm blessed to have so many who have invested in me & poured much of themselves into my life along the way. And while I can't even begin to list all these people, I thought I would list 7 quick things that I've learned throughout my short time in ministry. Don't get too excited, these probably won't change your life...but they have helped me through the years. Here they are in no particular order...

1. Don't stress.
After 7 seven years of doing this I'm definitely less stressed than I used to be. I'm pretty particular about how I like things done but I've found that at the end of the day it all works out. You can't take yourself too seriously. And it's just easier to roll with the punches sometimes. Things seldom work out like you plan them. While I still believe in putting in the work to plan & prepare, I'm better at going with the flow than I've ever been.

2. Let people help.
Honestly, I walked into a great situation following in Lee Milam's footsteps. He had put some great people in leadership places in this ministry. These people & others through the years have really blessed my life & our ministry & made it greater than anything I could have ever done on my own. I'm grateful to have so many leaders around me willing to invest themselves into what we're doing.

3. Pray for Wisdom & Mentors.
I've always prayed for 2 things since I was in Jr. High/High School. I know this will sound weird but it's true. I've always prayed for wisdom & for mentors. And I believe my life has been blessed by both. I'm not the wisest person you'll ever meet, but the LORD has led me to make some great decisions & I attribute those successes to Him. And I can't tell you were I'd be without the powerful influence of 5-6 key men who knowingly & unknowingly have been mentors to me. I'll have to write later about how they've blessed my life. I'm a strong believer in finding & having mentors in your life.

4. A great wife.
If you know her, you'll agree. Alisha has been an incredible wife to me over our seven years of marriage. It takes a special person to be the wife of a minister. And she has handled the role with grace & beauty. I'm proud of her, I love her, & I'm having a baby with her!! How cool is that? August 6 is coming up quick. Check out the Family News blog for more on that.

5. Tune-ups.
You know how a mechanic never seems to have time to work on his own car? The same can be true of ministers in the spiritual sense. I've found it imperative to take time to keep myself "filled up" so that I can continue in ministry with integrity. Here's a brief list of things I've done that have helped me.
--Read quality devotional material.
--Do something physical (i.e. hike, fish, walk the dog, run, etc.)
--Personal retreat. I did this once at Gethsemani, 1 word: Awesome.
--Conferences. Great times of refreshing.
--Personal worship time. A must.

6. Enjoy it.
The thing I love about my job (even though it's really not a job) is that I still love what I do. I make a living by God's grace doing what I would do even if I didn't get paid for it. That's just cool. I don't know how long I'll be in youth ministry, but I know it will be a long time.

7. Run with the distance in mind.
One of my mentors taught me the principle of "Begin with the end in mind." And that truly effects everything I do. From my marriage, to my ministry, to our summer mission trips, to the next class I teach, to how I live my life. I always want to do those things I'll never regret. And even when I began here at Mayfair, my desire has always been to live out my days here.

This past week Rick Warren wrote about the benefits & blessings of staying at one church for the long haul. That has always been my prayer & intention. I love the words Rick prayed, it's as if they were my own:

"Father, I'm willing to go any place in the world you want to send me. But I ask for the privilege of investing my entire life in just one location. I donÂ’t care where you put me, but IÂ’d like to stay wherever it is for the rest of my life."