I kind of accidently stumbled across a simple post I first wrote shortly after the inception of this blog.  It was simply a quote from a Starbucks cup (you know the ones), but I thought it was worth repeating here nearly 2 years later.

This week on the blog, we’re all writing about our favorite resource for summer events.  Mine is a little bit of a “different” resource to consider.

This evening I was reading through my devotional book I read every night, Extreme Devotion.  (It’s really great, and you can check it out by clicking its picture to the left.)  Today’s devotion was about a missionary who went to Korea in the 1800s with a Korean Bible in tow.  The missionary was killed before he ever spoke to a single Korean.  However, his Bible is still read today by Christians in the restricted nation of North Korea.  Over 150 years later, his action and subsequent death are still a testimony to Korean Christians.

You know what’s so cool about that?  He had nothing to do with the growth but planting the seed.  It’s kind of like he planted a garden then had to move away, so someone else started tending it.  That’s where the parallel comes in.

Sometimes (no, most of the time) we have trouble letting go of our “gardens”.  You know them: the ministries, events, duties, etc. that you’ve always done.  It might be camp, VBS, summer outreaches, or whatever you may do.  It’s your baby and you don’t want to let it go.  The thing is, sometimes in order for it to really grow, you need to let go of it.

The death of any great ministry can be a leader who won’t let go.  It’s just like a parent who won’t let go of their child once they’re out on their own.  God has put volunteers in your church specifically so you can let go.  I appreciate being able to serve under a children’s pastor like Ryan, who’s willing to let go of these projects when he can.  For instance, a good portion of our VBS planning has been handed off to one of our best volunteers, Carol, for several years now.  There was an opportunity to let go, and he took it.  It’s helped both Ryan and our VBS in the long run having someone with the resources necessary to really invest in the ministry.  He recognized that a volunteer was put in his path to be a great resource for him.

So what this summer could you hand off to one of your “resources?”  Look at the things you refuse to let go of, but could really use someone else to tend to them who has the time and know-how.  Use the amazing volunteers God has blessed you with to their fullest!  It is called “summer break” after all.

My life has been on a Joseph kick lately.  We’re starting a 10 week Joseph series in kids’ church, the first lesson of which I taught.  Ryan preached on Joseph today.  I’ve heard stuff about a book about Joseph.  It seems like Joseph just keeps coming back.  I suppose God’s probably trying to tell me something.

Regardless, I did have a realization about Joseph today.  See, Joseph’s life was pretty screwed up.  He had more step-whatevers than you could imagine, his dad cheated his way through life, and he was the favorite.  He wouldn’t let you forget it either.  Joseph didn’t start life very well.  In fact, Joseph even contributed his good share to how screwed-up he was.  Sometimes I can read through his early life and see pride, other times I can’t.

Joseph’s brothers hated him because of his pride.  Finally, his pride led to a fall.  Literally.  He found himself at the bottom of a pit.  Not by his choosing, but more because that’s where the 10 brothers found a convenient place to put him.  That pit was important to Joseph’s life though.

See, without that pit, Joseph would have lived the rest of his life as the spoiled brat child of a con artist.  But that pit opened up opportunities.  That pit changed his life.  After that, he had a rough couple of years, then he became a great ruler.  That’s what a pit did for Joseph.

We’re a lot like Joseph.  Sometimes, we get so cocky we just get thrown to the bottom of a pit without a rope.  While we’re in there, it looks pretty hopeless.  It’s dark and we can’t escape by ourselves.  But if we choose, that pit can be hopeful.  You have to come out of the pit eventually.  Things will be better once you get out.  You just have to try.  Choose that you’re going to get out.  That way, when you’re on level ground, you can look at where you’ve been and thank God you’re not there anymore.  You overcame, with His help.  Let the pit change you for the better, rather than wallowing in the swamp at the bottom.

So this blog has pretty much been dead since I first started it almost a year ago.  I’ve been bouncing a lot of thoughts around in my head lately, and I just wanted to share some of them.

I needed an outlet for my thoughts that aren’t explicitly children’s ministry related.  So here it is.  Let me know what you think.

As you’ll recall, last Friday we launched a contest to see who could come up with the most creative budget-stretching idea.  Last night marked the end of our contest, and we now have a winner.  You probably want to know who the winner is, don’t you?  It’s probably driving you insane in suspense.  All of this endless rambling is just put here to delay the inevitable task of actually telling you who won.  Are you ready?  Then you’re going to have to click on to see the winning idea! (more…)