2009...change

Change is the theme of this year for me. There is no question about that. Last year at 10:10pm on January 1st I was in Stevenson, WA with my brother and my cousin watching videos on YouTube.

If you had told me right them that by in one year I would have left my job and taken a position as a singles pastor in Bryant AR I would have said you were crazy! What a difference a year makes.

One thing I know is that I never say never. There seems to be no rhyme or reason when it comes to where I am going to move or what job I will be asked to do next. That has never been more evident in my life than right now.

People make plans, they look at exactly how they want their lives to go and where they see themselves in 5, 10 or 20 years. I'm not saying that having a plan is bad or wrong...what I am saying is that you need to enjoy what you have and where you are right now!

I left a lot of really good friends and my Dad when I left Oklahoma. I had a good job, a stable job where they wanted me to stay. I was very blessed with everything I had and all the people that were in my life every day.

From the outside looking in my choices don't always make sense. The reason for that is because I don't make my choices based on what "you" are going to think about them. I believe God has a plan for the life of every human. You don't have to agree with me on that, you choose what you believe. I also believe that if I make my choices based on love and where I believe God wants me to be then I will be happy.

If I told you that this whole year has been fun or that I haven't had any struggles along the way I would be lying. My happiness is not based on my circumstances or what side of the bed I wake up on. The last month has shown me that I can be happy when nothing seems right. I can rest in the fact that I am not moved by what I see. I am doing my very best each day to show the love of a perfect God through me, an imperfect man. I am honored to be used to help anyones life. I'm not here for me, I'm here to help as many people as possible before my time is up.

I found out in the last year that people in Arkansas are really nice. Southern hospitality is not a myth. I constantly have people checking to make sure I am not alone for the holidays or that I don't spend too much time by myself. These aren't lifelong friends, these aren't people I had ever met before 2009 (with the exception of one family.) These are people who opened their homes and their hearts to a guy from Washington that they don't really know. They have done for me what I am trying to do for them.

Most people won't get this far into this post. I found that long posts are only read by a few people...but if you made it this far I want to ask you to do something for me. Change someones life this year. Reach out and make a difference. Smile when you don't feel like it. Hold the door when it is raining. Invite someone to come with you to the movies even though your friends don't know them. Close the gap that people feel between them and the rest of the world.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -Ghandi


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