16

"You're sixteen, you're beautiful, and you're mine."
Maybe not the exact idea the song writer had in mind, but that is my line today.

It is so hard to believe that our eldest, Bekah, turns 16 today. ob alums around the world are struggling to beleive that that little toddler they knew on Operation Barnabas is now driving a car--and doing a very nice job doing that too. Seems like yesterday she made her entry into the world and the time has flown by. Poor girl--had to go to school today on her birthday. My parents never made me go to school on my birthday. Then again, my birthday is in July...

I guess what I have found so interesting is that the age group that Dana and I have always worked with with--teens and young adults--is now the group that our own daughter is a part of. Going to a youth conference or retreat in previous years was always about the general audience. Now it includes that, but also has "I wonder how my own kid is reacting to this" in it too.

I am grateful that Bekah has a heart that is sensitive towards spiritual things as well as for being a leader. She is enjoyable to be around and really has a gift of discernment. We are proud of her and the decisions she continues to make. She is strong--which too many people think is a negative. We have always seen it as incredibly positive and don't want it any other way. When she makes up here mind--especially between right and wrong--she continues a good path, even when it may not be popular with her peers and the world's standards. And at the same time, she is teachable. Good combination. And it is going to take a special strong guy to win her over. I think most guys are afraid of her--and I'm okay with that. I also hear some of those same guys are afraid of me. I'm good with that too...

I've heard is said that when a young person makes good decisions and follows God, parents take too much credit for that. I've also heard that when a young person makes poor choices, that parents too often do not take enough responsibility for it. If anyone deserves credit in this--it is more Dana than me. And I am grateful.

So, happy birthday, Bekah. Mom and I love you and are very proud of you. Excited for the years you have before you to great things for others and to honor God.
Love,
Dad

It Bothers Me that It Bothered Me

The first Saturday of each February is when we have our taxes done. That statement makes us sound like we have everything in our life very planned...but maybe that may be the only regularly planned thing in our lives!

Financial experts say that you shouldn't use the government as your banker and let them hold onto much of your taxes so that you get a rebate. Well, we have always used the government as that bank. We use that "extra money" then to give to various needs at church, the kids school, ob kids, household things that need to get done, etc. For us, it has worked fine.

I knew we would not be getting as much back this year as last. But I was more than a little shocked when I was told that instead of GETTING money from Uncle Sam, we were going to OWE him $1800 for 2008. Wow. Knock me over with a feather.

If there is good news, it is that I didn't kick anything, yell and scream, or swear at anyone. But this news bothered me all day. We aren't big spenders--we are more savers. It isn't that we couldn't come up with $1800--even though that would be a huge amount. But there are a lot of people who would have struggle with this amount more than us --and it made me feel for them.

We have never made our lives about money. I hope we never will. I had friend right out of school making over six figures--but they didn't get to be in ministry. I learned from my dad that when you are asked to speak for a church/retreat/youth group--whatever, and they ask you how much you charge, the answer is "whatever you want to give." And God has always provided and then some.

But what bothers me is that it bugged me all day that we owed this money. How much emphasis do I put on the almighty dollar? Should it impact me that way--that it bothered me for so long?

Well, the end of the story: Got home from taking my son and his friend to a funny movie ( I am sure the Pink Panther II was really a good film, but my disposition only allowed me to think it was okay) to hear a voice mail from our tax preparer: She had forgotten to include a form and now we were going to be getting money BACK instead of paying the government more money. Whew.

Maybe the lesson I need to learn is that I still care too much about money. All of it is going to burn in the long run anyway. I still have a ways to go.

The Network

Its always nice to travel to the warm So Cal in January. It really wasn't that warm there this year--but a lot warmer than Indiana! But the most memorable part of the trip was not the weather--it was a 30 minute conversation on the flight out west.

I was cat-napping for a couple of hours on the flight from Chicago to LAX. I walked to the back of the plane to stretch and the flight attendant made comment on my Steeler jersey and how her crew often stayed overnight in Pittsburgh. I made the connection that this summer our Momentum youth conference would be ministering in that area for a week in July.

I have never seen a flight attendant take a half hour "break" to talk. This woman, Donna, was hurting. She expressed her desire to see people follow God but that was not what she had done with her own life. She had grown up in church but wasn't really living at all for the Lord. and now she was very concerned for her son because he did not have a heart for spiritual things. And well she should be concerned.

I shared with Donna what I was preaching on on Sunday morning: that joy comes when we serve Him after we give him our comfort, our past and He becomes our most important relationship. (Luke 9 and 10) Her response was: "I'm not ready to give Him my comfort yet...but I am getting close".

The most interesting part of the conversation was what she shared next. That she had a friend who had been talking to her that she needed to get into God's word. And it hit me. God is orchestrating people around her to speak truth into her life. God wants a dynamic relationship with her. And He was pursuing her.

I promised I would pray for her and told her that she would never really truly have joy until she gave her life to Christ. And I have been praying for Donna each day.

But what strikes me is that there is a network of random people that God is putting in her path to point the way back to Him. I will probably never see Donna again, but someone else in the Network will get to experience the time when Donna repents and finds real joy. I have to admit, I am personally experiencing joy because I am a member of the Network and did my part on that flight.