Calloused

March is usually the time we are at our busiest at 2nd Mile. Normally, we'll have some college teams from across the country come help our community for their spring breaks. Unfortunately, only one team was able to come this year due to all the cancellations of campuses, schools, and strong encouragements not to travel. There were 10 people who came from Northwestern College in Iowa (a school that has faithfully come eight of the last nine years). They volunteered at our local elementary schools in the mornings and then in the afternoons either helped at our after school program or helped clean a local church (bathrooms, hallways, classrooms, raking leaves outside, etc.).

The future groups that ended up canceling were going to help out in our community garden, building a couple new garden beds that are beginning to rot. However, as the world continues to wait out this virus, we too at 2nd Mile are wondering what this means for our ministry's day-to-day. At first, spring break was extended for another week, then they closed schools until April 15th, and now they've extended it for May 1st. I get the feeling there will be no more school until the fall. The staff has been practicing social distancing, having video meetings, and trying to figure out what exactly we can do to serve those families that we are connected to. The schools are provided free lunches for any student that shows up, some schools are sending home computers so that learning can be continued at home. It's been a very backwards world right now and I can't help but wonder what it all means and how the world will come out on the other side.

In high school, I ran track for four years and cross country for three. From those years, my endurance was high and my resting heart rate was low, and the bottoms of my feet became hardened. In college, when I attempted to build upper body strength by doing pull-ups every night, my hands too became hardened in order to increase my grip on the bar. When I picked up guitar, also in college, my desire to learn how to play pushed myself passed those initial days of sore fingers on the nylon strings. Eventually, the tips of my fingers were hardened. 

In the past couple weeks of social distancing and quarantine, I decided to do some yard work. In Florida, like most places, it isn't necessary to mow the yard over the winter; however, come spring there are tons of leaves on the ground and weeds have grown as fast as weeds grow. It took me four different raking days over the course of two weeks to get all the leaves collected and bagged. In that time, I developed quite a few blisters on my hands, making each subsequent raking day a little bit more painful and frustrating, but I raked on. Finally after all the raking, I could mow the yard for the first time in 2020. Afterwards, I've been blessed with a good looking yard, and calloused hands.

It amazes me how God created our bodies to adjust to the strain we put on them. Working out new muscles breaks them down and builds them back up, but we endure the soreness. Doing repetitive and unfamiliar work develops endurance and callus, but we go through blisters, cuts, and bruises. I can only think that as a country, nay, as a humanity everywhere, we are experiencing the blister phase or the soreness phase of this corona virus. Doctors and nurses are fatigued, probably both mentally and physically. Parents who now have to work from home and teach their kids are at a loss as to how to do all aspects of their lives well. From social distancing, many people are either bored, stressed out, or "going crazy" in this new norm of life which is unpredictable and unknown as to when we will get back to normal. 

So what comes out the other side? It's gotta be callus. It's gotta be endurance. I don't know exactly how God will use this pandemic for his glory but in my personal life, I'm recognizing my need for God in every moment. Every hour I need thee. When I'm stressed, give it to God. When I'm accomplishing tasks, thank God. When I'm thinking about how someone is doing during all of this, pray to God and maybe text them.

I see callus in a video of Cuban doctors coming off a plane in Italy to help with the high number of cases there. I see callus in innovators making more and better face masks for workers in the hospitals. I see callus in people connecting more than they have in the past via video call. I see callus in churches conducting live streaming services.

As for 2nd Mile, we still exist, it just looks a little different in the day to day. We check in with families to make sure all is well, giving info on services provided by the different organizations in regards to food and supplies, and planning for whenever we get back in the swing of things.

As for me and my family, we are well. Missi is working from home now and Max has no idea anything is different in the world. We go for walks, play in the backyard, and are trying to potty train him (let's just say progress is slow). If you are bored or non-essential and wanna chat, hit me up. Or, just let me know that you are bored and I'll hit you up.

God, forgive us for the times we scramble and try to find our own way, our own comfort, our own meaning in our lives. Remind us of your goodness and your power Lord. Lift up your children's hearts to you that we may see your heart for those in need. Use us Lord for your will and not our own. Amen.


Check out this song. I've had it on repeat for weeks. Reminds me of God's presence. Good vibes. "Not Too Far" by GAWVI.

Here's a couple snapshots of my life this past March

Jaiden picking lettuce for salads at 2:52

Max playing outside

February

God is moving. Something is going on and we are anxious to see what it is. Each new week of BLOCK (middle and high school program) we are greeted with more and more people. We have a solid group of adults who come, and rather than having their family responsibilities hinder their attendance, those volunteers have brought their spouses, their kids and multiplied the feeling of family within the ministry. I've really appreciated the intentionality of having a meal together at one table (several connected tables) each week, talking about our weeks, and discussing the topic for that week. For the next few weeks/months, we will be discussing what it means to surrender--surrendering our possessions, our thoughts, our plans, our attitudes, etc. In a neighborhood where having the best shoes or newest phone are a big status booster, the students are all familiar with desiring things that others have rather than being content with what they already have. Hebrews 13:5 says, "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' " 

I've often struggled with the concept of complete surrender to God. I like to be in control, to have a good idea as to how life is going to affect me today. In prayer, I have no problem believing that God has the power and ability to answer my big prayers, but I sometimes question and doubt his willingness to take action. Will God actually help me? Does he want me to sit in this tough place to strengthen my faith in him? I'm currently reading Job and he had it bad. He followed hard after God, God blessed him with so many possessions and a big family, and then it all got taken from him. To make sense of the devastation Job was going through, his "friends" came to him to explain their take on his plight. Maybe it was Job's sin? Maybe Job was prideful? Sometimes I want to badly to know exactly God's intentions with my life and the life of those around me. But God does not have to explain himself, ever.

Prayers have been answered at 2nd Mile and we have hired a new Executive Director. George Maxey officially started a couple weeks ago and I believe he will multiply our impact in Brentwood with his connections and his experience with building up communities. Whereas 2nd Mile has primarily focused on the youth in our history, I know he has a heart to reach entire families. Please pray for his transition to 2nd Mile as well as our transition to him as our boss.

With March already here, you can also pray ahead of time for our mission teams that come for their spring breaks to help us with work projects. Their presence is always energizing to the staff and the kids love seeing new people to play games with. Have a blessed March.

Redeemed Brokenness

two:fiftytwo After School Program - The new year has brought in a new schedule for me, not too different from 2019, but enough to be put into another adjustment period. Currently at the after school program three days out of the school week, I get to see the kids more, have better traction with continuing conversations with them, and also get to see more of their human natures. Behaviors that used to frustrate me and force me to process my life decisions now allow me to have more meaningful conversations about growth, making good decisions, and reconciling with the other students. I enjoy these kids a lot, each having their own unique gifts and personalities from God on display every day. I get annihilated Jabarie each day in rock, paper, scissors, where the winner of the whole school year will either get a big bag of hot fries (if he wins) or a two-liter of soda (if I win). Quran's kindness is shown towards the students who either fall during rec time or don't have anyone to play with. Over the years, Andre has enjoyed learning how things work (power tools, typewriter, computer keyboards, etc.).

It has been great to get to know these students more and more. I pray that God would reveal himself to these students in how He's made them, how He loves them, and what He wants them to do with their lives. The students got the chance in previous weeks to get pictures taken of them doing something they enjoy. We would then take those photos and transfer them to wood for an art project. The kids got really into it and I hope they get to experience many things as they grow older, in order to find something that ignites their excitement for life. Five of our seven 5th grade students have been in the program since 2nd grade. What's crazy is that they will join the other middle school and high school students next year in our BLOCK program. 

BLOCK - In case you haven't read the blog in a while, BLOCK (Building Leaders of Christ's Kingdom) has now incorporated both High School and Middle School students. The first two weeks of this merge, two volunteers gave their very powerful testimonies. Lots of suffering, lots of sinful choices, but so much grace from God. I've never seen that many teenagers that quiet in a room before. They hung on to their every word. Peoples' stories can be so powerful, and yet we often don't get past the surface in many of our encounters with others. One skill that I've been working on (that is definitely still not natural to me) is being an active listener, asking more questions than giving my own personal anecdotes. Trying to see the world through someone else's point of view can be so difficult, especially if I am more me-focused. There is power in hearing the gritty, embarrassing, shameful details of someone's life. I think we as people learn very quickly that there are some parts of our own stories that we feel we need to hide from others, keep to ourselves. Having the freedom to be open and honest about emotions, about difficult circumstances, difficult topics is so hard. "Can I trust you with this?" is often how we internalize and eventually rationalize that "No I cannot." My hope and prayer for these middle and high schoolers would be that they feel comfortable sharing their own stories, knowing that they are not alone in feeling alone, lost, unloved, unloveable, etc. Shared brokenness births community, births family. I feel that we as the church should "boast of our weaknesses all the more gladly so that the power of Christ may rest upon us." (2 Cor. 12:9). I know that God can work in mighty ways if we trust in him. I urge you, reader, for the sake of Christ, to humble yourselves by confessing your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. (James 5:16).

Goodbye 2010's

Happy New Year and Happy New Decade! There will be some changes at 2nd Mile Ministries and I hope you will be in prayer with us as we enact those changes. Our Connect Middle School program and our BLOCK High School Programs will be merging starting this month. We will meet weekly. The two programs will eat together, play together, and then as the night goes on, we will do small group discussions separately as the age gap may prove to bring out different levels of understanding. Please pray that the program merge will help grow a bigger community of students, that the older students will help build up and not tear down the younger students, and that the staff and volunteers would be of one accord. Looking forward to what's new in the new year is an exciting place of unfamiliarity and trusting in God to show up. 

e beneficial to split up.

For this blog, I thought it might be fun to look back at the 2010's, and think through my top 10 moments or memories in somewhat chronological order.

1.) Summer Internship, June, 2010. After spending a summer in inner city Milwaukee the summer prior, I decided to spend a summer in the bold city of Jacksonville, working in a low-income neighborhood, putting on a summer day camp at a ministry I would eventually call my job, my home, and my life. That summer really changed what I thought about life as a Christian, and how I thought about spending my time and effort. I became close with the other interns, had a lot of fun at camp, and was hit hard by God's love for those kids, imagining where they'd be when they got older.

2.) My friend Sarah's wedding, October, 2010. As I mentioned before, the summer of 2009 was my Milwaukee summer, where God gave me a brand new point of view about the world. I was first exposed to the devastating realities of financial poverty, spiritual poverty, and homelessness. Through this difficult but powerful summer, I went to battle together with strangers from other colleges who have become family to me. Sarah was one of these people and it was at her wedding where nine of us reunited and had a great time. We played games, talked about how our lives have been different since that summer in the city, and it was a very encouraging time for us. I remembered in the Bible when Paul would be encouraged and also encourage other believers just by going to see them again. Never have I felt non-family members feel more like family.

3.) CCDA, 2011. The Christian Community Development Association, founded by John Perkins, is an annual conference where people around the country who work for similar organizations like 2nd Mile, worship together, exchange ideas, and most of all, learn ways to better serve their respective communities. This was my first experience with CCDA. I've been to their conferences in Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Detroit over the years. One speaker came and totally opened my eyes to a topic that seems to be swept under the rug in American history. Yes, we learn about slavery, about the Civil War, about Civil Rights, basically history of black and white conflict. But Richard Twiss came to talk about his people, the Native American, and their plight, their experience and history. I remember the room fell silent as he spoke, the room gave him a huge applause as he finished, and the room humbly prayed afterwards in response. It was one of two times that I felt I needed to purchase a talk from these conferences that talk and watch at a later time and I still have that talk to this day.

4.) Artistic awakening, 2012-Present. I had some recurring dreams in 2012 about a tree residing near a ginormous waterfall, and felt that I needed to paint it. My only painting experience being in elementary school, I didn't really know what I was doing. It took a long time but I painted it. Ever since then, the creativity God has given me has allowed me to express my thoughts, ideas, and even emotions through art since then and it's been a great outlet for me to feel closer to God who created me.

5.) The Proposal, September, 2013. I was nervous of course, but was more excited to blind-side Missi with my question. She had asked me earlier that week if I thought I was ready for marriage. Taking her question very literally in order to throw her off, I said something like, "Not right 'now'," knowing that I would be "ready" in a few days. I knew I wanted to marry her when we started dating, and the eventual marriage was finally set in motion. It's exciting to follow through with a plan that was years in the making.

6.) The Wedding, June 21st, 2014. Getting to see my biological family, my college family, some of my Milwaukee family, and my 2nd Mile family all at the same party was unforgettable. Knowing that it will never happen like that again (at least until death) is sad to think about. I would finally get to show "the world" my commitment to Missi and we'd live together forever. That day went by so fast and I regret not eating more, not hydrating as much (I had a headache after dancing to a few songs), but the memories are still quite vivid. Missi and I hate being the center of attention, so you'd think I'd be uncomfortable with this big party being for just us, but it was such a celebration of how God has provided and loved me through those amazing people that attended that I just enjoyed every minute of it. Sometimes Missi and I jokingly talk about going back and getting married again.

7.) MAXIMUS!! February 22nd, 2017. Even before he was born, I loved this baby. After two miscarriages, this pregnancy really increased our faith in God and in prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God, and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7. We prayed every day for our baby to be okay once we learned that Missi's water broke at 19 weeks. I can't explain the peace I felt even though the situation was not great. God blessed us with hope and peace and faith during that time and ever since we were surprised with a boy, he has made us stronger as parents and as people. He continues to bring joy in our lives every day, our goofy, smart, and happy boy.

8.) KAA, June, 2018. There's nothing quite like getting to see students step out in faith and make decisions to either accept Christ for the first time or rededicate their lives to Christ. I was in charge of six students, who I've known for a collective 31 years (if that makes any sense). It was a great week to relax, invest in the what the students were learning, and even teaching a few times throughout the week as well. I can still see the impact of that week on those kids to this day.

9.) New Places!

9a.) Jamaica, April, 2014.

9b.) Alaska, August, 2015.

9c.)Vermont, August, 2018. 

-One of my college roommates got married in Jamaica a couple months before my own wedding. It was dope. Went outside the country, jumped off what seemed to be a huge mountain (it was a 35ft cliff), was barefoot in a beach side wedding, lots of memorable firsts.

-For many many years, my answer to the question "Where would you most want to visit in the world?" was always Alaska. I love Jack London's White Fang and I guess wanted to see mountains, glaciers, vast nature. Getting to go on a cruise with my wife and in-laws was amazing. Zip-lining, getting pulled by sled-dogs, kayaking in crystal clear water was awesome.

-Vermont was our first vacation, just the three of us (Missi, Max, and me). This state was our second choice for a honeymoon so we wanted to eventually check it out. I'm used to road trips to Colorado with my family, taking maybe two days to get to our destination. This trip, we intentionally meandered up the eastern part of the country, leisurely stopping at various places along the way. It was a great way to do a vacation and I can't wait until the next time. Vermont is beautiful by the way if you've never been. I'd say it's a good in-between of Alaska and Colorado, there are busy towns if you want the Colorado life, and there's plenty of space and seclusion if you want the Alaska feel.

10.) Murphy bed, August 2017-March 2019. Building anything practical and functional was never something I thought I'd ever do. Seeing as our guest room was only utilized when guests came, I wanted to be able to use it for either a music or a prayer room, or anything rather than just sit there most of the year. I saw an article about murphy beds and the idea would never be able to leave my head until I built one and installed it. With a lot of help and building space from my friend Jason, we did a few hours of work here and there over the course of a year and a half. The video that we went off of said it might take a weekend to build. Ha! Honestly, I don't think this bed would've been as memorable had it only taken an easy weekend. I learned a lot about furniture and I'm so happy that it has been serving it's purpose most of this year. We've used it for music, working out, quiet times, taking tests, and for when guests come to visit.

There are probably things I'm forgetting. In ministry, and I suppose in marriage and parenting as well, there are many little moments that may seem insignificant and maybe not so memorable, but over time, those little things, the constant presence in a person's life, that can have much more significant impact on a person's life. I've witnessed some great connections with families in our neighborhood, just simply because we've been around for a long time. Don't underestimate your impact on those around, don't waste those moments, they are given to you for a purpose (and it's not for your purposes).

Happy New Year and have a great rest of your week!

True Community (Nov. 2019)

Brokenness. We all have it to varying degrees. Some of us have lots of personal struggles, some are very near other peoples' pain and suffering, and to many it may seem like it will never stop. Health fails, our bodies fail, our dreams fail. Another school shooting, another overdose, another political scandal, another divorce, another death. It is very clear that the world is not the way it's supposed to be. Imagine a world with no more tears, pain, suffering, or sin. I can't. It seems too far from the reality that I see and experience every day. My bent is to avoid pain, to find a safe corner of comfort to just breath and try to convince myself of the lie that this safe corner is a reflection of the whole world around me. It is not the case. The more I shut the world out from my heart and see how the world doesn't fit in my safe corner, the more I segregate myself from the reality that this world is broken. I used to compare my life with the suffering, the evil, and the brokenness of the world and consider myself above it, just a little bit better off, not because of anything I had done, but because I was living in a safe corner, keeping to myself.

We on staff with 2nd Mile are reading a book by Michelle Warren called The Power of Proximity. In what we've read so far, she talks of how much her life changed when she began intentionally living in poorer communities. The book talks about what God can do with shared pain. I relate to a lot of what's in this book. Probably the most profound takeaway for me so far has been this idea of brokenness. She writes, And it is important to know of pain...It destroys our self-pride, our arrogance, our indifference toward others. It makes us aware of how frail and tiny we are and of how much we must depend on the Master of the Universe. This reminds me of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Luke 18:10-14 says, "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

If I am not in touch with my own pain, my own suffering, and my own flaws, I will never be able to understand the pain, the suffering, and the flaws of others. It's easy to judge from far away, but getting closer to pain builds a bridge between myself and the homeless man, between myself and the drug addict, between myself and the "tax collector" so to speak. If you think about your closest relationships you've had in your life, they are probably built on lots of time spent, lots of fun, and lots of shared pain. Regardless if the pains between you are similar, that safe space of trust allows for true healing to occur. I've seen it. I've experienced it. Finding people with whom I can share anything with complete honesty has brought some Scripture to life that I never thought could happen. Psalm 133:1-2 says, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes." I think of the early church in the book of Acts, chapter 4 verse 32 says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had." This is talking more of possessions, but how true this is when we share all of ourselves as well.

Michelle Warren also writes about community and how it is birthed when pain is shared, "not as a stifling form of self-complaint, but as a recognition of God's saving promises." I know what it feels like to not have community, to not trust other people with my pain, and I know I'm only hurting myself and my relationships when I do that. As I continue to live in Brentwood, among the "tax collectors" of society (meaning disliked and maybe even avoided), I pray for my own humility and courage to remain proximate to this pain, to not run and try to medicate my pain and other peoples' pain with binge-watching a TV show, with locking myself in my house, with distracting myself with my phone or computer. I encourage you, especially in these holiday-filled months when you will be around family and friends, to give of yourself, whether that's listening more than talking, giving more than receiving, forgiving rather than revenging, apologizing rather than accusing, communicating rather than keeping to yourself. To understand someone else's pain, just ask. I too often assume everyone in my life is fine because of the front they put up. I'm sure people think the same of me.

Praise God that he sent his son to set the example of becoming proximate not only to humanity, but to the sinners, the evildoers, the tax collectors of his time. Where in the Bible do we see Jesus leave people in a broken place? To finish up, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Have a great last month of the 2010's.

Obligatory pic of Max helping me putt

October 2019

Connect Middle School Program: More kids coming. More kids staying. More kids growing in leadership. More kids being introduced to the Bible, to God, and to what that means for their lives. Sometimes I overestimate what a teenager can really take in and apply to their lives. Other times, I completely underestimate their ability to understand biblical concepts and how to relate to them. I've been super blessed to be able to see Christian volunteers come in and lead a small group of teenagers in what the Bible says about a certain topic. They break it down in terms that the students understand by using their own examples and stories to better convey the biblical truths. This month, we are learning about anger and different ways it comes out and what God wants us to do with that anger.

Sweet potato harvesting

In October, we've had a chill game night. Just Dance was a huge hit on the Wii. We went to our nutritional garden and harvested sweet potatoes. It was getting darker earlier so we had to work quickly on weeding some garden beds and digging for those veggies. Also coming up this Saturday is our annual Family Fall Festival, and the middle schoolers have been planning, designing, creating a photo booth wall to be used at the event. They voted on pumpkins, candy corn, and skeleton masks like in the beloved movie Coco. Interesting combination of decorations but they have been executing it well. A couple of the students were even willing to come early to the event to help set up. I believe these kids are hungry for responsibility, for meaning, and for growth. Please pray for continued growth in their lives, for wisdom for us as staff and volunteers to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when He would have us speak truth into their lives, and for even more kids. God proves over and over that he answers prayers, we just need to put our trust in Him.

Boys Day at the After School Program: We had six boys over at my house earlier in the month (most ever to be in my house so far) and it was fun for the most part. We got to do one of my favorite activities--spray paint art! While the boys waited their turn to colorfully express themselves, they watched the movie Like Mike inside. It was good bonding but also revealed some frustrations between some of the boys. Three of the boys are brothers and new to the program. None know how to read and struggle to process things like when they can't have what they want when they want it, when they lose in a game, etc. The other three boys have been around for years and definitely have a strong bond towards each other and band together to despise and ignore the new boys. Please pray that the boys would learn how to handle conflict this year and how to make good choices despite the choices that others make.

Max Update: Praise report, Max's hand is out of his cast and the bone has healed fine. Prayer request. Max seems to be struggling to poop lately which is resulting in stomach pain and throwing up a lot in the mornings. We give him laxatives, give him reflux medicine in case it's something to do with that, and mess with his feeding rates and amounts. If you could please pray that God would give us answers, we would be gracious. He often seems to take two steps forward and 1.9 steps back.

Thank you so much to those who donated sports equipment or money last month. The kids have been overjoyed!

If you want to see something you've never seen before, click the link below. We got a sweet new basketball to make videos with.

Light up basketball

September

Connect Middle School Program: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1 John 1:9. For the month, of September, our middle school students have been working on memorizing this verse. The topic that received the most votes from the students to learn about was the topic of confessing sins. We looked up verses about what sin is, learned not only the ten commandments, but also a plethora of other sins. They each took a "Life Test", as if in school where they answered relevant yes or no questions such as, "Have you ever cheated on homework before?" The point of this activity was to show them just how difficult and even impossible it is to live a perfect life. We all "failed" our tests. A perfect score gets us to heaven; a test with even one wrong bans us. I showed the students what the test of Jesus's test might look like. All of his answers were "No" and he got a 100%. I asked the students that if Jesus was willing to trade test scores with them, would they do it? Students gave a quick "Yes!" Confessing sins should be a consistent practice. If I can't think of at least one way I sinned today, that is not representative of a life without sin, it is probably a representation of how little I consider my sin nature in every day life. We at Connect have continued to write our sins on our giant wooden cross which hopefully will be completely covered by the end of the year.

Another thing that's been incorporated into the program is Read to Lead, a computer program that allows the students to become a boss of a non-profit organization that solves community problems. This month, they learned how to delegate jobs to others based on their experiences and expertise. There was a devastating flood in this fictional town and medical and food supplies needed to be transported to a community center. This program is awesome and I recommend it for anyone teaching middle school and up.

Learning how to put together a basketball rack

Leadership Development: I'm not sure if I've mentioned this is a previous blog, but if so, it's still good to remind you of this. Since the beginning of summer, 2nd Mile has put together a committee of students (ranging from elementary all the way to high school) to help plan our annual Family Fall Festival. In an attempt to encourage students to see themselves not just as future leaders but as present leaders, we filled a giant white board wall with ideas for food, activities, attractions, strategies, etc. Some good, some great, and some very creative but impractical. (Not sure if we could get celebrities to come, but I like the way they think). Since becoming a father, leadership development has been closer to the forefront of my mind. Any time I do something, I want Max with me, seeing me do it, naming the tools or items being used, and if he's able, I have him help me. Max helps me put clothes from the washer into the dryer, he helps me put forks, bowls, plates away from the dishwasher, he brushes his front teeth, then his bottoms, then his tops, then his tongue, then he spits. I've even seen him try to teach his stuffed animals how to brush their teeth, how to put "their" toys away. This is the whole point, teaching kids something new, so that one day, they have the skills to teach the next group of kids. My hope with the middle school students is to teach them how to set up the projector and how to prepare snack not to make my job easier (many times it makes my job longer and more difficult), but in order that they too can become teachers of these different skills. I'm hoping to incorporate more types of leadership development, giving them the chance to teach everyone a game, or even lead a Bible lesson.

Max update: What would a blog entry be without something going wrong with Max. He broke a bone in his left hand falling down a few steps at a playground, so now he is sporting a pretty solid blue cast. It will come off in a couple weeks. Probably more traumatized than hurt, Max is living life so full that you wouldn't even realize he hurt himself (save for evidence of a cast).

Finally, if you are a giving person, we have compiled a list of sports equipment that we'd be interested in. Since having more open courts and people coming through our building, things get worn out more quickly. Check it out! Some things don't cost much at all.
2nd Mile Sports Equipment List