Playing Catch Up & Watching the Time Fly

I am really looking forward to this Sunday at Hope, because our youth will cut loose with music, drama, interviews, and more. Hope is full of such incredible young guys and gals, and it's been exciting to see the Kingdom unfold in their midst with such enthusiasm. I'm also looking forward to formally introducing our new Youth Ministry Coordinator who will provide oversight, vision, and guidance for the year ahead. (We had lunch to go over stuff this past week, and I'm really excited... as both a Pastor and a Dad!)

Next week, Margo and I (and Becky!) will be taking off for parts west for a week. Margo will drop me off in Indiana to have fun with some old friends, then she and Becky will turn south to spend some time with her Mom in Kentucky. At the end of the weekend, I'll join them and we'll all get to celebrate Margo's Mom's birthday there. (Margo's Mom continues to go through chemotheraphy and will be in the midst of treatment while we're there. We sure would appreciate your prayers for her.) While we're away, Mick Martin will be sharing at Hope, and I know everyone is in for a real treat. Mick is such an amazing guy, and his genuine enthusiasm for God and people is contagious.

Since I've got a couple of Sundays without having to prepare a message, I've spent the time playing catch up on a bunch of projects, and meeting with people to talk through church leadership stuff, personal stuff, fun stuff, and more. At first, I thought these would be an easy couple of weeks with less pressure and less deadlines. As it turns out, my schedule has been surprisingly full. But I'm excited about how much has been accomplished! And I'm especially happy to finish up the revision to Hope's governing documents after several months of work with church leadership. Now it's back to the Elders and Admin. Team for one last review before we present the proposal to the church for their decision (probably in September?). It's been a huge project, but I'm really proud of the work our leaders have done.

On a personal level, I've been experiencing this odd mix of excitement, nostalgia, and even a little grief as we prepare to celebrate Ben's 18th birthday this Saturday. My precious boy is all grown up! I'm so incredibly proud of him, and I'm confident that God has an amazing journey in front of him. But I'm also feeling kind of blown away by how fast the time has gone; we've only got one more year of him at home before he heads out into the world. Just think... it seems like only yesterday that I was snuggling him in his little fuzzy green pajamas (with built-in booties!). I have this weird sense of powerlessness because I kind of want to travel back in time and savor the different stages of his life all over again.

But, since that's not possible, we're throwing a barbecue for him and a bunch of friends on Saturday. It's gonna be a blast!