Puzzles

I love puzzles. I love sitting down at a card table, spreading out all of the pieces, figuring out a game plan, and seeing many little pieces fall into place.

My game plan is simple... Border first...always. I will find every single border piece and put together each edge of the puzzle before anything else. Then I try to group together pieces that are similar, and work on one area of the puzzle at a time. It's a methodical process, one that can take days, but for me, it is relaxing and contemplative.

For my birthday and Christmas, my dad and stepmother sent me two 500-piece puzzles -- one of Mabry Mill in the springtime and one of a snow-covered Mabry Mill. Mabry Mill is very special to our family. It is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, outside of Stuart, Virginia, where my grandparents lived. I have been there more times than I can count, and some of the fondest memories of my childhood are from this special place. (Oh the pancakes...!!)

I began working on the snow-covered Mabry Mill on Christmas Day. While the boys were enthusiastically playing their new video games, this puzzle brought me serenity and quiet. After the first day, only the border was complete, but I was satisfied with the progress and thankful for the distraction.

During this last week, the puzzle has brought me purpose and enjoyment in an otherwise uneventful series of days. It has given me somewhat of a goal, as I knew it should be completed before New Years so that we could have our meal at the dinner table! Today is, of course, New Years Eve, and as I stood over the puzzle this morning with my cup of coffee, I almost decided to pack up the puzzle before it was finished. I was frustrated with it and ready to give up.

This is when I realized that the puzzle suddenly had become a metaphor for my life. I have been struggling to find a purpose. Now that we have moved, set up the house, and settled in...I am left with no purpose. I have been trying to fill my days with my Living Waters and Haiti work, but nothing compares to the 24/7 job of full-time youth ministry. Just as with the puzzle, I have grown frustrated and anxious, even though I know there is a trip to Haiti coming up and seminary classes will be starting soon. While I should be enjoying this time of quiet and contentment, I have been worrying over the uncertainty that lies ahead.

Thus, today I am thankful for a puzzle. This one little thing brought me perspective, joy and contentment. As a new year is upon us, I know that God will continue to bless me with the little things and life will begin to make sense. I will simply need to persevere and put the blessings together...just one puzzle piece at a time.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

~Philippians 4:6

Tar Heels

As I went through my day today, I was mindful of my attitude of gratitude, and since this was my first post, I really wanted it to be honest and meaningful. Now that the day has come to an end, the one thing I was most thankful for today was the University of North Carolina bowl game win over University of Tennessee!

Pretty lame, you may be thinking! Let me explain...

In less than two weeks, I will be venturing to Haiti once again. This will be the first time I have gone to Haiti as a team leader. In the past, I have been the "utility player", filling in wherever the team needed me, which often changed minute-to-minute. This time, I have formed the team, planned the trip, coordinated the efforts and have taken on the a nickname of "the glue" as I try to hold everything together.

I am thankful to have several of my dear friends accompanying me on this trip. Many I have traveled with to Haiti before, and others will be seeing the poorest country in the western hemisphere for the first time. It is a team made of veterans and rookies, friends and family.

My best pal, Tim, will be traveling with us. Tim and I first met in 2006 at Clean Water U in Oxford, Mississippi. We bonded over a day trip into town, visiting Ole Miss, and drinking Blue Moon at the Library in the town square. Our friendship has continued since, as we constantly email about our two greatest passions -- God and Sports!

I was thankful to stay with Tim and his wife Teresa on my road trip from Virginia to Nevada in November. We chatted over dinner, looked through pictures of Haiti, and watched Monday Night Football. A little wager took place that evening -- I was pulling for the Redskins; Tim took the side of the Eagles. The winner would have to put up the tent of the other in Haiti come January. As you may know, Michael Vick had a huge game, and the Eagles pummeled the Redskins.

Soon after, the Appalachian State Mountaineers would be playing the Florida Gators. I went to ASU, and Tim is a HUGE fan of Florida. Thus, we went double or nothing. ASU wins, we were even. Florida wins, I would be putting up Tim's tent and carrying all of his luggage. Despite Florida's less than stellar season, they came away with a victory. I was toast.

Thankfully, the football bowl schedule came out. UNC and Tennessee were set to meet in Nashville on December 30. I am a die-hard UNC fan; Tim lives in Tennessee. He conceded a triple or nothing bet. UNC wins, we would be back to even. Tennessee wins, I would be a slave to Tim the entire Haiti trip.

For anyone who watched the game, it was heart wrenching. Three points separated the score for most of the game. UNC was ahead until the final minutes, when Tennessee scored a touchdown but missed the extra point. Again, three points separated the score. UNC could not score. Tennessee could not score. UNC had the ball back with seconds remaining, and through a stroke of good luck, UNC managed to send the game into overtime with a field goal. In double-overtime, UNC came away with the win. (It was much more dramatic that this, but my pulse has barely returned!)

While I was mentally prepared and ready to be Tim's servant for a week in Haiti, I am thankful that I do not have to be his servant. The more I thought about it, though... isn't a leader truly a servant? Our ultimate example of leadership -- Jesus -- was a servant. He washed the feet of His disciples. He served the bread and the wine to his followers. He did not come to be served, but to serve.

So in the end, will I still serve Tim? Absolutely. I'd do anything for him, or any of the others, to make their burden lighter and to ensure their trip is meaningful and positive.

Am I still thankful that the Tar Heels came away with a victory? Absolutely! Tim can put up his own tent!

Grace & peace.

365 Days Of Thanks

2010 has quite possibly been the best year of my life. It has been a year of blessings, a year of excitement, a year of abundant love. 


In this year, I:

• Lived as a 30-year old
• Traveled to Haiti twice & Costa Rica twice
• Led two other domestic mission trips
• Worked at an amazing church with a group of people who became a second family
• Resigned from a job I love
• Applied to Seminary
• Perfected the making of chicken pot pie
• Played the slots in Vegas
• Considered running an Ambassador's campaign for Presidency
• Made a friend that I will consider a best friend for life
• Road tripped from Virginia to Nevada
• Bought my first house
• Applied to become a US Navy Chaplain

Now, as 2010 is coming to an end, I am living in a new town all the way across the country from my "home" and find myself adjusting to life as an unemployed pastor. Transition is never easy, and I find myself wishing everyday that I could go back to January 2010 and relive the year of blessings. That seems rather silly. As I'm sitting here wallowing in memories, I could be missing out on the blessings of today! Thus, this blog...  I need a reminder that everyday should be a day of Thanksgiving. 

As Psalm 136 says,

Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King! His LOVE endures forever!

Everyone needs a goal, or at least I do. I will be thankful. I will be thankful for all things. I will not miss out on the blessing of today. I will turn 2011 into a year of Thanksgiving!


Grace & Peace!