2013 is winding down, and as I flew today from North Carolina back to Louisiana, I counted the many blessings in my life from the last year.
Not only did I visit my beloved Haiti five times, but I also made new friends and stamped my passport in Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, and England. I moved across the country from Las Vegas to Shreveport, and left a job I loved at Solar Under the Sun to take on a ministry I never could have dreamed of serving atFirst United Methodist Church. I graduated with a Masters of Divinity and instead of taking any time off to relax, I jumped right into a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Global Perspective with the amazing leaders at George Fox Evangelical Seminary. With every fiber of my being, I have strived to make every moment of my life count, giving honor and praise to God in my daily walk.
In years past, I have not made New Year’s Resolutions, but instead have come up with a “mantra” to remember throughout the year. Several years ago, it was “be here now” to remind me to not be distracted by all that is going on around me, or the past mistakes or the future to-do list, but instead to live in the present, here and now. Next was to “choose joy,” as I hoped to be in control of my outlook and emotions in life. I choose to be joyous in all things and celebrate instead of dwelling. In 2012, I began living with an “attitude of gratitude,” giving thanks for all things great and small, and then in 2013 my three words became “make it count.”
Keeping with tradition, what will the charge for 2014 be?
In May, I had the wonderful opportunity to keynote a college conference at Mo Ranch in Texas. The theme of the week came from Romans 12, and since then I have held the second verse of this chapter close to my heart:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
While I pondered the words “be transformed” for the longest time, today while flying somewhere over Tennessee, the phrase “Be the Change” continued to be placed upon my heart. Indeed, Mahatma Gandhi urged:
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
2014 has me flying to every corner of the earth. From Uganda to Russia to Costa Rica to Haiti to Ecuador to South Africa to Zambia, God is giving me the opportunity to be the change, to embody His love and His joy to all those we encounter. Change starts within and seeps outward. So, friends, with an humble heart, I will strive to be the change as we move forward into a new year.
