This spring has been eventful – and very fun!

We have had some great family time in ND, camping with neighbors (also dear friends), visitors from CA whom we love dearly, and a fun time in WI with the Eastway fam.

Throughout the laughter, great food and good times, there have been some tough spots in the middle of the joy.

This life is no joke. It’s tough at times. Like beef jerky.

In the middle of all of these experiences, we’ve had kids and adults (ok me) throw tantrums, tough and beautiful talks of marriage, faith, career, snapping at each other, battles with heartbreak, loss of relationship, death, depression and plenty of “I’m so sorry” and tears.

Here’s the thing about beef jerky though – Chew on the toughness long enough and it becomes sweet and soft.

If we take the time to chew on this life together, to take a deep breath, apologize, talk through it and vow to stick together…

That’s when the sweetness starts to slowly erupt in our relationships.

Next weekend we head to the lake with some dear friends from the CA days. We’ve done so much life with these families throughout the last 13 years. Marriage, kids, career changes, moves across the country, the death of a parent.

We argue, we mourn, we pray, we sing, we play, we laugh and we raise a glass to the beef jerky life together. And WE LOVE.

May each of you do the same this week. Choose to live the beef jerky life in community. It’s tough and potentially sweet.

Kevin

PS – with some reflection, I’m realizing that our biggest financial supporters in YL include all of the people we are spending time with over these months. Also included in this group are some of our most faith-filled pray-ers and encouragers in life, ministry, family and career. These folks mean the world to us.

The beef jerky life is one of mutual and communal support – with whatever PLENTY God has given us to share. What a gift in the midst of the tough becoming sweet.

 

 

 

 

The D.Min project continues to be rewarding and stretching in so many ways.

I read Gretchen Schoon Tanis’ book Making Jesus Attractive – The Ministry and Message of Young Life over the past few days.

What a gift to our organization. Schoon Tanis celebrates the many victories of our organization and also challenges us to be thoroughly thinking through the way toward the future.

Pete Ward notes in the forward that “this is an important and timely book…it challenges the organization to take a critical view and to reflect on how it shares the faith. It is timely because the 75th anniversary of the organization should be a time to reflect on the past and reset the compass for the future.”

Towards the end of the text, Schoon Tanis asked the reader this poignant question: “How would you like the chapter of your Young Life work to read?”

So, for you YL-ers out there.  I ask the same question:

“How would you like the chapter of your Young Life work to read?”

Maybe it is coming up with a new way to invigorate your committee.

Or how to structure campaigners or your camp follow up.

Maybe it is a new tool that helps you track and care for your financial supporters better.

Whatever it is, pause to pray, to think about it and to implement it.

In the words of Rayburn, “The best Young Life work is yet to be done.” May we continue to be “cow-tippers” as we learn to continue to ask great questions, to listen well and to allow God to mold our thinking and models as we move effectively toward the future of ministry in Young Life.

There are new frontiers for us to explore, new thoughts to forge, new hearts and lives to shape. Whatever these wild lands are, may we be thoughtful, respectful and creative as we listen to the Lord and others!

Kevin