Transitions in our lives are constant – and a good time to reevaluate our values.

When expectations are dashed, when we (or those we love) face health obstacles, when someone we love doesn’t get the job, when our future looks different than what we have planned or imagined.

We find ourselves in a new world that may not be what we had hoped for… a world of fear, exclusion and isolation.

Fear, confusion, disappointment, revenge and sleepless nights can be the result.

If we pause long enough in this midst of these transitions, we can ask a very important question:

What do we REALLY VALUE?

Notoriety? The desire to be liked? To be an expert? More money? The promotion?

Or

Good sleep? Healthy rhythms? Time with family? Snuggles & reading with our kids? Playing in the snow?

Justice? Togetherness? How to link our arms to lean into hope in the midst of wherever we find ourselves?

May WE:

Kneel Down (to Pray).

And then Stand UP shoulder to shoulder (to help each other put one foot in front of the other). 

In order to re-evaluate our values, we need space for reflection, conversation with people we love and people who’s experience is different from our own.

This type of living helps us navigate whatever transitions we face. In this world, in our workplace, in our studies and in our homes.

May we come together (instead of exclude)! May we learn to listen (instead of talking all the time like I tend to do)! May we communicate wth compassion and patience as we make the space to reevaluate our values.

~ Kevin Eastway

Vision takes imagination of what could be. It starts with a dissatisfaction of the now – and turns into an exciting potential hope for the future.

As part of my research this week, I am digging through YL archives around the fundraising history of our organization. There is fascinating and telling information in these dusty documents!

I ran across an interesting Inter-Office Correspondence from the YL Headquarters today. It is a note from Paul Frazier to John Carter on Oct 29, 1969. Bill Starr and Bob Mitchell were also copied on the memo.

Paul is updating John regarding an exiting trip to the Great Lakes Region (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois at the time).

One of the stories he is telling is about vision of the Flint, Michigan committee. Woody Skaff was committee chair, and Cy Lewis was the treasurer. The two of them and Homer Doudy had been thinking about a “Young Life Ranch in Upper Michigan.” Cy wanted to start looking for property now, in hopes that in “two years Young Life would be ready to put on a camp in this area.”

Wow! What a vision! The mission was growing in leaps and bounds, and a place for leaders to go to camp with kids was really important to them.

Except it never happened.

Well, actually it did happen… 31 years later.

Land was acquired north of Lake City, Michigan in early 2000 for the YL camp that would soon be called Timberwolf Lake.

I’ve done a little digging with some YL folks today to see if Woody, Cy and Homer were still around to see this 1969 vision to fruition.

Cy died in a tractor accident on a farm in Beulah, MI years ago. No one really remembers Homer.

Woody helped build Timberwolf Lake with generous financial support while in his late 80s. Almost 30 years after this initial vision for a “ranch in Upper Michigan.”

Vision can be funny. We pray, we dream, we strategize – and then sometimes nothing happens.

Or maybe we simply don’t live to see it.

Or it takes 3 decades and another year for it to gain steam.

What do we see? Around us now? What are the needs? How do we hope for the future?

10 years from now?

20 years from now?

31 years from now?

May each of us pause long enough to dream about:

What we want out families to be like – 10 seconds from now and 10 years from now.

What we want our workplace to be like – next week and 20 years from now.

What we want this WORLD to look like – next month and 31 years from now.

Let’s work hard to pray, dream, cast vision and to imagine together what might be possible.

It might take a while…but the outcomes are certainly worth the wait!

Kevin

“In physics, tension describes the pulling force exerted by each end of a string, cable, chain, or similar one-dimensional continuous object, or by each end of a rod, truss member, or similar three-dimensional object. Tension is the opposite of compression.”

I had a great conversation with someone that I have known of for a long time and admired from afar. After chatting with him today, I have a good sense of why so many of my friends like him and speak very fondly of the type of person he is.

After noting that he had read the blog post Thin last week, we got to talking about a tension he has felt in YL for a long time.

The tension between training and education.

I had mostly thought of those words as synonymous.

He noted that there has always been a tension between getting things done/reaching more kids vs. teaching staff pastoral theology or other worthy theologies.

“There is a tension between training (how to start new schools, build a network, train a committee) and paying attention to the theological foundation to all of that work.”

This tension comes from a few places in YL it seems:

• Training periods are short (one week in most cases) and there is a need to get loads of information to the staff person and get them back to their area doing ministry.
• During times of our history when theology was valued, growth (reaching more kids) was seemingly limited.
• Outside theologians do not speak the language of YL (and we do not speak their language either!)

In physics, tension is the opposite of compression.

“Compression is the application of balanced inward (“pushing”) forces to different points on a material or structure, that is, forces with no net sum or torque directed so as to reduce its size in one or more directions.”^[1]

Can we figure out how to compress training and education in YL to more succinctly  prepare staff theologically to reach more kids?

Can we pepper our training with a bit more theological education?

Is weaving the two together beautiful?  Helpful?

Possible?

Will this rid the tension?

Can peppered in theological training help us be more productive? More confident in our call?

Or do we start a training with a devotional and then move onto the business?

Can training and theological education hold hands? Be married even?

That’s an exciting possibility! (And already existing in many areas of our mission).

Here is the thing about tension: It speaks to us.

Wether it is tension in our shoulders or neck.

Tension in our relationships at home or in the workplace.

Or maybe it tension in our souls.

Will we listen to the tension? Or will we ignore it in hopes that it will go away or get ‘better’ on its own?

May we listen to the tension.

May we find harmony in the tension through dialogue and presence with each other.

In YL, may we move toward the compression of training and education, in the push and pull of our lives and businesses.

K

I was at UPS right as the doors opened this morning to pick up a missed delivery.

There were 6 people in front of me (and another dozen behind me) for one thing, and one thing only.

Their new iPhone 7’s had arrived.

It’s simply amazing what type of tech is packed into such a thin piece of metal.

Camera. Speakers. Processing Chips. Storage. A beautiful display.

And even Siri herself lives in there.

At times, thin is what is hip, what is gorgeous. Thin is the thing that packs the most punch and that everyone wants.

So, when is thin a disadvantage?

I was sitting with a couple of really smart fellas yesterday. Men whom I admire and respect greatly.

We were talking about many wonderful memories that each of us have in YL.

And then the conversation turned to theology.

And the word “thin” came up. And it wasn’t hip, gorgeous or the thing that everyone wants.

“YL has a thin theology around most of what it does.”

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by this remark. On the other hand, as I dig into the D.Min research even more, I am starting to see this in certain seasons of our mission in my specific area of study.

In the early days of our mission, theological training informed most of what YL did.

Did something change along the way? Are there still pockets of it that exists in our mission?

Will we be committed to continuously developing a thick theology ? Will we allow it to inform how we relate to kids, committee, leaders and donors alike?

I think that theology is still valued in many places in our mission – and it propels us towards excellent ministry with kids, leaders, committee and donors.

I also think that there is work to be done. And I’m excited to keep learning about our great mission through this process.

So the question for all of us is this: Where are we thin? Where does that hurt our relationships? Our mission? Our value systems?

What do we need to thicken up around us?

Kevin

PS:

A summarized quote from someone that I interviewed yesterday (A 25 year YL Staff Person):

“Donor Development coaching, underpinned in rich theological thought and scripture reading, gave me a confidence to ask that I had never had before.”

WOAH.

That’s one big book.

A few takeaways from my time reading through the diaries of the founder of Young Life for the DMin. project:

• Dude prays
• He is very honest (in the diary at least) with his feelings
  • Rayburn is often overjoyed with the Lord’s provision
• He owns it when he messes up.
• Rayburn works hard and long days
  • He also takes time to rest, pray and seek God’s direction

What if our lives were a semi-open diary?

What if we really prayed?

Were honest and kind with those around us? Even when times were tough and we were embarrassed by what we are going through?

What if we owned our mistakes? Owned them in a “I’m calling to set this straight with you, to apologize and to ask for forgiveness.”

What if we (I) took time to rest, to reflect, to pray and to seek direction from God?

Our lives would be more open. More full. More alive.

May each of us attempt these things TODAY.

And then again, maybe, tomorrow.

Kevin

“Here again…you folks believe in God. SO many things happened that can’t be accounted of, except for the leading of the Lord. The laws of mathematical probability would prove it. God led.”- Jim Rayburn, Leadership Training Institute speech. Aug. 1951

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

Had a couple of great interviews this week in the D.Min project. Randy Jackson and Bill Hautt.

Two very bright men who love God and love the mission of YL.

One of my big take aways (for those of you in YL work) is that our work with those who partner with us financially is very similar to our work with kids.

And both of these types of relationships are life giving and an honor to participate in!

Whenever a young staff person approaches me with a question about what to do with a donor, I ask them one question:

“If that was a Young Life kid, what would you do?”

95% of the time they give me a great answer:

I would keep showing up. 

I would be thankful.

I would honor them.

I would keep inviting them into my life.

I would keep investing in their life.

Then I tell them: “GO DO THAT!”

That’s it.

May each of us keep “doing that” – with our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

That’s a great way to live!

Kevin

This is a phrase that we use around our house with regularity.

Not “You are a bad boy,” rather, “you have not been the best version of you.”

We all know what the best version of ourselves looks like: Kind, present, caring, compassionate, inviting, patient.

And we all know what the opposite it when we fail to put our best foot forward.

In our work, in our homes, in our relationships, when no one is looking…

Every now and then, we are not the best version of us.

J-Man is a particularly thoughtful and smart bugger. This leads to lots of laughter, silliness and ridiculously deep conversations with this little 4 year old.

He can also throw a tantrum with the best of them. I mean, in the history of all tantrums.

Like, he’d win a gold medal in Rio if tantrums were a sanctioned Olympic sport.

I want to say that I always give him the best version of myself when I react to his tantrums.

Um. Not the case.

This is usually when I display the worse version of me. Impatient, gruff with my voice, more upset than I’d like to be.

I’m working hard on how to react to him with more patience, a bit more love in my voice and with a firm kindness.

So yes – let’s attempt to get some rest, a bit of exercise, and eat a little better today.

So that we can all be the best version of ourselves.

Our colleagues deserve it. So do our neighbors and our families. The world deserves that.

YOU DESERVE THAT.

Because, quite frankly, with all of the garbage you and I bring to the table, we are still a masterpiece of fine art that is loved by the Creator and many others.

Kevin

Stories of the first YL clubs in Colorado Springs, of Bob Mitchell as his YL leader, and listening to Jim Rayburn give club talks were the lunchtime topics of discussion.

I had the great opportunity to interview Rick Yates at Western Seminary yesterday.

Rick served on the Young Life staff in numerous capacities from 1958-1978. He told stories that have been told for generations: Of prayer, faith, living in near poverty as a staff person and how to relate Jesus to teenagers in a winsome and humorous way.

He told stories of all day prayer meetings, and how Rayburn would take trains all over the nation visiting staff and donors. Praying the entire time.

After many laughs and stories (this fella is REALLY funny), and hearing about how hard it was financially at times, I asked him: “why did you keep doing it?”

As tears started welling up in his eyes, he said: “Jesus made us keep doing it. I was so grateful for those years. One of the greatest parts of my life that I got to be a part of that.” 

Per my research in the Western program, I have two big takeaways:

• Do we still pray in YL? Do our strategies, initiatives and training trump relying on God? More so – Do I still believe that prayer is more powerful than strategy?
• Do we trust God more than we trust ourselves?

If you are on the staff, this is for you:

• When you go on reduced salary, when your R2 numbers do not add up, when every volunteer quits on you and your biggest donor or best friend bails on you…
• REMEMBER what a great honor it is to do this.
• I suggest we all hop on a train and pray the whole way. 

Thanks Rick! I will never forget our time together. Your joy, laughter and ability to tell the Jesus story has given me life!

Kevin