I just crossed a major anniversary in my life. No, I am not referencing my 10 year wedding anniversary, that has just past(that is an awesome thing). My Purpose-versary is the 1-year celebration of my leaving corporate America to walk in what I believe God has for me. This was a major transition in my life and I have learned lessons that have drawn my heart closer to Christ. It’s not an easy path that we have been on, but it is one on which we are glad to follow God on.

You see there have been some things that have required us to live differently then before. With one of our incomes being eliminated and the other person working for a church (nobody works for a church to get rich) things have been tighter then ever. We aren’t able to have the things with which we have become accustomed. Even our ten year wedding anniversary was scaled all the way back from Japan, to a Japanese restaurant.

Instead of a steady check for coming as a form of income now my income is based on speaking engagements and book sales. Neither is moving at a substantial pace, although I am grateful for the opportunities that have come. So, we are ever in a hurry up and wait situation. Self-employed people understand that struggle all to well.

Then you must consider my son’s special needs into the equation. He has nonstop therapy sessions, equipment needs, basic requirements that come with having his challenges. Those financial needs have only increased as he has grown. Life is challenging at best!

The good news is that we are not alone. When I left my day job we knew it was God. He had spoken to both of us separately on the matter. Then right when I was going to ask to be released from my job, the company happened to be in total agreement. So, I left blessed. Within a little over a month I had secured a publisher for my book. Eventually, when the money we had reserved ran out we had just enough speaking engagements and book sales to keep things moving.

You see we can often take steps to accomplish our life’s work and quit when times get difficult. We don’t always see the results that we hoped we’d see. The reality is that the God who led us to take the risk is the same one who can and will sustain us in those times of challenge. We have found God to be faithful, and He ever is for those who choose to trust Him. That does not mean that we sit around and wait for God to move. God usually waits for us to do what we can do and then he does only what He can do. God gives us more power then we like to admit.

So it’s our joy to wait for God to perform a miracle in with my book, our finances, and our son. We trust God to do what only He can because we know that the story He is working in us is more about Him than us. He is glorified when we find Him worthy of our trust. So my Purpose-versary is a joyous time as we follow God into the glorious future.

As a college pastor I must keep in mind that most of my students will be leaving me eventually. It’s a blessing and a burden if I am completely honest. One part of you are so excited to see them go into the world as kingdom agents to make a difference for Christ, but the pastoral side of you misses that person who you have come to love, respect, and potentially depend on. So this time of the year is filled with that conflict.

This week I have the opportunity to house one of my former students and his family as they are visiting. So, he, his wife, daughter and parent are all staying with my family and it is a beautiful thing to see. This guy who I have pour my heart, and life into now has a family of his own and I now stand in amazement.

He was one of the special ones. We all have those students that are so important to what you do. He was of such great quality that he worked on staff with me for a few years upon graduation. So to see him as a father and husband is such an encouragement. His interactions as both are indicative of what I had the opportunity to teach and model for him. Now, I see that replicated in his family.

As a college pastor I am a part of a chain of people who have sown into his life. His parents laid the foundation, then it was carried on by the youth group his was a part of, and I was the last piece of the puzzle that help bring it all together. It’s the college and young adult years that solidify their life trajectory. That is the joy of college ministry. We get a chance to launch people into their lives. So as much as it pains me to see people go, it is a joy to see them be who they were meant to become. So, I am savoring this moment, and loving on not only him but also his entire family. He is the fruit of my ministry. 

I have been talking to some friends about the concept of peace; in light of our countries current wars it is a good conversation to have. In the late 60s John Lennon’s song was the anthem “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” The thought was that where peace is there is no conflict. I don’t know that I agree with that philosophy. One reason is that I have been in plenty of environment were there was no conflict and still no peace. The second is that peace sometimes comes at the end of the sword, sad as it might be.

Now, I am not a warmonger. I think that wars are ugly affairs that should be entered into reluctantly. When I see veterans missing limbs my heart breaks at their sacrifice. It’s not something that anyone with a heart can’t help but honor and respect and want to bring an end to the cause.  So I get why so many people hate the very thought of war. We need only look at the Civil War, or World War II to see a couple examples of war gone well.

The reality is that sometimes peace needs to be fought for. It sounds counter intuitive. The UN even has a armed forces group called peace keepers. It’s their charge to go into hostiles situation fight for the purposes of ultimately bringing peace.

Have you considered that war is a part of the human condition? I believe that is God’s plan for us to have to work through the difficult moments for the purpose of creating peace. It’s in the fighting that we see who we are, what we are capable of, and hopefully see whom the real opponent is. For that reason I think many peoples perspective on peace is a little naïve.

The Bible says, “God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 In scripture peace didn’t always mean the absence of war. In this context peace starts on the inside and was settled on the inside. Our challenge is that we like our country can get into unnecessary or unbeneficial wars. That’s why we need it to guard our thoughts and emotions because there would be things that would challenge our peace. So, peace is not something that is easily attained, whether in an individual or a nation. 

Lately, I have been thinking about all of these new high school seniors being released into a collegiate world that many of them are not prepared for. I don’t believe that it’s the goal of parents and youth ministers to send the students’ ill prepared. Actually, I believe they are doing their level best to get these students ready. I think the challenge is that the collegiate environment has a lot more experience attacking our faith then the parents and youth ministries could imagine.

That is why I wrote College Impact. It’s time that we as believers started seeing the college campuses as mission fields ripe for the harvest and our children as the workers to do the job. The Bible says, “ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man 
whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:4-5

I love the analogy of children being arrows because it gives us God’s purpose for sending them into the world. Our children are to be hurled at the enemy. Bows and arrows are offensive long-range weapons. The imagery we get from this scripture is, as we send our children out into the world they go and do damage to our adversary. This is not a passive thing, to launch children into the world; it’s an aggressive one.

Parents, youth ministries, and students have to have a wholesale change in how they approach this transition. We can no longer risk sending our sheep to the slaughter without teaching them to be as wise as serpents. We need to help students understand that they are the righteousness of Christ and they are to be Kingdom agents on their campuses. Instead of sitting idly by as their faith is assaulted they should in turn touch lives, stand for truth, and raise a banner for Christ at their colleges.

How do we make that change? To get that answer pick up a copy of College Impact: Empowering Collegiate Christians for Campus Influence. THIS IS A GREAT GRADUATION PRESENT! You can request the book at your local bookstore or online at http://www.paramindpublications.com/collegeimpact.html or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0976273829/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

It has been made very clear to me that my book College Impact: Empowering Collegiate Christians for Campus Influence is not only vital, but the fruit from my college career is being produced. I recently ran into a young lady who I went to school with and she really blessed me with her story. She was an “it” girl on campus, she and her friends had the attention of all of the men on campus. She was a sweet girl with a very friendly personality, but she was not at all Christian. We (me and other men called the MOGs-men of God) had begun to make an impact on our campus and she was there to see it. At the time we would pray for her, but she was frankly one of the last people that we thought would become a Christian. 

After delivering the message on this Sunday, she ran up to me asked, do you remember me? I said of course and I even remembered her whole name. She told me that not only was she a believer, but she was in a theological program and wanted to work in the ministry. My mind was blown. I usually try to hold my shock, when someone tells me they have received Christ, but I couldn’t help it. I even called my former residential director and he had the same reaction.

He and I began to reminisce over the times we would pray for and talk to her about Christ. My book outlines the importance of making a difference on the college campus, and how it has reverberations long after. She is the living example of my college influence. She literally overwhelmed me with her life transformation. This is only one of many ways the campuses are critical in God’s plan to advance his Kingdom in the earth. I pray that more students embrace the principles in the book and make a difference at their colleges.