Anything you do in life HALFWAY always becomes boring, including your Christianity. Isn't that so true? There's a motto that hangs in our home that has really become a mantra for me. It says, "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in an attractive well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways to heaven, body thoroughly used up, and happily shouting, 'WHAT A RIDE, JESUS! WHAT A RIDE!'"

In this month's Source, "Boring!" I'm developing a mantra with my students for impacting our world. It can be summed up in three words: VISION + ENDURANCE = CONQUEST. With some help from the life of Esther and an incredible true story about Notre Dame, it's my prayer that our students are ignited with fresh passion to go make a difference in their sphere of influence.

Go cut down your nets,

The most important things in life...aren't things. Rather, it's finding something worth dying for, then living for it. It's choosing to live a life of purpose and passion.

In this month's Source, "The Runway," I'm reminding all of us to do something with our life that matters, no matter what the price may be. With the help of a ladder, tape measure and one of my favorite stories from Scottish history, my prayer is for more and more students to FIGHT FOR THE HEART OF THEIR KING!

On mission,

We're all pretty desperate about getting our problems solved, but we want the solution without it costing us something. I think that's why we have so many half-hearted Christians these days. Why? Because when something ceases to cost you something big, it ceases to mean something big.

In this month's Source, "How bad do you want it?," my ground zero question is, "Does it take desperate times for you to pursue God desperately?" My heart behind this message is to inspire some of us to make the personal choice to passionately come after God no matter what our feeling level.

Fanning the flame,

Contrary to what many people think, it is not your talent or your intelligence that is really the major predictor of how much happiness or success you're going to have in your life, your family, your vocation, or your ministry. A far more accurate predictor of those factors is your GRIT. And best news is that grit isn't something you are just "born with"...but it is something you can cultivate!

In this Youth Leader's Coach, I share pragmatics from the book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. We'll take a look at what "grit" is. I'll also share four psychological assets that, if you choose to grow them over time, will help you grow your GRIT. As novelist John Irving says, "To do anything really well, you have to OVEREXTEND YOURSELF."

Committed to growing my GRIT,

I interviewed a craftsman a while back, and asked him what the process was to make a new wineskin. He used some vocabulary that even I hadn’t even heard of. But while he was explaining it to me, he also explained the characteristics of “Old Wineskins.” Most of them are old, rigid and have A LOT OF RUTS. They are very brittle and easily broken when bumped. Not easily stretched, and usually have small cracks somewhere on the inside.

Does that describe some of you? Or someone in your ministry? In order to receive “new wine” you have to become a NEW WINESKIN. Journey along with me to learn how to make yourself or help someone you know, become a new wine skin.

Lovingly,