Brunei Picture - Colorful Shawls Photo - National Geographic Photo of the Day

Brunei Picture - Colorful Shawls Photo - National Geographic Photo of the Day

The Bucket List We All Need; Advice to Graduates

"The Buried Life" is an 1852 poem about how we get so caught up in day-to-day busywork that we forget to "spend our fire and restless force in tracking out our true, original course."

In that spirit, a couple of Canadian brothers put together a "100 Things To Do Before We Die" list, with items such as "Compete in a krump contest," "Play basketball with President Obama," "Make a toast at a stranger's wedding," and 97 more. Jonnie and Duncan Penn took two weeks off work, borrowed an RV, and tackled the list. They shared the adventure with friends Dave and Ben, and their project is almost like a combination of the movie the Bucket List and the television shows My Name is Earl and Road Rules (another MTV reality series).

Last year as I began watching this project unfold on the internet and now on television, I began to think about students making and setting goals for their lives.  I was tempted to be skeptical of the whole movement, since No. 54 is "to get our own TV series." However, the boys vowed that, for every item they scratch off their list, they'd help a stranger accomplish one of his or her life's goals. The result is very inspiring at times. The series is a testament to friendship, adventure, perseverance, and giving back. And it will make you laugh along the way.

As we recognize our graduating seniors this week, I want to encourage each “student,” young and old, to begin making their “list.”  The theme of my first year at Ole Miss (many years ago) was “this is the first day of the rest of your life.” The action packed years leading up to graduation seem to go by far too quickly, and since those years come around only once, it is important to seize every opportunity to explore, enjoy and live life in the abundance that Jesus talked about while on this earth. (John 10:10) I do hope that as you are forming and reforming your “list” and that you will include "growing as a Disciple" and "being a part of the Church."  

As a Church, we recognize that graduation is a special time in the life of our students.  It is the closing of one chapter in their life and the opening of another.  May we as a Church continually pray for these young people as they begins their next phase of living and as they continue to invest in their growth as Disciples. 

Even The Crumbs Are Enough

Those who have abandoned themselves to God always lead mysterious lives and receive from him exceptional and miraculous gifts by means of the ordinary, natural and chance experiences in which there appears to be nothing unusual. The simplest sermon, the most banal conversations, the least erudite books become a source of knowledge and wisdom to these souls by virtue of God's purpose. This is why they carefully pick up the crumbs which clever minds tread under foot, for to them everything is precious and a source of enrichment.




- Jean-Pierre De Caussade

TOMS One Day Without Shoes 2011 - Will You Join Us? - Song "One Day" by ...

The Effects of Student Mission Experiences

The lives of most teenagers are very focused on self and the opinions of their peers. Daily routines in the summer usually reflect material values, and summer jobs and hanging out with friends seem to revolve around entertainment. A mission trip breaks students away from what could be a completely self-absorbed summer. Foreign Mission Opportunities allow each participant to take a journey to the top of the “mountain” where the air is clean and where they can suddenly see for miles, figuratively and at times literally. Students quickly realize that they don't live their lives in isolation. There are people around the world who don't have the benefit of education, three square meals a day, a steady job, or even a loving home. 

Local Mission Opportunities allow them to see others that live in "their backyard" in a different light.  Yet it often is not until students have those experiences away from their "backyard" before they begin to notice the places in which they live are also places that need of serving.  

Whether working on a house during Mission Week with Krista Kottage in Madison County or offering a bag of rice and beans in Costa Rica, young people come to understand the blessings God has already poured out on them. They are truly able to live out the call God has given to all of us to “love God and love others.”

The Benefits of Investing in Student Missions
As young people encounter new cultures and situations while serving God, they not only gain a larger view of the world, but they often develop a new perspective and understanding of what it means to participate in a lifestyle to love God and love others. Preparing students for missions helps students develop budgets, fund-raising and planning practices that can help create strong leadership skills which can bring about a lasting impact on the Church.

1. Exposure 

One benefit for students going on a mission trip is the exposure to different cultures and situations in life. Not only do they get to travel to a beautiful country, but they also get to experience real life in a poverty stricken area. This vastly different setting can be an eye-opening time for everyone. Most Madison students have grown up in relative financial comfort. To see people who live with much less and yet have a truly vibrant faith can be a life-changing experience for each student.

2. Perspective 

These life-changing experiences can be a key component in changing the perspective of students. Going on a mission trip often makes the common problems and challenges of North American teens seem much less significant. It also helps them appreciate their surroundings more when they return home. We have seen mission opportunities transform students as they make lifetime memories, gain a deeper understanding of life, and recognize the presence of God in their own lives.

3. Lifestyle

Student mission experiences allow young people to think more deeply about the purpose of life. Even as they begin to examine and explore what their future will look like, they are able to get a glimpse of what it means to serve God with everything they have and everything they are. This time of self-discovery can shake the very foundations of their teen worldview and cause students to begin living a lifestyle that truly reflects a servant’s heart.