Welcome to my blog! I’m going to begin by posting around the theme of my personal calling in life: investing in the lives of others, especially the next generation.

I am currently reading Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak. It’s a very good read on the topic of vocation and calling. He speaks of the idea that calling is not something we attempt to achieve, but a gift we are to receive.  He encourages us to observe our life and listen to what it tells us about who we are and what our God-given passions are.

One of the consistent threads in my life is a desire to build into the lives of others, especially the next generation. Whenever I get the chance to coach or mentor another person or small group of people, my heart goes into a different gear and I become more fully alive. I love seeing people grow and mature. It reminds me of Frederick Buechner’s book Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC, that defines vocation as “the place where your deepest gladness meets the world’s deepest need.”

I can look back through the seasons of my life and see the same passion, theme, fruitful expression being revealed: my heart’s desire to see people grow, mature, and become more fully alive. May it be said of us what was said of King David: “… after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors …” (Acts 13:36, NLT).

Do you think God has a meaningful purpose for your life? As you look back over your life, what are some positive, life-giving effects that have been left in your wake?