June is apparently a time for introspection because I have been thinking non-stop about my life, the direction I’m headed vs. the direction I thought I’d be headed, and my future.

[Pause: Craig, don't read too much into this post.  There's nothing to be afraid of... I'm not jumping ship... just need to work some things out.]

In about a month, I turn 26.  Realizing this made me start thinking about a lot of other stuff.  That means that I started working ten years ago.  That also brings to mind all of those people who asked me, “Where do you see yourself ten years from now?”  I’ll tell you this, I never would have believed that in ten years I would be working as a church IT professional.

In high school, I always told people that I did not want to work with computers because they frustrated me too much.  Wise adults in my life would say things like, “God gave you a gift with computers, and I’d be surprised if He didn’t want you to work with them.”  Boy, that got under my skin.  By the way, I always saw myself as a radio DJ.  In college, I said the same thing - I don’t want to work with computers.  I have a bachelor of arts in communication for crying out loud!  I wanted nothing to do with these silly machines, and yet, here I am.

Looking back over my working history, I have done a lot of things.  I have been a youth ministry assistant, sign shop worker, newspaper reporter, camp counselor, radio DJ, youth minister, youth pastor, bus driver, semester missionary, waiter, assistant cruise director, and IT Manager.  I’ve done more than most people have in their first ten working years, partly because I wanted a lot of experience and partly because I am so ADD!

By this point in life I had always envisioned that I would be married and working in ministry.  While most would argue that church IT work is ministry, it doesn’t feel like ministry… it doesn’t feel like I am supporting the advancement of the Kingdom.  It feels like I’m answering the same question for the thousandth time.  That’s my challenge in this juncture of life - not knowing if I’m making a difference in the Kingdom.

Today, before my glorious Sunday nap, I watched this chick-flick on TBS, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”  In it, a young girl (Bailey) has leukemia and is dying.  Tibby asks her, “Are you scared,” and the 12-year-old (albeit Hollywood) reply was profound.  Bailey answers, “Not of dying, really It’s more that I’m afraid of time. And not having enough of it. Time to figure out who I’m supposed to be… to find my place in the world before I have to leave it. I’m afraid of what I’ll miss.”

While I don’t have a terminal illness, let’s face it, time is limited for all of us.  My fear is similar, that I won’t be all I can be in the Kingdom of God, that I’m somehow missing the calling He has on my life.  How have you wrestled with these things in your life and ministry?

Last night was the karaoke night at the ACS Convention. What a fun experience. I sang a couple of songs and led a dance. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the singers. It was so cool to see the human side of the people that support our ministry on a daily basis. I already knew Dean was a goof-ball, but the others are pretty goofy too. Just check out the photo above of the ACS girls “singing” It’s Raining Men.

Click to see all 64 photos from Karaoke Night.

Somehow I always end up being the center of attention, even when I try to fly under the radar. Today, a not-so-random selection process took place that landed me on stage in front of the entire convention doing some goofy dance. It was a lot of fun, but Cindy - it’s on. When I come to Florence, I won’t forget it. :)

Click to see the whole set with me, the other guys, and the comedian grannies in action.

I was a bit embarrassed by Darci Shelley yesterday at the Enterprise/Megachurch Luncheon. She’s a driving force behind ACS’ Facility Scheduler product. I mentioned to her that several of the people at ACS don’t look like I expected them to.

It’s kind of like listening to the radio. You hear the DJ every morning and you get some subconscious image of their appearance. Working with all of these people from Florence, South Carolina by phone, I began to get this impression in my mind. I’m thinking that those beautiful southern accents contributed to this image of grey-haired grannies who love to make delicious dishes, like Paula Deen (at right).

Well, I told this to Darci who saw it fit to tell it to the entire megachurch luncheon that Matthew Irvine thought that all the ACS employees were 50-60 year olds. She made me look like I had a problem with those more mature than myself. However, I love Paula, so I think Darci and the rest of the ACS crew should be encouraged.

This is what Darci really looks like (at left). I think she enjoyed making me squirm just a little too much.

So, the name Paula Deen was circulating around the convention center for the rest of the afternoon.

Well, the title may be a little dramatic, but it was pretty terrifying.  

So, I’m in a restaurant eating dinner, and I hear reports of a tornado watch in the area.  I thought to myself, “It’s nothing.  They’re always false alarms anyway.”  As I finished eating, I figured I’d better mosy on to where I was headed.  In the direction of my house the sky was pitch black with frequent lightning.  Now, if I was smart I would have headed back into Subway and waited it out, but I’m not smart.

I looked in the direction of Ed’s house, where I was going, and it was clear and sunny.  So, I took off that way, even though the city’s tornado alarms were going off all around town.  As I got to the turn for his road, I immediately realized that now the entire sky was black.  In front of me, behind me, and on each side of my Jeep, the only thing I could see was dark skies and rain.   Just at this time, I heard the EAS signal on the radio and a live voice saying, “Power flashes have been detected and a tornado has touched down at the intersection of Interstate 35 and 190 in Belton…”

Terror swept across me because, as you guessed it, the turn I was making at the time of that signal was under the intersection of Interstate 35 and 190.  Even more terrifying was the fact that I couldn’t see the tornado and that there was nowhere to hide.  Finally I saw the funnel far ahead and realized that I had time to find cover.  I ended up at a gas station (again, maybe not the smartest person in the world) under the cover of the pump pavilion.  I was going to take off for the door of the station, but as soon as I got out of the car the hail began falling.

The first piece of hail that I saw was literally the size of a softball.  The hail began falling quickly and I got back in the car.  I sat there for about 20 minutes waiting for it to finish, listening to the weather on the radio the whole time.  It was intense seeing the rotation and having the wind continually change directions.  Sometimes the hail was blowing in toward me from the north, sometimes from the west, sometimes for the east, and sometimes from the south.  Sometimes I think it was coming from all directions at once.

Then, as quickly as the sky darkened, it cleared up.  I headed off to Ed’s and all was well.  The road had a nice green carpet on it from all the leaves that the hail had knocked off.  Scary night, but exhilarating.  Still, not sure I want to go through it again anytime soon.