I’ll continue reflecting on how I believe God has shaped me
for The World Race by doing some Heart surgery.
Another word for heart in this context is Passion. What am I passionate about? What makes my heart race? God made me with certain interest and I will
be most fulfilled and fruitful doing that which I love to do!
One of my earliest passions is for the outdoors. When I was a child my family made almost
yearly pilgrimages to the Smoky Mountains. Maybe it was because I was born and reared in
the Mississippi Delta- the 2nd flattest spot on earth (2nd
only to West Texas, but not quite as boring!) but I have
always loved the mountains, the crystal clear streams and big boulders to climb
on. Do you remember thinking when you
were a child what you wanted to be when you grew up? When my peers wanted to be a Policeman one
day and a Fireman the next . . . I consistently wanted to be a Park
Ranger! That passion stuck. I camped throughout high school- even if it
was in the backyard. I majored in
Wildlife Management and took summer jobs with the Nature Conservancy and the US
Fish & Wildlife Service while in college.
After graduation I worked six plus years with the Mississippi Department
of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
I’ve always liked working with my hands. I’m not good enough at it to make a living
doing it; but I can take anything apart and put some of it back together. My Grandmother gave me a Toolkit one year and
by the time my parents came home from work I had removed all the doorknobs in
the house. I was probably 5 years
old! My Dad has always been a great
mechanic and fixer-upper. Sometimes it
seems like I grew up with a wrench in my hand.
Some would say I’m passionate about my old Jeep. I think it’s just an extension of my passion
for piddling.
I became an Uncle for the first time when I was ten years old. My passion for my nieces and nephews has
developed into a passion for children in general. A child’s hug must be one of life’s greatest
joys. I love the “life” in children and
teenagers. I’m drawn to them and I feel
more alive when I’m with them. And I
still adore my nieces and nephews (and their wives and husbands and kids, too!)
I think I got my first taste of “ministry” during my senior
year in college. I served on an “outreach
team” for a campus ministry that led youth events in area churches. It was during that time that I began to realize
my passion for seeing students “get it”.
I love being a part of the “ah ha” moment in a students’ life.
Well there you go. I’m passionate about
the outdoors- especially mountains. I like
working on things. My heart beats for
kids and for ministry.
How has that S.H.A.P.E.d me for The World Race? You’ll have
to wait 3 more days to find out because so far you only know about my “S” and
my “H”.
