Last week was busy. It was very good to spend quality time with family
this weekend. I am grateful for it.

Today, it was a huge highlight to have my brother Ryan and sister-in-
law Lindsay bring our nephew Caleb over to hang out. The came to
church with us and then we went for a walk on the Falling Waters Trail
which was entirely lovely and rejuvenating to converse with them and
walk in the autumn cool weather with starbucks in hand.

We Won’t Cast Hope Aside

when something good’s been tainted

and dreams they’ve been thrown out
when all around is noise and clutter 
and vision’s bit the dust

it’s hard to sing a love song
it’s difficult to rise
it’s hard to face the giants 
with condescending eyes
but we mustn’t hide

so we come into the light
with our burdens lifted high
and we fasten up our weapons
of love and faith and we won’t cast hope aside

faith isn’t faith if there is sight
hope doesn’t last if there isn’t pride
and love never fails

I am sitting with Lindsay at the Jackson Coffee Co. downtown Jackson.
I really enjoy being here whenever we get the chance to come. It is a
great place to enjoy good friday night live music with great coffee,
conversations with people in the community and a great place to surf
the web and do work.

Sometimes, people give me great joy. Like today, I was just watching some of my students helping each other with math while others were just laughing and socializing in a study hall today and it gave me great joy.

The reason I went into teaching was so that I could both learn from and engage young people who really can change the world. I can honestly say that I am learning from students today. I do believe and hope that these kids change the world through love and service as unto Christ. They have got this potential. Don’t we all? Oh, that we could just believe it to be true so that our actions might be congruent. Lord, help me to believe.