bittersweet...

So long Thew. Just this morning, Sara Beth's baby brother Matthew packed his truck and made his move to Kennesaw, GA. He's heading out to spend a few months living and working with his older brother Adam all the while trying to figure out if this is going to be a permanent transition for him. We shared dinner last night, prayed over and for him, and sent him off. While part of all of us will miss seeing Thew around all the time, the other part of us is excited about the new adventure that life is taking him on. It's definitely a bittersweet taste of life.

Above all, I pray that Thew finds his place in this world and sees that life is more than just a good job, a nice family, and a decent paycheck. I pray that he discovers early that life will only be fulfilling when he trusts that God has a plan for him and he goes after that plan with all that he's got.

There's a dangerous trap that his been laid before Thew and all of us. You know it as the "American Dream." The belief that success is defined by what you possess and how you compare to the neighbors next door. The 3 bed/2 bath house, two cars in the garage, a couple of talented kids, and a cozy retirement. It will become very appealing to Thew in the next few months, and it creeps its way into everyone of us at some point in our life. In fact, I've found that it's a constant battle that we must be ready to fight. I say all of this because it's a place where I've been and a place where I find myself desperately trying to avoid on an almost daily basis. Leave it to Jesus though to give me something to fight with. His words so smooth, so full of truth, and so life changing oftentimes go undervalued. But as you and I enter this battle, I pray that His words are at the front of our minds and direct the steps that we take.

What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?--Mark 8:36

Don't give up your soul, your satisfaction, your joy for a few dollars and a side of comfort. In the end, it will be simply bittersweet.