Last week I began telling you about how I am going about planning for the 2010-2011 school year. I suggested checking out Nelson Searcy’s Planning a One Year Personal Growth Plan and set out to give you some of the highlights of my planning sessions. Today, let’s talk about how to Abandon Annually.

When it comes to planning your Fall calendar, what does it mean to Abandon Annually? Often our planning starts on the microlevel- What must I do today or this week? The tyranny of the urgent has us staring at the handful of trees in our vicinity. When we fail to see the entire forrest we miss so many things and often, we over schedule and double book ourselves.

When you begin your planning by looking over the course of an entire year you can schedule your non-negotibles and then plan accordingly. You also can intentionally lay out the next 365 days and dedicate them to God. There is a calming freedom in looking at a blank calendar and saying to Father, “Everyone of these days are dedicated to you.” My Personal Growth calendar will begin on August 1, 2010 and will end on July 31, 2011.

Searcy suggests that you plan your vacations first (abandon, get it?). He says that while this may seem self-serving, planning your vacation time gives you time to rest and a rested leader is a leader who is free to serve, lead, cast vision, spend time with family, and connect with Jesus more fully. He also suggests putting down your conferences or specific learning opportunities. Finally, Searcy suggests that you schedule a day or two one year from now to planning next year’s calendar.

What does this- Abandoning Annually- look like for me?

Vacations- Beyond traveling to see family during the holidays we have a big plan for our 2011 vacation. Next summer, we will celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary. It is our hope and plan to travel overseas for a week of vacation at the end of the summer. I know that we must begin planning today in order to make this plan a reality.

Conferences- Since 2003 I have traveled to Atlanta, GA for the Catalyst Conference. This is, hands down, my favorite leadership event and I can’t wait for October. For Catalyst, I have to schedule the better part of the week away. There are other leadership opportunities that may be online (The Nines) or local (Echo) and that do not require must preparation but I still need to put them on the calendar.

Youth Ministry- For the ministry, I would encourage you to find out and schedule in your calendar the following:

• School Holidays
• Sporting Events
• Next Year’s Summer Camp dates
• Super Bowl
• Inservice days for teachers
• The day school begins and ends

Review- July 25, 2011 has been designated as the day I will sit down and do this all over again.

Now you- take a look over the next year, Dedicate the next 365 days to growing closer to God each and everyday. Ask him to give you guidance, wisdom, and discernment over the next 12 months. Then set about marking in the most important an non-negotiable dates for this next year.

Remember: Control your calendar or it will control you. Next, we’ll look at how to Measure Monthly.

Today, I want to talk about some Youth Ministry Basics and there is no better place to start than with Fall Planning.  Youth ministers often get a bad wrap on their organizational skills and I try to avoid that stereotype like the plague! Over the last few weeks I have been working on the next 12 months- scheduling events, planning my teaching, and even gearing up for Summer 2011. This week, I am putting the finishing touches on our Fall calendar and I hope to deliver the finished product (Aug-May) by August 1. Fall planning isn’t just for your youth ministry. Sure you have stuff planned for your teens but what about you and your family? How are you going to rest? How are you going to learn? How are you going to grow?

This year, I used some suggestions from Nelson Searcy concerning my personal planning calendar. While some of these suggestions have always been a part of my planning I really appreciated the concise and creative approach Nelson and his team uses when it comes to helping others plan their year. Maybe some of these things will help you as you look at what  God can do in your ministry over the next 12 months. This year, on a personal level, I am intentionally committing to spiritual growth. I want to be FAITHFUL and FRUITFUL.

Nelson suggests that to be intentional about personal spiritual growth you need to look at your calendar from four perspectives. You need to…

1. Abandon Annually
2. Measure Monthly
3. Withdraw Weekly
4. Divert Daily

Tomorrow we’ll look at taking the longview and committing the next 365 days to God through Abandoning Annually.

Summer is almost finished and that means that my reading schedule can get back on track. This is a picture of the stack of books sitting on my desk ready to be devoured.

What are you reading? What should I be reading?

Our youth group just returned from our Mission Trip to Memphis, TN where we worked with inner city children through Memphis Urban Ministry. We had an absolute blast serving these kids and I hope to share more pictures and stories throughout the week. One of the coolest things that happened to us this week was that we had an opportunity to be interviewed on Elvis Radio for SiriusXM while visiting Graceland. Big props to Morgan, one of my students, who captured the whole thing on video for us. Check it out:

(if reading in RSS please click through to see the video)

Someone was very excited that Daddy got an iTunes card for Father’s Day.

I have been diagnosed with Insomnia since 2004. Most nights, regardless of any rhyme or reason, I have trouble falling asleep at an hour most of you deem acceptable. I have a prescription sleeping pill that I rarely take because A) they are stinkin’ expensive and 2) I often think I’ll go to sleep at a decent hour and then 3am rolls around and I don’t want to take a sleeping pill that late/early. That means, while everyone else is sleeping, I have to fill the quiet hours with activity. Here are the Top 5 Things I Like To Do When Battling Insomnia:

1) Read- No earth shattering news there. I love to read and if my brain has the ON switch flipped I might as well log some hours in between the pages of a good book.

2) Pick Up My Son- Every few hours (minutes?) I’ll sneak into my son’s room, pick him up, give him a tight squeeze, and then put him back in bed. Usually I can do all this before he makes a peep and wakes up Mom.

3) Food Network- I love “Unwrapped” and it is the perfect show for an insomniac. First of all, the show requires zero critical thinking skills. Sugar and corn syrup goes in the big vat, goodies come out, kids eat goodies. Brilliant! Plus, watching machines move candy down the conveyor belt is rather hypnotic. It is all good until “Iron Chef” comes on and then I’m sitting on the edge of the bed. “The Secret Ingrediant is….PAPYAAAAAAAAHHHH!“ Forget sleep now!

4) Stare at the Ceiling While Rolling From Side to Side- Usually there is at least an hour of trying this sleep technique. Not really effective. At. All.

5) Finish What I Started Earlier In The Day- Many a class or lesson have been written in the wee, small hours of the night. Not because of procrastination but because I found myself wide awake. Some have wondered how I get so many things done and the secret is that I often have a few more hours to work then the average person. While this insomnia is a curse, it does allow me to get some things finished at a faster pace. Believe me though when I say that there isn’t really a bright side to not sleeping. Getting things done is not a substitute for sleep depravation. The person that tells you otherwise is not to be trusted. That person is probably a robot and we all know how I feel about robots.

There you have it- My Top 5 Things To Do When Battling Insomnia. If you find yourself up late at night, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone! Happy sleeping everyone! Have a good night’s rest.

This Sunday is Father’s Day. I have been given the opportunity to preach again this weekend and I’ve been praying and seeking guidance on what God wants me to share about his nature, his Son, and the task set out before us as disciples. As I’ve been sitting here at my desk this morning I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around being a father and what it means to me a dad. My mind keeps going back to a video I showed in chapel back when I was a Campus Minister. The video told the incredible story of Dick and Ricky Hoyt. If you haven’t heard of these men, I’ll let this video from Ironman speak for itself (if reading in RSS, please click through in order to see the video).

I’m not going to lie to you. I weep every time I watch this. I don’t shed a tear or two. I don’t get misty eyed. My tear ducts let loose and torrent, my face contorts, and my shoulder move up and down. I boarder on sobbing. What a testimony to the love, commitment, and determination of a Father on behalf of his son!

I’m not sure yet what I’ll be sharing on Sunday but right now, the lesson of this video is shaping the way I want to parent. It is shaping the way I see Our Father.

Last week, U2 postponed the North American dates for the 3rd Leg of the 360 Tour. Bono had emergency back surgery for a “severe compression of the sciatic nerve.” The Edge is saying that with Bono’s recovery lasting a minimum of 8 weeks that they should be back on the road by mid August. Apparently that’s not soon enough for the Fürer . (If you are reading through RSS click through to see the video)

I think my favorite line is, “What was he doing? Saving the world too hard?”

Personally, I think I know when, where, and how Bono hurt his back and I put the blame squarely on the Obama Administration.

Get well soon Bono!

Links:
@U2- Hitler Learns About 360 Tour Postponement
U2 Tour Posponed
Bono Released from Munich Hospital
Edge 95 Percent Sure About European Dates
“Downfall” Parodies

So…………………. ya.

First the designers of the 2012 London Olympics divided the seeing world with an awful looking logo. I get that the logo depicted the Olympic Village buildings but that isn’t a valid excuse for bad design.

Now, here comes Mandeville and Wenlock. Worst. Mascots. Ever.

Collide Magazine summed up their arrival quite nicely. I don’t think I could have said it better myself:

“That’s Mandeville on the left and Wenlock on the right. Their job is to help prepare us for the 2012 Olympics by haunting our dreams and raising cyclops awareness … or something like that.” – Collide Magazine Blog

Actually, this is my favorite picture of the terrible duo:

This picture was taken just seconds before that young boy was mauled and eaten by these monsters. That’s the rumor I heard. And believe.

The good news is that the London Olympics don’t start for another year and a half so we can look forward to cowering in fear together until the torch is lit and the villagers hunt these creatures down and the games begin. I guess the Olympics does bring us closer together.

National Post: Horrific Olympic mascots Wenlock and Mandeville
Guardian UK: London Olympics 2012- Meet Wenlock and Mandeville, drips off the old block
Worst Olympic Mascots Gallery

Today my beautiful son is one year old. It is hard to believe all the things that have happened over the course of this year. It become harder each day to remember what life was like before he came along! God has truly blessed us with a wonderful gift!

Beautiful Boy
John Lennon

Close your eyes,
Have no fear,
The monsters gone,
He’s on the run and your daddy’s here,

Beautiful,
Beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy,

Before you go to sleep,
Say a little prayer,
Every day in every way,
It’s getting better and better,

Beautiful,
Beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy,

Out on the ocean sailing away,
I can hardly wait,
To see you to come of age,
But I guess we’ll both,
Just have to be patient,
Yes it’s a long way to go,
But in the meantime,

Before you cross the street,
Take my hand,
Life is just what happens to you,
While your busy making other plans,

Beautiful,
Beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy…

I’ve got a ton of stuff that I’m currently reading. I have so many different books open right now that I need to buy some stock in a highlighter company. Check out a few of my favorite quotes from books I’ve been working through recently:

The Christian Atheist by Craig Groschel
A pastor once asked his church to pray that God would shut down a neighborhood bar. The whole church gathered for an evening prayer meeting, pleading with God to rid the neighborhood of the evils of this bar. A few weeks later, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. Having heard about the church’s prayer crusade, the bar owner promptly sued the church. When the court date finally arrived, the bar owner passionately argued that God struck his bar with lightning because of the church members’ prayers. The pastor backtracked, brushing off the accusations. He admitted the church prayed, but he also affirmed that no one in his congregation really expected anything to happen. The judge leaned back in his chair, a mix of amusement and perplexity on his face. Finally he spoke: “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Right in front of me is a bar owner who believes in the power of Prayer and a pastor who doesn’t.” The truth is some Christian Atheists believe in God, but they don’t believe in Prayer. They might claim to believe prayer works, but their actions say otherwise. Some rarely pray, and when they do, they don’t expect anything to change.

The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson
To follow Jesus implies that we enter into a way of life that is given character and shape and direction by the one who calls us. To follow Jesus means picking up rhythms and ways of doing things that are often unsaid but always derivative from Jesus, formed by the influence of Jesus. To follow Jesus means that we can’t separate what Jesus is saying from what Jesus is doing and the way that he is doing it. To follow Jesus is as much, or maybe even more, about feet as it is about ears and eyes.

Romans by RC Sproul
The church is the ekklesia, a Greek word that comes from the verb kaleo, meaning “to call,” and the prefix ek-, meaning “out of.” Every Christian is called out of the world, out of bondage, out of death, and out of sin, and into Christ and into his body. Paul is not the only one who has been called. All who are truly part of the church have been called out, separated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Church 3.0 by Neil Cole
Church is no longer a place to go to, but a people to belong to. Church is no longer an event to be at, but a family to be a part of. Church is not a program to reach out to the world, but a people that bring the kingdom of God with them into a lost world, with a contagious spirit.

After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by NT Wright
As I have already hinted, people tend to go in one of two directions when they think of how to behave. You can live by rules, by a sense of duty, by an obligation imposed on you whether you feel like doing it or not. Or you can declare that you are free from all that sort of thing and able to be yourself, to discover your true identity, to go with your heart, to be authentic and spontaneous. Jenny and Philip were really having that debate, though they didn’t realize it. James was bumping into it, too, but he was framing it within a larger and more worrying challenge: What are we here for in the first place? The fundamental answer we shall explore in this book is that what we’re “here for” is to become genuine human beings, reflecting the God in whose image we’re made, and doing so in worship on the one hand and in mission, in its full and large sense, on the other; and that we do this not least by “following Jesus.” The way this works out is that it produces, through the work of the Holy Spirit, a transformation of character. This transformation will mean that we do indeed “keep the rules”—though not out of a sense of externally imposed “duty,” but out of the character that has been formed within us. And it will mean that we do indeed “follow our hearts” and live “authentically”—but only when, with that transformed character fully operative (like an airline pilot with a lifetime’s experience), the hard work up front bears fruit in spontaneous decisions and actions that reflect what has been formed deep within. And, in the wider world, the challenge we face is to grow and develop a fresh generation of leaders, in all walks of life, whose character has been formed in wisdom and public service, not in greed for money or power.

I came across this video earlier in the week. A friend posted it on their Facebook page and I have been going over it in my mind all week. It is a video blog posted by Penn Jillette, the illusionist. In the video Penn, an atheist, recounts a conversation that occurred after a Penn & Teller show between him and a Christian business man. Watch the video below and then read my observations. (If you are reading this in RSS you may need to click through to see the video)

Ok, now for some observations:

Genuiness. The first thig that Pen noticed about this man was that he was GENUINE. The way the man complemented the show and spoke praise to Penn & Teller came across as real and from the heart. Penn also saw that this genuine nature wasn’t just evident in the way he praised the show. This man had a genuine concern for Penn’s soul. Having the character trait of being genuine with and about people was shared by Timothy in the Bible. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that Timothy was a man who had real and genuine concern for the people of Philippi. Paul writes, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” (Philippians 2:19-22)

Boldness. Acts 14:3 says, “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time (in Iconium), speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” Penn Jillette is a bear of a man. At 6′6″ he towers over most men and his booming voice looms large as well. Penn speaks his mind and is very animated when he talks. As nice as he seems most people would try to avoid any argument with this vivacious magician. However, it was the boldness of this man that seemed to capture Penn’s attention and his respect. It seems that Penn wasn’t the only one pulling off amazing wonders that night. God had a few tricks up his sleeve as well.

Love. Penn argues, “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Penn, a dedicated atheist, believes that sharing your faith in Jesus Christ is ultimately an act of love and that keeping quiet about your faith is actually telling the world that you hate them and want them to go to hell. Think about that one for a minute.

One. In the video clip, you can tell that Penn is wrestling with the entire situation. He isn’t dismissive. He was touched. He isn’t defensive. He’s disarmed. He isn’t angry. He is thankful. One man. One incident. One gift. One conversation. That’s all it took.

“I know there’s no God and one polite person doesn’t change that… but I’ll tell ya, that was a very, very, very good man. And… that’s real important. And with that kind of goodness… it’s ok to have that deep of a disagreement. And I still think that religion still does a lot of bad stuff, but, man, that was good man who gave me that book.”

I’ve really been thinking about this video all week. How can I make an impact on others the way this man impacted Penn? I hope that I too can be GENUINE, BOLD, and LOVING to others so that God can use me to impact others in His name.

Tags: Bible, Faith, Penn, Penn Jillette

I’m sitting here on the couch watching the tail end of the local news. Everyone in the house is asleep. I’m about to pack up the laptop and spend a few minutes reading before I head off to bed. As I sit here I am just taking a moment to reflect on my day. I am one blessed dude. Here are five blessing that I am thankful for right now:

1. My Family. We had some family photos taken over the weekend. Hewson celebrates his first birthday next week so we had a few pics taken to commemorate this season of our little family. I have a beautiful, loving, kind, and compassionate wife. I have a beautiful son as well. Life is God and God has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination.
2. My Students. Some people like their jobs. I love my job as a youth minister!!! Tonight we had Bible study at the house and we shared a meal together. There is nothing better than scripture and steak.
3. The Gospel. I know that Jesus Christ is Lord of All. I know that God sent His Son to destroy sin and death. I know that Jesus was raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know that The Holy Spirit lives in me and helps me in all that I do.Have you ever stopped to give thanks that you too know the Gospel?
4. Health. I am healthy and my family is healthy. I am always thankful for this. Of course, even if sickness does strike us we will still be blessed. For now, we give thanks for the good health that we have.
5. Opportunities. God, thank you for the opportunities you have placed before me. Each day brings new opportunities and each season brings great choices. As summer approaches I pray that you will help me make the most of every opportunity afforded to me and our ministry.

What blessings are you thankful for right now?

So I’ve been hanging out in bed since yesterday afternoon because I got the ole stomach bug. I’ve been swigging the Pepto and wishing for the end of the world to come quickly. Obviously I am not a big fan of being sick. So… I thought I’d post a list of my Top 5 Things to Do While You’re Sick. Next time you’re under the weather try a few of my suggestions and hopefully you’ll feel better. Enjoy the list!

1) Monopolize the Couch- You’re sick. You deserve to take up the only piece of furniture that has direct access to the television. In fact, you also need to have complete control over the tv and the remote. Sure, you’re so sick that you pass out and sleep for hours on end but when you regain consciousness the tv better be on the channel I left it on or so help me…

2) Pretending Like You’re Not Sick- Sure, everyone else in your immediate family came down with a horrible, West Nile style stomach virus but that’s NOT what you have. You just ate something funny. You’ll be ok. Just push through.

3) Acting Like a Baby- When I’m sick this is one of my favorite things to do. So what? Who cares? Give me this one thing! Don’t judge me!!!

4) Curling Up in a Ball and Weeping- In the Seinfeld episode titled, “The Dinner Party,” Jerry eats a Black & White cookie that causes him to break a 14yr vomit-free streak. While my streak has never been this long I try to go years between ralphs. I hate, hate, hate throwing up. When I dashed to the porcelain god yesterday all I wanted to do was weep and wail. And I did.

5) Rest- Ok, this one is for real. The best thing you can do when sick is rest up. In fact, there is a good chance that you got sick because you failed to get enough rest. It makes no sense to keep running yourself into the ground when you are laid up. Take this opportunity to catch up on your rest so you can get back on your feet sooner.

Take a moment and let’s read the words of Jesus from Matthew 11:28-30.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 TNIV)

I’m here to tell you. I am TIRED! The month of April has wore me out! Anyone else here just plain tired right now?

When I about 12 years old I had a season pass to Wet ‘n Wild in Garland. I would ride my bike to the park and then spend the entire afternoon riding the rides and hanging out in the wave pool. Oh. I loved the wave pool! If you’ve never been to one of these water parks there is a large pool in the center of the park and every fifteen minutes or so a bell rings, kids go crazy, and everyone flocks to the pool to enjoy the waves. A giant machine pumps water into the big pool and causes these massive waves to build up and if I remember right these waves can get as high as 30-50feet (Don’t check that fact. Just trust me).  The wave pool really is a ton of fun but it can also be really, really dangerous. One time I was in the wave pool and I was extremely tired. I decided I was going to climb out of the pool at the ladder but I slipped, fell into the high waves, and then struggled to stay above the water. The waves kept coming and pounding me and I was helpless to do anything. By the time it was over I felt bruised, beaten, and helpless. I was done with the water park.

The sheer power of the water and the constant beat-down I received from the waves drained me of all energy and stamina. I couldn’t take the constant pounding. I just wanted to quit. I was tired. I was used up. I was done.

Maybe that’s how some of you feel today as you sit here. April has been a difficult month for us all and some more than others.

• Stomach bug
• TAKS test
• Surgery
• Illness
• Accidents
• Emotional pain
• Allergies
• Death

This week I heard a seminar teacher challenge me with this thought. He said each week, someone in your community is In Trouble, Under Tension, or Going Through Transition. That pretty much sums up our problems doesn’t it?

This week, some of you were In Trouble. Your marriage is in trouble. Your kid is in trouble. Your job is in jeopardy. The credit card payment is due and you have no idea how you’re going to pay it. The brakes went out and there goes your bonus. Trouble is beating you down.

This week, some of you were Under Tension. (Joker- Dark Knight Score- The tension just keeps being ratcheted up as the film progresses) That relationship you’re in did not get better, in fact it is now worse. You were tested this week to compromise your integrity and your faith. You are under tension. Some of you in here are Under Tension with God. Your faith has taken so many hits you don’t know if God is even real. You are struggling to even care about your faith. You are living Under Tension.

This week, some of you are Going Through Transition. You are adding a family member. That means a new budget and a new schedule. You got promoted and demoted. Your teen started driving or got in a wreck this week- either way you’re transitioning into a new payment plan with your insurance agency. Life may be full of transition but transition/moving is tough.

Trouble, tension, and transition can be overwhelming. For some people the problems in life get too much to handle. People get depressed, apathetic, and despondent. Life becomes way too much to handle. When life becomes this hard we can relate to these words of Lamentations:

“Remember, LORD, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace.

Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners.

We have become fatherless, our mothers are widows.

We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price.

Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest. (Lamentations 5:1-5 TNIV)

However, there is good news. Today’s message should not leave you feeling like Debbie Downer. Here is the Good News:

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39 TNIV)

Have you ever heard of the Tojinbo cliffs of Japan. These cliffs on the northern coast of the Sea of Japan are a formidable sight. Powerful winds and waves have pounded these shores and over time they have carved these ominous and treacherous cliffs.

Just looking at these cliffs you can almost imagine the sheer power and the drama that carved these cliffs can’t you.

The country of Japan has been faced with a suicide epidemic over the last few years. The suicide rate in Japan is more than twice that of the US. According to Time magazine, 1 in 5 Japanese men and women have contemplated suicide and 30,000 a year for the last 10 years have committed suicide. That is 300,000 people! In fact the article I read was from 2009 and that year from Jan to April, 11,236 people had committed suicide that year.

Many of those suicides happen at the Tojinbo cliffs. When the weight of the world comes crashing down on people they come to these cliffs to contemplate the end of their lives.

Maybe some of you have been in a similar place in life. The weight of the world seems like it is about to crush you and you just need some help, some relief.

Some of you know what it is like to stand at the cliffs of Tojinbo. You know what it is like to feel overwhelmed, lost, afraid, and alone. I think feeling alone and abandoned is the worst part of our pain. And Satan loves to exploit this. He’ll whisper to you that God doesn’t care. God can’t hear you. God has abandoned you. Satan loves to make you feel alone.

For years, the people who went to the cliffs of Tojinbo to end their lives were alone. However, since 2004, they have someone looking out for them. There is now someone who meets them at the cliffs, who counsels them, and who takes them in.

From TIME.com:

For five years, Yukio Shige, 65, has approached people at the cliffs’ edge with a simple “Hello” and a smile. He might ask how they came there and at what inn they were staying. Sometimes after a light touch to the shoulder, Shige says, they burst into tears, and he begins to console them. “You’ve had a hard time up until now,” he says, “haven’t you?”

The retired detective from nearby Fukui City has patrolled the cliffs two or three times a day since 2004, wearing white gloves and a floppy sun hat, carrying binoculars to focus on three spots on the cliffs where suicides are most common. After he’s talked them off the cliffs, Shige–a trained counselor–takes them to his small office, (for) counseling sessions. For men, Shige says, the biggest problems are debt and unemployment; most of the women are there because of depression or health issues. “If it’s a case of sexual harassment, I’ll go with her to the office and confront her boss,” says Shige. “If a child has issues with his father, I tell the parent that he is driving his child to suicide and get them to write a promise to change. They hang it on the wall.”

In April, on the fifth anniversary of starting his operation, Shige sat reading a three-page, handwritten letter he had received that day from a Shizuoka man, one of many he gets from those he has helped. The letter concluded by thanking Shige for providing the man with an awareness of the love that surrounded him. As Shige finished reading, the melody of “Amazing Grace” rose from his cell phone. “I want Tojinbo to be the most challenging place,” he says. “Not where life ends, but where it begins.”

Guess what? In your life today at your cliff of Tojinbo- whatever your feeling, whatever your trouble, whatever the pain- you have Yukio Shige and his name is Jesus Christ.

You see, Jesus himself has been to the cliff. In Genesis, we find the first prophecy ever concerning Jesus. God warns Satan about the coming King by saying that, Satan will bite his heel but that Jesus will crush his head. One of the Hebrew words for a cliff is SHE-en and it means Sharp as a Tooth. Jesus triumphs over the Sharp Teeth that try and destroy us.

Jesus left the throne room of heaven to become a man. He walked the earth and lived among us. He didn’t just speak to us from afar behind the pearly gates. He didn’t call out from behind the clouds, “I feel your pain!” No! He came to earth and he touched and healed the sick, the poor, the hurting. He knows what you’re going through because he knew suffering while on this earth. His family rejected him, his followers abandoned him, he was beaten and hung on a tree.

Jesus deals with the true source of our pain- Sin. One of my favorite parts of the article is when Shige deals with the source of the people’s pain. If the problem is the boss, he talks with the boss. If it is a family member, he talks to the family member. He goes straight to the source of the pain and the problem.

For us all pain and hurt and confusion come back to Sin and its effects. Sometimes the sin is committed against us and sometimes we suffer the consequences of our own sin. God was no satisfied with sin separating Him from us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Corinthians 5:21 TNIV)

The Cross is where life begins. If you are struggling in your life right now with anything you are at a moment of challenge. How will you respond? Will you give up, abandon hope, abandon faith? Will you believe the lie that you are alone and that God wants nothing more to do with you? OR… Will you believe that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you have an advocate and a Savior more powerful than any problem in your life?

“We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:2-12 TNIV)