Reunion

This past weekend, I attended a cheerleading reunion in Lexington, home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. For those of you who don't know me very well, I was the Wildcat mascot for three years while in college. Kentucky Cheerleading is a great example of a dynasty. The team has won 10 of the last 11 national championships, with 14 overall. At the reunion, there were people representing teams from the present all the way back to the 1950's. It was pretty cool. When the group was recognized at the first timeout of the UK/Florida football game, about 250 former cheerleaders and mascots took the field to a standing ovation from the Kentucky fans.

It was really good to see a lot of the people that I had spent so much time with in college, and it was somewhat comical to notice that very few, if any, of them had really changed. I started thinking on the way home and it struck me that most people never change. Regardless of the results, most people continue to do what they have always done. While it was good to catch up with people, I was burdened by the fact that most continue to live like they are lost in a maze. They may have found a section of the maze that is comfortable, but they are still lost. I realized that the only way people change is if they are changed by a relationship with Jesus Christ. While all people will seek to fill their lives with everything from sports to money to love, the only thing that will satisfy, the only thing that will fill the void in our hearts, is Jesus.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The only way we can change, the only way our lives can be transformed, is if we allow ourselves to be renewed by Jesus Christ. I pray that I can become a more effective witness of this fact.

Why I Go.

Well, today was my last day of work at Cinergy. I just got home and the realization hit me that I won't be going to "work" anymore. So this is what unemployed people feel like? Seriously, while I am very excited about going onto the mission field, there are definitely some things I will miss about the corporate world. The thing I will miss most is the people I have worked with over the last three years. I have been truly blessed. I really hope that I can keep in touch with many of my co-workers. One thing that I will not miss is spending several hours a day in a cubicle. While we have a tendency to make our cubicles our homes away from home, I just couldn't take too much more of the confinement.

All in all, I had a great job. I had a job that most people would love to have. I liked my co-workers, got to work on some interesting projects, and was paid pretty well for my efforts. So, why am I leaving? A lot of people have asked me how I can leave such a good job and a nice home for something so "unsecure." It boils down to this: In life, I believe you should do whatever you are most passionate about. If you are passionate about what you are doing, the vast majority of the time you are going to be successful. If you are passionate about something, it doesn't matter how much money you make. If you are passionate about what you do, it isn't going to feel like work. It will be enjoyment. You will love what you do. The problem with most people is that they have settled for something they are not passionate about. I used to be one of those people.

People sometimes tell me things like, "If I could do anything, I would start a restaurant." A guy the other day told me he wanted to be a bounty hunter. He spends his days sitting in a cube dreaming about chasing down bad guys. I used to sit and think, "If I could do anything, I would be a missionary." Well, here is a NEWS FLASH: You can do anything. If that is what you are passionate about, go out and do it. If you have to go back to school, do it. If you need to sell your big house and put up some money, do it. Quit wasting your time, and start pursuing whatever it is that you have a passion for.

My live has been radically changed by Jesus Christ. I have been blessed beyond measure, and I want to share that blessing with other people. I have a passion for telling people how Jesus can change their life. That is why I am leaving my great job. That is why I am going to Mexico. That is why I am leaving everything I know and stepping out of my comfort zone. I am pursuing my passion, and if you want to be satisfied, that is what you will do too.

Dios les bendiga!

A few updates.

I have been extremely busy over the last two weeks, and haven't had very many opportunities to post. Fortunately, things are starting to settle down a bit. Friday will be my final day of work at Cinergy, and then I will be spending the next two weeks working on my condo, getting it ready to sell, and packing all of my things. I also plan to have a massive yard sale.

Update on the marathon training...on Saturday, I ran 22 miles. That is the furthest I have ever gone. I felt very strong, and I think I could have run the entire 26.2 had I needed to. I ran again last night, and didn't feel any ill effects from Saturday. I will be taking it a little easier over the next four weeks in preparation for the race on October 9th. I can't wait.

Update on leaving for the field...as I have already mentioned, this is my last week of work. On October 2nd, my church (Florence Baptist) is having a commissioning service for me. I am really looking forward to that night. I will be out of town most of the month of October, visiting friends and family that I am not going to see for a few years. I will then be leaving for missionary orientation at the end of October. I will be in Virginia until the middle of December. I will be spending Christmas in Kentucky, and then heading to Mexico right around New Years.

Update on email...I have a new email address that corresponds to this blog. The address is joshonamission@yahoo.com. After Friday I will not be receiving email from my Cinergy account, so please change my address to the new one. Thanks.

Update on technology...I went to Best Buy this weekend and walked out with half the store. Since I am turning in my company laptop at the end of the week, and the computer at my house thinks it's function is freezing in place (it is from 2000), I decided I needed a new computer (and a few other things). I ended up getting a new lap top (AMD Turion 64 processor - I'm pretty pumped about that), an HP printer/scanner/copier/fax, and a JVC 20GB hard-drive camcorder. I told you I went crazy in there. Seriously, I am really excited about how I am going to be able to use these tools in my ministry in Mexico, especially with the video editing software that I picked up. I will keep you updated on my progress with this stuff.

Update on church...this weekend kicks off a revival at my church (Florence Baptist). I am really excited about the things God is going to do during this time. Please pray for the lives that are going to be changed over the next week and a half. Also, my church has just agreed to sell our Christian Life Center, and this will help us begin the move to a new property that we have been waiting on for several years. When I return from Mexico, my church will hopefully be in a completely new and different place, with an expanded reach and ministry in the community.

Well, I need to get a few things finished. Dios les bendiga!

Josh

It's official!

I am on my way to Monterrey! Yeah!

I received a letter today from the mission organization that I will be working through and it confirmed that I am cleared to serve in Mexico. I am pretty excited, thankful, and very blessed. I keep thinking of the lyrics of the Casting Crowns song "In Me." It says "How refreshing to know you don't need me. How amazing to find that you want me." That is how I feel, so blessed and amazed that God would want to use me as a missionary to carry His message to people in another country. Continuing the same song, "So I'll stand on your truth, and I'll fight with your strength, until you bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me."

I can't even express how awesome it is to know that I get to spend all of my time telling people about what Jesus has done for me. I have spent the majority of my life tyring to find significance and a purpose in so many things, and have come to realize that there is no significance and no purpose outside of Jesus Christ. I can't wait to go share that with people who are still searching. I am so blessed to be able to go onto the mission field with one purpose, to tell people about Jesus full-time, without the distractions and divided interests that I have lived with for so long. Thank you God!

Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare for this mission, and check back here often for updates, pictures, and to hear how God is working in my life and the lives of others.

Dios les bendiga!