I have big hopes and dreams…
Like expanding multiplying movements of faculty and students to 20 campuses by 2026, because everyone ought to be able to understand the gospel in ways that are clear and compelling.
And like growing Base Camp Beef Co. together with our kids, because we want them to have options when they grow up. And so that we can help fund projects we’re passionate about. And because people ought to be able to know who they are buying their beef from, how and where it’s produced, and that it has everything in it they want, but nothing they don’t.
These dreams won’t come true on their own or overnight, but will take intentionality and hard work. An epic journey.
I love it, and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
But if I’m not careful, I can become so focused on the journey that I miss the meaningful moments along the way.
Even in the midst of epic journeys, our days ought to be full of meaningful moments.
A beautiful sunset.
The chance to play legos with my son.
A conversation with my daughter who is growing up way too fast…
So how can we ensure that truly meaningful moments are woven into the very fabric of our journeys?
I believe that some foundational principles can help. Here are some of mine.
It’s about cultivating relationships
We live in a time and culture where success is measured in dollars. You can see this throughout social media and television. It’s the idea that contentment can be purchased. That the purpose of life is getting more and better stuff. A bigger house. A shinier car. And status is measured by ‘likes.’
But we also live in a time where emotional health seems to be trending downward while mental illness is trending upward.
I believe in prioritizing people and nurturing relationships. It’s not always easy. But, if my relationships with the people I care most about aren’t good, nothing else matters.
Live a simple life, work hard, and wear a cowboy hat
I first heard this in a song by Trinity Seely. Some of the lyrics say, “I don’t care about what some folks talk about, no, my life is smaller than all that”… “We live in a world where so many boys and girls lost sight of who they really are…” “Be faithful to the friend, always ride with grit and sand, keeping your eye on the trail…” There’s good stuff in that song.
A simple life is focused, intentional, and meaningful. It keeps things in perspective and isn’t worried about what everyone else is doing.
Hard work never goes out of style. It’s timeless. I believe in doing the best job we can, all the time, every time.
Wearing a cowboy hat sums it up well. It’s ready to go and not afraid to get dirty. It usually accompanies boots, spends its time outdoors, and is meant to be involved with livestock, all of which is real, grounding, and unpretentious. It wants to live on its own terms and doesn’t pay much attention to all the noise.
Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
While this does apply to good financial stewardship, it goes beyond money into all other areas. We hear it in, “Gotta get back to the basics!” And also in the priority of practice. “Keep your eyes on the ball…” Fundamentals. Eat right. Exercise. Develop your relationship with God.
Brush your teeth every day and you probably won’t have a cavity problem.
Don’t blow the Whataburger Dr. Pepper Shake budget and you ought to have money to pay the electric bill.
I’m somewhere in between who I want to be and who I used to be. I’m in process, which is both a little messy, and a little uncomfortable.
Someone once said that if you’re not a little bit embarrassed by who you were last year, you aren’t developing fast enough…
Someone else once said that you are as young as the degree that you spend more time thinking about the future as you do the past.
If you are a fan of the Cars movies by Pixar like I am, you can likely point to wisdom coming from Lightning, Mater, Doc, and the other characters. I remember a scene from when Lighting and Mater are just beginning to become friends. Mater does this really cool backwards driving exhibition and says something like, “I don’t need to know where I’m going, I just need to know where I’ve been.” Knowing where you’re from is certainly important, but this time Mater got it wrong about not needing to know where you’re going.
I know where I want to go. And I also know that I’m not the guy who can get there… yet. Because where I am wanting to go is more important to me than who I am. And so when I get there, I’ll be changed. But then I’ll want to go further. And will need to change again.
So if I’m always learning and growing and changing, It better not let “messy” or “uncomfortable” be a problem.
Do the best you can, and let the chips fall where they will.
A big part of my Destino San Antonio Team Leader role involves coaching others. They usually know what they need to be doing. I help clarify next steps that lead to goals. Those steps should be stretching but doable, because they represent the part of our work that we can control. But the end result is often outside of our control.
So we do our part the very best we can. That’s all we can do.
In evangelism, this sounds like this: “We share the good news in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.”
We make our plans, God guides our steps. Proverbs 16:9