This is my most favorite time of the day on Sunday. Barring an emergency, I am done for the day. Yes, it can be exciting to do studies, sermons etc but it also can be tiring. Remember please that this is not complaining but just wanting to clue you in on the reality of ministry. Today was a great day. Maybe our numbers weren't where we would want them to be but it was a good day. I got to teach a bible study class before the worship service. We got into some deep Old Testament stuff which is always fun. There was also a fast trip to town for a member in the hospital. That threw off my usual schedule but it's always worth it. There was still time for the grueling three mile walk/run. The new summer sun and wind did make it tough on this old body. Tonight we dug around in some deep New Testament stuff so it was an all around fun time.

Ministry is just a very odd occupation. The demands are many and the rewards are not always tangible. You learn early on that a thank you from someone is pretty good as a measure. You can see people at their very best. You can also see them at their worst. You may have the joy of bringing a couple together in marriage. You can end up on the receiving end of someone who is not interested in being a friend. Sometimes you watch kids grow up to become adults. Sometimes you watch adults act like kids. I do not know if its a job for the brave of heart or for the one foolish enough to rush in where angels fear to tread. Maybe that one can be answered by the time of retirement.

Today was one of those good days. We baptized two athletes here in our church a few years ago. It was in the aftermath of the biggest tragedy that I can recall. Obviously we are primarily an Anglo congregation. These two students are black. We lived to tell about it. One of the young men stood out more than the other. I've watched high school football off and on for a lot of years. I've seen more than a few good players compete on various fields across Texas. This one player is the single best high school football player that I ever saw. He went on to TCU to play four years for the Frogs. This is not to say that I have his cell phone number or anything but we always talk or embrace when we see each other. He is becoming a terrific young man.

Today this former student became a Dallas Cowboy. He was drafted in the sixth round by Jerry Jones himself! We are thinking of renaming our baptistery after this new Cowboy. Ok, so that may be a stretch but it is one of the really cool things of ministry. Years ago I was playing catch before a football game with him before he was old enough to be on the varsity. Today I am reading about him on various websites. I've met or known professional wrestlers. I met a few who were fairly famous in the music business. This is my first encounter with a NFL caliber athlete. This may sound a bit like gloating and perhaps it is to some degree. Trust me, something will happen before long to nudge me out of gloating and back into reality.

Ours is a day where we want to see the amazing happen in the amount of time it takes popcorn to pop in a microwave. We should remember that life is still a journey. It may take years for us to see all God does in any life. This is true for the average person as well as a newly minted Dallas Cowboy. One day you are playing catch with a kid and the next he is negotiating contracts. It takes time. My hope is we are faithful to hang in there to see God's plan through. He is the one who can take small things to make them bigger than we ever imagined possible.

Bro. Trey