Two steps, baby...woo hoo!

If you're looking for a gift idea this Christmas (because you feel like you really don't need anything), ask for a Mike Yaconelli book. Before his untimely death, he wrote these two:
Dangerous Wonder
Messy Spirituality

Sue, you might also want to check out The Core Realities of Youth Ministry: Nine Biblical Principles That Mark Healthy Youth Ministries. Mike was there when they laid the foundation for youth ministry in this country and tended it faithfully for 40 years.

I love Jesus' response to his disciples freak out: "You give them supper." I also love the excitement that I'm seeing around Feeding Children International (and not by a few people). We just need a home for it other than my office. =)

I distinctly remember Mike talking to 7,500 of us at a national youth workers' convention about this walking on the water story. Mike's motto for youth ministry volunteers was "something is better than nothing". Toward the end of his life, he got engaged in the fight to save Africa against the AIDS pandemic. He once offhandedly said, "You have one life. Do something." That has stuck with me ever since and became the bumper sticker slogan for One Life Revolution. Another book worth reading is by Rich Stearns, the president of World Vision. It's called A Hole in Our Gospel. Bill Hybels gave a copy of it to all 10,000 members of his congregation, Willow Creek Community Church in IL.

Back to the story. Peter gets back in the boat after being chastised by Jesus for having little faith. But he doesn't focus on that "choking thistle," even from his Lord. He instead chooses to "water the good seed". He turns to his friends who are frozen to their seats and says triumphantly, "Two steps, baby...woo hoo!"