My sister has one of the most unique writing styles that I have ever seen. She can make letters look like they took hours to write out. It is the most intricate, detailed writing that I have ever seen. And it is absolutely beautiful.

Ive always admired this about her as I know that it took her along time to learn how to write in that fashion. Now, it is only a matter of seconds and her pen tip flows forth the most beautiful, eloquent calligraphy one would ever see. Its highly impressive to behold. It reminds me of the old men I used to watch in the parks in China as they drew in chalk on the ground or in the sand. They would spend hours in the art form of calligraphy.

I am not known for my writing ability and my calligraphy is attrocious. I write in all caps and most of my letters slur together. Calling it a doctors handwriting is giving doctors a bad name. Its bad.

As I have now surpassed a year of being here at Riverchase, these thoughts of calligraphy resonate within me.

I'm known for writing quickly and writing in my own style. While my writing style is not wrong, it is definitely different. It is not southern, its foreign. I'm a cultural oddity within an ever changing landscape.

As I think about how I've done things in my life, work, and ministry over the past few years, my "calligraphy" (the way I do things) has not always gone over well. It has been hurried and sometimes disorganized. It is a lot like my handwriting. While it always has a message and a point, it is not always legible and appreciated. 

Thus, I have spent these past two months thinking about the great masters of calligraphy and how perseverance, patience, discipline, and hard work are what allowed them to become masters. While the hard work and perseverance are nothing new to me, I'm not so good at the patience part. It is the discipline of consistency that I struggle with.

So, as I embark on this search for a better calligraphy (both in life and ministry), I simply ask for your patience as I seek maturity and discipline in my life. I want this ministry to flow forth the most beautiful calligraphy of Christ to the world. I want teens who come and visit at Riverchase to be able to "read" Christ through our every action. I want to learn how to morph each and every teen into a beautiful "character" that emanates Christ to all. I want the written story of Riverchase to be like that of a grand master. The beauty of saying all of this is that God is that Grand Master who can and will use the strokes of his brush to make us into a beautiful sentence, structure, and story.

What a beautiful story we have to tell and we must tell it in the most eloquent of ways.....our lives.

It is going to be something to behold.