"Back to School", the words echo all around. It's that time of the year again. The bummer is, I missed out on the 'Back-to-school' tax free shopping this year! By the time I heard about it, and finished painting my cats nails, it was too late for me to get in on the deals. I'm one of those people that gets frustrated when I miss out on a good thing.

It reminds me of my eighth grade year in Missouri. It had been 9 years since I had lived within 700 miles of my cousin. He and I had been close since our early years. He lived about 40 min. away from where my family was going to live. I envisioned spending every weekend with him. We had lots of plans and ideas. Then a year went by and we realized we'd barely seen each other. As I rode in the U-haul, on our way to Florida, I couldn't help but feel like I had missed out on a good thing. We had both been so focused on other things that we forgot about each other.

I'm a professional procrastinator. I can put anything off till tomorrow. It's taken years of practice, however, there is one thing I have learned not to procrastinate on and that is people. God did not setup a Kingdom dependent upon tools, technology or any such things, his Kingdom is about people. Jesus didn't come to earn a fortune, gain power or acquire knowledge. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, to relate to us in every way, and to heal our wounds. God's heart beats for people.

What does your heart beat for?

My hope for you this next school year is not about gaining education, status, or money. I hope that you gain a deeper passion for people. May you have a passion to serve and love those you know, and those you are yet to meet. Make your focus people and you will never be discontented with your possessions.

Back to school=opportunity. What will you do with your opportunities? Will they pass you by? Will you fail to love and serve the people God had right in front of you this whole time?

Who is it that God has been asking you to love, reach out to, or spend time with?

-Josh