How did I get here?

Well, that's an odd question. Is my memory so bad that I can't remember my past?

The last couple of days, for some reason, I've been thinking about what I'm doing, enjoy, and where I live as opposed to where I thought I would be in my younger days.

Take for instance the fact that I'm in children's ministry. I'm in Children's Church on Sundays during our second service. We have kids from third grade to sixth grade, as well as some kids in middle and high school helping out. I teach sometimes, do offering, get them ready for praise and worship ect.

What's so odd about that?

Up until three years ago I had been involved in youth ministry since I was 16. That's 12 years of my life. Just two years ago you couldn't convince me I'd be doing anything other then youth ministry.

When I was in middle school I felt like that's what I was supposed to do, and at 16 I sat down with my Youth Pastor, Barry Young at the time. We talked about what I felt God was pushing me towards, as far as ministry. He told me to talk with the Assistant Youth Pastor, who was over the middle school kids, and see if there were things I could do to help out, as long as it didn't interfere with any high school stuff going on. So, I did and I thought that's what I'd be doing for most of the rest of my life.

I never thought I'd be doing this, but here I am.

Another thing is the music I listen to. I mostly listen to Alt. Country, Americana, Hardcore, and I guess what they call New Metal.

When I was 12, that's 1987, I was introduced to Black Flag. I think the hardest stuff I had heard up until then was ACDC. So, when I heard Black Flag I was a little shocked. I sat there and listened and I couldn't figure out if I liked it or not. Of course I told my friends I thought it was cool, or maybe I said it was "rad". The next few years I got into stuff like Slayer, Anthrax, Morbid Angel, Minor Threat and so on. It seemed to me the harder and faster it was the cooler it must be.

Now, at that point in my life I figured by the time I was 25 I would have grown out of that phase. Here I am at 31, and the two CD's I'm playing the most right now are Zao's "The Fear is What Keeps Us Here" and Flee the Seen's "Doubt Becomes the New Addiction". Both are, of course, quite hard with Zao being on the fast side. It seems the older I get the more I love hard music.

There are other things as well. Isn't it interesting where we thought we were headed when we were younger as opposed to where we are today.

I always heard growing up that God moves in mysterious ways. I guess this was part of what was meant by that statement.

God bless,

Mr. Keith