God provides the ability...all we can supply is our very best effort.

I'm pretty sure most of the awards and trophies I earned playing sports growing up are still in my parent's basement. Maybe someday... I will pull them out of the storage box and relive a few memories with my girls, although I'm not really big on that stuff. Just this week, as a matter of fact, my oldest daughter learned I was a competitive power lifter in college. I'm not even sure how the subject matter came up because I think it's an extremely irrelevant issue that almost 30 years ago I could lift a lot of heavy stuff and had a hard time finding clothes that fit.

In that collection of trophies and plaques, the range of recognitions run from team MVP to just participating in a given sport. I believe, however, the accolades I will be most proud to share with my daughters are those recognizing the fact that when I played...I always, always hustled. The sports cliche of leaving it all on the field was my standard approach to games, as well as, practices. Rarely was I the most talented athlete on the playing field. But where I often came up short when it came to natural abilities, I made up for by working hard in my preparation, situational knowledge and just shear effort toward the task at hand.

That very attitude still burns within me to this day.

God hasn't called me (to this point anyway) to be his next Billy Graham, Chris Tomlin or Francis Chan. What He has called me to do is share His love with as many people as I possibly can, and there are a number of ways He has provided me an avenue to do so.

God has allowed me to be the husband to a pious, virtuous wife. I work hard at being the best husband I can be for His glory. He has blessed me with three beautiful daughters, and while I can't but help think some of that is a little consolation for my wild younger days, my focus is always on being the best father with His guidance that I can possibly be.

God has blessed me with a Sunday School class of college-aged young adults to challenge and strengthen in their spiritual walk and help prepare them for the task of stepping into life on their own...and to warn them of the lurking dangers and threats to their faith that are just ahead. He knows the struggles and darkness I personally journeyed through, by my own choices, when I was at their current stage in life. God charges me to share the lessons as raw and real as each lesson was during that journey to hopefully help them steer clear of those same trappings.

God blessed me with an ability to make music, and nothing fills me more with His blessings than using that talent to worship Him. As I write these very words, I joyfully acknowledge that God has given me the ability to also share His love through my writings. Such a gift comes with tremendous responsibility with the understanding that each word becomes a living testimony lingering within the place we call cyberspace for anyone and everyone to read and closely examine.

I am perfectly at peace knowing that I'm not at the same famously recognized status of a Graham, Tomlin or Chan.  The local Rotary Club will most probably never recognize me as Husband of the Year nor Father of the Year. I don't see a music contract or book publishing deal in my future.

What I do hope and pray is that when all is said and done, and I humbly stand before my Creator, He smiles upon me and declares, "Well here's Mr. Hustle...well done My son. Come and rest."

Of course I won't...there's an eternity of worship for Him to get started! Let's go people! Where's that drumset?