 taking my ministry out into the venues. I had no idea that existed. My world, as far as church was concerned, was in the four walls. And I have served several years as a DFW chaplain, ministering to people, giving them hope, feet on the ground, meeting people where they are, helping them to understand the love of Jesus Christ just like John Wesley, making the world your parish. As I tell people all the time, your work is your worship. So wherever you go, just know that you take the Lord Jesus Christ with you, and you are a servant. And Mary Brooke and I have always said that when it's time to write the book, it's gonna be about value. So we have pretty much an adventure every day. Lots of stories have come out of value. We took two mission trips to Bolivia out of that church and just rich blessing of great friends. And Farmersville was wonderful memories there. It's actually where I did my doctor ministry work. And I had a great team of people and we worked together for several weeks together just studying and learning about our church and about its history and its symbols and its myths and its narratives and its culture and its history and all. And we really got to learn about God's working in the Farmersville church. I'd say probably the friendships I have made along the way, the churches I've served, the people that I've gotten to know and love, but also the number of camps that I have directed and mission trips that we have led. I also have the ability of, unlike some of my peers, you know, say I served as an Army chaplain. So I had a great diversity in the ministries that I was able to take part in. And those are memories that I'll always hold or those things that they taught me as well. As you look at the COVID experience is that the best thing that you can do is constantly reach out. But through that, we started a single long time, we started a devotion time, we started the regular online services. But for the kids, one of the things that we offered was a weekly story time. On Wednesdays, we would actually do fractured fairy tales. We'd go back and do the jacktales and to involve the church, we got kids of the church to actually dress up. If you remember the fractured fairy tales from the Rocky Bullwinkle show that would dress up as the fairy and flutter out as they actually introduced me and introduced the story. And that got a lot of raves, but it also got a lot of attention. But it also made those kids and the parents of those kids feel like they were so actively involved in doing something at the church. If you make people the priority, move beyond the four walls and find out what people's needs are, they will let you know what they need. I don't recall anywhere in reading the Bible when I was in seminary or cemetery, whichever one you wanna call it. When I studied the word that Jesus told people to come to him into a building, he took the ministry out. He met the people where they were and met their needs. They didn't come to meet his. And because he did that, people knew that he cared. And that was where their needs got met. And programs, as we call it, were developed to meet the needs of those people. So if we can find out what the people's needs are by connecting to them, that's where the ministry takes place. That's where mission takes place. We're planted in communities for a reason. In times of uncertainty, there's also times for incredible creativity of things you have to figure out and learn and try. And if it doesn't work, you try again. You keep at it until you figure it out. When you've given a chance and an opportunity to serve in a town and country parish, go there with joy and a sense of adventure. And know that that experience will ground your ministry for the rest of your life. If you go there with the right attitude and the right joy in your heart, you will love those people. They will love you back. It will be, you will have a, because you will be the pastor, not only of the parish, but of the community as well, it will be a crucible that will form you into a complete pastor. Years ago, the bishop came up to the Sherman McKinney district when it still existed. And morale was very, very low. And he pulled us all into a room out at Wesley Village there. And he gave us all a piece of paper and he said, write your name on top and write the church that you want to serve. And as I sat down and looked at that, I realized what he was doing. It was very ingenious, because as I started pondering the church I was serving at that time, it dawned on me, I was serving the perfect church. Every church that you're sent to is the perfect church for you. If you sit back and remember that you're there because God has sent you there. There is an author by the name of Calvin Miller. Yes, he's Southern Baptist, but he runs around with the Catholics all the time. But he wrote a book called Letters to a Young Minister. I'd really recommend getting that book and reading that book, because as I look over my years in ministries, he gives hints and ideas to a lot of things that I wish there had been someone there to say, have you looked at it this way? You're on a journey. And when you're on a journey, remember the best part is not the final destination. Remember when you go on a trip, the most exciting part is planning that trip, because you're going to get where you need to go. And all of you are on a journey. You're going to get to the same place, but you'll all get there going in different directions. So go along the way. Stop, smell the roses, enjoy and embrace every appointment, every person, because God does not waste opportunities. He does not waste people. People and opportunities will come into your life as a lesson or as a blessing. Pay attention.