Q Crashing

Some of you might have heard of a guy named Casey Martin.  I am horrible at golf and for the most part stay away from any golf related activities unless I'm getting the opportunity to play with people who take it way too serious.  Then in some sick way I find humor in their battle against the course.  Like this one time I was playing with a guy and he threw his club into water, and another guy hit his club on the ground until it was bent, and this other guys beat the stew out of the driving green after a bad drive.  My natural response was to ask whether or not he was going to fix the divot.  (Thanks for all the good times Wade, Matt, and Felton) The reason golfers might know Casey Martin is for his lawsuit in 98 against the PGA that granted access for him to use a cart during tournaments.  He won.  Casey has a disorder in one of his legs that keeps him from being able to walk long distances without pain.  In fact, he has made no bones about...

Something I've said for most my life is that God has an amazing sense of humor.  There have been these crazy incidents in life that make me think, "God, you were watching that weren't you.  And I be you were laughing your butt off."  For instance, once time I had a paycheck fly out the window and so I turned around and walked to where I thought it might be.  I spent the next 2 hours walking long stretches of highway in hopes of finding the check.  After my happy hunting I returned to my car to find the check lying right by my front tire.  "You got me good there God." Now I know God didn't really tune into the Quinton comedy hour, but it felt like it.  Here is the latest episode in my life.  Yep.  We got a new baby on the way.  So here is the humor.  Not planned.  It took us a year to get pregnant with December and we were trying every pregnancy trick in the book.  And now, unexpectedly God throws us the big curve bal...

So here is where we are at.  In less than 24 hours around 70 people joined in together and raised over $1700 to help bring sight to the blind.  The blind in this case is my friend at the Eugene Mission, Richard.  This afternoon I broke the news to him about how many of you had joined in to help him see again.  He broke down crying in disbelief.  Then we prayed and gave God glory for providing when it was thought impossible. A couple of months ago Richard had began seeing doctors to see what had happened with his eyes.  He found out that he had cataracts growing over his eyes, but it was fixable.  The problem is that any charity funded agencies were only going to help with medical, not optical issues.  The surgical assistant told Richard he would need $1700 to get the procedure.  We talked to the lions club, but depleted funds left them with no way to help.  We gave up.  Then the scripture convicted me and led to the 17 challenge t...

Luke 4:18-19 has many times been referred to as Jesus' manifesto.  In it he says that he has came to Proclaim good news to the poor (check) Proclaim liberty to the captives (people come to the  Mission on parole...so...check) Set at liberty those who are oppressed (recovery, check) Recovering of sight to the blind (che...wait a minute, hmm, not so sure I can check that one) Now by no means am I claiming to be doing these all like Jesus does everyday.  In fact, I struggle often to keep the main thing the main thing.  But the recovering the sight to the blind has always felt like that was one kept exclusively for Jesus.  Until today.  Enter my friend Richard. Richard is someone I've grown really close to.  He is struggling with issues in life, but has tons of potential.  He has shown himself a natural leader here at the Eugene Mission and is spending time at recovery meetings and in Bible studies everyday.  He moved...

So I think this Easter was the most unique and amazing Easter experience I have been a part of.  Let me preface by saying this is not an attack on the conventional methods of Easter outreach, in fact I think they are very effective as evident by the 1,000's of people who came to know Christ throughout this country during Easter gatherings.  I just experienced a paradigm shift that had a massive effect on me.  So here is how my Easter played out. The family woke up and our youngest daughter was super snotty.  The green snot.  The kind that you don't take into to confined spaces with other kids because it spreads like wildfire.  So Audge took December to church at UFC and I stayed home with Journey.  It felt odd to be staying home.  I think it was the first Sunday morning in my life that I didn't attend church.  So what me and Journey did was crank up some worship music and we danced.  I think it may have been the most appropriate...

So this last week at the Eugene Mission we hit our highest number of guest ever.  466 people stayed on the campus.  This was partly due to weather, the economy, and the transient population beginning to move.  I though I would share some of the lessons God is teaching me from this job. 1.  Patience is key. One of the guys I've been working with most finds himself falling off the wagon again.  My first inclination is to wipe the dust off my feet and move on, but the sincere brokenness of his heart moves me to continue serving.  This is nothing great on my part.  Jesus did this for me.  Especially when I was broken. 2.  People are people. One of the guys I met at the mission now has his own place.  He  also comes over to the house and eats and plays games.  He is part of the Beautiful Mess and is a partner in prayer.  Never  discount someone's value.  Just because their current circumstances ...

So this is where I work now.  But to be honest calling it work just seems weird.  It is the mission field God has placed me in.  That feels better.  If any of you have ever been on a mission trip you realize how you forget the worldly things around you and just focus on serving and somewhere in the process you get changed.  The unhindered serving somehow allows God to move in your life in new ways, fresh ways, and humbling ways.  You walk away from the experience different.  I feel like that is what the Eugene Mission is doing to me.  When I found out I had gotten the job here I came out with guns a blazin and ideas flying everywhere.  For those of you that know me, typical Q fashion.  But as I slowed down and led my life meld with the men around me and let their stories become part of mine I started to become a different character.  God began dealing with things in my heart.  Not new things, but old, like pride, being judgm...

I am the director of ministry and social services at the Eugene Mission.  This is an amazing job where I am expected to help men and women experience the love and restoration that God has for them.  Of course there is nothing I am doing, but as I allow God to use me, He is changing people around this place all the time.  But maybe one of the people He is changing the most...is me.  Many of the men on our Discipleship Program hold positions of service.  Some work the kitchen, some sort paper for recycling and some supervise programs for the hundreds of guest who come through our doors for temporary services(shower, food, or bed).  Many of these men and women have been here for years. One of the guys at the mission found out this last Friday that he has terminal cancer.  Today he came by my office.  I felt helpless.  He told me they said he only had 3 to 4 months to live, but that they could possibly prolong it with radiation treatment. ...

So I wrote on hope once, but it is becoming so obvious it is what people are in desperate need of.  Working at the Eugene Mission I see men and women everyday who are struggling to hang on to hope.  But even as I type that I believe that many of us are struggling with hope.  Romans 15:13 says that God is the source of hope yet many of the things we hope for are not God centered.  And so when they don't happen we begin to give up hope.  God has created us for more than worldly aspirations.  Do not let your hope swim in such shallow waters as money and fame.  God has made us to be free men and women changing the world for his Glory.  We can affect homelessness and hunger.  We can preach the Gospel around the world.  We can adopt orphans and care for widows.  Why?  Not because we are special, but because we have hope in the God who loves us and empowers us to make a difference.  We are free men and women on a long journey....

For some reason I always had this idea that when I turned 30 years of age I would some how magically mature and start the quintessential ministry of my life.  This belief came from the fact that Jesus starts his ministry at 30.  I understand this is failed logic, but it always made me think at thirty I would be doing some of my most amazing ministry,  The natural draw for me was to imagine myself pastoring a large church or leading a huge ministry.  As of yet, that hasn't come to pass.  Consequently, the last two days have been some of the most amazing and fulfilling days of ministry I have had the opportunity to be a part of. Yesterday I took a group of guys from the mission out for coffee.  We just hung out and talked about life and shared where we were struggling with each other.  It was an amazing time of communion with guys who don't have homes at the time, but are in every other way so much like me.  Today an ...