justin j mack

congrats tara

on january 6, 2009, tara mack, my wife,  was sworn in as the youngest and in my humble opinion, the cutest minnesota state representative.

having lived in the community she now represents since she was 2 years old, it's pretty amazing to think about the awesome privilege and honor to be 1 of 134 to represent a state of 5.1 million with some very significant challenges ahead. 

with incredible family support, a great education from apple valley high school and the university of minnesota, a solid faith in jesus christ and an above average husband (looking forward to the feedback comments about that last part), there is little doubt in my mind that she is going to do a excellent job.    

love you and proud of you tara!!

 

its much more than 50 cents

i was at panera studying for a class i'm taking this fall when an elderly couple sat down at the table next to me with two bagels, two cups of coffee and two newspapers.  apparently they had mistakenly each picked up a newspaper but had just paid for one paper and intended to share.  i watched the elderly gentleman, without hesitation, struggle to get up and slowly walk back to the register, wait in line and pay 50 cents for the extra paper. 

what an amazing lesson about integrity.  no matter how great or little the cost, it's everything and you never know when someone is watching!!

       

seven years ago

i'll never forget the 102 minutes that changed america.  take a few minutes to remember those moments of uncertainty seven years ago.

the need for new

i had two thoughts run through my mind this morning, i'm excited for a new season and new small group leaders.

the need for a new season.  the lakes downtown are one of my favorite things about the minneapolis area.  i absolutely love going for a long bike ride and a short run.  i know that i'm not the only one.  as you may know, after work or on the weekend, there are literally thousands people just like me enjoying a good walk, run, or bike.  i'm excited for spring to really hit!!

the need for new small group leaders.  we already have over 150 incredible great small group leaders but in the past 6 months our church has grown dramatically and we are in need of more small group leaders.  our philosophy is simple.  if you have a good heart and a good idea, pray about starting a group.  we try to use the same leadership principle that both samuel used to find the king of israel and jesus used to build his church...  look at the heart not what just what looks good on the outside.  we do have a small group training for our leaders but it starts with a good heart and a good idea.  i'm excited for new small group leaders!!

india. not just a childhood story

as a child my parents told me stories about a neighborhood friend of my grandfather, the late great missionary, mark buntain.  as a young man he traveled by boat for over two months to fulfill a temporary missions assignment in india.  well his assignment was not temporary, in fact it still continues today long after his death.  little did i know that some 20 years later, i would have the honor of speaking at one of the schools he started.

after 72 hours of traveling, 28 services, in 10 days, in 3 cities, i summarize my india missions experience as intense!!  the crowds of people, the constant noise, the unique smells, and the relentless heat will not soon be forgotten but the beautiful smiles and overwhelming kindness of so many left even a greater impression.

our missionary hosts are to be admired for their incredible sacrifice and commitment to a culture so different from our own. (jonathan, you are a stud even with your man handles) the team of 21 was phenomenal.  my personal highlight was sharing this experience with my amazing parents, brother and his family!!

here are just a few pictures ...

 

home sweet home

for the over-achieving bloggers out there, this is going to seem like old news, but i just want to say how much i enjoyed the holidays.

tara and i got to spend a week with my side of the family in sunny arizona.  it was great to have my sister and her family as well as my brother and his family all together.  we visited sedona for a couple days, went to a really good dinner-theater, played lots of games, hungout with some old friends, did a little shopping, took family pictures, and went to my all-time favorite restaurant for new years eve...pf changs.

oh, and ate lots and lots of really good food.  my mom is a crazy good cook and i would've gained about 7 or 8 lbs if we hadn't hiked the mini-mountain behind my parent house almost daily.

the older i get the more i realize what a gift being with family is.