Matthew TwoSix:ThreeNine

Last week I was switching between working the kitchen and the convenience store counters at Anchor House. I had just taken a few dollars from a dock worker as they purchased their afternoon snack. My next guest was a seafarer who arrived also looking for a snack. They paid with a twenty dollar bill. The dollar bills I had just received from the dock worker were now a part of the change I paid the seafarer.  From the hands of an American, the dollar bills made their way to the hands of a seafarer from the Philippines through the Anchor House cash register.  Who knows where that dollar was headed next. The seafarer headed back to his ship and the ship traveled on to the next port.  Those dollar bills could be anywhere. Oh, the stories they could tell. I don’t often think of a dollar's value beyond what is printed on it. The larger the number the greater the value. I usually don’t think about where the bill came from or what it has been used to purchase or whose...

Happy Easter! This Easter week was just different at the SeaPort. We had quite a few ships in and many that will stay for Easter. One of the ships was getting loaded for most of the week and some of the crew came to Anchor House for some R&R. They shot pool, played basketball, got something to eat, and took advantage of the WiFi.  The final night the ship was in town, some of the guys spent the entire afternoon and evening with us. They had such a great time. As they got hungry they ordered a couple of double cheeseburgers, a great American classic.   Not long after, they ordered a couple of more double cheeseburgers. I didn't think much of it, these guys work hard and maybe they were really just hungry. But then they asked for them to be wrapped up for takeaway. Not long after, a few of their shipmates showed up at the center. They too ordered double cheeseburgers. Theirs were ordered for takeaway too.   After I left for the day, the impor...

Trish and I have had this wonderful discussion about the fact that we don't have jobs. I've had jobs before. When you are first starting in a new job it is exciting and you work passionately. Many times there is a shift that occurs. From the get to attitude to the have to attitude, "I have to go to work today." Jobs have the ability to consume our lives because we have our compass pointed in the wrong direction. When we chase a promotion and a paycheck it leads us down an empty path. They may consume us, but they are just a job.  Trish and I agree, serving God and his people at Anchor House is better described as a calling. We get the chance to live as missionaries right here in our own town. God invites us to serve Him and His people in this very special way. We get to show His love and share the Good News with a local, regional, and global impact. Jobs can be replaced when the person chooses. You simply decide you want to do something else, quit your jo...

I've gotten almost a week behind on my reflections from Anchor House. It seems there just isn't enough time in the day.  The way these blogs come together is different from week to week.  Some weeks God puts a message clearly on my heart. Others it feels like a struggle to put "pen to paper".   This week was one of those that I knew exactly what I'd write about. However, each day passed and I missed the opportunity. You see, I write best in the mornings. Not sure if it's the limited distractions, a product of my habit of practicing my spiritual disciplines in the morning, or something else entirely. Most of my afternoon writing is intelligible and requires numerous edits.  In the AM, however, they seem to make more sense.   What's funny is that as I am writing, I am feeling God moving.  He's moving from what I thought I was to write about to what He wants me to share. These shifts and changes are a part of the shipping industry.  ...

On the Friday of my eleventh week, I found myself filled with gratitude.   Thankful for West Bradenton Baptist Church for allowing us to use their fellowship hall.   Thankful for Max with Sir Speedy who went above and beyond to fill my order.   Thankful for Trish and Pam’s flawless control of the check in and check out process at the banquet.   Thankful for Del Monte and the numerous pineapple we were able to share with our Anchor House family.  Thankful for my wife Julie and her vision for the baskets and help putting together a concept for centerpieces.   Thankful for Dotty and Helen for helping to set tablecloths, decorating tables, making punch, and creating a great environment.  Thankful for Tim’s comedy and the word God put on Mark's heart.  Thankful for the volunteers who serve in the center and/or driving the van (Michael, Dennis, Keith, Nancy, Pam, Bernie, Pam, Ron, Jan, Anita, Matthew, Calli, Dotty, a...

This past week was week 10 at Anchor House. When I run into friends who I used to work with at State College of Florida or friends I haven't seen in a while, the first question is, "How do you like it?" I typically reply, "I love it." This week I've been challenged about that answer. It just won't do. It is too generic of an answer to truly describe what I am experiencing. It's too simple to describe the blessing of God working through you. It is too plain to explain the feeling of knowing you are right where God has planned for you to be.  I always thought I had purpose in my career. I know we are to worship God through the work He has provided for us to do. At times, however, the work I previously did seemed mundane and lacking purpose. I felt like I could do God's work where I was, but I had this feeling as if there was something more.  A week or so ago I was with one of our partner churches sharing how God works through Anchor H...

The deeper I get into my new role the easier it is to seek routine. At the SeaPort very few things are routine besides break time and lunch time. Everything else is subject to weather, shipping schedules, and numerous other factors. As I was told by Trish when I started, flexibility is key.   Coming from the dynamic environment of intercollegiate athletics there are many similarities. Flexibility was needed in that role too. Rain has forced many a delayed game or the rescheduling of a game. I think for most of us there is some degree of flexibility required in our lives. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is quoted as saying, "The only constant in life is change."  I am guessing most of us have heard this saying or some variation of it. It is something we can, most likely, appreciate. This is especially true after the last 24 months we have endured. We saw global change at a rate we've never seen before. Behaviors and cultural norms all shifted seemingly o...

This past week it became clear to me that one of the unspoken core values of Anchor House is family. Last Monday was President's Day in the United States. That meant no school for the kids.  Anchor House was filled with grandkids and kids who chose to serve on their day off of school.  There was cooking, baking, ship visiting, envelope stuffing and sealing, kitchen work, and cash registering (not sure that's a word) all being done by kids with servants' hearts. On Presidents day, Anchor House looked a bit different than most other days.  Later in the week I had the chance to see old pictures of the Anchor House.  It was in the early days when a trailer was used and the current space was being built out. As I looked at the photos, I couldn't help but notice the kids. Some were posing for a photo and others were caught in action as they were playing foosball with seafarers.  Nonetheless, their presence indicates something special about Anchor House....

This week I had the chance to come through on a promise I made to one of our regular ships. When they were in port last we were hanging out in the break room with the crew. Somehow we got on the subject of strawberries, Florida strawberries of course. I made the bold statement that Florida strawberries were the best. Trish followed up by clarifying that Plant City’s are the best. She had a point that is hard to argue with. In the discussion, I told the seafarer that I would bring them some strawberries next time they were at Port Manatee. Sure enough the next time they were in port I ran to Detweillers, first thing in the morning, and picked up a half of a flat of some of the most beautiful strawberries you've ever seen. They were big, red, perfectly placed in the container in a neat and orderly fashion. They looked magnificent. As we approached the ship, the seafarer whom I had made the promise to waved and said, “You remembered!” After we boarded the ship, we t...

Week three is a wrap. The Anchor House center was rocking as many ships were in port. That means a plethora of workers in the port and seafarers who need to run to the store to get supplies. This week we had a few ships on which the seafarers were not permitted to leave the ship. In most cases, this seems to be a reflection of individual shipping company policies and occasionally it occurs because the seafarers don't have visas.  After a long week, we closed the Anchor House center Friday evening. Everyone else was gone, but I was still there packing up to go home. I heard a knock at the window. We were closed, so I ignored it. They’ll go away, right? They knocked again. I tried to ignore it again. But decided, I’d go to the door and let them know we were closed. Of course, I’d do so politely. After all, the sign said we were closed and the electric open light was not illuminated. When I opened the door, I could tell that the people standing outside were seafa...

The second week at Anchor House concluded with my return to State College of Florida for a very special event. I had the great honor of overseeing the celebration of life services for Robert C Wynn.  Coach Wynn was the first baseball coach and athletic director at then Manatee Junior College. Under his leadership, they won championships, expanded the athletic department by adding other new sports, and were pioneers and champions for women in sport. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, coach, teacher, mentor, and friend. The fact is, he built a legacy. However, that legacy wasn’t just what occurred on the baseball field, athletic department, or within his family. It was about people's forever.  Coach Wynn was one of the most passionate soldiers for Jesus I have ever known.  He was more concerned about people's salvation in Jesus than anything else. It was the focal point of all of his relationships and decisions. His unashamed passion for s...