I wrote this last year but it bears repeating, I think one of the most profound movies that I have seen in recent memory is the Disney/Pixar movie "Up". After the first 15 minutes of the film, not only was I thinking about my own mortality, but I was also contemplating all of the missed opportunities in my own life. Just like the film's Carl Fredricksen, there were times where my life's challenges and self-centered focus caused me to miss seeing the "Russells", the "overlooked and ignored" that God was putting in my pathway. Just like Carl, I saw them as annoyances and inconveniences rather than opportunities for relationship, more focused on what was out of reach in my own life than reaching out with my life..

The church in Acts was no different than Carl. Christ had commissioned His church to "Go" to the uttermost parts of the world and instead they stayed in the innermost chambers of their comfort zone. And like Carl, it took some unpleasant situations for the church to open its eyes and arms to compassionately reach others in a relevant way.

Today our city is in urgent need of those who will "Breathe Out" to others. Both our Superintendent of schools and our Police Chief have stressed the need for every student in our city to have a mentor. The time is now for all of us to live out "the ministry of reconciliation". The time is now to allow God to use your individual "Turning Point" story to transform the lives of "the overlooked and ignored". That's how God reached me over 40 years ago and that's how God is using me now to reach others. Like Carl Fredrickson in "Up" let's all seize the opportunity to reach out and transform our community.

Serving you in His grace,

Eric Johnson
LACF Stars Program Manager