*note: This should be a 'blog' but we're experiencing some software glitches, so here's a blog as Story:

In the church, I am calling upon all men to become fathers to the fatherless in the Name of Jesus.

In times of transition all of us should consider what tools are available for the task at hand. For some, a major restructuring of priorites and nearly complete retooling will be necessary. For others, the simple application of tools already acquired in a disciplined life will suffice.

As I prepare to deliver a weekly message from God's Word, I prayerfully watch for the Holy Spirit's prompting (and carefully consider any coinciding flashes of personal remembrance). Early Sunday Morning, I thought about some of the retooling that took place at my 'other job' during my transition year as a caregiver in Day Program for Developmentally Disabled Adults (while volunteering full time as a Youth Director for the church) to Associate Pastor at Praise Baptist Church (and Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries).

The other job? In 1988, a young mother at our church (Ailene) asked her husband (John) if he could get me in at Allied Paper Company (where he worked in the Personnel Department).

Although I had absolutely no experience working in the paper industry (or driving a forklift), the Lord blessed me to get that high-paying job. My job as a Utility Clerk involved training alongside men prior to their scheduled vacations. Then, I would fill in for the man on his particular job during the 2-3 weeks he was gone.

That job served our young family well. I was still a new father to two boys (and Daniel was born during that same year). That chapter in my life is fully connected to seeking the Lord at the altar. I was a young father who desired to serve God with my whole heart, mind, and strength.

So, early Sunday morning, I googled Allied Paper Company and found two stories:

1) An Abandoned Paper Mill

2) Jeremy's Allied Paper Site

I trust that more has been revealed than what I was looking for. There was no thought in my mind about corrosion or abandonment when I started my google search. I was simply looking for a good photo to use as fodder for a powerpoint background.

The memory of the provisional job at Allied Paper came to the surface during the preaching event. Words were voiced to accompany my memory of the former worksite in the Father's Day Message, 2008.

Hours after the morning message, my son Daniel wanted to learn more about a place in the line they called 'the widow-maker'. I worked that job for weeks and kept all my fingers, hands, arms, etc.

Another bit of related research was a narrated slideshow about a similar paper mill that was reopened by a couple men who simply wouldn't give up:

"Revived Paper Mill Brings a Town Back With It"

Perhaps other preachers don't prepare for their messages in the same way that I do. However, the plight of the American Paper Mill is what I was considering hours before stepping up to the pulpit.

To hear the message,

go to www.bellroadradio.com and look for this title:

Retooling for the Year Ahead