Following Jesus Christ has been a journey from the get go. It’s taken me through many ups and downs and even around the world. It’s challenging, but the decision to put God’s will above our will is the best decision we can make.

It’s been my mission to always strive to be in the center of God’s will, wherever that takes me. About 18 months ago, Elisabeth and I began sensing a transition was coming. After many hours of prayer and seeking advice, we’re ready to announce that I will be resigning as executive director of BASIC College Ministries at the end of 2013.

Reaching this decision has not been easy. The past four years have been incredible, and we’ve seen God move in many powerful ways with BASIC (including this past month with over 35 students from SUNY Delhi, Sullivan County Community College, and Daemen College telling us they wanted to follow Jesus!). Some of the highlights for me so far were seeing over 150 students get water baptized at BASICcon, working daily with some of the most amazing and charismatic young leaders in the nation, and most importantly meeting the love of my life at SUNY Delhi!

There is a certain amount of fear involved in a decision like this because I’m not positive yet exactly what’s next, and there is a certain amount of personal identity that is wrapped up in my job and the people I work with.

But I’ve definitely sensed that God’s will for me and my family is to pass the torch, and that meant starting this process now so I can train a successor to ensure a transition that is seamless for all the students, churches, and advisors involved.

Please keep in mind that this change is still approximately 10 months away. I’m not going anywhere for a while! In addition to planning 2 spectacular BASICcon events and leading a trip to Brazil, I plan to spend much of this year preparing and training my successor. Even after I step down, I will still be involved with BASIC as a member of its board of directors and as counsel to the next director as needed.

I have met some of the most extraordinary people through BASIC, and I thank you all for the privilege to work in college ministry. Let’s make this next year even better than the last 4!

FAQs
Who’s taking over BASIC?
That will be decided at the end of March by BASIC’s board of directors. Whoever it is will be awesome! If you’re interested in applying for the position, please send an email to info@thebasicsite.org.

OK, but what’s the real reason you’re leaving?
It’s really not a secret thing. We’re just sensing God wants us in a new endeavor. Nothing bad happened. It’s not a matter of needing more money. We simply feel like this season is coming to a close.

What are you doing next?
The short answer is, “I don’t know.” I am actively looking for opportunities now. I think it will probably be in the business field, which is the direction I was headed before I felt God calling me to BASIC.

If you’re a manager or leader in some capacity, one of your primary responsibilities is probably coordinating a group of people to accomplish a project. In order to do that, you need to break down the project into tasks and divy them up. But has anyone actually taught you how to assign those tasks?

I’d like to suggest that there is a right way to assign tasks (or at least a better way) instead of just winging it.

Assigning tasks the right way helps you avoid confusion, align expectations, and leaves your subordinates feeling valued rather than belittled.

I grew up surrounded my leaders, but nobody ever taught me this. So when I listened to this Manager Tools podcast, I soaked it up.

It amazes me how few people in life take a day, or even an hour, to think about life and write down goals. A research study by Dr. David Kohl, a professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, showed that 80% of people have no goals. Like none.

Shockingly, only 4% of people have written goals.

According to the study, this elite 4% with written goals will make 9x more over their lifetimes than those without goals.

It’s no wonder so many people feel aimless; they have no plans to turn their wishes into realities. Like the old saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

I realized the power of written goals after reading an article about John Goddard as a young teenager. As a 15-year-old, Goddard wrote down 127 goals for places he wanted to visit, things he wanted to accomplish, mountains he wanted to climb, and cultures he wanted to study. These include everything from exploring the Nile, learning to fly a plane, catching a 10 lbs. lobster, visiting the moon, running a 5-minute mile, photographing the travels of Marco Polo, and riding an ostrich.

The list is impressive and audacious, but the results are what’s truly remarkable. Years later, he has now accomplished 109 of his goals. (He still has yet to make it to the moon)

Goddard’s story inspired me. I created my own list a few years later at 16 (although mine was much smaller and short-term). I’ll share some of mine in a later post, but check out the rest of Goddard’s list and start dreaming about what you want to accomplish in life!

John Goddard’s Life List

How to Save THOUSANDS through Medical Tourism

 
Most people who don’t have high-paying jobs think they could never afford a 30-day trip across the world doing virtually anything they want for fun. But it’s possible. I know this because Elisabeth and I just did it!

Initially, you need to start by living within your means. The key is to get ahead because you’ll need some money to play with, no doubt.

But you can experience the trip of a lifetime for a lot less than you might think. Here’s my first secret to help you travel further, faster.
 
 
 
 

1. Medical tourism. Total savings: $3,000+

When I told people I was traveling to Thailand, a number of people asked me what I was doing there. Every conversation went something like this:

Me: “Well, I’m actually having some medical work done there. I plan to get LASIK and have a root canal.”

Them: “Really? That’s interesting. I could have sworn you weren’t a psycho.”

Me: “Actually, it’s quite safe. Europeans have procedures done there all the time.”

Them: “But I thought you wanted to live to see your children.”

Me: “I do. I’ve done a lot of research. And I’m confident I’ll save a lot of money.”

Them: “Can I have your MacBook Pro after you die of infection from their dirty scalpels?”

Me: “No.”

Them: “OK, have fun!”…(what a nut case)

Me: “I can still hear you.”

Them: “Whatever, you’ll be dead in a month.”

If you’re willing to overcome the (wrong) assumption that Americans are the only ones capable of performing safe surgeries or providing effective health care, you can save THOUSANDS.