Solomon responded, saying, "You know that David my father was not able to build a temple in honor of God because of the wars he had to fight on all sides, until God finally put them down. 1 Kings 5:3 (MSG)

My parents grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression and World War II. While the 1950s were a time of increasing prosperity and mobility in the United States, their resources were limited along with the opportunities to travel and experience other cultures. When I was a young man, I had the priviledge of being part of a great church youth group. We traveled the state on weekends performing choir concerts and sharing God's message with different churches. During summer breaks we did short-term missions to Kentucky, South Dakota and Mexico. I had opportunities my parents could not have dreamed about when they were my age. My daughters, before graduating from high school, have ventured on missions to some of the same places I went along with Thailand, Costa Rica, Romania and Morocco.

We have been blessed to have the same experience of Solomon, fulfilling dreams and opportunities that previous generations could scarcely fathom. While some might be intimidated or even fearful of the march of time and all the change that it affords, I'm excited about it. I'm excited for my children and the opportunities they have to share God's love and message around the world. I'm glad that they've had greater and more diverse experiences than I could have imagined at their age. I'm thrilled to think of the impact they will have on lives that they touch here and around the world.