Back in my youth ministry days, I had an opportunity to teach during UPLIFT at Harding. That summer was during the hey-day of Steven Curtis Chapman's wonderful album "The Great Adventure" (I realize that last statement just dated me -- yes, it was the pre-CD days).

I taught the children -- just a few years younger than me -- the value of faith and accepting, like Abraham, the call of God.

Lately, I've been thinking back to that very class and to Abraham's example. Who knew, then, that I would one day be in a position to decide whether to stay or go in my own homeland.

The last four years have brought some unique travel opportunities for Mandy and me. The one thing that I cannot get out of my mind is the scope of need throughout the kingdom. God needs men and women in so many places in our world (in our nation) who will go into spaces and places and minister for Him.

I have no doubt in my mind that God's will for my ministry and my family is to follow His lead in this Great Adventure of ministry -- wherever He leads, I will follow.

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It is terribly ironic, though, that God would uproot us from our homeland only to plant us west of the University of Texas. I was born and raised to do the "Upside Down" hookem sign. Now, I will be surrounded by those Hookem Horns.

Being the sports nut that I am, I do need to make a concession to the culture of the area where we'll live by "adopting" one of the native teams to support. Baseball is already taken by the Rangers. But what about college teams? Horns? Aggies? Red Raiders? Bears?

I'm taking suggestions on who to adopt and support during our time in Texas. Any of you Marble Falls folks reading this, shoot me an e-mail (jgardner@hsnp.com) and give a pitch for your favorite team. I've already pledged my allegiance to the purple and gold Mustangs of Marble Falls ISD. Who should my college team be?