Years ago Youth Specialties had a Edge TV video about a family that had an obvious problem in their house but they were all ignoring it. The parents and the two teenage children where wearing clothes pins on their noses. You could see the tension between the family but they were ignoring it. You could hear an elephant in the next room and hear the son shoveling the "dung" but the family ignored it. It must have stunk. If the family had just removed the "elephant" then they could move on. Last night Soupie, Angela and I decided to attempt to get rid of the elephant in the room of our church, well at least the student ministry. We asked the students to tell what was going on and why they were discouraged about church. It was tense and difficult. One young man came up to me at the end and expressed how much he likes Soupie, Angela and me and that he hopes we didn't take anything personally. I told him if I was worried about my feelings I wouldn't have allowed that meeting. Sometimes you have to go thru "dung" to get clean. I'm not perfect and God has broke me of everything, spiritually and financially. This has been the hardest 2 years of my life. We are running low on $ because our church voted to cut our salary. One minister already left because they cut him even more. Henry Blackaby says that God doesn't want Spiritual leaders who are committed to him. He wants Spiritual leaders who are submitted to Him. I picture a child being spanked for discipline. My dad always stopped when I went limp and was broken. That is where I am after these last 2 years. That is where God wants me to be!