Steve Wallace writes: This is a lifetime investment. Kris, the young man we've spoken of so often -- the high school dropout who came to us and needed community service work while on probation, who went back to school, began coming to visit twice a week, talking about his life and learning about Jesus, and who developed a meaningful, personal relationship to Christ as a result of me simply saying yes -- remember him?

Well, he's back from four years in the Air Force, one in Iraq. He made phone calls to family upon his return, and he made one to me.

We're getting together for lunch next week. Can't wait to see him and can't wait to reconnect on a personal basis. Discipleship is a forever commitment. To that list, add Adam and Seth and Andy and Mark and David and a bunch of others.

They're no longer 14 or 15 or 16. Some are family guys, most are college grads, and those personal relationships continue. For both Carole and me, now with their wives too. One of those guys is even still in Iraq.

I no longer serve their churches or their programs, but I continue to serve them. Who knows where the time comes from to do all that needs doing? God is so good to allow those relationships to continue, that it doesn't even matter.