Many folks have inquired “how was your first week of work at Wellspring?” I have found myself struggling to answer that question, authentically, clearly and succinctly anyway. I have held many jobs during my career, some even that really interested and motivated me, most that I enjoyed to some measure, and one that really spoke to and arose from my heart. But, I have never before experienced a true calling within my work life. I find myself showing up at Wellspring each and every day the same “old way” that I always have. With a preset agenda, and firm notions of what to accomplish and how to do so; focused upon how I can make my mark and create value here. Yet, every single day, I find myself literally shocked out of my mindset, out of my notions and designs, out of my “old way” of being at work. The “old way” that has always worked well before, both for me and for my employers. Nevertheless, I cannot seem to show up that way here. It is wildly disorienting on one level, and intensely invigorating and gratifying on another level. The people by whom I am surrounded here possess such an abundance of faith, hope, generosity, joy and love for each other and for our mission that I am constantly forced to divert my attention away from my own plans and perspectives and from “the what” and “the how”, to the WHO!! And those WHOs are: our amazing STARs who regale us each day with their laughter and their living SO out loud; our devoted and talented Staff who invest their very souls toward empowering our STARs; our volunteers who so graciously gift their time and talents toward enabling our mission; our Champions, without whose generous financial and other support, none of this would be possible; our families and local community who continually amaze and spiritually nourish all of us. All of those WHOs having welcomed me so very warmly, as a long lost brother. I have been dumbfounded in my calls to our Champions, to thank them for their outrageous generosity, by the sheer magnitude of gratitude being aimed back at Wellspring!!! Say, what??? And, of course, the ultimate WHO, our loving God, whom we serve and who has guided us every step of the way to help us to create this little slice of Heaven here on Earth. Truth is, I am no longer 100% sure, as I had been in my “old way,” of who I am at work here or what I can contribute or how. Instinctually, that is terrifying to me. Yet, I find myself comforted every day here because somehow I know in my heart that all of you WHOs have me covered. And, basking in that comfort, I am convinced that I will indeed find innumerable ways to contribute, along with all of you, to this exciting future paved with so many possibilities and opportunities for Wellspring. I feel humbled and blessed by and grateful for all of you. God bless…