I love you, O Lord, my strength. You are my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God in whom I take refuge, my shield, the power of my salvation, and my stronghold. I call upon the Lord Jesus Christ who is most worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3; Hebrews 3:3).

I worship you, Lord, for it is through Jesus Christ that you have made known to me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11; Acts 2:28).

I worship you, O God. You are my Lord. I have no good apart from you nor can I do anything apart from you. Help me to abide in you because life just makes no sense apart from you (Psalm 16:2; John 15:5).

Yes, that’s the latest picture of my baby granddaughter with her dad watching over her. I thought a picture capturing one generation looking out for the next would be a great way to introduce this post about mentoring.

During my thirties, I wished long and hard for a mentor—someone older who could point the way for those of us just starting out. At the time, I was leading a music ministry in a fast-paced church and wrestling with serious ministry issues. I had questions I didn’t know how to answer: How can I survive the relentless pace of ministry? How can I strengthen my relationship with my pastor? How can I recruit more volunteers? How do I care for those volunteers after I get them? I also struggled with perfectionism, insecurity, and self-doubt. My own character issues and dysfunctional behavioral patterns were threatening to sabotage the very ministry I was trying to build. Counseling offered a few answers, but I still desperately needed the guidance and wisdom of someone more experienced in ministry.

That sense of alienation and frustration has become the driving force behind all the mentoring and ministry coaching I do today. I have a deep love and respect for the next generation of worship and arts leaders. I want them to thrive and flourish. That’s why I’m offering them something I wish I had when I was their age—someone to turn to for help and encouragement.

Because of the sense of urgency I carry for mentoring, I am thrilled to announce that I am opening up more time in my schedule for one-on-one mentoring and ministry coaching, effective immediately. I am making myself available to worship leaders, arts leaders, and worship pastors who are interested in meeting once a month by phone or over Skype to talk through ministry related issues. Those meeting regularly with me are also eligible for a 50% discount on any of my books (for orders of 10 or more) as well as $150 off a Heart of the Artist retreat or workshop. For more information or to fill out an initial inquiry form, click here.

O Lord, I put my trust in your steadfast love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. And I thank you, Son of God, for loving me and giving yourself up for me. I sing your praises for you have dealt bountifully with me (Psalm 13:5-6, 142:7; Galatians 2:20).

I worship you, Lord for your words are pure. Like silver refined and purified, your word is tried and true. I praise you, Jesus, for by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, you spoke God’s words with power and authority (Psalm 12:6; John 3:34).

I worship, Lord, for you are righteous, you love righteousness, and you love when your people do what’s right. For Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Psalm 11:7, 33:5; Matthew 5:8).

To you, O King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Your power extends over all the nations. Yet, you take note of the afflicted. You hear our cry for help and strengthen our hearts. You uphold justice on behalf of the fatherless and the oppressed (Psalm 10:16-18; 1 Timothy 1:17).

Our little granddaughter is two weeks old today. Anabelle Joy has already lived up to her middle name and brought so much happiness into our family. Meanwhile, many people have been asking me how it feels to be a grandfather for the first time. I simply feel overwhelmed by love for this precious little girl—the same depth of love I felt when both my boys were born. I distinctly remember standing at their cribs and marveling, first of all, at the miracle of new life. I also recall being hit by powerful waves of love, care, and concern for those newborns who were now my flesh and blood. And it was a kind of love I had never experienced before and had no idea I was even capable of. It was unconditional love.

Until that moment, every friendship I had ever known my entire life offered something in return. I chose my friends based on what they did for me or because they loved me back. Even the purest of my relationships were not entirely pure, but tainted to some degree by self-interest. But holding those delicate and fragile babies in my arms, I realized that something had shifted. Those helpless little infants had done nothing to earn my love, offered me nothing in return, and couldn’t even love me back. And yet, I loved them so much my heart ached for their well-being. My paternal instinct to provide and protect kicked in and, if the situation ever warranted it, I would gladly give my life for theirs. I can’t say that I have always acted out of love when it comes to my boys. I haven’t told them enough that I love them. Nor have I always demonstrated it. But fatherhood revealed a depth of love I had never felt before, a love that being a grandfather has now rekindled.

Of course I am reminded that God’s love is unconditional. Though I can’t fully comprehend God’s love, as a new grandparent I can begin to appreciate the gift that it truly is. God’s demonstrates his love toward us while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8). The psalmists keep referring to God’s love as “steadfast” (Psalm 5:7, 13:5, 26:3), meaning that it’s faithful and true. While my love for my sons is bound by human weakness and limitations, God’s love is holy, perfect, and eternal. God’s love has been poured out to us (Romans 5:5). It is abundant, real, and personal. And nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). There isn’t anything I could ever do to make God love me more and nothing I could ever do to make God love me less. That’s the essence of God’s unconditional love—something that a new grandfather can especially appreciate.