This year, like the last few, a group from Dayspring Fellowship went to the Summit Leadership Conference. It is a huge conference held near Chicago and simulcast in thousands of places all around the world. We watched it on a big screen in Eugene. In today's installment of my Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I'll tell you something I got out of one of the talks. Bill Hybels was speaking about leading people from one point to another. He called attention to how tough it gets for people when they are half-way home. I thought about the example in Nehemiah 4:6 - "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." The next verses describe how, at that point in the process, the Israelites experienced opposition from outsiders and also inner discouragement. It's easy to give up when you can't see the finish line. Bill said that celebrating milestones along the way is a way to keep people inspired to stay on the journey. This made our staff begin to talk about how to keep the hope fresh here, as we continue to work with all our heart. We're looking forward to increasing this practice here. More to come!