Another Redneck Snowday

Former Youth Spotlight: Jamal Quattlebaum

I caught up with Jamal over the Christmas holiday.
Oh, I retained my composure acting all cool, but I really wanted to slobber all over him and tell him how proud I am of him and how I wish he'd come home to Mama Val's just a little bit more often. But he's a busy man. Busy, busy man...
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Jamal is currently living in Loganville, GA and working with high school youth at Graystone Church. Jamal credits former FBC Youth Pastor Jimmy Steen for where he is today. "He (Steen) reached out to me and introduced me to Look Up Lodge where I later worked on staff for three years. During those three years, I built relationships with the people who attend Graystone. Graystone brought their youth to Look Up all three of my summers."

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FBC has taken our youth to Look Up Lodge now for ten years or more. Having been on several of those trips, having my own kids attend for many years and having seen several of our youth go there to serve, I have to credit Look Up Lodge for grounding our teen agers and instilling in them the need to know what you believe and then act upon it.

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Jamal continued, "I learned so much being on staff at Look Up Lodge. The lesson that stands out in my memory is during one summer, I got extremely exhausted and I felt like I could not do one more day of camp and so I began to pray that God would replenish me and give me the drive to keep going and He did just that. So the lesson I learned is when I am weak and worn out, God is faithful enough to keep me going."

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I asked Jamal where he would like his life to be in 5 years. His reply? Full-time ministry.

"One thing that God is teaching me now is to deal in the moment and not look too far ahead. I'm sure we've all experienced a change from our plan to God's plan, and that can be extremely disappointing, so I am trying not to plan so far in advance and to enjoy what God is doing today."

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In his free time, Jamal likes to sleep, shop and hang out with friends. He has trouble turning his brain off his youth, though, when he is not actively working with them. His favorite food, anyone remember? Japanese! As he says, "I love, love, love, love, love it!" There's that bubbly exuberance we all know and love: true 100% Jamal.

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"The thing I miss most about Wagener is the community of people," Jamal explained. "There is no other place that can hold such people in one area. I still laugh when I look back on the times we all shared. (So do we, brother, so do we, just check Marj, Brielle or Erika's photos of your days here!) He continued, "Like many students after graduation, we had to separate and grow to become our own person."

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"When I die, I would like to be remembered as a guy who searched after God's very heart, just like King David. I want to love the way Jesus loves me and live the way Jesus lived."

-Despite my all cool composure, Jamal brought me to tears. We love, love, love, love, love you Jamal! You're in our prayers. Come back and visit soon.

Keep up with Jamal on his Facebook page: Brunson Jamal Quattlebaum.
And on his blog here.