Posted in December 2008

is it a conspiracy???

AClogodesignStamp2

sooo, things seem a little different this Christmas…our economy is in a state that i can’t recall at any point in my life time…that being said, kasey and i have really made an effort to be better stewards of what God has blessed us with…we have made extra efforts to buy gifts that are more practical this year…we’ve shopped with coupons and online discounts as much as possible…and we’ve set limits, especially on what we buy each other…

then i received this video by e-mail one day…it was very challenging…and then i saw it again in the Kidstuff  Family Christmas Show…and so I would like to share it with you…it’s from an organization/movement called advent conspiracy

[Worship Fully]

[Spend Less]

[Give More]

[Love All]

sooo, i will be back later this week…probably tomorrow…to share one more example of what we are doing this year to make an impact, despite the state of the economy…

but what are you doing this year??? what steps have you taken to be a part of this conspiracy???

is it a conspiracy???

is pride always bad??? take two…

sooo, a few months back i did a post…i posed the question above and i believe there was an overwhelming answer of NO…once again i have been cause to become extremely prideful…so i figured i would pass along some of the evidence as to why…

daddy's wrapped around my finger... and who wouldn't be???

(photos taken by donna with heaven’s photography 419-371-8603)

i am sooo blessed to be a father, and more so a father of this beautiful little girl…i’m not sure what i’m going to do in april when her little brother arrives…?

is pride always bad??? take two…

sorry…no sunday setlists…

kidstuffchristmasshow

sooo, this past weekend i was a little bit out of my league…i joined an awesome group of people in children’s ministry and sang for the Kidstuff Family Christmas Show…i will start off by saying it was a lot of work…and music laid out for children’s ministry is not meant for the average male to sing…or atleast not after they have hit puberty!!!

but i had a blast, i must admit…it was awesome to see and hear the kids react to all that was going on and to see them singing and dancing with everything they had…

one thing that was very evident, from the first rehearsal…PASSION…the people at our church who are serving in the children’s ministry have…PASSION…they absolutely give every ounce they have to reach out to these kids with love and to teach them about God’s love for them…it was a great challenge for me, and not just to sing the high notes, but to see how they serve…

it was also a great lesson to me…these kids were soaking in every word that was spoken and sung…not only that, in some cases they immediately put it into practice…the virtue being taught was generosity…the big prize for family trivia was a $75 gift card to the local movie theater…the first night the winners gave the gift card away to another family who was has been struggling…THAT’S AWESOME!!!

i was challenged with PASSION…and taught obedience…all by stepping out of my box and serving in children’s ministry…it was great…

i’m not exactly…

sorry…no sunday setlists…

my thoughts on mad church disease…

mad-church-disease-cover

sooo a few weeks back i was on facebook and got a message about winning a free copy of this book by anne jackson…i really enjoy reading her blog and on a couple occasions swapping e-mails…she is an excellent writer…sooo i entered this little giveaway, and what do you know…I WON!!! i’m a slow reader by nature, but i really took my time with this book because there was a lot to take in and some of it really hit home!!!

sooo, here you go…

my thoughts on MAD CHURCH DISEASE

to start things off, i will say that the design and title of the book should spark interest with just about anyone…even those outside the church might find the title amusing…and then once i got into the book the layout was still top notch, with charts, graphics, and section dividers…i’m probably a little on the odd side in taking note of these things…but i did…and they drew me in…

i really enjoyed the content of the book for a few reasons…first off would be that anne really layed groundwork for what the purpose of the book was and what she hoped to accomplish…i wasn’t kept wondering why the book was written, she told me up front…that helped me get into the book right away…not only that, but  it was a topic that i felt was very applicable to my life and the lives of those who serve along side me…

i also enjoyed this book because anne is not just spouting off her opinion on how to manage my life, which she’s never seen nor would she want to…she is sharing from her own experiences in life…she is very authentic and creative in how she goes about her sharing too…my favorite example would be her early years of detective work with her trapper keeper in hand, listening in on a deacons meeting…i felt like i was there, and not just because i have been to a meeting just like it, but because she does such an amazing job of portraying what happened!!!

lastly there are great resources for application with this book…i can see this book being utilized by churches all over, regardless of their size…pastors, teachers, missionaries, and volunteers from every area of ministry should take a look at this book…they should go through it with one or two other people and practice some accountability with the resources at the end of the chapters…i think this book could be a HUGE tool for God to minister healing in the lives of His servants and to renew passion in their lives as well…

i really urge you to get this book when it comes out in february…or you can pre-order it now on amazon…order it for your pastor, or the entire church staff…maybe you can order it for the department that you are in charge of…or for your leadership team…no, seriously…GO DO IT!!!

so there you have it…

my thoughts on MAD CHURCH DISEASE

is it that bad???

sooo, now that our country is in such “desperate times” financially…which is sooo not true when looking from the perspective of those in other countries…anywho…not only do you have to prepay for your gas…you have to prepay in advance??? fortunately i was able to do that right at the pump and did not have to do sooo weeks in advance…

smartie-pants

this was on the pump last night as i was filling up on the way home…it struck me as a funny…i had a long day!!!

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