Like a box of chocolates...

I'm trying to figure out what kind of day today is going to be. When my alarm went off this morning at 5:56 a.m., I was not excited. I was in a deep sleep and as I feel as though I had not been sleeping well, really wanted to crawl back in bed. I forced myself to get up, get dressed, and wait for my walking partner Pat. I will admit (grudgingly), when I do go for a walk early in the morning, I do feel better. Yes, part of it is the wonderful conversation that occurs, but mostly it is the being active portion of the walk. Anyway, when I got back from my walk, I made my coffee (for those of you wondering, I was able to salvage my broken coffee grinder, so that's good). My youngest son who most mornings is a complete monster woke up relatively easy this morning and at no time did I yell at him or tell him to get dressed, eat, or get his snow stuff on. It was fantastic. I have to admit, I was on a high. Boys were playing well together, Adam wasn't being...well...Adam, and we were way ahead of schedule. Then it happened.

Luke walks to school each day. As we are only 3 blocks away, he leaves each day about 5 - 10 minutes before Adam and I do. Adam on the other hand gets dropped off. Now, this seems like it should be relatviely simple. You pull up, you say goodbye, your kid gets out of the car, and you leave. Not so much. This morning, the line wasn't moving all that fast, then it came to our turn. We followed the car ahead of us, we stopped, and I told Adam goodbye, and he jumped out of the car. That should have been it. Instead, I sat there for what seemed like 10 minutes, staring at the car 2 cars ahead of where I was. I started looking around wondering what they were waiting for. Finally the back door opened and the kid got out. Ok, I thought, now we can go. No. the parent then got out an walked their kid over. I'm a parent. I understand that some days are kind of rough and a kid needs a little extra tlc. What I don't understand is why you would hold up a huge line of other parents who have things to do (like sit in a coffee house and blog). Maybe it is because I have no heart, but I am all about shoving my kid out of the car as quick as possible, in part because it is polite to the other parents and also because if Adam isn't in a "yea school!" kind of mood, an extra 3 minutes in the car isn't going to help. It's kind of like ripping off a band aid, the quicker the better.

So now, here i sit blogging, preparing myself for my annual review in less than an hour, unsure what is to come. (That and I am still a little sore from running with students from 5- 9pm yesterday)

As far as the review goes, here are a few of my thoughts. As I was filling out my official form, I began to think about all of the things that I left undone this past year. I started listing out the things I wish I had done better or (gasp!) even the few things that I even screwed up. I find it a lot easier to focus on those things that on the things that I did well. I have been a part of some really great reviews and some...well...not so great ones. When I say that, I don't mean ones that were just talking about what a great or terrible job I was doing, rather a reflection on this past year and what can be done to do better next year move forward in a positive way. I think today will probably be the latter.

Ok - a few quick thoughts, A friend of mine posted this article. The first time I heard something similar to this was from Paul Hill who essentially said the same thing while talking about how men bond and grow together. He focused on how guys like to compete with eachother, etc., and the church needed to find a way to do this and while girls enjoy chatting on the phone for a long time sharing their feelings, a lot of guys want activities that will challenge them physically. The challenge is to find those activities in the church.

• I am holding out hope the M & M boys will be back and the Twins will at least have a shot at the division this year
• I really do love the worship band I play with. They are a great group of talented people and I am blessed to have the opportunity to play with them
• I leave for New Orleans next week for 6 days. I'm not really sure what to expect, but it should be a good time

Finally - Super Bowl prediction. I will have a better idea when I talk with my brother as to who he is rooting for (he always picks the loser), but right now I am thinking the Giants will win in a not very close game.

Eh...this isn't great, but I need to try to get back in the habit...

I had tried to tell myself that I would begin regular blogging this fall. This has not happened. While I would like to blame it on a busy schedule, it is more a case of laziness than anything else. Since I haven't blogged in a while, I am going to cram a few thoughts into this one post...but first....

Ok, when I was a kid, I was huge into wrestling. Yes, I even was able to go to an event in 7th grade to watch Demolition wrestle 1/2 of the Rockers (Marty Genety). Demolition had earlier injured Shawn, so only Genety could wrestle. I recently became FB friends with a guy from college who I hadn't talked to or seen in a out 11 years. We were part of the same Faith Alive group at Wartburg. He and I actually led an entire Faith alive meeting, basing it on wrestling with video clips, Bible passages, etc. It was quite impressive.

Now that I have streaming netflix, I find myself looking for things to watch. Within the last 2 months I have now watched 2 documentaries about wresting. One focused on Brett Hart, the other on was a more general wrestling documentary, with a slight focus on Jake Roberts. Both were sad. Not in the "I'm going to cry", but rather in the "oh, that is just sad" style of sadness. I loved Jake the snake growing up. Other than George the Animal Steal, he was my favorite. I also recall jake being  big into the whole "Jesus" thing. He would talk about it after a match and I even recall him speaking on one of those "Jesus Channel Shows".  To see a guy who was uber popular now living a life out of his car, addicted to drugs, and no significant relationships in his life, I felt pity on him. The Wrester is an awesome movie which appears to chronical the real life of Jake Roberts. Contrast Jake Roberts with Brett Hart. In his documentary, he talks of the significance of his relationship with his brothers and father. In the documentary he even knocks out Vince McMahon (its actually real, not fake). It seems very apparent that because of the relationship he has with his family, he is much more grounded than some of his peers.

I had a young gal ask me a couple of weeks ago what God wants from us. Well, I said, God wants us to be  in relationship with Him. Once that starts to happen, other things fall into place. When I say "fall into place" I do not mean life is hunky dory, I mean, the way we treat others, how we care for others, etc. does fall into place. We were created for relationships. No matter ones financial or success status, if we don't have some type of close relationships, we feel lost and alone. That is (I believe) a big reason Jesus came to us. God wants to know us and for us to know God. As a parent, sure I want my kid to be successful. Yes, I want them to do well. More than anything else, I want to have a relationship with them. As a parent, yes, I think about what our relationship will look like in 5 years, 10 years, etc. That is how I see God. That is what God wants, and that is what we need. What does a relationship with God look like? Well, that is another post at some point and time in the future...

A few other quick notes...

• I am excited about caucusing in a few weeks, although I am still undecided as to whom I will be caucusing for (yes, I am a Republican). (I'm also hoping I used the word "whom" correctly.)
• I am in the finals of 1 of my 4 leagues. Here's to hoping Vick has an awesome weekend!
• I get to Christmas with family starting Dec. 24th - January 2nd. Yes, I am very excited about every minute. Really. *sigh*

Have a great Christmas!

A new beginning

Change and transition. Both of these things easily raise up my anxiety level.

That being said, I LOVE change. Thanks to my non-diagnosed ADHD, I need to be working and doing several things at once. Yes, this makes it difficulut to actually finish things (I have several blog posts that I have started, but never actually finished).

Anyway, there comes a time when new leadership is needed. This isn't necessarily because the old was "bad" or not working, but it keeps things fresh, and for me, keeps it interesting. When I first heard about a "new person" being in charge, I was genuinly excited. I couldn't wait. I will admit, when I looked at his age, I got a little nervous. The reality is the person he is taking over has a lot more experience, knew the "system" better, and so was assumed to be a better fit. There were several other issues. What kind of experience did this person have and how is it going to work here? The person had never really been the go to guy at an organization as large as this one. How would they handle the spot light? Everyone and their mother would be watching closely to see how he would handle different situations. Lots of people (including myself) had a "set age" or "set amount of experience" that we wanted the new leader to have. This person didn't necesssarily fill that quota. We had also seen other organizations close by that had gone with a person this young and watch it cause conflict.

Anyway, Let me be clear. I am excited for the future. The fact that Christian Ponder is now the leader of the Vikings excites me. Yes, he is a young qb, but he appears to have the chops for the job. To be clear, Ponder is NO Tavaris Jackson (that is a good thing). I think it is great that McNabb is still around to help him out. They seemed to have transitioned well with giving control of the team to Ponder, but yet to have McNabb there to help out where needed and to share his experience and expertise with Ponder. So far, it is off to a great start. It is wonderful to see the team rally around Ponder and to watch how much better he makes the rest of the team.

While I won't say "super bowl" yet, I think the team did a great job is bringing in the right leader at the right time.

This is just one of my many issues...

12 years ago when I first began in youth ministry, I refused coffee. I HATED that everytime I went to a meeting, it was between coffee (decaf) and water. OK - except for our men's ministry meetings when we would sit outside prior to the Bible study and share some Miller Light (it was Milwaukee after all).


Anyway, it wasn't until while I was at Ewalu and visiting with different Lutheran Brotherhood and AAL groups that I began to force myself to drink coffee. At many of the meetings it was the only thing offered with their meals. I should point out that this was "church style" coffee, which meant water downed, poorly brewed, etc.
Anyway, this began my addiction to coffee.

When we moved to Decorah, my wife went and bought a coffee grinder. I will admit, my first reaction was "you spent money on a coffee grinder?" I wasn't impressed. I don't like like spending money. Then I started to use it. The aroma (yes, I used the term aroma) was awesome. taking the lid off of the grinder and smelling those beans is a very spiritual experience for me. Suddenly, not only was I a coffee drinker, but I found myself becoming a coffee snob. I found myself actually judging different types of coffee. (Whole Bean, Dunkin Donuts is my coffee of choice, btw). It is the point where if I am making coffee at home, when the coffe gets to the 4, I take it out of the coffee maker. The first cup made tastes the best. Its scientific fact.

Tragically, 2 nights ago, my wife dropped the lid on the floor. Yes, I should have put the lid back on when I was done, but it was still her that dropped it.

This means I am currently w/o a grinder. I came to work this morning w/o my mug of coffee or w/o having a couple of cups prior to coming to work. I'll admit, it doesn't feel the same. I miss the roar that grinder made and especially the smell of the ground beans.

I now have three choices laid in front of me. 1) go to Ace and pick up a new grinder. 2) Complain to my wife about not having a working grinder until she goes and gets one. 3) Suffer from withdrawl and began the process of ending my addiction.

Here are the problems with each...

1. I hate shopping. I don't know if I could pull the trigger on that purchase. I prefer to have my wife do it so I can complain about how much it cost w/o actually have spent the money myself while at the same time getting the benefit of my Dunkin Donuts coffee in the morning.
2. My wife began getting ready for school this week. For the most part, I try to keep my head down the first couple of weeks of school as she is adjusting as to not add any more stress to her life. I say "try" b/c I usually do a poor job of it. I do realize at some point I will push her off the edge. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't yet, and it probably doesn't have to be done over a coffee grinder.
3. I can say I am going to go w/o, but the reality is I will end up just going to Java John's or Magpie that much more often and buying a cup of coffee. I do it already, and probably don't need to add to the amount I am already spending on coffee..

Anyway, such is my life..luckily this song brings me hope in a time of darkness....

 

Other quick notes...

• Just when I had quit reading or watching anything Twins related, Thome hit is 600th, which was probably the lone bright spot of being a Twins fan this year. I was going to put the video of it on here, but MLB has blocked all video of it on Youtube.
• We are in the process of hiring a new Pastor. I am both excited and very anxious about this prospect.
• Clayfire is a new website that helps with worship development. about 30 minutes into the webinar, I began to think to myself "what am I doing on here" while at the same time thinking to myself how this could really trasnform what we are doing with our contemporary (or "conemporary" as my friend Ben would say) worship service.
• Luke is officially  Jedi. After spending a week at Ewalu (which he thought was "star wars camp") he claims to have been knighted as a Jedi. I did some checking, they did talk about Jesus some too...
• I thought about actually going through and proofing this post, but that seems like a lot of work...

There will still be church...

As you may or may not know, the Rapture will be happening this Saturday. The good (?) news is that both of my pastors have told me if the Rapture does occur, that I will be leading worship Sunday morning...(yea..it kind of hurt)

I had a dog, Marty who passed away several years ago. Marty was..umm..special. My wife probably wouldn't have worried about this for him, but if you love your pet, you should probably look into this...

 

I have been reading (sort of...when I say "reading", I mean I started a book a few weeks ago and read a few pages since that first day) titled Love Wins by Rob Bell. I really like what I have read so far. It happens to be in stark contrast to a billboard I saw on the way home from Fargo (that's another story, I have to figure out if my wife is reading this or not before I talk about the trip) that had flames on it talking about the Rapture. What is bothering me is the ease that some groups have when talking about Jesus. All it ends up being is a "turn or burn" type deal. Really? That is the arguement for people to follow and become disciples of Jesus? No, excuse me...the billboard wasn't arguing that we should follow and become disciples, it was a "HEY! If you don't want to be damned, do this quick!"

I don't in anyway want to minimize Jesus death and ressurection (I think I made that clear) but at the same time, I want people to understand that there is so much more to this faith that who is in and who is out. That is what I really am liking so far about Bell's book. Plus, lets be clear, that is not our job to decide, it's God's choice.

Anyway, I am looking at real students and parents who are really struggling with a wide range of issues who need to know, that no matter what they are cared for. They also need help where they are. More than just a "Jesus loves you". They need real help from real people.

Anyway, something I have been thinking about lately. I'm leaving it here as I have a meeting to figure out a design for a new sign for the church....yea...not exactly in my job description...but hey, if it helps people hear about what is happening here, I suppose it is a good thing.

Pigs

In my "past life' as a Volunteer Coordinator/Retreat Director, I was in charge of the Annual Quilt Auction at Camp Ewalu. Part of this was having farmers donate hogs, then picking them up a couple of days before the auction and to take them to be processed.

Each year, I would hop in the 15 passenger van (no air conditioning or radio, btw), hook up the hog trailer, and pick up pigs.

During one of my trips to get pigs, I was on my way home from Jim Ludekings home, when I decided to call my brother who lives in New York. To my surprise, he sounded panicked. My parents had been out to visit him, and had gotten on a flight from NYC to come home. He asked me if I had heard anything from them. I told him no, and that they would call when their flight landed. He said "don't you have any idea what the hell is going on?" I didn't.

He proceeded to tell me. I remember having to pull the van over. I couldn't drive as Cory started to tell me the details of what was going on, and that he did know that their flight left that morning, but had no idea where they were. He told me about what the city was like at that time. He could see smoke from his office.

I hung up the phone  and got to camp as soon as I was able. Yes, I was lucky. My parents were fine. My brother was fine. My wife was fine. I was fine.

I do remember getting ready to head off to Traverse City Michigan (its where my parents flight landed), but then they were able to get a rental car and make it home.

This past Monday night I took a group of kids to the police station. The boys were most interested about the guns and other items that could cause harm. When we came home, I talked to my boys about how guns can hurt people. I told them, for the most part, we don't want to hurt people. We are called to forgive people who do us harm.

Tomorrow I will have a talk w/ Luke about how, yes, for the most part, we don't want to hurt other people. This is not one of those times. In this case, I am happy. This was a good thing.

It's late...

OK - its about midnight and I should probably be asleep. The reality is, whenever I have a lot going on at work, I tend to have difficulty sleeping as I tend to over analyze and get a wee bit paniced.  Anyway, all that means is I am currently awake, and had some thoughts I probably shouldn't write, but will anyway.

I dislike Marcus Borg. OK - that's not true, I don't know him. The reality is, I'm sure he is a fine person. I think he probably cares about people, etc. Where does my dislike come from? Honestly, from my perspective, he comes off as being Christian. In fact, that is how he presents himself. Ok, your right, who am I to judge who believes in Jesus and who doesn't. But that is the problem. I read some of his stuff and watched him on youtube, and from what I can tell, he is no Christian. Here I am, preparing for what I believe is the most important day of the Christian year (Easter) and Mr. Borg is telling Christians that you can be a Christian without believing in an actual resurrection (I'm pretty sure he doesn't). I'm not referring to having doubt. What Borg talks about is the idea that Christianity is not centered around the death and resurection of Jesus. Ugh. As Christians, that is where we are centered. All Christian churches, while we disagree on things such as sexuality issues, communion, baptism, etc., we come together when it comes to the Apostles Creed. Not to mention the fact that Paul thought it was a big deal.

If somebody doesn't want to believe in the resurrection, that is fine, don't. But please, oh please, be careful to willy nilly change the meaning of what the word Christian means. If Jesus wasn't divine and you want to focus soley on His teachings, fine, do so.... but come up w/ a different name for your religion.

As I was leaving church tonight, I began to walk by a lady. She said "where are you coming from?" Being the friendly guy I am, I said, "oh, it's Good Friday, and church just finished." She said "I KNOW what day it is..back in my day, all the churches had church together." Me - "yea, but it just doesn't work well anymore, so we do it seperately." Her - "Church looked really black tonight." (BTW - she wasn't there, she was just walking by on the street as we were finishing).  I said "What?" Her - "You heard me.". I kept walking.

Awesome.

Hey - but on the other hand, I am really excited about Easter, so that's good, right? When I say excited, I mean nervous, horrified, etc. Our worship band w/ a few youth, is playing at the 6:30 a.m. service. Other students are doing a drama. It should be really cool. I'm excited.

Anyway, I'll probably have to edit this post later, but I'll put it up for now. Have a great night!