For What It's Worth 2.0 - A collection of thoughts, perceptions, and the like.

Dec 10

Plans for the new year?

This year has seemed to blaze by. I looked back at my calendar recently at all the things I had planned, all the people I met with, and all the family things we did ... what a year!

The personal highlight for me and my family was our trip to the East Coast. We welcomed my sister-in-law into the family and enjoyed the celebration of marriage. We saved and planned for a year on this trip finding some great deals on hotels and such. The extra planning really paid off in the money saved and the time we had. I loved taking all forms of public transportation: Trains, buses, taxis, planes, subway .... I had never rode a train or the subway before. Experiencing Washington DC, New York City, and Philadelphia in ten days was a trip we will never forget.

But not all of my plans worked out so great. In January I had planned to run my second marathon which I trained for in the previous months. December last year, nearing the end of my training, I hurt my knee. The doctor advised me that there would be other marathons. I was pretty disappointed.

One thing I didn't plan, was I currently am in the best physical shape of my life. Thanks to the Pastor Sweat Challenge, I've been consistent in working out and have changed my nutritional intake the last few months of this year. This wasn't a goal I set out at the beginning of the year but I am glad I made these adjustments in my life.

Another highlight that wasn't planned was attending the U2 concert with my son Jackson. We had an incredible time

I am sure many of us will make plans for the new year. But for some, this new year will roll around without giving any thought to plans, adjustment, and review. It is easy to let life just happen, setting it on autopilot. In words of the character Andy Dufrensne in Shawshank Redemption, " Get busy living, or get busy dying."

It's advisable to plan but know that in the end, things happen that we just don't plan or foresee. Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." For myself, I don't see God's direction many times until after that fact. It's when that change of plans happen, when my plans no longer are in effect, do I need to back off and know - I don't have to be in control. Easier said than done ... especially from a recovering control freak!

It's pretty important, even more so in the days we live, that we are mindful of .... a greater purpose our to our lives and decisions. I want 2010 to be dedicated to God's will to be done in me and my family. I am planning somethings and trusting God to fill in my gaps and blind spots with His grace. I need it!

As 2010 approaches and unfolds, I plan to to keep my heart grateful, keep my heart pure, and keep my heart trusting in the one who's really in control!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Dec 9

Help Timmy!

via vimeo.com

We shot this video as a promo for our next two weekends. The goal is to use humor in communicating that it's easy to share a card to invite others to our Christmas Services.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Dec 2

Practicing what I preach

I feel ashamed. I posted a picture on my Twitter account that took a cheap shot at Tiger Woods and his recent troubles. It was bad judgment on my part and I am sorry.

You see I believe in, teach, but didn't live up to The Golden Rule. After posting the pic, I was convicted and thought ... "How would I want to be treated in this situation?", which prompted me to remove it immediately.

The dude owned up to his transgression. Public figure or not, when someone takes responsibility and wants to make it right - it's time for everyone to back off and let them work it out!

I was reminded of Psalm 103:10 ... "He does not punish us for all our sins does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve." When it's us, this verse means a lot. When it's someone else it's easy to forget.

Infidelity is like a bomb that hurts many in it's proximity and the damage can go deep. Just this evening I was informed of some family friends who recently began divorce proceedings. It's never easy, whether we know the people and their kids ... or it's a public figure, like Tiger Woods.

I prayed for both of these families tonight and the children involved. I am grateful for God's grace to me. A grace that none of us deserve, yet all need to receive ... and give!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Oct 21

U2 and Black Eyed Peas Pics

My son and I had a great time last night at our first Stadium type concert. Thanks to JM for the tickets. We enjoyed ourselves and experienced an incredible show.

Enjoy some of our pics.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Oct 4

My Fitness has been Challenged

I got an email this past week to all area pastors notifying us of a Pastor's Fitness Challenge sponsored by SWEAT - a local fitness gym in Anthem. Along with getting in shape, developing better eating habits, the local pastors will be collaborating to help support a local charity in our area.

The first workout was none like i've experienced. It was on solid hour of high intensity, high paced, muscle confusing workout. It is named SWEAT for a reason. I should have known that it wasn't like other workout programs when my "warm-up" was on a bike with no seat! UGH.

I am looking forward to getting in the best shape of my life and adjusting my eating. I've never been on a diet before. Not looking forward to that.

Lastly, included in the three workout sessions per week is a boot camp workout on the weekend. This past Saturday was the first. I think I strained my right tricep ... among other things.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [2]

Sep 29

Would you want to be your parent?

Love me some Runkel. This thought has helped me adjust my parenting style ... especially as my kids have shifted to a new time of life. I miss my mark, a lot. But I am working on extending grace to them every chance I get. I want to be a better parent and give to my kids the respect they need and deserve. We can never go wrong with Jesus guideline of the Golden Rule!

___________

Quote of the Day: " Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried out on him personally. "— Abraham Lincoln

Ok, so maybe this one is a stretch. Don‚t get me wrong. I am not intending to liken certain authoritarian parenting styles as slavery, but old honest Abe does make a good point here. We tend to forget that our children are learning and growing every day. Why not extend them the same grace and dignity that we expect other people to liberally shower our way?

Think of it this way, would you want to be your parent? Would you like to grow up with someone who encourages or someone who berates? Would you feel comfortable coming to someone like you with sensitive and embarrassing matters? You never really know how influential you are as a parent. Take that role seriously, and ask yourself the tough questions. That way, you can‚t go wrong. - Hal Runkle

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Aug 25

This is deep ...

"You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself."

—Athanasius of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria and Church Father (c. 293-373)

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

Jul 23

Relationship Tip of the Day

I read this email today from Hal Runkle. I appreciate his thoughts on parenting. In reading this I thought it related to all of our relationships.

Quote of the Day: " Enjoy when you can and endure when you must." — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I think we would be doing ourselves a huge favor if we could learn to identify those moments we can enjoy with our kids versus the moments we must endure. We get ourselves into trouble when we confuse the two. The moments to endure occur in the heat of the moment when you want to scream out at your child, "Why are you making this so difficult!?!?! How hard is it to go poop in the potty?"

In times like these, we long for the joy and delight of parenting and we wonder what we're doing wrong. Parenting is supposed to be really hard work and if we're not willing to admit that, we are setting ourselves up for resentment and failure. Instead, just hang on and endure those moments, reminding yourself how very fleeting they really are.

The moments to enjoy with our kids, on the other hand, are right under our noses, but they are sometimes harder to find. They take place while making dinner or getting ready for bed. They are impromptu, unannounced, and easily overlooked. If we actively sought out more of those instead of trying to create good moments out of tough circumstances, we might find ourselves needing less and less endurance on this path.

Enjoy ... Endure ... Live!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [3]

Jun 25

Twitter, Facebook, and such ... are these dumbing us down?

I will be the first, OK - maybe the second person, to tell you that technology is a blessing in our lives. I would not like the Pony Express to be our only way of communicating these days. It is also a curse - or at least it can be. Recently, I have eased back on the information intake these days by keeping my computer closed a little more at home, no feeling like I have to blog every day, and feel no remorse if my FB or Twitter status has not been updated daily.

This article is a great wake up call to those who may have not drawn a line in their technology world. Yeah, I know ... the title is a little cheesy!

Twitterdom or Wisdom?

By Dan Miller

While attending a funeral recently I glanced up and down just my row to see several people Twittering and checking emails in the last few minutes prior to the beginning of the service. It’s now common during sermons and seminars to see people with their heads down, busy passing on tidbits of information instantly. This morning I read that one million people are following Ashton Kutcher on Twitter.

I suggest that this massive addiction to information leads us away from wisdom, not toward it, creating what author Shane Hill calls “a permanent puberty of the mind.” Recognize that information, knowledge and even intelligence do not necessarily lead to wisdom. The overload of information in fact encourages the opposite of what creates wisdom – stillness, time, reflection and solitude. With the internet, TV, email, FaceBook, Twitter and cell phones, there is no waiting. There is no such thing as stillness or quiet personal reflection. Meaningful experiences and the path toward wisdom can be diverted by constant information.

I am not anti-technology. I love having instant access to useful information. But this is much like having a bowl of peanut M&Ms in front of me. I tend to eat them just because they are there. At some point ... read the rest here!

For some fun reading about more dumbing down ... check this one out.

How can (or have you) create(d) boundries to feeding your technology tapeworm that sucks life out from us?

This email was Anti Virus checked by Astaro Security Gateway. http://www.astaro.com

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [2]

Jun 23