I set off my fireworks for the kids on Friday night...had a good time...I don't think it was until tonight that I really took the time to thank God for my country. I realize we aren't perfect, but we've got a great thing going. I love my country...I love Jesus Christ more...but I love my country and am proud to be an american citizen, and hope you are too (insert Lee Greenwood).
Was thinking about asking our church to go this route in our giving...I've been working on my diving summersaults...
Thanks to http://www.gregatkinson.com/ for the video...
A while back, we were looking down into the Essenhaus pond from their bridge. We saw a huge turtle and a bunch of fish. Then we discovered a brand new fish...the Toe Fish. See if you can see it in the picture...
It doesn't happen very often, but every once and a while I get the girls...and get them good. This was worth every slug in the arm and gut I received!
Give it up…throw in the towel on the show…walk away from the show…walk away from the money and your "career"…and focus on your marriage…every marriage (mine, yours, all of us) has it's hard seasons – you are in one…tell TLC it's over and get connected with your local church…fast…
(thanks for allowing me to get that off of my chest…didn't want any of you to wonder what I really thought about the Gosselin's…)
I just heard the most amazing food news…even greater than Red Robin coming to Mishawaka (which I've been to twice now…the first time was a little rough around the edges, but the second time was fine…still think Fuddruckers has the corner on the best burger joint)…
Here's the news - Chicago's famous Gino's East is coming to Michiana!!! It is the world's most amazing deep dish pizza!!!
Marshall King writes about it here…along with an interesting take on Middlebury's own Culinary Treasures…
One of my favorite Monty Python clips ever...really...ever...
I ran into an issue the other day. I deal with this issue from time to time. It all revolves around the issue of not having enough items to purchase at the store to warrant a shopping cart. So, there's always "THE BASKET." Why is it I feel so girly when using a basket? Is it just me? Do other men resort to the basket when only picking up a few items?
It was kind of like when I inherited a motor scooter from my sister Julie. If she wanted to have one of those funny looking metal baskets on the back of it, that's fine with me. But if it's mine, the basket has got to go (along with the open faced white safety helmet). That basket looked like the wicked witch of the west's basket from her bicycle.
Do I have a basket-phobia or something?
My week is winding down today…it's been a fruitful week of ministry/stuff. Looking forward to spending some down time this weekend with the family. Looks like there might be a cookout or two in my weekend…very nice. Also, a bit of getting stuff done so that we can fit another little one into this house!
Genesis 1:28 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number…".
I'm a little bit hacked off right now. It really takes a lot to get me worked up over something, but I'm worked up.
My eldest child had a code red at school today b/c some person (that's putting it lightly) decided to call in another bomb threat to our school system. My daughter's principal got on the intercom and announced a code red. The teachers acted swiftly and quickly, locking their classroom door, turning off the lights, and getting every child behind the teacher's desk (standard procedure for this kind of an event). My daughter said her heart was pounding through her chest. She said her teacher went right to prayer (it's nice to know that most people don't give a rip about the separation of church and state crapola).
This is what hacks me off…that the rest of us are left with a helpless feeling of "what in the world can I do?" I'll tell you what you need to do…exactly what I am doing…let's pray and trust that the authorities will find these cowards and bring them to complete justice, and that the Spirit of God will bring peace into this community and school system. God's bigger than this, let's call on Him! Seriously, I just have this sense that our spiritual enemy, whom the Bible calls the Devil, is laughing at this constant sense of unrest brought into our schools. Let's decide not to stand for it, and do something about it. Pray my friend…call on Him!
A few years ago, a group of parents put together a group called Stepping Up here in Middlebury. This group consists of any Middlebury 5th grader, who will be heading into Northridge Middle School this fall. They organize five mtngs over the Summer time (starting this Sunday actually) with the goal of giving each student entering 6th grade confidence in knowing who they are in Christ, and knowing other students who will stand firm with them in Christ. What a great idea!
They asked me if I'd kick off their first mtng this week with a talk on Encouragement. Given that I would not put the gift of encouragement as one of my strong points, and that I wouldn't necessarily say I've spent a lot of time connecting with 5th graders…I wholeheartedly accepted! Bring it on!
For more information on the group, call Lance and Jill Miller at 534-6062…or talk with Gary and Shayne Cripe who are involved in Pathway's Pathopolis Kids Ministry…
A little behind in making comments about a few recent local events…
I have mixed emotions on this whole experience of recent bomb threats at Northridge Middle and High School…my main emotion is of utter shock! I realize kids will be kids, but this seems a bit beyond 'kiddy'. Slapping books out of someone's hands, tripping, and an occasional swirly (the art of shoving a student's head into a toilet and flushing it) are 'kiddy' things in my mind…but making bomb threats?
We all know this isn't something that can be handled flippantly, but how do we extend some kind of help here? I think these students ought to be punished to the max, but what can I, you, we do to make an impact on this situation? How can we reach out to them, their families, listen to them, and help? What are your thoughts?
No secret, President Obama is coming to speak at ND this weekend for commencement. The major hubbub is about his stance on abortion, of which I couldn't DISAGREE with the President stronger on. My thoughts are less on the President though, and more on the protest. What is the appropriate response to something like this? Should we be joining Alan Keyes and the others in protest, standing up for what we know to be truth (and holding up signs depicting very graphic images that I would not want my kids to see)? Or is there a more effective way of protest? If the over 1 million babies that were aborted this past year were still alive, what would they be doing? Have any thoughts?
This isn't a joke…you can read more by clicking here…eat a meal free on KFC, as they are trying to get you to try their new grilled chicken…but you have to do it by the end of today (Wednesday)…
Having a really swamped week this week…really excited to hang out with our Life Group leaders this weekend though. Might be a light blogging week…
Wow…I forgot the feeling on a Saturday, when I don't have to preach on the Sunday! It's hard to explain until you are there…not that I don't enjoy preaching on Sunday's, but Saturday is anything but a day off when you have the pressure of bringing it the next day. This morning, I met our Sunday speaker, Gabriele Rienas, as I greeted and prayed over the ladies at the Emerge conference. Gabriele is going to do a great job kicking off our new Parenthood series.
Had a lot of mini-projects to tackle today…important stuff like – cleaning up my side of the bedroom (I had 2 overflowing piles of books, papers, financial reports, notes from the girl…I even cleaned off my bedside table…how about that), going to Lowe's, catching up on The Amazing Race, teaching my youngest to play Clue (and more importantly, how to annihilate her opponents), hanging a few things on the walls in our bedroom (we've only lived here for going on 6 years now…thought it was about time), etc.
I'm thankful for a church that doesn't mind giving their pastor a break from time to time!
What a great celebration of marriage last night for Shawn and Lacey (formerly Stark)! What a wonderful couple. Now I know a lot of people worked at getting these two together, but I think my wife Megan was the original. Others can take the credit, but I remember Megan saying something from day one when the Stark's moved here!
I caught these two pictures from my goofy camera on my phone…I like to think that phone pictures add character to the photo…maybe you should add your own captions in the comments?
Shawn – "What, no water in the basin for the foot washing moment in the ceremony? No biggy…Josh Delcamp can hook us up…" (this actually did happen…classic moment…they went to wash each other's feet, and one of the groomsmen had to run and get the water)
Lacey – …Lacey is just too sweet to make up a caption for…I'll leave that up to Evan (her brother)…
Shawn – "Did I really just go down the aisle with this gal? Maybe I'm just dreaming here…" Seriously, I've seen a lot of smiles on the face of Shawn Maust…but this one was the smile of all smiles!
Congrats guys! Godspeed…
Can you believe this unannounced fly over in New York City by Air Force One (without the president of course), for a stinking photo op?
There are mistakes people make that you kind of shake your head at, and think to yourself, "that will probably go down as one of the stupidest things you've ever done."
Then there are mistakes people make that you are so dumbfounded at, you can't even shake your head at, and the only thing rolling around in your head is, "this is beyond stupid, and someone should not only lose their job over this one, but perhaps be forced to be stranded on a small deserted island with a 37 year old lunatic who dresses up, laughs like, and acts like Sponge Bob Square Pants."
Ok…every time I go to one of these conference deals (at the Exponential – New Church Planting Conference right now), I realize how un-cool I really am. I've picked up that most cool people put there sun glasses on the top of their heads…I've decided to do that with my glasses…just wanting to be cool…
Megan and I have been talking about names for a few weeks here. July 30th is just around the corner (that's still her due date…I think…no…I'm pretty sure…).
I was reading 2 Samuel 23 this morning…about David's mighty men. If the new Miller is a boy, perhaps we ought to name it after one of these men…uh uh uh uh (said in a Tim Allen, Home Improvement type of way). I was really intrigued by one particular name…2 Samuel 23:24 "Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem." I've been called a dodo many times…maybe this would be fitting?
Elhanan, Son of Dodo, from Middlebury…Elhanan…has a nice ring…
Just a reminder that Dave Ramsey is live with the Town Hall for Hope, this Thursday night, 8pm, at Pathway. More info here…
OK…we are a few days since the 15th…did you take part in the nations Tea Party's? What did you think of it? Will it have lasting effects?
I read Mark Beeson's take on it…absolutely great response…worth a few minutes to read…
This week, Hobby Lobby, gave pay raises to all full time employee's…I love it…
Hobby Lobby was started from the ground up to be a company that honor's God with their business, and looks at themselves as simply being stewards of God's stuff. Here's an article with more info…
I read David Green's biography about a year ago…interesting to see what God can do when an entrepreneur gets connected with the heart of God! Might be a great read for some of you who have this same goal…
One of the most exciting parts of what I do in ministry is helping people who are sitting on gifts and calls, walk out into those gifts and calls. You see what I'm saying? To my knowledge, Derek Kidder had never really led worship any where before Pathway...but I saw it in him before he even saw it in him! Now look how the Lord uses him. That is rewarding...very rewarding...The video that follows, though not ministry necessarily, speaks to this...
(I have no desire to turn my blog into another youtube...but you've got to watch this...not to mention she sings a song from my all time favorite Broadway production, Les Miserables)
Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
by dwarthy
Thanks to Nick Poole for the heads up on the video...
(music playing) --- I can run through a troop, and leap over a wall, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! --- (stop music)
When I was a kid, we used to sing this song at church. Of course, I never really got the whole thought behind the Scripture back then, but we used to sing it over and over (and the church would get blessed, and move on to the next 'Scripture in song' song). I'm not making fun…I'm just saying I didn't ever understand it…when we sang it, a picture of me, as a young lad, would flow through my mind…running through a troop down Main Street in Middlebury (troop of what?...a troop of Shriners on their scooters wearing their funny little hats while riding their scooters in the Summer Festival Parade?), and then leaping over a wall (was this like in gym class when we had to try to do the high jump thing?), was a bit foreign to me.
As I focus in on the strength of God over the past few weeks, I am moved by David's words though. Seriously…think about it…If God could give David the strength to overcome his physical adversaries, couldn't he give me the strength to overcome my spiritual adversaries?
I started the year challenging the church to get BIGGER in God…this is a part of getting BIGGER! Walk in His strength…looking forward to Sunday…
2 Samuel 22:30 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
Just received word from Red Robin headquarters in an official type email response…the new Red Robin burger joint in Mishawaka should be officially opening for business on April 20th!
One word…YUMMMMM…
This mallard and its dear female friend have been hanging around the church for a few days now. I think they are interested in being a part of the Pathway Elkhart Campus…maybe the "eating the left over communion bread" ministry?
I tried to greet them, but there was an obvious language issue (not to mention he is hurting in the social area of things…a little touchy when you get near him…see action picture below).
We stopped by the gas station tonight to fill up the family mini-van with gas, and this is what greeted us as we walked back to the van after paying…Daisy the dog…sitting in the driver's seat.
(insert cheesy pastoral illustration about who's in the driver's seat of your life…shall we move on)
It seems like it's been a whirlwind of events since Easter. What a great day we had at Pathway! What a great day we had all across our community! As churches all over the area celebrated the death and resurrection of Christ! It's where the power is!
Excited about sharing the 2nd part of a message entitled "Stronger" this Sunday.
Excited about what God is doing in/through Pathway right now.
Excited about mtng with the team of Elder's God's given me to work with tomorrow morning for breakfast (6:30am, Essenhaus buffet, nothing like tearing into the Essenhaus breakfast buffet after a day of fasting…very healthy…hah!).
Be blessed…
You'll never believe what happened to me the other day at a local fast food joint. My youngest (who happens to be sick for the past few days…unrelated to our fast food visit that I can see) ordered her proverbial chicken strips/nuggets/pieces that she gets at pretty much any fast food place we go to.
We didn't think anything of it until we sit down to eat. She opens her chicken container and finds a hamburger patty, in her chicken box. No lie…someone had placed a single hamburger patty, inside a chicken container thing, and served it to us. Was this a joke? Am I missing something here? Does cow come from a chicken now or something? I thought re-moving the title of planet from poor Pluto was one thing, but a hamburger coming from a chicken? That's stinking amazing!
If that wasn't enough to make me want to choke on my own 2 hamburgers ketchup only, the reaction of the manager was. We showed it to her, and a few other customers who were in line…her response? She chucked it into the trash and handed us another container, with the appropriate white meat inside. No apology…no "that's the strangest thing I've seen in a while"…just a chucking and a handing.
Chucking and a handing. How about that…
I've been thinking for several weeks now about this thought - what is at the core of the life of a genuine Christ folower? I put together this little sketchcast thing (sorry the volume level stinks)...
Have you seen this from the other night? The Security dude rips the John 3:16 sign out of the guy's hand...
How horrible to see the northern Indiana favorite restaurant, the Essenhaus, on fire last night! Figure the odds!
Can you imagine a world without whoopee pies? Amish peanut butter? Roll's with delicious sweet white cream inside, frosted with a maple cover? A world without cherry pie, donning a delicately sweetened top crust, perhaps sprinkled with sugar?
I think I'm gaining calories even thinking about such things…forgive me Lord…
B/c of the wide gap of personal convictions on movies, I rarely recommend a movie to anyone. Breaking with my rule, I will recommend that all of you take in the "Boy in the Striped Pajamas." A powerful movie about the Jewish Holocaust, it will make you think…and probably give you a lump in your throat with its ending (which for whatever reason took me by complete surprise).
Yah. We have. Someone told me the other day that we need to slip a small sign reading "Mennonite" on our sign out by the road…hah (they were kidding of course)! As part of our switching things up with our Sunday morning service, we've done something that I'm not sure we have ever done at Pathway – responsive readings of Scripture (for 2 weeks in a row).
We do the whole bit…I've been the "leader" and read the leader's part, and then the congregation reads their part. The response? WOW! Seriously, why haven't we used this method in our worship before? (meant to be rhetorical, but the honest truth is, it's b/c we've just never done it that way before)
I know from time to time, there are pastors who read this blog. You want to add some depth and power to your worship time this Sunday? Right in the middle of your singing, do a responsive reading.
FOR THOSE IN THE A/G: Here's the deal…dust off one of those old blue or red hymn books (be prepared - Sister Beulah might just have a heart attack when she sees one in your hands). Go to the back, before the contents, and pull out one of those responsive readings. Then, don't read it like your grandma just died, and someone fed you castor oil for communion. Read it the way it was written…with passion…with pauses…well thought out…and watch as it builds more spiritual momentum in your service than singing Enemy's Camp did at the Brownsville Revival.
Had a blast talking to some of Northridge Middle School's best and brightest today. Somewhere around 30-40 students were chosen for their character and leadership qualities for this little event (which included free lunch from Dairy Queen and an opportunity to hear me blab).
I think I've learned something about myself over the past few years…I like the challenge of speaking to a different audience every once and a while. Don't get me wrong, my favorite place to speak is at 13805 US Hwy 20, Middlebury, IN…(Pathway that is)…but it's fun working up a message or a talk to a group of people who I've never met, but can discern (with the Holy Spirit) what needs to be said.
Kind of a zero gravity thing. As much as I want to speak something useful, I really want to accomplish the plan God has for me there. So, if they like it or not isn't necessarily an issue. I'm an outsider…I have zero gravity pulling me in any direction. I'm going to say what I'm going to say, and get out of there. If they like it, great! If they don't, I don't really care! I know that I said what needed to be said.
Well, anyhow…that was part of my day…what a beautiful day by the way…did we reach 70 degrees today?
A couple of Monday morning thoughts…
Just saw this on Mark Beeson's blog. Hillsong's London campus band will be in concert on April 21st, at Granger Community Church. Tickets are $10 pre-sale (not on sale yet, but soon), $12 at the door. If I were a concert going person, which I'm really not, I'd probably take this one in.
FYI – Next Level International is sponsoring a leadership conference for women, coming up the first weekend in May, in South Bend. If you are an emerging, or advanced leader in any capacity (church or marketplace), this conference is for you!
More info here at their website…
This is a great digital re-enactment of the plane landing in the Hudson. What an amazing story!
Thanks to Jeff Leake for the video...
First thing this morning, I took Daisy the dog to the vet to get her female-hood taken care of. Our Vet is out in the middle of no-where (or at least close to no-where) in Topeka, IN. I took a minute to drive through the town…it really is a neat little town.
But here's the deal…when I got back on State Road 5, I decided to stop at a BP station to grab a cup of coffee. They had a food item in there that I had never seen before…Egg and Sausage breakfast Pizza! It so amazed me, that I took a picture.
Nope…I didn't try it…but I was tempted…
Yesterday, our 5 year old lost her first tooth (more like, her mom yanked it out of her mouth…but it was hanging by a thread). Our now 10 year old got her ears pierced (we saved this event for a "coming of age" type of thing once she turned 10).
There's a mixture of excitement and that feeling in your gut that says, "I'm getting old!" (and so are my kids!)
There's also questions that continue to roll around in my head…am I doing everything I can to prepare them to succeed in life. Prepare them to excel in whatever God gifted area they choose to move forward in. Am I living a good church life, or the life of a guy who is following a revolutionary leader/God named Jesus Christ. Do they see this? Do we talk about our faith enough at home? Not just live it, but talk about it.
Thinking about this…
Thoughts on the day:
Most odd thing heard while strolling as a family through the mall this evening:
Young 20 something gal to other young 20 something gal - "Girl, I thought you were still in Jail!"
Second most odd thing heard while strolling as a family through the mall this evening:
Young 20 something gal responding to other young 20 something gal - "I was, I just got out today!"
Huh…the things you hear at the mall…
Just got a call from the Feed the Children people…check this out, they are going to blast all of Elkhart County with 15 food distribution sites on Tuesday, March 10th. They asked if Pathway could be one of the Middlebury distribution sites (along with Crystal Valley Missionary)…uh…let me think about that…Feed the Children is willing to bring the food to us for free…all we have to do is supply people who are willing to serve like Jesus in packing the food up at the Elkhart site, and then distributing it the day of? YES, YES, ABSOLUTEY YES!
It's a God thing…
That pretty much sums up my life since 2 great Sunday services this past Sunday morning…I’ve been in bed or on the couch, sneezing and blowing my nose for 2 straight days now. Kleenex stock has actually risen in the past 2 days b/c of me (not b/c of the stimulus thing).
And apparently Daisy the dog has decided that she ought to be in on this sickness as well…she has thrown up twice in the past day. Of course, most of it was not on the 75% of our main floor that is hard floor, but on our YELLOW living room rug thing. How about that. (and yes, even in my sickness, I was declared the official cleaner upper after any Dog mess)
Here's a shot of my new theme song...
And now for a thought from nowhere…that possibly could lead somewhere. Megan brought this up the other day, and I can't stop thinking about it…concerning each one of us having a daily time in the Word, or a "personal devotion" time.
Our country has not always been as literate as it is today…meaning, you don't have to go too far back to a time when a good chunk of our own country couldn't even read! (I mean, I know Pa Ingles and the family could read, but that could be b/c Ma Ingles was a school teacher…at least in a couple of the episodes)
Here's the question - how did the believers of this day do their "personal devotion" time? How did they "spend time in the Word", if they couldn't read!? I guess this all got started with the seemingly booming idea of an accountability SOAP blog (a blog I created and invited a group of about 13 guys to work through the book of Mark with me on…Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer), which seems to have been maybe 25% successful.
Now partially, this lack of "success" can be blamed on the technology of blogging, and the newness of blogging your thoughts for most guys. But, are we missing something bigger here? Does having a "personal devotion" time involve you and your Bible alone? Or are there other methods of personal Bible study? Do we have too narrow of a definition of what "personal devotions" look like?
(I know the answer I think, but I want to know what you think)
Days like this keep me humble, and pleading with God for wisdom. My day started around 6:45am this morning, and I got home at about 7:15pm. It was like the whole day was spent pouring into others. Trying to speak wisdom into marriages, businesses, ministries, and ministers. I don't have anything smart to say short of what the Holy Spirit gives me.
The Holy Spirit never ceases to amaze me with how he speaks through us, into the most desperate of situations.
Scotts Simple Bailout Timeline:
Months ago – Banks say, "Bail us out, bail us out!"
Today – President Obama says, "We need to limit executive pay for those bailed out banks!"
Tomorrow – Banks say, "Run away…Run away…"
Mark Kriegel: Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich
Just started bio on Pete Maravich...wasn't really a fan, but looked interesting...
Phil Pringle: Faith: Moving the Heart and the Hand of God
I picked this book back up recently...just need a fresh infusion of faith from one of the most gifted in this gift! (*****)
Dino Rizzo: Servolution: Starting a Church Revolution through Serving (Leadership Network Innovation Series)
Great book...quick easy read...love the content...very helpful... (****)
Bill Hybels: Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs
Almost every chapter made me think...and think deeply...still working through the whole book...but I love it... (****)
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