Back on Top (again)

People ask me all the time, "How do you do it? How do you manage to remain so humble?" Or they will ask "Can you give me any pointers? Is there a secret to it?" I must admit, it is rather difficult not letting it all go to your head. But somehow I manage to remain grounded. (By the way the sermon this Sunday is on "Pride").

I really must chalk this up to one of those God given talents. Well enough of my talking, a picture is worth a thousand words......




2169 feet of flying fur. I'm toying with the idea of conducting a "Flight of the Hamsters" workshop. Nothing too intense - just a one day seminar, maybe a break for a light lunch and networking with other "Flight of the Hamsters" enthusiasts.

Back on Top (again)

People ask me all the time, "How do you do it? How do you manage to remain so humble?" Or they will ask "Can you give me any pointers? Is there a secret to it?" I must admit, it is rather difficult not letting it all go to your head. But somehow I manage to remain grounded. (By the way the sermon this Sunday is on "Pride").

I really must chalk this up to one of those God given talents. Well enough of my talking, a picture is worth a thousand words......




2169 feet of flying fur. I'm toying with the idea of conducting a "Flight of the Hamsters" workshop. Nothing too intense - just a one day seminar, maybe a break for a light lunch and networking with other "Flight of the Hamsters" enthusiasts.

Pride & Super Bowl

This Sunday (Feb. 4) I am going to be preaching on pride. The interesting thing about pride – we never seem to see ourselves as prideful. Pride can be so subtle. For instance, I know who will be coming to the Superbowl party at church next Sunday night. It will be those who are less superstitious than others. I’ve heard so many people tell me that they are going to do the exact same thing they did when the Colts beat the Patriots. They are going to be at the same place, in front of the same TV, eating the same thing, wearing the same outfit. There’s going to be folks contorted in all sorts of positions, sitting in the same chair, wearing their pj's or Colts jersey, drinking the same kind of soda, thinking that what they do or where they are at plays some role in the Colts winning or losing. “My rituals could cause the Colts to win/lose”. Why? "Because what happens in the universe depends on me". We would never say that out loud - but it reveals what lurks at the core of our being – pride.

Pride & Super Bowl

This Sunday (Feb. 4) I am going to be preaching on pride. The interesting thing about pride – we never seem to see ourselves as prideful. Pride can be so subtle. For instance, I know who will be coming to the Superbowl party at church next Sunday night. It will be those who are less superstitious than others. I’ve heard so many people tell me that they are going to do the exact same thing they did when the Colts beat the Patriots. They are going to be at the same place, in front of the same TV, eating the same thing, wearing the same outfit. There’s going to be folks contorted in all sorts of positions, sitting in the same chair, wearing their pj's or Colts jersey, drinking the same kind of soda, thinking that what they do or where they are at plays some role in the Colts winning or losing. “My rituals could cause the Colts to win/lose”. Why? "Because what happens in the universe depends on me". We would never say that out loud - but it reveals what lurks at the core of our being – pride.

Relevate

Check out Bryan Vickery's most recent post. He's got some great things to say about being relevant to those we are trying to communicate the gospel with; it's important to "Relevate".

Relevate

Check out Bryan Vickery's most recent post. He's got some great things to say about being relevant to those we are trying to communicate the gospel with; it's important to "Relevate".

Envy

Yesterday at church we covered the topic of “envy”. I think this might have been the first time I’ve dedicated and entire message to the topic of envy. You would think that considering the seriousness of envy I would have done this much sooner. Check out what God thinks about it: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19-21

The fact is, when we want what they’ve got (envy); we get what we don’t want. In Proverbs 14 we learn that envy rots the bones. James writes, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” James 3:14-16. When we want what they’ve got; we get what we don’t want!

We envy people’s stuff, relationships, skills, etc. But how much happy would our lives be if we drop the envy and we begin to celebrate God’s goodness in the lives of others? Think of the love that is established when we are genuinely happy for the blessings of God in someone else’s life. What would it look like in our lives if we quit looking at what everyone else has got and we begin to just embrace God’s goodness and provision to us today? Think of the peace that would finally come to your spirit if you dropped the envy.

Envy

Yesterday at church we covered the topic of “envy”. I think this might have been the first time I’ve dedicated and entire message to the topic of envy. You would think that considering the seriousness of envy I would have done this much sooner. Check out what God thinks about it: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19-21

The fact is, when we want what they’ve got (envy); we get what we don’t want. In Proverbs 14 we learn that envy rots the bones. James writes, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” James 3:14-16. When we want what they’ve got; we get what we don’t want!

We envy people’s stuff, relationships, skills, etc. But how much happy would our lives be if we drop the envy and we begin to celebrate God’s goodness in the lives of others? Think of the love that is established when we are genuinely happy for the blessings of God in someone else’s life. What would it look like in our lives if we quit looking at what everyone else has got and we begin to just embrace God’s goodness and provision to us today? Think of the peace that would finally come to your spirit if you dropped the envy.

No Boys Allowed

Anyone with young children will be able to identify with this. Shelby my 3 (soon to be 4) year old is into painting pictures and putting them everywhere. With the help of her mother, Shelby had written up this little sign that says, "no boys allowed". Now normally I would completely encourage my daughter staying away from boys. The only problem I have with this sign is - it's on my bedroom door!

No Boys Allowed

Anyone with young children will be able to identify with this. Shelby my 3 (soon to be 4) year old is into painting pictures and putting them everywhere. With the help of her mother, Shelby had written up this little sign that says, "no boys allowed". Now normally I would completely encourage my daughter staying away from boys. The only problem I have with this sign is - it's on my bedroom door!

Kudos to the Volunteers

It’s been a busy day at FFC. I’ve got to tell ya’ I just love how people pitch in and minister to one another around here. This morning some of the ladies in the church took on the large task of serving 2 funeral meals to 2 separate families at once. They pulled it off. They were busy and working hard but they did it. I’m so thankful for people who give and don’t expect anything in return.

This evening I got to the church and the church was just buzzing with activity. We were taking orders for Angel Food. I caught a couple of the ladies here processing orders.

We had guys from the Media Ministry Team crawling around on their bellies pulling cable and drilling holes. They were running new lines to get ready for the Super Bowl. Which by the way, we are trying to get in HD. That’s right High Definition Super Bowl action! The Media Team always knocks the ball out of the park – no silly standard definition is good enough for the church. We are doing our best to make HD a reality for the big game. Be sure to invite your friends and family. I caught Pastor Jeff and a few of the folks who were going out this evening to take “winter survival kits” to the local neighborhood… brave souls – it’s cold and snowy out this evening in Indiana.

I took a group of folks with me to visit Fountain City Wesleyan Church. FCW is doing some great things about 40 minutes away from us. We met up with some of the folks working behind the scenes after service and asked questions and learned from them this evening. They were all very hospitable and open in sharing thoughts and insights – great folks.

Kudos to the Volunteers

It’s been a busy day at FFC. I’ve got to tell ya’ I just love how people pitch in and minister to one another around here. This morning some of the ladies in the church took on the large task of serving 2 funeral meals to 2 separate families at once. They pulled it off. They were busy and working hard but they did it. I’m so thankful for people who give and don’t expect anything in return.

This evening I got to the church and the church was just buzzing with activity. We were taking orders for Angel Food. I caught a couple of the ladies here processing orders.

We had guys from the Media Ministry Team crawling around on their bellies pulling cable and drilling holes. They were running new lines to get ready for the Super Bowl. Which by the way, we are trying to get in HD. That’s right High Definition Super Bowl action! The Media Team always knocks the ball out of the park – no silly standard definition is good enough for the church. We are doing our best to make HD a reality for the big game. Be sure to invite your friends and family. I caught Pastor Jeff and a few of the folks who were going out this evening to take “winter survival kits” to the local neighborhood… brave souls – it’s cold and snowy out this evening in Indiana.

I took a group of folks with me to visit Fountain City Wesleyan Church. FCW is doing some great things about 40 minutes away from us. We met up with some of the folks working behind the scenes after service and asked questions and learned from them this evening. They were all very hospitable and open in sharing thoughts and insights – great folks.

Outreach: Who Cares?

I caught the following article on churchrelevance.com…

"Ellison Research recently discovered that four out of ten pastors lack strong interest in increasing community outreach. At the same time, Ellison Research also learned what the 811 ministers who were surveyed are using to reach their communities.
In the last year,
o 70% use Vacation Bible School
o 59% use tracts or magazines
o 56% use events such as block parties or a Fall Festival
o 51% use musical events or concerts
o 50% use mailings or fliers
o 49% use nursing home or retirement center visits
o 42% use “invite a friend to church” days
o 40% use revivals or crusades
o 38% use evangelism training classes or groups
o 37% use door-to-door visitation within the community
o 31% use community service such as cleanup days
o 27% use online efforts such as blogs or web sites
o 26% use audio or visual products such as tapes or DVDs
o 20% use booths at community events such as the county fair
While some ministers may not be interested in increasing community outreach because they lack the resources to do so, it is still surprising that 40% of the ministers surveyed lack a strong interest."

I'm so thankful for a congregation that cares about the world around them. The moment that we start to focus solely on ourselves is the moment that the spiritual life of our church begins to suffer. I've noticed when we don't have a missional (word of the day) focus we (those within the church) begin to grumble and complain about petty things. My philosophy is: we should be so busy being the body of Christ that we don't have time to whine and complain, because there are more people to be served.

Our Pastor of Outreach, Jeff Pfohl, handed me a list of some of the ways that we reached our local community this last year…

Angel Food Ministry
Coat drive for the Muncie Mission
Riley Hospital for Children – Dinner for families at the hospital (fed 50 families)
Downtown Farmland Chili Cook-Off – distributed free water
Muncie Mission church service
Trick or trunk – tracts, candy, & lots of smiles
Holiday Dinners – free food for people in the community
Free hugs and candy canes downtown Farmland
New Years Eve dinner at the Muncie mission
Winterized several homes

Tomorrow Pastor Jeff and several others from the church will be going door to door to several homes in Farmland with “winter survival kits” (Kleenex, chap stick, hand warmers, cough drops and invitations to be our guest at church)

Do you have any cool outreach ideas we might be able to implement this next year.

Outreach: Who Cares?

I caught the following article on churchrelevance.com…

"Ellison Research recently discovered that four out of ten pastors lack strong interest in increasing community outreach. At the same time, Ellison Research also learned what the 811 ministers who were surveyed are using to reach their communities.
In the last year,
o 70% use Vacation Bible School
o 59% use tracts or magazines
o 56% use events such as block parties or a Fall Festival
o 51% use musical events or concerts
o 50% use mailings or fliers
o 49% use nursing home or retirement center visits
o 42% use “invite a friend to church” days
o 40% use revivals or crusades
o 38% use evangelism training classes or groups
o 37% use door-to-door visitation within the community
o 31% use community service such as cleanup days
o 27% use online efforts such as blogs or web sites
o 26% use audio or visual products such as tapes or DVDs
o 20% use booths at community events such as the county fair
While some ministers may not be interested in increasing community outreach because they lack the resources to do so, it is still surprising that 40% of the ministers surveyed lack a strong interest."

I'm so thankful for a congregation that cares about the world around them. The moment that we start to focus solely on ourselves is the moment that the spiritual life of our church begins to suffer. I've noticed when we don't have a missional (word of the day) focus we (those within the church) begin to grumble and complain about petty things. My philosophy is: we should be so busy being the body of Christ that we don't have time to whine and complain, because there are more people to be served.

Our Pastor of Outreach, Jeff Pfohl, handed me a list of some of the ways that we reached our local community this last year…

Angel Food Ministry
Coat drive for the Muncie Mission
Riley Hospital for Children – Dinner for families at the hospital (fed 50 families)
Downtown Farmland Chili Cook-Off – distributed free water
Muncie Mission church service
Trick or trunk – tracts, candy, & lots of smiles
Holiday Dinners – free food for people in the community
Free hugs and candy canes downtown Farmland
New Years Eve dinner at the Muncie mission
Winterized several homes

Tomorrow Pastor Jeff and several others from the church will be going door to door to several homes in Farmland with “winter survival kits” (Kleenex, chap stick, hand warmers, cough drops and invitations to be our guest at church)

Do you have any cool outreach ideas we might be able to implement this next year.

I Forgot How Lucky I Really Am

Shelby and Tammy stopped by the church today. I always look forward to the times that Shelby comes in - she always seems so happy to come to the church. She gets bummed out when she misses Little KidZone on Sundays (toddler age Junior Church). She rarely misses Little KidZone. When we plan our vacations we avoid telling her that we are not going to be going to our church. We've been at Walt Disney World and she gets upset if she misses Little KidZone. She would choose church over "the happiest place on earth." any day. Kind of puts a lot of people to shame. Some people would rather have a root canal than go to church.

Today before Tammy and Shelby came into my office Shelby looked at her mommy and said, "Daddy sure is lucky, he gets to work at church everyday." When I heard that it really changed my perspective of what I was doing today. I thought I was just working on sermons - I forgot I was preparing to communicate the timeless, powerful, infallible Word of God. I thought I was just answering phone calls, visiting with folks, and responding to emails - I forgot I was touching lives for whom Christ died. I thought I was just interacting with my staff - I forgot I was cooperating with the movers and shakers of today and helping shape the leaders of tomorrow. I thought I was just day dreaming - I forgot I was imagining God thoughts of what one day will be. I thought I was just putting my time in at the office - I forgot I am living out the calling and vision that God has placed on my life. I forgot how lucky I really am.

I Forgot How Lucky I Really Am

Shelby and Tammy stopped by the church today. I always look forward to the times that Shelby comes in - she always seems so happy to come to the church. She gets bummed out when she misses Little KidZone on Sundays (toddler age Junior Church). She rarely misses Little KidZone. When we plan our vacations we avoid telling her that we are not going to be going to our church. We've been at Walt Disney World and she gets upset if she misses Little KidZone. She would choose church over "the happiest place on earth." any day. Kind of puts a lot of people to shame. Some people would rather have a root canal than go to church.

Today before Tammy and Shelby came into my office Shelby looked at her mommy and said, "Daddy sure is lucky, he gets to work at church everyday." When I heard that it really changed my perspective of what I was doing today. I thought I was just working on sermons - I forgot I was preparing to communicate the timeless, powerful, infallible Word of God. I thought I was just answering phone calls, visiting with folks, and responding to emails - I forgot I was touching lives for whom Christ died. I thought I was just interacting with my staff - I forgot I was cooperating with the movers and shakers of today and helping shape the leaders of tomorrow. I thought I was just day dreaming - I forgot I was imagining God thoughts of what one day will be. I thought I was just putting my time in at the office - I forgot I am living out the calling and vision that God has placed on my life. I forgot how lucky I really am.

Cathartic Blog Post

Ever had one of those days where you just weren’t motivated to do much of anything? I’ve had a day like that. It seems like everything I’ve done today results in just spinning my wheels. I’m not as focused this week as I’d like to be. To be completely honest and transparent, I’d have to say it’s the result of not enough time in prayer. That’s right I said it; the pastor owned up to not praying enough. In fact I’m going to stop typing for a while and spend some time with God…………………………….I’m back – and I feel much more “centered”. Sometimes I get so focused on what I’ve got to get done that I miss out what God is saying to me in the present.

It’s so easy to get out of balance. You could be living a sin-free life and yet be a long way from God. You could be doing good deeds and yet be disconnected from your Creator. You could read chapter after chapter in the Bible but if you or I neglect the relationship part of our faith we are just coasting on spiritual fumes. I know I’m “hitting on all cylinders” when I’ve spent time alone with the Lord, read my Bible, served others, and am striving to be holy in all I do (1 Peter 1:16). Wow, this blog post has been very cathartic (word for the day) for me

Cathartic Blog Post

Ever had one of those days where you just weren’t motivated to do much of anything? I’ve had a day like that. It seems like everything I’ve done today results in just spinning my wheels. I’m not as focused this week as I’d like to be. To be completely honest and transparent, I’d have to say it’s the result of not enough time in prayer. That’s right I said it; the pastor owned up to not praying enough. In fact I’m going to stop typing for a while and spend some time with God…………………………….I’m back – and I feel much more “centered”. Sometimes I get so focused on what I’ve got to get done that I miss out what God is saying to me in the present.

It’s so easy to get out of balance. You could be living a sin-free life and yet be a long way from God. You could be doing good deeds and yet be disconnected from your Creator. You could read chapter after chapter in the Bible but if you or I neglect the relationship part of our faith we are just coasting on spiritual fumes. I know I’m “hitting on all cylinders” when I’ve spent time alone with the Lord, read my Bible, served others, and am striving to be holy in all I do (1 Peter 1:16). Wow, this blog post has been very cathartic (word for the day) for me

Preparing for the Superbowl

In preparation for the Indianapolis Colts beating the Bears in the Superbowl I have been watching inspiring horse races. The other night I watched Seabiscuit and this evening I just finished watching Dreamer. Both movies are very inspiring (especially if you like to see "Colts" come from behind and win!).

Speaking of Superbowl. We are officially announcing that we will be having a Superbowl party at the church. If you have been wondering where to go to see the Superbowl - wonder no longer. 3 large screens of Superbowl action. Invite your friends, bring your family, heck you can even bring your recliner if you like, and enjoy the evening with your church family.

I'll give more updates as our Pastor of Outreach, Jeff Pfohl, finalizes some of the other details.

Preparing for the Superbowl

In preparation for the Indianapolis Colts beating the Bears in the Superbowl I have been watching inspiring horse races. The other night I watched Seabiscuit and this evening I just finished watching Dreamer. Both movies are very inspiring (especially if you like to see "Colts" come from behind and win!).

Speaking of Superbowl. We are officially announcing that we will be having a Superbowl party at the church. If you have been wondering where to go to see the Superbowl - wonder no longer. 3 large screens of Superbowl action. Invite your friends, bring your family, heck you can even bring your recliner if you like, and enjoy the evening with your church family.

I'll give more updates as our Pastor of Outreach, Jeff Pfohl, finalizes some of the other details.

Boldness & Flying Hamsters

I wanted to share this link with you from a post that Perry Noble had not too long ago. http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/01/08/i-am-a-little-fired-up/ - I love it!

I just love Perry's boldness. What a passionate defense of churches that strive not to bore people. When I grow up I want to be as bold as Perry Noble =)


On a side note it appears that our our illustrious (our new word for the day) youth pastor "Heavy B" has set a new distance record in our "hamster flying contest". 1541 feet. You can see the proof over on his blog. Way to go Bryan.

Unfortunately Heavy B's victory is short lived... alas PK comes through with 2072 feet!!! However, I think that if the Youth Pastor and Senior Pastor keep posting their high scores from a website titled "i-am-bored"; we may end up fired or with a lot more work on our plates.

The gauntlet has been thrown down again - who's up for the challenge!?

Boldness & Flying Hamsters

I wanted to share this link with you from a post that Perry Noble had not too long ago. http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/01/08/i-am-a-little-fired-up/ - I love it!

I just love Perry's boldness. What a passionate defense of churches that strive not to bore people. When I grow up I want to be as bold as Perry Noble =)


On a side note it appears that our our illustrious (our new word for the day) youth pastor "Heavy B" has set a new distance record in our "hamster flying contest". 1541 feet. You can see the proof over on his blog. Way to go Bryan.

Unfortunately Heavy B's victory is short lived... alas PK comes through with 2072 feet!!! However, I think that if the Youth Pastor and Senior Pastor keep posting their high scores from a website titled "i-am-bored"; we may end up fired or with a lot more work on our plates.

The gauntlet has been thrown down again - who's up for the challenge!?

Go Colts!

I just got back from watching the Colts/Patriots football game with our growth group. What a game! The Colts didn't necessarily beat up on the Patriots like I had predicted in the last blog - but they sure did make the game interesting. Largest comeback in a divisional playoff. The mood was pretty somber when the Colts were down 21 to 3. But it made the victory that much sweeter. I'm looking forward to the Superbowl!

Anybody have any predictions on how the Colts will fare against the Bears?

Go Colts!

I just got back from watching the Colts/Patriots football game with our growth group. What a game! The Colts didn't necessarily beat up on the Patriots like I had predicted in the last blog - but they sure did make the game interesting. Largest comeback in a divisional playoff. The mood was pretty somber when the Colts were down 21 to 3. But it made the victory that much sweeter. I'm looking forward to the Superbowl!

Anybody have any predictions on how the Colts will fare against the Bears?

Some Quick (Random) Comments

Just a few quick comments this evening. Today I performed another funeral, (this makes #4 in 6 weeks; I have another funeral next Saturday). I'm ready for heaven - no one's gonna' die in heaven - yeah!

Following the funeral I spent the afternoon putting the finishing touches on tomorrows message. Tomorrow's talk will be about Anger. The main thought is this, "The direction of our anger has the potential to harm us or heal us." It will be a very practical, and at times, a very self-revealing message.

After church tomorrow we are having a brief meeting of some key leaders in the church - more on that in some upcoming blogs.

Then in the evening it's over to my growth group to receive our new study curriculum, have some food, and watch the Colts beat up on the Patriots!

Some Quick (Random) Comments

Just a few quick comments this evening. Today I performed another funeral, (this makes #4 in 6 weeks; I have another funeral next Saturday). I'm ready for heaven - no one's gonna' die in heaven - yeah!

Following the funeral I spent the afternoon putting the finishing touches on tomorrows message. Tomorrow's talk will be about Anger. The main thought is this, "The direction of our anger has the potential to harm us or heal us." It will be a very practical, and at times, a very self-revealing message.

After church tomorrow we are having a brief meeting of some key leaders in the church - more on that in some upcoming blogs.

Then in the evening it's over to my growth group to receive our new study curriculum, have some food, and watch the Colts beat up on the Patriots!

I'm Back on Top

All I can say is, "Please don't envy my new high score too much" =)

1,381 Feet. See if you can top it.

I'm Back on Top

All I can say is, "Please don't envy my new high score too much" =)

1,381 Feet. See if you can top it.

RV Envy

This afternoon Tammy, Shelby, and I had the opportunity to attend the RV Dealer Show at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds. Believe it or not, I’ve always wanted to attend one of these and today I finally got my chance. Last year Tammy’s Mom and late Step-Father gave us their 1996 Class C motor home. It is a great motor home, you should see it some time, it has a living room/dining area, a loft with a bunk bed, a kitchen, shower, restroom, and a master bedroom. In case you are wondering what a Class C looks like, here is a picture of one –

We’ve enjoyed RVing this year and would like to one day trade in the RV for a newer model and get something that has slide outs. Slide outs – for those that may not know RV lingo – allow the RV to actually expand outward giving you more space inside, here’s an example –

Bet you never thought you’d be reading this kind of stuff on my blog did ya’? Anyway… we get to the RV show, paid our admission fee, stepped into the building and I was in RV heaven. As far as the eye could see Class A’s, Class C’s, Class, B’s, 5th Wheels, short ones, tall ones, colorful ones, …

We walked into the first RV (a 5th Wheel) with a slide out and to my surprise this baby had a fireplace, a couple of LazyBoys, and a flat screen television just in the living area. It was awesome. We kept looking at bigger and nicer RVs, every time we stepped into a bigger/nicer RV we thought we had seen it all until we walked into a bigger/nicer RV, and then we thought the one we just got done seeing was cruddy. We walked thru some of those great big Class A RVs you see rolling down the road that look like mansions on wheels. They had wood floors, king size beds, HDTVs, massive slide outs, leather furniture; some even had more than one bathroom!

We started thinking about our little rinky dink Class C and started feeling pretty sorry for ourselves. Isn’t that just the way envy works? You see something better (or so you think) and now you are dissatisfied with what you have and you’ve just got to have something better. In a couple of weeks at church we are going to be talking about this very subject. Proverbs 14:30 says this, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

It was a little challenging resetting my mind to enjoy what I’ve got rather than envy all those awesome RVs I saw today. But better a heart at peace than rotting bones. However, just out of curiosity, does anybody have $250,000 they’d like to give me?

RV Envy

This afternoon Tammy, Shelby, and I had the opportunity to attend the RV Dealer Show at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds. Believe it or not, I’ve always wanted to attend one of these and today I finally got my chance. Last year Tammy’s Mom and late Step-Father gave us their 1996 Class C motor home. It is a great motor home, you should see it some time, it has a living room/dining area, a loft with a bunk bed, a kitchen, shower, restroom, and a master bedroom. In case you are wondering what a Class C looks like, here is a picture of one –

We’ve enjoyed RVing this year and would like to one day trade in the RV for a newer model and get something that has slide outs. Slide outs – for those that may not know RV lingo – allow the RV to actually expand outward giving you more space inside, here’s an example –

Bet you never thought you’d be reading this kind of stuff on my blog did ya’? Anyway… we get to the RV show, paid our admission fee, stepped into the building and I was in RV heaven. As far as the eye could see Class A’s, Class C’s, Class, B’s, 5th Wheels, short ones, tall ones, colorful ones, …

We walked into the first RV (a 5th Wheel) with a slide out and to my surprise this baby had a fireplace, a couple of LazyBoys, and a flat screen television just in the living area. It was awesome. We kept looking at bigger and nicer RVs, every time we stepped into a bigger/nicer RV we thought we had seen it all until we walked into a bigger/nicer RV, and then we thought the one we just got done seeing was cruddy. We walked thru some of those great big Class A RVs you see rolling down the road that look like mansions on wheels. They had wood floors, king size beds, HDTVs, massive slide outs, leather furniture; some even had more than one bathroom!

We started thinking about our little rinky dink Class C and started feeling pretty sorry for ourselves. Isn’t that just the way envy works? You see something better (or so you think) and now you are dissatisfied with what you have and you’ve just got to have something better. In a couple of weeks at church we are going to be talking about this very subject. Proverbs 14:30 says this, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

It was a little challenging resetting my mind to enjoy what I’ve got rather than envy all those awesome RVs I saw today. But better a heart at peace than rotting bones. However, just out of curiosity, does anybody have $250,000 they’d like to give me?

New Look

Do not adjust your screen - I've changed the template for my blog... I told you I like change. This probably won't be the last time that I change the look of my blog. When I get some time I'd like to add a photo/graphic to the header. I'm also trying to figure out how to post videos within the blog. I'll get all this stuff figured out at some point. Hope you enjoy the new look.

New Look

Do not adjust your screen - I've changed the template for my blog... I told you I like change. This probably won't be the last time that I change the look of my blog. When I get some time I'd like to add a photo/graphic to the header. I'm also trying to figure out how to post videos within the blog. I'll get all this stuff figured out at some point. Hope you enjoy the new look.

Heavy B Enters the Blogoshpere

He did it; he pulled the trigger. Heavy B (a.k.a Bryan Vickery, a.k.a Youth Pastor Extraordinaire) has started his own blog. Surf on over and check out his blog and be sure to welcome him to the blogging world. You can check out his new blog, "onedumbsheep" here.

Heavy B Enters the Blogoshpere

He did it; he pulled the trigger. Heavy B (a.k.a Bryan Vickery, a.k.a Youth Pastor Extraordinaire) has started his own blog. Surf on over and check out his blog and be sure to welcome him to the blogging world. You can check out his new blog, "onedumbsheep" here.

Inciting Change

This afternoon I went to the hospital to visit someone, and on the way I stopped off at Starbucks (Tall peppermint mocha latte - yummy). On the Starbucks cups they have quotes called "The Way I See It"; today I had "The Way I See It #183". This is a quote from John Sweeney author or "Innovation at the Speed of Laughter" I loved this quote: "Improvisers don't look at change as an obstacle; we look at it as fuel. We know that the next great idea lies just on the other side of the change. We are constantly asking ourselves, "What can I do to incite change?""


As many of you know I love change. I identify with the comment that "we look at it (change) as fuel." Early in my ministry I grew so frustrated at all of the stick in the mud, "let's keep everything the same" fuddy duddies that I made a statement with my personal email address; that is the night I came up with "changeisgood4u".


I find that often times in the ministry I have to put the brakes on the amount of change that I'd like to introduce into the environment around me so as to not cause the congregation to go into a state of shock. At times I feel like I've lost a piece of myself as I play it safe and hold back on implementing new ideas. There are days I miss the old Kris. Perhaps to get a piece of myself back and to live out the vision that God has for my life I need to live out the question, "What can I do to incite change?"

Inciting Change

This afternoon I went to the hospital to visit someone, and on the way I stopped off at Starbucks (Tall peppermint mocha latte - yummy). On the Starbucks cups they have quotes called "The Way I See It"; today I had "The Way I See It #183". This is a quote from John Sweeney author or "Innovation at the Speed of Laughter" I loved this quote: "Improvisers don't look at change as an obstacle; we look at it as fuel. We know that the next great idea lies just on the other side of the change. We are constantly asking ourselves, "What can I do to incite change?""


As many of you know I love change. I identify with the comment that "we look at it (change) as fuel." Early in my ministry I grew so frustrated at all of the stick in the mud, "let's keep everything the same" fuddy duddies that I made a statement with my personal email address; that is the night I came up with "changeisgood4u".


I find that often times in the ministry I have to put the brakes on the amount of change that I'd like to introduce into the environment around me so as to not cause the congregation to go into a state of shock. At times I feel like I've lost a piece of myself as I play it safe and hold back on implementing new ideas. There are days I miss the old Kris. Perhaps to get a piece of myself back and to live out the vision that God has for my life I need to live out the question, "What can I do to incite change?"

Tipping My Hat

I've got to tip my hat to Heavy B who now holds the record for flinging a hamster 1098 feet. Bravo to Brian. If you don't know what I'm talking about you can read the original blog post here.

Try your hand at the flying hamsters here and see if you can dethrone Brian.

Tipping My Hat

I've got to tip my hat to Heavy B who now holds the record for flinging a hamster 1098 feet. Bravo to Brian. If you don't know what I'm talking about you can read the original blog post here.

Try your hand at the flying hamsters here and see if you can dethrone Brian.

Your Going to Get Used

Today I had lunch with a good friend. Over lunch we were talking about some of the struggles and crud that he has recently been going through. In the course of the conversation he said how he believed that God was going to use his past struggles to possibly help others in the future. I agreed with him. I also said, "You are going to get used by somebody. Either Satan will use it or God will."

Really isn't that the truth with all of our lives? Either we will ultimately be used by God or we will be used by Satan. It depends in whose hands we rest. Some people may think, "Well, I'm going to remain neutral. There's no way I'd let Satan use me, but I'm not going to become some 'Jesus freak' either." Satan would love for you to remain neutral. If you aren't doing any good for God then you can chalk one up for the devil.

Satan would love to take you out by your willful sinfulness, but if he can't get you to do that, then he will settle for your apathy. You will get used one way or the other. Your life will be used for the glory of God or the enemy will use your life to destroy the lives of others or water your life down to the point that you make no positive impact upon God's kingdom. Who's using you?

Your Going to Get Used

Today I had lunch with a good friend. Over lunch we were talking about some of the struggles and crud that he has recently been going through. In the course of the conversation he said how he believed that God was going to use his past struggles to possibly help others in the future. I agreed with him. I also said, "You are going to get used by somebody. Either Satan will use it or God will."

Really isn't that the truth with all of our lives? Either we will ultimately be used by God or we will be used by Satan. It depends in whose hands we rest. Some people may think, "Well, I'm going to remain neutral. There's no way I'd let Satan use me, but I'm not going to become some 'Jesus freak' either." Satan would love for you to remain neutral. If you aren't doing any good for God then you can chalk one up for the devil.

Satan would love to take you out by your willful sinfulness, but if he can't get you to do that, then he will settle for your apathy. You will get used one way or the other. Your life will be used for the glory of God or the enemy will use your life to destroy the lives of others or water your life down to the point that you make no positive impact upon God's kingdom. Who's using you?

Post Preaching Ponderings GLORY #4

All of the pieces of our series came together this morning. Knowing how all of the series was going to unfold at the very start of the series made for a very interesting dynamic as we saw each painting that Abby was putting together. It also made the very first Sunday very poignant as I smeared the original painting with black paint representing our sin - knowing full well that our sin would ultimately represent the nail mark in Jesus' wrist.

Abby did a fantastic job making this series just so memorable. I loved the collaboration between art and the spoken word.

I had Tammy take some photos this morning - here are a couple of them -

Post Preaching Ponderings GLORY #4

All of the pieces of our series came together this morning. Knowing how all of the series was going to unfold at the very start of the series made for a very interesting dynamic as we saw each painting that Abby was putting together. It also made the very first Sunday very poignant as I smeared the original painting with black paint representing our sin - knowing full well that our sin would ultimately represent the nail mark in Jesus' wrist.

Abby did a fantastic job making this series just so memorable. I loved the collaboration between art and the spoken word.

I had Tammy take some photos this morning - here are a couple of them -

Pre Preaching Ponderings - GLORY #4

This evening I'm at the church finishing up some last minute details on the sermon for tomorrow morning. I'm praying that tomorrow will bring all that we've talked about in our GLORY series to memorable conclusion. I always remember sermons better when there is a tangible illustration and I think tomorrow will definitely provide that for all of us.

I want to share with you some final thoughts on God's glory:

Understanding that all of the good things and all of the bad things that happen in my life are for God's glory and not my glory is crucial in making sense of life.

When my glory comes into conflict with God's glory I'd better step out of the way or I'll be miserable.

When I properly understand the impact of the cross I can begin to appreciate why my glory must fade into God's glory.

When bad things happen in my life I discover rather quickly for whose glory I am really living.

Pre Preaching Ponderings - GLORY #4

This evening I'm at the church finishing up some last minute details on the sermon for tomorrow morning. I'm praying that tomorrow will bring all that we've talked about in our GLORY series to memorable conclusion. I always remember sermons better when there is a tangible illustration and I think tomorrow will definitely provide that for all of us.

I want to share with you some final thoughts on God's glory:

Understanding that all of the good things and all of the bad things that happen in my life are for God's glory and not my glory is crucial in making sense of life.

When my glory comes into conflict with God's glory I'd better step out of the way or I'll be miserable.

When I properly understand the impact of the cross I can begin to appreciate why my glory must fade into God's glory.

When bad things happen in my life I discover rather quickly for whose glory I am really living.

I Tried to Redeem Myself

I think I need to redeem myself a little bit. After my posts about the dishes piling up, running out of underwear (obviously I did no laundry while Tammy was gone), not taking out the Christmas tree, and the house being a mess, I needed to do something to earn my keep around here today.

So this morning I took the Christmas tree out of the living room. When I came back in there were pine needles all over the floor. So, like a good husband I grabbed the vacuum and I started to get ready to sweep up all the needles. Shelby (our 3 year old), walks into the living room, sees me with the vacuum and says to Tammy, "What is Daddy doing?" Tammy said, "He's going to vacuum up the floor". Shelby proceeded to pretend to faint. While laying on the floor she says, "I can't believe Daddy was going to vacuum".

I Tried to Redeem Myself

I think I need to redeem myself a little bit. After my posts about the dishes piling up, running out of underwear (obviously I did no laundry while Tammy was gone), not taking out the Christmas tree, and the house being a mess, I needed to do something to earn my keep around here today.

So this morning I took the Christmas tree out of the living room. When I came back in there were pine needles all over the floor. So, like a good husband I grabbed the vacuum and I started to get ready to sweep up all the needles. Shelby (our 3 year old), walks into the living room, sees me with the vacuum and says to Tammy, "What is Daddy doing?" Tammy said, "He's going to vacuum up the floor". Shelby proceeded to pretend to faint. While laying on the floor she says, "I can't believe Daddy was going to vacuum".

Just in the Nick of Time & Flying Hamsters

It was a very uneventful day today. I suppose that was a good thing considering it was my "spiritual day off". I picked Tammy and Shelby up from the airport this evening. And not a moment too soon - I was on my last pair of clean underwear! :-) I know, I know... T.M.I

It's so great having them back home. When they are gone it just seems like my whole routine is out of whack and I'm not as productive as when they are home. I was supposed to have the Christmas tree down by the time they got back home but it is still sitting in the living room dying a slow and painful Christmas tree death.

Hopefully with my girls back home we can get back to some normalcy around here.

If you have some extra time on your hands check this out. See if you can launch your hamster further than me. So far my record for total distance (5 hamsters) is 73 feet. I'll update my distance if I make it any further. I dare you to smack your hamster further than me!

(Scratch that 155 feet!)
Scratch that! 293 - You don't even want any of this!
Oh yeah 347 feet of flying hamster baby
398 feet! You can't touch that.
556 feet! OK I think I'm addicted now. Time to enter rehab.
Hi my name is Kris. ("Hi Kris"). And I launch hamster 563 FEET!! Ha!
No seriously, I wont play it again 576 feet is plenty of hamster distance.
...I fell off the wagon - 800 furry feet! :-)
I had no idea a furry little hamster could fly 814 feet!

Please don't hate me just because I got 944 feet and you can't touch that kind of distance.

Just in the Nick of Time & Flying Hamsters

It was a very uneventful day today. I suppose that was a good thing considering it was my "spiritual day off". I picked Tammy and Shelby up from the airport this evening. And not a moment too soon - I was on my last pair of clean underwear! :-) I know, I know... T.M.I

It's so great having them back home. When they are gone it just seems like my whole routine is out of whack and I'm not as productive as when they are home. I was supposed to have the Christmas tree down by the time they got back home but it is still sitting in the living room dying a slow and painful Christmas tree death.

Hopefully with my girls back home we can get back to some normalcy around here.

If you have some extra time on your hands check this out. See if you can launch your hamster further than me. So far my record for total distance (5 hamsters) is 73 feet. I'll update my distance if I make it any further. I dare you to smack your hamster further than me!

(Scratch that 155 feet!)
Scratch that! 293 - You don't even want any of this!
Oh yeah 347 feet of flying hamster baby
398 feet! You can't touch that.
556 feet! OK I think I'm addicted now. Time to enter rehab.
Hi my name is Kris. ("Hi Kris"). And I launch hamster 563 FEET!! Ha!
No seriously, I wont play it again 576 feet is plenty of hamster distance.
...I fell off the wagon - 800 furry feet! :-)
I had no idea a furry little hamster could fly 814 feet!

Please don't hate me just because I got 944 feet and you can't touch that kind of distance.

Push, Pull, or Drag Your Friends to Church

This evening our worship team and several others rehearsed for next Sunday's final sermon in our GLORY series. After preparing this evening I am even more ready for Sunday to get here. The other day in the mail I got a flyer from a used car lot suggesting that I push, pull, or drag, my vehicle into their dealership and receive $1,000 for it.

I almost think we need the same kind of urgent plea to go out to everyone in our church to push, pull, or drag their friends and family to church this Sunday. I realize that the phrase "push, pull, or drag" our friends isn't necessarily that appealing, there's no need to twist someone's arm, a simple invitation should be enough. It's not painful attending our church, in fact many view it as exciting and they look forward to it. Unfortunately, we forget just how urgent the need is for our loved ones to hear the Good News and we don't even invite them to come.

A lot of energy, prayer, time, and creativity has gone into the hour and a half for this Sunday. The potential to make a memorable and lasting impact on those that attend this Sunday is huge. I would hate for anyone who doesn't have a church home to miss out on this Sunday; I just know God is going to meet us in a special way. If you are an attendee of our church or read this blog and live in the area do whatever you can to make it to church this Sunday; bring someone with you and experience what it is I'm so excited about.

Push, Pull, or Drag Your Friends to Church

This evening our worship team and several others rehearsed for next Sunday's final sermon in our GLORY series. After preparing this evening I am even more ready for Sunday to get here. The other day in the mail I got a flyer from a used car lot suggesting that I push, pull, or drag, my vehicle into their dealership and receive $1,000 for it.

I almost think we need the same kind of urgent plea to go out to everyone in our church to push, pull, or drag their friends and family to church this Sunday. I realize that the phrase "push, pull, or drag" our friends isn't necessarily that appealing, there's no need to twist someone's arm, a simple invitation should be enough. It's not painful attending our church, in fact many view it as exciting and they look forward to it. Unfortunately, we forget just how urgent the need is for our loved ones to hear the Good News and we don't even invite them to come.

A lot of energy, prayer, time, and creativity has gone into the hour and a half for this Sunday. The potential to make a memorable and lasting impact on those that attend this Sunday is huge. I would hate for anyone who doesn't have a church home to miss out on this Sunday; I just know God is going to meet us in a special way. If you are an attendee of our church or read this blog and live in the area do whatever you can to make it to church this Sunday; bring someone with you and experience what it is I'm so excited about.

Missing My Wife

The dog and I are really missing Tammy and Shelby while they are in Iowa with Tammy's mother. The house is a mess, dishes are piling up, I'm running out of underwear, and the dog is more attention starved than I am.

I get home after work and Caedmon (our Bichon Frise dog) is whining because he wants someone to play with him. I'll play with him for 15 minutes and he comes back and whines some more. It's been nonstop whining for 2 days now. When I don't play with him he gives me the cold shoulder. I can't wait for Tammy & Shelby to get home and play with the dog! Oh yeah, and more underwear would be nice :-)

Missing My Wife

The dog and I are really missing Tammy and Shelby while they are in Iowa with Tammy's mother. The house is a mess, dishes are piling up, I'm running out of underwear, and the dog is more attention starved than I am.

I get home after work and Caedmon (our Bichon Frise dog) is whining because he wants someone to play with him. I'll play with him for 15 minutes and he comes back and whines some more. It's been nonstop whining for 2 days now. When I don't play with him he gives me the cold shoulder. I can't wait for Tammy & Shelby to get home and play with the dog! Oh yeah, and more underwear would be nice :-)

Crazy Plane Ride

So I’m on the plane the other day and one of the passengers, an elderly woman, asks to speak with the captain. She made her way to the cockpit and struck up a conversation with the captain. In the course of her conversation with the captain she informed him how to properly fly the plane. She also chided him about his uniform. The captain politely listened but when he didn't alter how he was flying or what he was wearing she went back & complained to the other passengers sitting next to her.

The guy sitting behind me took the initiative, walked up to the captain, and proceeded to tell him how much better he enjoyed a pilot he had seen on TV. He went on to complain about the temperature in the cabin and mentioned that he overheard a few people complaining about how loud the speaker system was. He also had the gall to suggest to the captain that he alter his flight path. When the captain didn’t do what the passenger said, the man stomped back to where the rest of the passengers were sitting and demanded that they take a vote. After all, the passengers know much more about flying the plane than the captain.

By now you’ve figured out this really didn’t happen on a plane – it happens in churches all the time. No one would dream of saying those things to the captain of an airplane. But when it comes to leading the church many pastors I know have to go back to the “cabin” and find out from the rest of the “passengers” if he can have permission to set the course and fly the plane.

Crazy Plane Ride

So I’m on the plane the other day and one of the passengers, an elderly woman, asks to speak with the captain. She made her way to the cockpit and struck up a conversation with the captain. In the course of her conversation with the captain she informed him how to properly fly the plane. She also chided him about his uniform. The captain politely listened but when he didn't alter how he was flying or what he was wearing she went back & complained to the other passengers sitting next to her.

The guy sitting behind me took the initiative, walked up to the captain, and proceeded to tell him how much better he enjoyed a pilot he had seen on TV. He went on to complain about the temperature in the cabin and mentioned that he overheard a few people complaining about how loud the speaker system was. He also had the gall to suggest to the captain that he alter his flight path. When the captain didn’t do what the passenger said, the man stomped back to where the rest of the passengers were sitting and demanded that they take a vote. After all, the passengers know much more about flying the plane than the captain.

By now you’ve figured out this really didn’t happen on a plane – it happens in churches all the time. No one would dream of saying those things to the captain of an airplane. But when it comes to leading the church many pastors I know have to go back to the “cabin” and find out from the rest of the “passengers” if he can have permission to set the course and fly the plane.

What Would You Say?

It seems that everywhere I turn the past few weeks I am surrounded by people who have had a relative or friend die. I just learned of two more individuals in our church who had people very close to them die. One was a brother and the other a friend; just 23 years old and he died of cancer.

With so much death going on around me my thoughts turn to heaven. I was thinking about what the moment must be like when we leave this earth and find ourselves in the presence of God. At the moment we find ourselves standing before God; what are our senses receiving? What will we see, what do we hear, is there an aroma? What do you say?

I try to imagine myself in the presence of God and think about what I might say to Him, and to be honest with you I don't know that I'd be able to say anything. Which is a very biblical response. Check this out - Ecc. 5:1-2, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

If any words happened to seep out of my jaw dropped mouth I imagine I might be able to mutter, "Holy", "Glory", "Awesome", "Wow", "Whoa", "Thank You". What would you say?

What Would You Say?

It seems that everywhere I turn the past few weeks I am surrounded by people who have had a relative or friend die. I just learned of two more individuals in our church who had people very close to them die. One was a brother and the other a friend; just 23 years old and he died of cancer.

With so much death going on around me my thoughts turn to heaven. I was thinking about what the moment must be like when we leave this earth and find ourselves in the presence of God. At the moment we find ourselves standing before God; what are our senses receiving? What will we see, what do we hear, is there an aroma? What do you say?

I try to imagine myself in the presence of God and think about what I might say to Him, and to be honest with you I don't know that I'd be able to say anything. Which is a very biblical response. Check this out - Ecc. 5:1-2, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

If any words happened to seep out of my jaw dropped mouth I imagine I might be able to mutter, "Holy", "Glory", "Awesome", "Wow", "Whoa", "Thank You". What would you say?

I'm Back

I'm back in Indiana this evening and just want to thank everyone for their prayers for myself and my family. Thank you Heavy B for watching over my baby blog while I was gone; you did great! I'm encouraging Brian to begin his own blog.

The funeral for Tammy's step-father, Don Janssen, went very well. There is a lot of love being shown to Tammy's mom during this time through cards, calls, and lots and lots of food (I'm going to be on the elliptical machine a lot this week). Tammy and Shelby will be staying with her mom, Linda, through next Thursday.

I've got to say, it is really strange being back near my old home town and then preaching in a Lutheran church not far from where I grew up. While growing up in that area the thing furthest from my mind was one day being a preacher. Being back in Northern Iowa reminded me of how far I have come in my walk with the Lord and in the calling that He has given me to preach the Gospel.

I'm so anxious to preach tomorrow morning. Once again I'm looking forward to Abby's painting (she's doing 3 tomorrow!) and I'm looking forward to God changing some lives in a profound way.



p.s. If there are any baby boomer's lurking on this blog; you'll be interested to know that the airport that I flew out of this morning was the Mason City/Clear Lake airport that Buddy Holly, "Big Bopper", & Ritchie Valens flew out of when their plane crashed back in Feb. 1959. It was the day the music died. You'd better believe that was going through my mind at 5:40 a.m when my plane was taking off - I was praying hard, "Dear God, please don't let this be the day that preacher boy died. Amen :-)"

I'm Back

I'm back in Indiana this evening and just want to thank everyone for their prayers for myself and my family. Thank you Heavy B for watching over my baby blog while I was gone; you did great! I'm encouraging Brian to begin his own blog.

The funeral for Tammy's step-father, Don Janssen, went very well. There is a lot of love being shown to Tammy's mom during this time through cards, calls, and lots and lots of food (I'm going to be on the elliptical machine a lot this week). Tammy and Shelby will be staying with her mom, Linda, through next Thursday.

I've got to say, it is really strange being back near my old home town and then preaching in a Lutheran church not far from where I grew up. While growing up in that area the thing furthest from my mind was one day being a preacher. Being back in Northern Iowa reminded me of how far I have come in my walk with the Lord and in the calling that He has given me to preach the Gospel.

I'm so anxious to preach tomorrow morning. Once again I'm looking forward to Abby's painting (she's doing 3 tomorrow!) and I'm looking forward to God changing some lives in a profound way.



p.s. If there are any baby boomer's lurking on this blog; you'll be interested to know that the airport that I flew out of this morning was the Mason City/Clear Lake airport that Buddy Holly, "Big Bopper", & Ritchie Valens flew out of when their plane crashed back in Feb. 1959. It was the day the music died. You'd better believe that was going through my mind at 5:40 a.m when my plane was taking off - I was praying hard, "Dear God, please don't let this be the day that preacher boy died. Amen :-)"

It came to pass

This morning I broke out an old Mark Lowry CD called "Twenty Stories Tall." In one of his comedy bits, he shares one of his favorite Bible verses: "And it came to pass..."

"I love that verse," he says. "It came to pass. It didn't come to stay." In life there is a season for everything. Whatever the season you're living through now, it will pass. If you're experiencing a season of trials and temptation, hang on. It will pass. If you're enjoying a season of good health, enjoy it. It will pass.

Let's take time out of our day to thank God for this season of blessing in our lives. And take a moment to encourage and pray for those mourning a season of loss.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing. Thank you for all the blessings and opportunities you have given me. Thank you for setting aside such an incredible, godly, loving woman to be my wife, and thank you for my loving family. Thank you for a comfortable, safe place to live and for a healthy body. Please comfort those who have lost family members and pets this week, and bring them healing during this difficult season. Use these times to remind us that we're only here for a short stay, and then we too will pass. Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus Christ and a better life to come.
Amen

It came to pass

This morning I broke out an old Mark Lowry CD called "Twenty Stories Tall." In one of his comedy bits, he shares one of his favorite Bible verses: "And it came to pass..."

"I love that verse," he says. "It came to pass. It didn't come to stay." In life there is a season for everything. Whatever the season you're living through now, it will pass. If you're experiencing a season of trials and temptation, hang on. It will pass. If you're enjoying a season of good health, enjoy it. It will pass.

Let's take time out of our day to thank God for this season of blessing in our lives. And take a moment to encourage and pray for those mourning a season of loss.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing. Thank you for all the blessings and opportunities you have given me. Thank you for setting aside such an incredible, godly, loving woman to be my wife, and thank you for my loving family. Thank you for a comfortable, safe place to live and for a healthy body. Please comfort those who have lost family members and pets this week, and bring them healing during this difficult season. Use these times to remind us that we're only here for a short stay, and then we too will pass. Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus Christ and a better life to come.
Amen

More than Useless

If you've ever felt like you don't matter, or if you've ever thought your life had no purpose, this one's for you...





After a few minutes of browsing the internet, I found some products and information that should make you feel more than useless:





A can-opener in a can

A salted bandage


An inflatable dartboard


Instant water: just add water


Solar-powered headlights


Batteries: batteries not included


A manually operated answering machine



Unlike these products, you are much more than useless.

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/thebook.aspx

More than Useless

If you've ever felt like you don't matter, or if you've ever thought your life had no purpose, this one's for you...





After a few minutes of browsing the internet, I found some products and information that should make you feel more than useless:





A can-opener in a can

A salted bandage


An inflatable dartboard


Instant water: just add water


Solar-powered headlights


Batteries: batteries not included


A manually operated answering machine



Unlike these products, you are much more than useless.

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/thebook.aspx

Mousetraps

Welcome from guestblogger Bryan (aka heavy b). Pastor Kris is out of town, so he sent in the second stringers.


A MOUSE IN MY HOUSE...

Last week my wife stomped up to me and firmly stated, "Uh, we've got a problem!" So I followed her across the house as she led me to the guest bedroom. She grabbed a pillow off the bed revealing a pile of dog food. She repeated, "See, we've got a problem!"

Rats... those pesky mice are back for the winter. Carrying off the dog food and poo-ing in our closets. Actually, they were back. They seem to be gone now. We've discovered three fairly effective mouse exterminators:

1. Bandit (our little Jack Russel)... instant results
2. Mousetraps...tried and true
3. D-con (poison)--slower but effective

CHURCH MOUSE...

Today at the church, I hopped down the stairs and startled some of the staff members. Because it was only my second day working at the church, the ladies below weren't used to the sound of footsteps above. One of them suggested that the noise they heard was just a mouse scurrying about. Hmmm...

So I'm the church mouse huh? I can work with that...

If I want to enjoy a lasting, impactful life in ministry, there are some moustraps I've got to avoid:

1. Emphasizing doing youth ministry over being God's man
2. Putting programs ahead of people
3. Pleasing people instead of God (see Galatians 1:10)

Any other thoughts on ministry traps?

What about you... any mousetraps to avoid in your own life?

Am I the only one with these pesky mouse problems?

Mousetraps

Welcome from guestblogger Bryan (aka heavy b). Pastor Kris is out of town, so he sent in the second stringers.


A MOUSE IN MY HOUSE...

Last week my wife stomped up to me and firmly stated, "Uh, we've got a problem!" So I followed her across the house as she led me to the guest bedroom. She grabbed a pillow off the bed revealing a pile of dog food. She repeated, "See, we've got a problem!"

Rats... those pesky mice are back for the winter. Carrying off the dog food and poo-ing in our closets. Actually, they were back. They seem to be gone now. We've discovered three fairly effective mouse exterminators:

1. Bandit (our little Jack Russel)... instant results
2. Mousetraps...tried and true
3. D-con (poison)--slower but effective

CHURCH MOUSE...

Today at the church, I hopped down the stairs and startled some of the staff members. Because it was only my second day working at the church, the ladies below weren't used to the sound of footsteps above. One of them suggested that the noise they heard was just a mouse scurrying about. Hmmm...

So I'm the church mouse huh? I can work with that...

If I want to enjoy a lasting, impactful life in ministry, there are some moustraps I've got to avoid:

1. Emphasizing doing youth ministry over being God's man
2. Putting programs ahead of people
3. Pleasing people instead of God (see Galatians 1:10)

Any other thoughts on ministry traps?

What about you... any mousetraps to avoid in your own life?

Am I the only one with these pesky mouse problems?

Masterpiece

I got my hands on a photo of my first attempt at artwork. Mine, of course, is the black mess in the middle.

This will be one of the most memorable preaching moments for me. This was week one of our 4 part series GLORY. You can read the original blog post here.

I think I'll let Abby do the rest of the painting.

Masterpiece

I got my hands on a photo of my first attempt at artwork. Mine, of course, is the black mess in the middle.

This will be one of the most memorable preaching moments for me. This was week one of our 4 part series GLORY. You can read the original blog post here.

I think I'll let Abby do the rest of the painting.

Coming Soon: Guest Blogger

While I am out of town for the next couple of days I have a special guest blogger babysitting the blog. HeavyB, also known as, Bryan Vickery, our Youth Pastor extraordinaire will be sharing his thoughts with us over the next few days.

I really appreciate Bryan helping out and this will give you all a chance to see just how warped our new Youth Pastor really is :-)

I'll be back on the blog on Saturday.

Coming Soon: Guest Blogger

While I am out of town for the next couple of days I have a special guest blogger babysitting the blog. HeavyB, also known as, Bryan Vickery, our Youth Pastor extraordinaire will be sharing his thoughts with us over the next few days.

I really appreciate Bryan helping out and this will give you all a chance to see just how warped our new Youth Pastor really is :-)

I'll be back on the blog on Saturday.

About Kris Sorensen

In a nut shell: I'm a Christ-follower, Husband, Daddy, and Pastor. I'm passionate about seeing lives changed by the power of God. I'm the Senior Pastor at Farmland Friends Church in Farmland, Indiana.


A little more detail: I'm married to Tammy Sorensen. Tammy and I married in July of 1991 in Northern Iowa where we were raised. You can learn a whole lot more about Tammy and what makes her tic by checking out her blog.


Tammy and I have a super brilliant, absolutely beautiful little girl, Shelby. Shelby is growing up way too quick, but we enjoy seeing her grow and are proud to be her parents.


A lot more detail: My identity is found in Jesus Christ (I'm not just saying that because I'm a pastor). Without Christ in my life I would be an absolute mess - by no means am I perfect, in fact I'm far from it, but if it were not for Christ transforming who I was, I really don't know where I'd be today.


I have the wonderful privilege of serving with a fantastic group of people at the Farmland Friends Church in Farmland Indiana since 2001. (Seriously, that's the real name of the church and town; I wouldn't make that kind of thing up.) I really enjoy sharing the truth of God's Word week after week and seeing the Lord change people from the inside out.


When I'm not at work I enjoy spending time with my family. We enjoy going on vacations together; my favorite destination is Walt Disney World and anywhere else we find warmer weather.


Here's a list of some of the other things I enjoy:
Golfing (ping irons - and in need of Taylor Made woods)
Anything Technology
Taking Naps
Television: Heroes, Lost, The Office, Man vs. Wild, & reality shows, etc.
Music: Red, Family Force5, P.O.D., David Crowder, Chris Tomlin...

About Kris Sorensen

In a nut shell: I'm a Christ-follower, Husband, Daddy, and Pastor. I'm passionate about seeing lives changed by the power of God. I'm the Senior Pastor at Farmland Friends Church in Farmland, Indiana.


A little more detail: I'm married to Tammy Sorensen. Tammy and I married in July of 1991 in Northern Iowa where we were raised. You can learn a whole lot more about Tammy and what makes her tic by checking out her blog.


Tammy and I have a super brilliant, absolutely beautiful little girl, Shelby. Shelby is growing up way too quick, but we enjoy seeing her grow and are proud to be her parents.


A lot more detail: My identity is found in Jesus Christ (I'm not just saying that because I'm a pastor). Without Christ in my life I would be an absolute mess - by no means am I perfect, in fact I'm far from it, but if it were not for Christ transforming who I was, I really don't know where I'd be today.


I have the wonderful privilege of serving with a fantastic group of people at the Farmland Friends Church in Farmland Indiana since 2001. (Seriously, that's the real name of the church and town; I wouldn't make that kind of thing up.) I really enjoy sharing the truth of God's Word week after week and seeing the Lord change people from the inside out.


When I'm not at work I enjoy spending time with my family. We enjoy going on vacations together; my favorite destination is Walt Disney World and anywhere else we find warmer weather.


Here's a list of some of the other things I enjoy:
Golfing (ping irons - and in need of Taylor Made woods)
Anything Technology
Taking Naps
Television: Heroes, Lost, The Office, Man vs. Wild, & reality shows, etc.
Music: Red, Family Force5, P.O.D., David Crowder, Chris Tomlin...