Kidologist.com: Karl Bastian's Personal Site and Blog
Archive for January, 2008
January 24, 2008 at 12:11 am · Filed under CPC, Children's Ministry, Friends, Kidology
One of the greatest things about the Children’s Pastor’s Conference is the friends you make and the fun of getting to cross paths with them again. I’ve lost track, but this is somewhere near my 30th CPC in a row. (I can’t tell for sure because while I’ve been to every one since 1995, I don’t remember which years have had 2 or 3 of them) It truly is a blessing to be here!
It is a lot of fun to meet people who share your passion for children’s ministry, and to reconnect with them over the years. Many of the friends I reconnect with at CPC, I first met at a CPC in the years past, and I look forward to continuing to connect and make new friends in the years ahead.
People like:
Byron Ragains who runs the Chicago Children’s Ministry Network, a Church Consultant for David C. Cook, and Larry Fowler, Awana’s Vice President and author of one of my favorite CM Books, Rock Solid Kids. Bryon played a large part in the very first Kid U and has been a great friend over the years since I was in my first ministry at Moody Church, waaaaaay back as a green thumb in children’s ministry. Larry has also been a wise mentor and trusted counselor for me especially in times of need.
Or Joe and Scott from Harvest Publications, the #1 Place you should use to purchase curriculum and nearly any Christian books you need to find and buy. They don’t have a website, but you can call 800-323-3885 for the best service possible. They have great discounts and the personal attention they give their customers is a rare thing indeed now adays where the web has at times seemed to replace that personal touch we once took for granted. Harvest has sponsored a Kid U conference for each and every of our nine years and will again for the 10th Anniversary Celebration in October!
As you can see, Roger Fields is a nut! He was one of the first CPC workshop presenters who had a huge impact on my leadership and recruiting philosophy. He is best known for his Kidz Blitz outreaches which now are seen in over 150 churches a year around the country. Many also appreciate his wacky, but encouraging humor found in the online Cold Water Cafe. My favorite is his piece The Calling which I have heard quoted many times in my travels. Recently, at one of Byron’s networks, the speaker said she reads it every morning when she wakes up to start her day. He also publishes a pretty cool movie-making themed children’s church curriculum called Big City Studio.
I first met Jim Wideman on Roger’s Children’s Ministry Cruise in 2002. Jim has been the children’s pastor at one of the largest churches in the country, but has never gotten so “up there” that he didn’t have time to equip and encourage the little guys like me. In fact, in the past few years I started to notice that there was a guy in the Kidology Forum giving great advice and encouragement known only as “oldgreycp.” Using my administrative powers I poked into the membership database and discovered this anonymous encourager was Jim Wideman himself! Discovering his heart to equip and encourage young children’s pastors we set the the Leadership Forum on Kidology.org and also twisted his arm to give a discount to Kidolgy folks on his MP3 training ministry known as The Club.
Another awesome “CPC Connection” was discovering Todd Hampson from Timbuktoons several years ago. This man is amazing! Since then, not only do we sell his Scripture Shorts, Countdowns, Cartoon Packs, Worship Stills and Worship CDs, and the BRAND NEW Noodles preschool DVD, but Todd has done the artwork for my novel The Order of the Ancient and other projects.
Who’s that other guy? Only the graphic designer of the new and improved Kidology Handbook and THIS WEBSITE. Yes, Timbuktoon’s other talented dude, Sean Copley designed my business cards, brochure, letterhead and stationery that all match the ‘look’ of the new Kidologist.com. (his wife Jennifer edited the massive revision of the Kidology Handbook, so I’ll give credit there as well!)
What a team! And another great reason to go to CPC to meet guys like this! I took a bunch of other pictures today, but I gotta quit and get some sleep tonight. So more pictures tomorrow!
If you are at CPC, be sure to drop by the DiscipleLand booth were I’m serving to get your FREE Kidology Button like Brother Jim and Todd are wearing in their pics above!
January 23, 2008 at 1:25 pm · Filed under CPC, Children's Ministry
TIME TO GET TO WORK!
No more time to lounge at the pool or swim with the other Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota guests (the only ones getting in the water, its a little chilly here)
Can you spot me in this picture? (click to enlarge)
The fun has already started, helped get the DiscipleLand booth set up and always fun to see who’s here and catch up with friends! Pictures will come tonight!
And the first CPC SPECIAL is already live on Kidology’s home page: A Super Deal on the Dee Cy Paul and Chip puppets. (pronounced “Diciplechip”)
If you are here, drop by DiscipleLand’s booth for your FREE Kidology Button! (You could win a prize!)
I will also be posting some “LIVE FROM CPC” reports in the Kidologist Journal forum on Kidology.org.
January 22, 2008 at 10:01 am · Filed under Humor, Life
Well, at 9:58 a.m., nearly 48 hours since the world went silent… my EAR POPPED! I actually had thought it was coming back and had told family I was at 90% hearing as I could finally at least talk to people and hear what they were saying, but I must have been at only 50-60% because as I sat here eating brunch and doing some writing on Leadership Lab 03, my ear suddenly POPPED and I suddenly felt like I was standing under a waterfall of noise, or like I had stepped behind the engine of a jumbo jet! I actually said “WHOA!” out loud and got a few looks from neighboring tables.
In case you are curious, here is an animated GIF that shows how/why your ear gets stopped up. It is from this page that explains how your ear gets “blocked” and how to unblock your ears. (A method that did not work for me)
Ah, the world has so many sounds now! I can hear the clatter of some dishes in the kitchen, the clanking of a cart going by, the humming of some distant machine, the whining of some kid, the gossiping of some girls nearby, the stomach sounds of the guy behind me, or was that…. maybe being deaf wasn’t so bad?
But it will be nice when I get outside and can hear the wind in the trees and the chattering of birds! ahhhhhh
January 20, 2008 at 10:34 pm · Filed under Children's Ministry, Humor, Life
I left Chicago this morning where it was -4 degrees!
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
While I am basking in warm sunny Florida now a few days before CPC, I am quite bummed because I had to leave Sara and Luke behind due to them still being sick. It’s been over two weeks they’ve been fighting a flu bug and Sara’s has gotten worse! And even worse, we were going to celebrate Luke’s 2nd birthday at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow. Instead, I won’t even see my little guy on his birthday! (cue the violins) At least Luke doesn’t know what he’s missing out on. He just thinks he was supposed to hang out at Grandma and Grandpas for a few days.
And then to add to the weirdness of this trip, I’ve been completely deaf all day! I’m already deaf in my left ear, and as I landed this morning my only other functioning ear was completely blocked and has remained so all day. It has been quite fascinating walking around Downtown Disney unable to hear a thing, and interacting with people to order food, etc. is strange – I can barely hear my own voice and don’t know how loud I’m speaking. I hope I’ve not yelled at anyone.
I’ve tried everyone’s advice on how to up-pop my ear! I’ve done a headstand, plugged by nose and blew, taken a hot steamy bath, drank and swallowed with my nose plugged, and even poured hydrogen peroxide into my ear! Nothing works. I’m not in pain, I’m just stone cold deaf!
So if you have any suggestions, I’m desperate! This is your chance to get me to do anything you want, anything, to get my hearing back!
AND JUST FOR FUN… here is my review of this resort from two years ago:
A bumpy ride on the themed slide!
January 17, 2008 at 10:18 pm · Filed under Children's Ministry, Kidology
As my pappy used to always say, “Tootith not thine own horn, let another tootith it for thee.” One of the most encouraging things is when I hear others telling about how much they love Kidology.org and how it has helped them in their ministry. One of the reasons I stopped having an exhibit booth at CPC about five years ago is that I really hate being in a booth and talking about my ministry or “selling” my website or products. I’m excited about the ministry God has graciously given me, I love doing what I do, and I’m blessed by the stories of those who benefit from it, but I really hate talking about it or having to “promote” it. I’d rather meet someone who already knows about Kidology and is excited and want to talk about it than meet someone who doesn’t and need to tell them about it. I feel like a salesman, and its a feeling I don’t like. That is why I’d rather just do workshops and network in the hallways, resource room or at meals, or find another way to serve. I’d rather minister than sell. So we’ve made a fun and easy way to equip our members (dare I say ‘fans’) to help us spread the word about Kidology!
Next week I leave for CPC – Orlando and I’m excited about the opportunity afforded to me to serve in the DiscipleLand booth. It is no secret that I’ve long been a huge fan of DiscipleLand for reasons I will be expanding on soon, but for now it is CPC time and I’m looking forward to getting to help in their booth. One of the things I did to help out was design the “CPC talk sheet” that we will use in the booth to help spread the word about what makes DiscipleLand curriculum so unique compared to so much else that is out there in the market for curriculum. As a reader of my blog you can be the first to see it! Here it is:
(Download the PDF here)
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FREE BUTTON?
Back to the horn tootin’ ! Since I’m not doing any workshops at CPC this year and there is no Kidology “booth” we wanted to make a way for Kidology fans to toot our horn for us!
DROP BY THE DISCIPLELAND BOOTH and get a FREE Kidology button!
You can wear this button with pride at conference! Meet other Kidology members and be prepared to give an answer for the help that you have online via Kidology.org
But it gets even better! Each button has a number on the back that we will use to randomly give away cool Kidology prizes, AND if I spot you wearing your button at CPC I will be carrying some prizes to give away ON THE SPOT!
But the best part is when people say to you “What is Kidology?” Don’t be shy – tell ‘em all about it!
Not going to CPC? You can buy the button for just a buck! That’s right! We’re losing money on this because we really want you to have one to wear anywhere you go where there are other people who love kids ministry and could benefit from Kidology.org!
January 15, 2008 at 12:58 am · Filed under Humor, Life
There are many versions of “Three Kinds of People.” One I’ve often liked was:
- Those who make things happen
- Those who watch things happen
- Those who ask, “What just happened?”
Of course, I’d like to think of myself as the first! This saying probably came originally from Benjamin franklin who said:
All mankind is divided into three groups: those that are immovable, those that are movable and those that move.” — Benjamin Franklin
But there are other theories about “three kinds of people.” Maybe you’ve heard:
There are three kinds of people in the world: those who can’t stand Picasso, those who can’t stand Raphael, and those who’ve never heard of either of them. — John White
Or the more modern version:
Today, there are three kinds of people: the have’s, the have-not’s, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have’s. — Earl Wilson
A recent up-date to the first above put it this way:
There are three kinds of people in the world, the wills, the won’ts, and the can’ts. The first accomplish everything; the second oppose everything, the third fail in everything – Eclectic Magazine
Robert Schulle added a fourth:
There are basically four kinds of people: cop-outs, hold-outs, drop-outs, and all-outs.
It’s time I added my own to sage collection. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone else divide the world’s populace this way, so I will dare claim to be the first – though I may certainly be wrong! But as I am up late continuing to attempt to clean up my home office and get organized for 2008 I am reminded again of my oft quoted summary of the three kinds of people in the world, quoting myself of course:
There are three kinds of people in the world. Those who are neat and like it neat. Those who are messy and like it messy. And those who are messy but like it neat. – Karl Bastian
I unfortunately am of the sad third group. I’ve been blessed to know many neat people who’ve lives are always in order and they like it that way. I also know many happy slobs who live joyful lives oblivious to the disaster and danger that surrounds them. God bless them both! (I have yet to meet a neat person who likes it messy!)
But I am, to my dimise and doom, a person who loves it neat – perfers that everything have a place and everything be in its place – but am quite in capable of living up to my own impossible standard. My environments tend to either be ready to be photographed for some magazine of the Life Styles of Neat and Orderly, but before the pictures can be snapped it somehow mysteriously quickly returnes to Life Styles of the Disorganized with Paper Stacks Everywhere. Why oh Why do I want an immaculate office so badly when I am so utterly terrible at keeping it so?
What a wretched man I am!
In the end I supposed Edward A. Murphy, Jr. of “Murphy’s Law” is right after all, there are only two types of people:
Those who divide people into two types, and those who don’t.
But I will close with only one more way to divide the world:
- Those who don’t read my blog.
- Those who do read my blog.
- Those who read my blog and leave a comment!
Guess which my favorite is?
January 13, 2008 at 11:53 pm · Filed under Internet, Technology, just cool
A little something for my friends who are still on PC…
Brain Works Free Download Test
I’m cleaning out my home office (January tradition) and I came across my “brain results” that I printed out several years ago because it PEGGED me in both some positive and not-so-nice-to-read but TRUE aspects of my personality. I googled it and it’s still online, but it is PC only. (.exe file) But if you have a PC I think you will enjoy taking the quiz and I’m curious if you find the results as insightful as I did mine. HAVE FUN!
For a more serious personality test recently recommended to me check out www.uniquelyyou.com It is not free, but very good.
January 13, 2008 at 1:57 am · Filed under Devotional, Life
There is an old Cherokee story that has floated around the e-mail world for a few years and I got it again this week from a relative who has been forwarding me e-mail since 1992. (thanks!) I thought I’d post it here to save it as it is always a good reminder to think about.
TWO WOLVES
A Grandfather from the Cherokee Nation was talking with his grandson.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.”
“One wolf is evil and ugly: He is anger, envy, war, greed, self-pity, sorrow, regret, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, selfishness and arrogance.”
“The other wolf is beautiful and good: He is friendly, joyful, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, justice, fairness, empathy, generosity, true, compassion, gratitude, and deep vision.”
“This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other human as well.”
The grandson paused in deep reflection because of what his grandfather had just said. Then he finally cried out; “Oyee! Grandfather, which wolf will win?”
The elder Cherokee replied, “The wolf that you feed.”
Every day we face new problems or simply reminders of past hurt and we must always choose, are we going to feed the hurt and allow it to become bitterness or will we genuinely forgive and let go leaving it to God entirely?
In another version of the above Cherokee story the father says to his son that “hating your enemy doesn’t hurt your enemy, it is like drinking poison and hoping your enemy will die.” It does you no good to focus on hurt and pain and anger. You must let it go. Don’t feed that wolf, or it will feed on you!
I remember in Star Wars when this inner conflict was the focus of a conversation between Yoda and Luke on Dagoba. The ancient guru is explaining, “Always in conflict they are, the dark and the light side.” He warns “once you give in to the dark side, forever will it dominate your destiny.” The young student asks the sage, “Is the dark side of the Force stronger?” Yoda answers, “No, but it is more deceptive.” Negative thoughts lure us into thinking that we are licking our wounds when in reality we are preventing our wounds from healing. The more we focus on how we have been wronged the longer it will take us to learn and grow and move on. They soon will dominate us and take over us and magnify whatever the original hurt was so that the end result is even worse than anything anyone could have done to us. Don’t feed that wolf!
And of course, God speaks of this inner battle in Galatians 5:17 and offers the solution in Philippians chapter 4:
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. – Galatians 5:17
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:7-8
The Apostle Paul certainly had plenty he could complain about or dwell on that was negative but he wisely admonished:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
The past forms us, teaches us and if we allow it, can develop and transform us – but it should not bind us nor retrain us from whole hearted devotion to God and a relentless pursuit of knowing Him and abiding in Him. Feed that wolf and let God take care of the rest.
The choice is yours – which wolf will you feed today?
January 10, 2008 at 12:08 am · Filed under Family
DOWNLOAD NOW!
We were unable to do a Christmas letter this year, though we appreciated the ones we received, thank you! However, after I blogged my year in review, Sara reminded me that she had made a picture review of the year as well on her Mac that we had intended to send out, but time got away from us! So to save postage and to share with as many who would like it, here is our 2007 Bastians Year in Review PDF! (only 545kb)
ENJOY! and we hope you are having a Happy New Year!
January 7, 2008 at 7:03 pm · Filed under Mac, Technology, iPhone
Another reason to buy anything Apple makes – they stand behind their products. I had a weird issue with my iPhone (I won’t bore you with the technical problems) and called Apple Care. When they were unable to resolve it over the phone, I made an appointment with the Apple Genius bar. They worked on it for an hour and couldn’t solve it. (So it wasn’t just me!) So what did they do? Blame me like always happened with my Palm Pilot or some other software (like nearly every PC tech support used to do to me) they simply gave me a BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW iPHONE! Yup, I walked out with a new phone!
They even let me stay 30 minutes past closing to help me. Their current window display is a bunch of cut-out Apple employees looking eager to help. On my way out I tried to stand there and blend in so I could stay overnight and play with all the Apple stuff – but in my red jacket I was quickly discovered and showed the door. But not before one of the employees agreed to pose for the picture below, since they DID blend right in!
(Click for Larger Image)
So, can you spot the REAL EMPLOYEE? If you need help, you can view the image larger. If you really can’t figure it out. Here the same picture without the real employee (but only look as a last resort!)
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