If I Were a Morning Person

I wish I was a morning person like some people I know who are up before God every day by the time I roll out of bed, they are six to seven hour into their day. But there is no secret about it, I’m a night owl. I work best at night when there is no one around to bother, er, (let me rephrase that) interrupt me – and I thrive under pressure. I rarely go to bed before midnight. I still get a full night of sleep, I just get up eight hours later. I’ve always joked that my life verse is Proverbs 6:9: “Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.” However, as all adults discover, this gets harder as you get older, especially since I can no longer drink Mountain Dew. (Yeah, haven’t had a clean crisp ice cold can of Dew since shortly after my heart episode. My heart meds make all soda taste disgusting, Root Beer is all I can drink in the bubbly category. But hey, I’ve lost weight!) But I degress… The point is, I WISH I was a morning person, because I WAS once upon a time. In high…

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The Fellowship of the King

Are you a guy in any capacity of children’s ministry who lives in the Denver area? Then READ ON! You are invited to be a part of the Fellowship of the King! “The Fellowship” is simply a group of children’s pastors and ministry leaders I am gathering who desire to periodically disconnect from the busyness of life and ministry to spend time with God in His creation and fellowship with others who share in their passion for children’s ministry. There is no cost. It is simply a list of guys who I will invite on day hikes.There is no obligation to attend any or all – I know that only a few may be able to make each hike – the Fellowship simply makes up the list of those who want to know when the hikes are so they can be invited to join us. They will be planned all over the state during all seasons. Most will be one day hikes, leave early in the morning and head home when the sun sets. The first will be Thursday, April 1st. For more information contact me. NOTE: If you REALLY want to get away and enjoy creation, join me in…

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Yelling Out the Window

Saturday while my wife went to a tea at church, Luke and I decided we needed to have some fun too, so we went to McDonald’s where there was a play place! The last time we were there, about a month ago, we celebrated Luke’s first basketball basket and those of you on facebook got to see the video of I happened to capture right before my iPhone battery died! What an exciting day that was! If you want, you can watch Luke make his FIRST basketball basket right before turning four: Well, when given a choice of three different restaurants with play places, he chose McDonald’s when I reminded him of the basketball hoop and showed him the video on my iPhone. We got there and after eating and watching some “big boys” hog up the hoop for awhile, finally we got some court time. Luke shocked me by how quickly he got the hang of it. Soon he was nailing the shots, often in a row! Once he made THREE in a row before having some dry spells due to getting so excited he’d get erratic in his shooting for awhile. But we kept track – first it…

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Mercy For My Shoes

My four year old is destined to become a judge. He already has a keen sense of justice. Or at least a better sense of mercy than I do. Yesterday I could not find my shoes. I had gone up and down the stairs and searched every room of the house at least three times. I was managing to keep my grumbling humorous so as to hide the real anger that was mounting inside because I had a four year old following me and offering to help me in my hunt. But the volume and frequency of my complaints were growing even as I kept them light hearted on the surface, since I had impressionable little eyes and ears watching me. But we were eager to out the door and the delay in finding these shoes was delaying us, and I was getting acutely frustrated. (A scene I hope is not limited to our home?) In the end, my shoes were found – in the first floor coat closet – with all daddy’s shoes, right where they belong, just under some other shoes. As I went to couch to put them on, my little boy behind me, I was eager…

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Someday is Another Word for Never

Everyone needs to almost die… And no, I’m not referring to almost being struck by lightening in Yosemite last year! Nor am I directly talking about my near heart attack last year either – though for all practical purposes I might as well be. If almost dying twice in 2009 taught me anything (and it taught me a lot!) it made me realize that long life is not something you should assume. So let me say it again, and I really hope you will hear me this time: (this is now directly from my journal on my solo sabbatical) Everyone ought to almost die. If not, they really should try to pretend or reflect on what it means to live as though they are not sure of long life. Let me set the record straight. I’m not afraid of dying. Never was. But after almost dying (twice!) I’m no longer afraid of living! I refuse to put off the life I want. If that sounds selfish, let me rephrase it – I refuse to put off what I believe God is calling me to do. (sound better?) I no longer assume far off “somedays” exist! Two to three years is…

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