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Category: Life

Better in 2009?

As 2009 approaches, I can’t help start thinking about how I want 2009 to be better than 2008 – or more specifically, how I can be a better person, better follower of Christ, better husband, better dad, better friend, better boss, better organized, better EVERYTHING. I know a lot of people poo-pooh “New Year’s Resolutions.” I’m not sure if they are just realistic or have simply given up on improving themselves or allowed the fact that they are human discourage them. I’ve never kept any “resolutions” for twelve months, so I don’t think that’s the point. (has anyone?) For me, December is often impacted more than January – as I desperately try to “get ready” to be better in the next year. Rethinking how I do life and ministry – and decluttering my life. I’ve been going through stuff and getting rid of a lot of stuff I don’t need. (Even the Star Wars ‘museum’ in my basement has been gutted!) I’ve been reorganizing my paper stuff as well as my electronic stuff – of which I have much more and is more chaotic and difficult to keep up with. This week I have spent hours reorganzing all my computers…

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Keeping Christ in Your Ministry

(Reprinted from the December ’08 Kidology.org Newsletter) Getting Christ Back into Christmas Your Ministry There is a danger in ministry that is easy to miss. During the Christmas season, we often hear the phrase, “keeping Christ in Christmas,” or reminders that He is the “reason for the season.” But these sentiments have as much to do with our ministry all year long as they do with the celebration of Christmas. While it is certainly disappointing how little of Jesus we see in our culture’s celebration of Christmas, and frustrating to see our Savior being systematically squeezed out more and more every year, there is something far more gradual and eternally dangerous than seeing Christ steadily removed from Christmas. And it is happening every month of the year. It is the slow and unintentional removal of Christ from ministry – or at least the removal of a vibrant relationship with Jesus in the midst of Christ-centered ministry. I have no doubt that children’s ministry leaders and volunteers will keep “Christ in Christmas” during this season. I am more concerned about whether we will keep a relationship with Jesus at the center of our life and ministry. Christmas serves as a perfect…

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I Hate My Snowblower

I really rarely use the word ‘hate’ – but even Jesus would have pointed at my my snow blower and made it wither. I finally splurged and got me a decent snow blower at the after season sale in the Spring of 2007. It worked great except that it couldn’t blow snow. At first I assumed the snow was: a) too thick, so I’d shovel b) too heavy, so I’d shovel c) too wet, so I’d shovel Finally, I did some poking around and found out that the cord that goes from the handle to the motor was too long and wasn’t putting the engine in gear all the way, bending the pull bar worked! WOW! I could blow snow… for about three rows, and then the pull bar snapped. I took it to Ace Hardware, who promised to replace the pull bar and redo the metal cable at the right length (something you can’t do yourself) and have it back to me in six days. Anyone remember how much snow we got last year? RECORD SNOW. And they kept my snow blower until Spring, and I shoveled all winter. Not that I MIND shoveling, I’ve done it for years.…

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The Original Karl Bastian

FAMOUS IN GAS CITY, INDIANA It might surprise you that I am famous in a town that I’ve only been to a few times. Well, Karl Bastian is famous anyway! In fact, if I go around town and mention my name, people stop in their tracks and say, “Really? Are you really?!? Nice to meet you!” and shake my hand! Me at the source of my Indiana fame Here I am at the source of my fame… the Gas City Fire Station. Why am”I” famous here? Let me tell you the story in a fun way… a few years ago, I was in Sweetser, Indiana to visit a friend, Ryan Frank’s, church for a Kidology seminar. (which was really just an excuse to visit Ryan, a guy who shares my passion for reaching kids and encouraging and equipping others who minister to kids, just check out his magazine, K! which he started a year ago for that very purpose.) But I degress… Ryan with a collage of his kids When we had a few hours of free time, I told Ryan I wanted to go for a drive, but I didn’t tell him where or why. And I shold mention,…

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Another Day at the Zoo

The annual pass to Brookfield Zoo has turned out to be a good investment. Free parking. Free admission. Free soda. (good on the wallet, not so much on the waist!) Free shuttle ride. Free shows. Too bad it takes about $20 in gasoline for us to get there and back! Of course, we saw all kinds of animals! (Took the ones above from the tram!) I enjoy taking pictures of the animals – I do not enjoy smelling them! However, it is not the animals that Luke enjoys the most. Oh, sure, he likes them. He’ll look at them when we point, and can even identify several by name. But there are other “creatures” on display at the Zoo that he will run to! And he’ll spend more time with each of these “animals” studying them, than he will on anything with fur or wings or hooves. Yup, you guessed it, the Cars on display from various dealerships. Oh, yes. The cars. When we said we are going to the Zoo today, Luke’s answer is, “See Cars?” But our favorite thing about the Zoo is not the animals or the cars… it is being in a safe place where Luke…

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