Home Archive by category "Luke" (Page 9)

Category: Luke

A New Normal is Here

On a recent overseas trip, the President of the United States used a phrase that caught my ear.  He mentioned a “New Normal”, suggesting that Americans must prepare to accept current unemployment rates as staying steady into the future. This got me thinking that there is a “New Normal” in children’s ministry as well. Things have changed! What was was once considered “normal” is rapidly changing! As I watch my 4-year-old use my iPhone or iPad, I see that his world is going to be much different than mine. Indeed, he has had his own iPod Touch because at age 2 he was caught operating my iPhone without any instruction. I knew he needed to be equipped to embrace his world. Perhaps you are following the discussions in the Leadership Forum, where Greg Baird has invited 18 authors to write about The Future of Children’s Ministry. What are you doing in your ministry to embrace this New Normal? Or does your ministry still look like it did 10 years ago? There are no easy answers, but I can tell you this: When you were a kid, you could tell which teachers were with it, and which weren’t, and you gravitated…

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Doctor Poncho

Taking everyday mundane family occurrences and turning them into memories… We had a small tragedy in our home this morning. Charlie’s nose came off. It would only take me 2-3 minutes and some super glue to fix it – but what an opportunity for a memory! I went down to my “children’s ministry closet” that is still stacked full of boxes from nearly 20 years as a children’s pastor and prayed, “Dear God, let one of the first three boxes I pull have my doctor outfit!” The first box looked promising – as it had the doctor table cloth in it! But I struck out with the next few boxes and it looked like my plan of coming back up stairs dressed as a surgeon was not going to happen. Then I remembered something I’ve said more times than I can count in workshops across America, “Kids love to pretend and as adults we are handicapped by our need to be realistic.” So I just grabbed what I did have access to – a poncho and sombrero, that surgeon’s table cloth and walked back upstairs and introduced myself as “Doctor Poncho” and said, “I hear you have a dog whose…

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Our First Family Pit Stop

As Kidology folks know, I’m passionate about the topic of “Intentional Parenting” – its the theme of my Online Training Lab “Partnering with Parents” (Kidology Members can watch the training video for free) – and something I have preached and “teached” about… But, of course, it starts in your own home. Early on when we first became parents we got excited about starting a family learning time, and inspired by a family in one of our first ministries (the Camarenas) who did a “Praise the Lord Time” every evening, we started that with Luke when he was around two. It was a complete disaster. LOL. We quickly had to surrender that we were starting the family devotional thing too soon, and settled for bedtime Bible stories and prayers, of course prayers at meals, Christian entertainment, and learning moments throughout the day – and engaging with the materials from church, but set aside any formal home devotional time for the time being. My over-eagerness to be a good dad and start this with a two year old would have made for some good candid camera moments. Since I actually write and publish family devotional guides for a publisher (download a sample)…

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Hello 2010 Timber-lee Campers!

Helloooooooo Campers! Do you remember the first thing I said to at the beginning of the week? (How could you forget? I said it over and over, emphasizing a different word each time LOL) “This week could forever change the path of your entire life.” Well, I hope it did! I hope that as you listened to my lessons they weren’t “my lessons” but GOD’S and that you heard somethings that will make a difference – because a small difference now – over time – will end up being a huge change over the course of your life – the path of your LIFE WILL BE CHANGED! That’s why I love being a camp speaker, to have that opportunity to be used of God to maybe have that chance to help change the path of your life. Wow, it gives me goose-bumps! That’s for all your words of encouragement, drawings and shrinky-dinks! We had a GREAT theme this year: “Walk the Way” – and we studied how Joseph walked the “way” of his God no matter what happened… and it was a good thing, because God was workin’ an awesome and amazing plan for his life that he would have…

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A Day in Toronto

We spent a beautiful day in Toronto, Canada today with my brother and his wife and their new boy, Hayden. We went to Toronto Island Park and then Sara and I went to the rotating 360 Restaurant at the top of the CN Tower to celebrate our 17th anniversary – it was very cool! (Especially the glass floor!) Here are some photo highlights from the day. If you see an emphasis on the Blue Jay’s Roger’s Centre, it is because my brother, Jordan Bastian, covers the team for MLB.com. (Tomorrow I’ll be going to a game with some Canadian friends!) Reminder: Clicking on any image on my blog loads a larger view. Luke arrives in Toronto! Luke checking out the Canadian National Tower! (CN Tower) Luke and Mommy on our walk to Toronto Island Park Luke enjoys the Ferry Ride Luke is quite used to putting up with all Daddy’s pictures! But-cha gotta admit, this is one cute kid! Contemplating the Vast Needs of the City A Steeple Pointing Toward the Answers from Heaven? Once on the island a Car Ride is discovered! So is a high flying lift across the park! But later Luke says his favorite ride was…

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Adoption

On this Father’s Day, I’d like to give you 12 reasons you should consider adoption: The only thing greater than being a Dad is knowing you are giving a home to a child who otherwise wouldn’t being enjoying the life you are providing. Enjoy this video highlight from my Father’s Day, we had a great day just enjoying each other. Truly every day is Father’s Day for me, after waiting 15 years to be a dad, I am soaking in each moment with my son. But in this case, the soaking, was quite literal, as you shall see! Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there, and a special greeting to my dad, who I did a blog tribute to a few years ago that is as true as ever!

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