Home Archive by category "Spiritual Growth" (Page 29)

Category: Spiritual Growth

Pastor Karl Challenges NFL Defensive Tackle!

We had Tommie Harris (Chicago Bears #91 Defensive Tackle) and Keith Belton (Bears #44) at our Awana Club last Tuesday evening. Both are believers and Tommie was our guest to share his testimony with the clubbers and to answer their varied and random questions about football and whatever else was on their mind. He did a great job and the kids really loved meeting and hearing from these cool dudes, who are a part of the FIRST PLACE CHICAGO BEARS right now. (Do I hear Super Bowl??) Tommie talked about his faith, his good upbringing, and how he tries to live his faith in a sport that often confronts him with situations that are not Christian. He said that a lot of players say they are a Christian but the evidence is in how they actually live off the field. Of course, the kids wanted to know about injuries and he shared again about his thumb bone poking out of the skin much to the delight of the kids. :) But I decided we needed to shake things up a bit, and save Tommie from the same questions being asked over and over, so I came up at the end,…

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My First Music Video!

This Sunday at my church we are starting a two month Family Sunday School class, and it will be my first Sunday using a new curriculum called 252 Basics, based on Luke 2:52 (Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man). Anyway, I won’t get into that here, but to say that it is a ‘virtue based’ curriculum and each month will focus on a new “virtue” with July being “HUMILITY.” The curriculum provides some very modern and up to date music as well, and a theme song for each month. The song for Humility is actually pretty cool – I think the kids will like it, almost sounds like Hillary Duff. Anyway, I took about 30 minutes tonight at church to film some puppets singing it, and forced myself to stick to one take. (Otherwise I would spend four hours filming and increase my editing time as well!) Editing took a few hours more, but in the end, here is my FIRST MUSIC VIDEO: With or Without Me (9.6MB QuickTime) AND THE LYRICS, which are pretty good: With or Without Me Music and words by Candi Pearson Shelton, Reggie Joiner, and John Carrozza. © 2004…

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Back to um, what’s it called? oh, yeah, work!

Well, this is it. The eve before my sabbatical is over. Tomorrow morning I head back to work, that is, if I can remember where I work. (hahaha) Wow, what an awesome trip this was! We got to travel to Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, (through a bunch of states on the train), Washington, Oregon, California and of course, Illinois. Got to go back to Yosemite (my favorite place on earth) plus Cedar Point (second favorite, funnest place on earth) plus along the way visited over ten churches meeting with the children’s pastor from most of them. (not to mention the Star Wars Convention, that was pretty cool too) I was back in church on Sunday, but didn’t have to do anything, just enjoyed being there. It was great to see all the kids again, and nice to be fought over again. :) After church it was back to Culver’s, the unofficial after church hang out. These pictures from Sunday lunch say better than words why I am so glad to be back, and why I love my job so much….. Still some more Sabbatical Posts coming – but thanks for following us along the way. POST A COMMENT and tell me…

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A Jedi with a Shepherds Heart…

The hills as you drive to beautiful Corvalis, Oregon are filled with sheep lazily grazing on wide open green pastures. Counting the sheep would have been a pointless effort, as there were too many and constantly moving. Just a few hours from the coast of Oregon, it is a beautiful place to live and minister, and the sight of sheep on the way in was fitting, as we were on our way to meet a young father and pastor with a true shepherd’s heart. Strong in the Force this Children’s Pastor is… Henry and his Padawan Learner… After church at Kings Circle (See Kings Circle Gallery) we headed out to lunch at my favorite restaurant that is now sadly missing in Chicago… The best former Chicago restaurant in Chicago. Allow me to rant: The busiest restaurant at our local mall in Chicago went ‘out of business’ due only to upper management mistakes. Soon all the other Baja Fresh’s in Chicagoland started to disappear, and rumor is that they are pulling out of the MidWest. Dumb. Why would a popular busy highly profitable restaurant close? I’d like to say to Baja Fresh’s Leadership: “I find your lack of vision disturbing.” A…

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Yosemite Sam, er, Karl!!

It was our third day in Yosemite – and I hit the trails so much I am sore this morning! But I have discovered that you haven’t experienced Yosemite until you get out of the car, off the main roads, and up into the hills, it gets even better! I have pictures at home of me on this sign as a kid! Met some monks from Burma along the way. My first destination was, of course, Inspiration Point. Sara trusted me to climb up into the rocky cliffs in search of inspiration. (There was enough inspiration for her just overlooking the Tunnel View, the #1 photographed spot in the park – it is breathtaking enough!) Not sure if I got to the Inspiration Point, but I did get to the point where I was inspired. The trail was hard to follow, and I think I finally lost it… (or it went off a cliff and was a mean trick!) So after that, I had to forge my own trail, going where no hiker has ever gone before. (I hope!) Me right before the log fell thousands of feet to the valley below! Back in the valley, we enjoyed walking around.…

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