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Write It… And Toss It

Saw this Calvin and Hobbes and it reminded me of some GREAT advice my dad once gave me… but first, enjoy the cartoon: Ever gotten so upset about something you sat down and HACKED OUT A LETTER? I have! There were many a letter I wrote that after showing to my dad for his input, he quietly read and then said, “It’s a great letter! Well written! Excellent points! Well organized and presented! Perfect arguments. Now throw it out.” Throw it out?! How could he compliment it so highly, and then tell me to throw my masterpiece out? He was helping me not make a bad situation worse since my letter would only pour gasoline on the fire. So was my letter a waste of time? No! My dad explained that “hot letters” are still good to write because they help you organize your thoughts… process your emotions and sort out the details of what happened. Then, after you toss your flaming masterpiece,  you’ll be better prepared to write the more diplomatic letter that will get results. OR, better yet, pick up the phone if you can’t meet in person. E-mail and text messages have kinda ruined the pace of…

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Be the Adult Who NOTICES Kids!

I’m honored again to have another article in the FREE Spanish Magazine Entreninos. (No worries, my column is in English!) One of my Kidology Theorems was republished, Be the Adult Who Notices Kids. So, now you can download and print in a very nice format for your volunteers. Download the PDF here. To download the entire magazine, first download this PDF for English instructions on how to navigate the Spanish site to download any of their magazines FREE. Just visit entreninos.com to download Issue 40 (or any other issues you want!)

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FREE eBOOK from KidCheck!

Hey, just found out about this FREE new resource from my friends at KidCheck and wanted to make sure you knew about it! It’s a FREE eBook called Optimizing Child Safety in Your Organization. It’s jam-packed with checklists, tips, and proven safety strategies. You’ll learn the following: • Why focusing on child safety attracts new families. • How to predator-proof your environment. • Seven steps for choosing the best volunteers. • The benefits of a Child Protection Policy. • Tips for using children’s check-in for more than attendance tracking. With this eBook, you’ll be equipped to create a safe & secure environment both now and in the future. Regardless of what system you use for your secure check-in system, you will find this eBook loaded with some practical tips, reminders and ideas! AND if you are looking at implementing a secure check-in system or re-evaluating your present setup, you owe it to yourself to at least set up a consultation with the good folks at KidCheck to have a pressure-free conversation about how to make your ministry more safe an Here’s a link to preview DOWNLOAD THE FREE eBOOK!

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10 Things You Should Never Do

Just some friendly advice: Do not put off backing up your phone or computer. Do not wear white socks with black shoes. Do not send an angry e-mail or text. Do not buy underwear at a thrift store. Do not donate underwear to a thrift store. Do not post “following” on a Facebook thread. (Please) Just select to be notified. Do not drive slow in the fast lane. Do not drive fast in the slow lane. Do not cut your own hair.* Do not run a children’s ministry without a secure check-in system! Need help with that? Visit Kidology.org/KidCheck. KidCheck exists to help you ensure the children entrusted to you are safe and secure. Kidology Members get a discount for the entire first year. Got questions? They’ll be happy to set up a call to walk you through the process – no pressure! Add a comment with something YOU think you should never do! *I learned this the hard way.

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Karl’s Ancient Guitar Chord Books

This post won’t interest many, mostly posting for myself, but if it helps any guitar players out there, so be it! Not many know I play guitar – honestly, I’m not very good at at, it’s mostly a private hobby, a skill more than a talent, if you understand the difference. I picked it up in college because my roommate, Rich Stafford, was amazing, I and I wanted to learn, and he was a great (and patient) teacher. I LOVE leading kids worship and still enjoy it for personal (and private) worship when in my Man Cave. I own a variety of guitars, from classical to acoustic and this is my last addition that I’m really enjoying. Anyway, on to the point of this post… I have been using the same guitar chord books I created in the 90’s since, well, the 90’s! I made these when I used to lead worship with my guitar to collect all my favorite songs into two books – kids songs, and adult worship songs. On the rare occasions I still get to lead and play, I still use these, but I only had a few extant paper copies, so I decided to finally…

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