Home BlogPage 59

On an Island in the Middle of the Ocean…

On an island in the middle of the ocean, there is a Kidology.org member. Ever hear of Reunion? Neither had I. It’s a paradise island near Madagascar complete with a live volcano. While officially discovered by Europeans in 1507, it may appear on a map as early as 1153 AD – ruled over the years by the Portuguese, British and now the French. Just Google images of Reunion Island and you’ll discover some breath-taking pictures like out of a movie. It’s incredible! How did I come to discover this beautiful and fascinating island? When I got the following e-mail this week from a missionary working there: I hope I’m not too late to donate to the $20 for 20 years campaign. I’ve been praying the Lord would provide the money to donate for your 20 years celebrations. Last week we received a gift and it was easy to work out what the money was for & I’m so delighted that was God’s choice! Kidology has been my Kidmin lifeline on the mission field for so many years that I can’t imagine your ministry not being a part of ours. Thanks so much also for all the years of sponsorship that…

Continue reading

3 Quick Tips When You Are Stressed Out

OK, you don’t have a lot of time for this post – because you have a zillion other things you really should be doing, need to do, should have done, and ought to do. So I’ll get to the point – ready? 1) Don’t make any Big Decisions while you are stressed out. Stay the course, time for reflection and evaluation and possible changes will come. Put off reactionary changes/decisions until you can calmly and objectively think clearly. As my dad used to say, “Bad decisions can always be put off to make later. Good decisions take time.” 2) Walk away for a few minutes. Pray. Breath. Ask what can go? What can be left undone? Usually something can. If you’re not sure, ask your spouse. Then, stick it out and do whatever you got yourself into (that can’t be dropped) but remember how you feel now. You’ll need that for evaluating later. 3) Look at your calendar and look ahead. Find a breather spot. Plan something refreshing and enjoyable NOW. Even if it is weeks away, you’ll have something to look forward to. Give yourself a light at the end of the tunnel. A date? A day off? A…

Continue reading

Ask for Guesses, Not Answers

Years ago in an inner city ministry, I had a little boy in my class named Trevon. No matter what the lesson topic or Bible story, any time I asked a question his hand shot up and he was eager to answer. The only problem was, no matter what I asked, he always answered with an enthusiastic, “Moses!” Some teacher must have hit it out of the park telling Trevon the story of Moses. Feeling badly for him always being wrong, one Sunday I thought I’d be smart and “rig” the Q and A time for little Trevon. Though it had nothing to do with my lesson, I asked, “Who did God give the Ten Commandments to?” Of course, Trevon’s hand shot up again! I smiled as I called on him knowing he would finally be right! Instead, he hesitated and then timidly answered, “Jesus?” I was as dejected as Trevon when I had to say, “No, Trevon, it was Moses.” I felt terrible. I thought I had set this little guy up for success, but instead, I had caused him to fail yet again. I shared this story with a mentor that week who told me, “Karl, that’s because…

Continue reading

Karl in CA at Servant’s Conference

If you are in Southern California, I invite you to join me at the Children’s Ministry Servants Conference March 27 and 28, 2015. I’m excited about this conference because it reminds me so much of the Kidology University conferences I did for ten years (15 events in three states!) and the spirit behind them that was exactly why I did those. The founder of the event, Stef, wrote: The vision for Children’s Ministry Servants Conference was born out of my own experience in Children’s Ministry. I was “thrown into” CM without any training, when I think of that now, I cringe. I decided that no one should ever experience what I did those first few years of leading the ministry. After prayer and conversation with the senior pastor, we decided that this would be a good thing to offer others. So in 1999 our first conference took place. This year will mark our 16th anniversary. The theme this year is “Passing It On – Reaching the Millennial Generation” Attendees are from non-denominational as well as denominational churches in the So Cal area and nearby states The training team for the conference is as diverse as those who attend it. From…

Continue reading

Happy Birthday, Buckaroo!

Luke is 9. WOW, I can’t believe it. So proud of this kid. He is smart, kind, considerate and never lacks energy. He makes friends well, and has a caring heart. He must get all of that from mom. Yeah, I make music videos of my kid. I keep them on my iPad for when I travel; I love to watch them. Here are two of my favorites that I posted on my blog years ago, but decided to post on YouTube today, as I celebrate 9 years with this awesome kid. This one is my favorite, made in 2008: And this one I made as a night-night song for him in 2007: If you want to read more about this cool kid, here are a few of my favorite blog posts about Luke over the years, or just click on the Luke Category! These feature some cute pics of him growing up: How to Raise a Dew Baby! Watermelon Boy The Adventures of Illinois Luke Luke and Touch-a-Truck Rest Stops in Life Luke Turns Four! Yelling Out the Window Frustrating My Father Doctor Poncho Just Thinking About Kids and Behavior Dads iPhone Camera Tells it All The Perfect Birthday…

Continue reading