Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tulsa Workshop

Ah, good times were had by all in Oklahoma this year. It's always a joy to go to Tulsa. One, my family is in OK. I also enjoy seeing my spiritual family and being inspired by the lessons.
Some highlights from this year in Tulsa:
  • While at Braum's (restaurant) Fischer spied a man wearing an eyepatch. He squealed, "Dad, that man looks like a pirate!" As we passed the man on the way to the bathroom, Fischer opened his mouth to make the announcement a second time. I quickly clapped my hand over his mouth. The pirate smiled.
  • From Rick Atchley's class on Identity: "If you take Christianity out of your life, what would you have left? Would your life look pretty much the same, except for cussing a little more and not having anything to do on Sundays? If your life would look the same, then you don't have Christ. What you have is a hobby." Wow! Preach it, Rick!
  • Weather: On the way in - dry as a bone; saw fires burning in nearby towns. Then, cold and wet. Saturday - SNOWED ALL DAY LONG. No comment...
  • In our hotel room, we had two queen-size beds. Fischer was being hyper, doing "boy things." As he jumped on one bed, he looked at the other one and a light bulb went off. He gathered his courage and made the 3 and 1/2 foot jump from one bed to the other, and stuck the landing! While Tracy scolded him, I silently said to her, "That was AWESOME!" I would NEVER have done that as a 3-year old! We have a little daredevil!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Another Cool Prayer

Found another jewel of a prayer in my son's book of first prayers:

Day by day, dear Lord, of Thee
Three things I pray:
To see Thee more clearly,
To love Thee more dearly,
To follow Thee more nearly,
Day by day

-St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Monday, March 16, 2009

Seven Years

Who says your 7 year anniversary has to be boring?
My lovely bride will be posting pictures and and commentary sometime soon. Check out her blog here.
But our date was fun, too. One restaurant for a delicious meal, and then off to another for dessert. We finished off the night at Family Fun Center, playing video games and earning enough tickets to buy several little trinkets to bring home for Fischer!
I love the fact that Tracy still loves to have fun. And I love it that we don't have to do fancy things to have a good time. That's part of her secret to being a good mother, too...she is inventive, creative, and adventurous.
Psychologists have used the phrase "seven year itch" to describe declining interest in a marriage after seven years or so.
The only thing for which I "itch" is to spend the rest of my life with this beautiful, spunky gal that I call my wife! She is amazing, loving, sometimes overanxious, thoughtful, funny, incredibly maternal, friendly, and fun to be around. Not to mention that she has put up with ME (and being a youth minister's WIFE) for seven years now!!
Happy anniversary, Tracy. I love you, and I love everything about you!

Friday, March 13, 2009

The Winds of Change

At the insistence of a few nameless critics, I have decided to change my blog design once again. Yes, for a fleeting moment, the "Myriad of Mustaches" design was funny and seemed to capture youth ministry in a nutshell.
I agree, though, that it was hard to read and somewhat impractical for a web page.
I hope you enjoy the new layout...until I decide to change it again!
BUT I CHOOSE TO HONOR THE LAST DESIGN BY CONTINUING TO GROW MY FACIAL HAIR. IT IS MY HONOR AS A YOUTH MINISTER! (Kind of like Samson!)
God bless you all.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Ancient Wisdom

I love the sound of Latin. I found this little nugget of ancient wisdom:

Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?

Translation: "Ever noticed how, wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face?"

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Youth Ministers and Facial Hair

Yes, you may have noticed the odd background I have chosen for my blog. However, as I think of most youth ministers I know, a background with different facial hair is entirely appropriate!

I have been asked many times, "Do ALL youth ministers have facial hair?"

And here are my answers:

1. "Yes, that way the parents can tell us apart from the teenagers!"

2. "Yes, because that's what Jesus would do."

3. "Yes, it's what sets us apart from 'other' ministers!"

4. "No, some youth ministers have back hair, nose hair, and shoulder hair, but no facial hair!"

5. "We're youth ministers. We don't have TIME to shave!!"

6. "Yes, if God blesses you with wonderful facial hair follicles, you ought to put them to good use!"