Project 52

Tim Tebow

2012-01-18T13:21:00.000-06:00

I have to admit I am officially on the Tim Tebow bandwagon. Not because of his football talent or that I am a Broncos or Gators fan, it because I just finished reading his book Through my Eyes. And as Tim describes in this preview video its his story

I am no major reviewer but I enjoy reading books and try to read more of them as I get older. Tim Tebow has been attacked for what he does believe from those who disagree with him and those that agree with him. By those who think he can't play football. He doesn't throw the ball the right way. He has to run gimmick plays, whatever it may be. But Tim has the IT factor that makes him a winner on and off the field. I love sports and I love to read the insights on certain plays that I watched on TV. But the things that really stood out to me where the things outside of sports. Did you know that Tim Tebow is Dyslexic, he was home schooled all the way until he attended Florida, his mom and Dad was advised to terminate the pregnancy because the risk to her and the baby were to great and the baby wasn't going to make it anyway. He was born in the Philippines when his parents were missionaries, he had to remember and recite 5 Bible versus every week to watch and hour of McGyver on Saturday night, 94 million people Googled John 3:16 during or after the National Championship game versus Oklahoma-the first time he put a Bible verse on his eye back. Now nothing can be put on eye black, not even a precious Nike logo. There are many other stats and facts in the book and I feel I have a better idea of the makeup and the person Tim Tebow. But I still have no right to judge him, I think the Bible says something about judging others not being a god thing to do. I feel others will give an opinion or judge Tim Tebow and they haven't at the least even read his book. I am sure that if they did read the book they would say that is not normal, the way he was raised and what he believes. Its not! He has set the bar very high for himself! He is not perfect! He will make mistakes and already has. I see him get angry when things go bad on the football field. When he makes a mistake that makes the media the critics will have a heyday. I will not judge him.

I do know this Tim Tebow is a person and what he wrote inside his book give me hope and a role model of what I want to be as a person. I don't have a man-crush on Tim and he would not exclusively be my role model...but he is one of them. Its not normal but I don't want to be normal.

Read the book! If your a sports fan-you will like it. If your a Christian-you will like it. If your both-You will really like it. If your not a football fan or a Christian-you may not like it to start but I think it will leave an impression on you by the end of the book. Its been 4 days since the Broncos lost to the Patriots and already the name Tim Tebow seems to have dropped from the news a bit aside from his possible injury. I am really looking forward to next season for Tebow and what also lies in between for him.

Radical by David Platt

2012-01-02T12:47:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading Radical by David Platt. No it doesn't count as one of my books for 2012. I have been reading it for the past few months of 2011. The book spoke to me because I have given my time in another context. Platt challenges each person to do something different with 2%(one week) of their time this year living out the gospel in other contexts (in different countries-a mission trip). I have done this every year since 2005 and infact I have seen the same dump outside Tegucigalpa Honduras that Platt refers to in the books where some 3000 people live and wade through the trash to look for items they can recycle for money or use to live. In fact I was in the village not a half mile from the dump and the homes (shacks really) were made out of items that had been taken from the dump. Yet these people living in the dump were at peace it seemed and while they wanted more they felt blessed to have what they did. So after reading radical I am going to attempt the Radical Experiment for 2012.
The Radical Experiment is a year-long commitment to five specific challenges:
        •To pray for the entire world
        •To read through the entire Word
        •To commit our lives to multiplying community
        •To sacrifice our money for a specific purpose
        •To give our time in another context

Pray for the entire world
Using the resources provided by Operation World, pray together for the entire world over the course of a year.

Read through the entire Word
Using a chronological Bible Reading plan, read through the entire Bible. This site will provide a Bible Reading Plan and scripture memory for each week.
Commit your life to multiplying community
Commit yourself wholeheartedly to the local church. But even deeper than that, commit yourself to a small group that is intentionally sharing, showing, and teaching the Word while serving the world together.

Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose
For the next year, look at all of your expenses as a church, as individuals and as families through the lens of specific need in the world. Work to set a cap on your lifestyle so that you can free up as much of your resources as possible for the sake of the glory of Christ in His church, among the lost, and among the poor.

Spend your time in another context
As you are making disciples in your community, commit, as individuals and families, to give 2% (one week) of your time in Gospel ministry outside of your community for the sake of God’s glory in all the world.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T21:39:00.000-06:00

2011 has almost come to a close! In less than 3 hours it will be 2012. As I look back on 2011 I am thankful for many of the blessings that I received in 2011. I was able to go on 2 mission trips including one with my daughter Manda, plant 36 trees for Project 52, complete Love and Respect and the 2nd class of Men's Frat. I also have seen a friend go through some tough times that I have known since the 8th grade. When I see what he and other guys go through it makes me feel oh so lucky that I have done the Love and Respect Class and the Mens Frat Series. Aside from going to Honduras in 2005 nothing has had such a profound impact on my life.

As I look on 2012 I am reminded of a Devotion that I just received a few days ago from Rick Warren "Abandon your old wineskins" In the devotion Warrens says " For you to become the person God wants you to be in 2012, you will have to abandon the old wineskins in your life so that God can pour himself into the wineskin of your new life-in-Christ. This may mean, for instance, that we cannot try to pour the new wine of “honesty at work” into an old wineskin of “cutting corners.” Otherwise, “both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.” This year, you will have to change in order to be the person God wants you to be. Are you ready to make the changes? Do you feel the excitement of knowing God is right there with you, not just helping you change, but leading you in the change?As Pastor Rick often says, God is for you. He wants you to succeed in 2012. What are some of the old wineskins you will need to discard as the New Year approaches? The devotion is based on Mark 2:22 “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” To read the entire devotion click here

I have been reading Radical and it has some very thought provoking ideas and questions. After reading Radical my Resolutions for 2012 are to read the entire Bible in one year. Be content with only things that I need, not things that I want. I want to read a book a month. I already have Tim Tebow's book, Ed Thomas's book and Crazy love by Frances Chan on my nightstand to read. I also need to get back on the treadmill. Four times a week! Starting tomorrow!

May 2012 be a blessed one for you! Shed the old wineskins. Look for new wineskins. God is calling you to change something in your life. I hope to figure out what that is in 2012. I think I know and it will be confirmed if that is what God is calling me to do!

Parting song You are the Beauty by Gungor!

The Christmas Cold

2011-12-13T10:31:00.000-06:00

I have officially had a cold for about 48 hours now and was wondering if the flu would have been better. This cold is a real hum-dinger! Can't find the right combination of over the counter medicines and home remedies to get my head cleared. So be forewarned if this writing gets a bit goofy its not a relapse of listening to Pink Floyd in high school but the cold cocktail I have given myself this morning.

Ran across this video this morning. Very well done!

Did you notice that Joseph lost 23 friends when he said he had a dream?

One of my favorite Christmas songs on the radio (in my house) this year

Recently I received a couple of devotions that has some great versus of scripture and/or statements.

First one is from Rick Warren's December 11 Daily Hope Devotional

Therefore, this Christmas season, “pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a ground-swell of response, just as it did among you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 MSG).

A simple yet awesome task! If you know the Good News of Jesus Christ share it with others. Its better than any Christmas gift and it never has to be returned, exchanged or renewed!
The second is also from Rick Warren. This is from December 12 Daily Hope Devotional

Jesus’ actions suggest that our witness to a non-believer starts with friendship: We earn the right to share the Gospel through relationship. The old cliché is a cliché because it’s true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Those who have yet to become friends with God are just like you and me, looking for deep, true, supportive friendships, sometimes especially during the Christmas season.

When I lead a mission trip or have a youth group in for Urban Plunge I stress to them the importance of learning about others. Everyone has a story! Most of these mission trips are either construction or medical trips and we (North Americans) get caught up in how much we can get done. How may blocks we put up or how many patients we saw today. While yes this is an important part of the trips we need to know the people want to know that others care and to spend time with them a learn something about them. Whether its the kid in Dominican Republic that is asking for a piggy back ride, the youth visiting with a resident at a dementia unit or holding the hand of a little boy getting a tooth pulled in Honduras; all these acts are showing how much you care.

Have Merry Christmas Season! Time to blow my nose again!

One Percent

2011-12-07T12:20:00.000-06:00

Watch this video about Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints!

Sunday NFL CD - Jimmy Graham from Doug Fitzsimmons on Vimeo.

Adoption not only effects those that are adopted it effects multiple generations! My Mom was adopted and if it wasn't for that adoption I don't even know where I would be today or how my life would be affected. While I am not a Pro Football player I could have very easily seen myself being that 1% that Jimmy talks about in the video. I could have been that 70% of inmates in Prision after a Priest told me at eight years old that I would be in jail someday when I was having problems when my parents divorced. I am in the minority of people who have been divorced and have remarried and today have a happy marriage. I am a Dad that has primary custody of my daughter, not because her Mom is bad but because her Mom and I sat down and deciced that is what is best for our daughter. I have a pretty good relationship with my ex-wife and we work to do what is best for our daughter. We(me, my wife, Ex-wife and sibbings on both sides) attend as many teacher conferences, choir and show choir performances together as we can. I am not meaning to boast or brag because God showed my several years ago that I needed a stong dose of Humble Pie and he served it up with a shovel....because that is what I needed. But I am proud of what I have accomplished with the help of my parents, my wife, my ex-wife, pastors, friends, mentors and my faith in Jesus Christ.

I now feel called to help that 1% and more!There are statistics for everything and we usually only hear the bad ones! I want to help in everything from helping people in other countries that do without food, water, housing and basic healthcare to single parent Moms to mentoring other men that are caught in the routine of life and it is killing their marriage and they are feeling empty inside. They wake up one day next to a person that was the love of their life to hear them say "I have no feelings for you." We need to be intentional (I am talking to the Guys) and we need to have a plan! How many people take a job and have their bosses say "Here is your desk...Good Luck!" No you train, educate yourself and learn as much as you can to be successful. How much do we train, educate and learn to be good Dads, Husbands, friends and members of God's kingdom?

I am just one person and as seen above one person can have an effect on others! Many men and women have had an impact on me...some good some bad. As in the movie Courageous "Were are you men of Courage?" Who will help the 1%? The 70%? The 200,000 unchurched people in Polk County? The friend going through a divorce? God commands us all to do so!

Penn State Afterthoughts

2011-11-14T22:36:00.000-06:00

I have been more than absorbed in the news coverage of the Penn State Scandal that was uncovered last week. I have a feeling there is more to come... I pray I am wrong. There are not too many things that have not been said already about the whole issue. The boys are the victims and nothing can justify what happened. The firings and resignations are the result of choices that were made by men in very important positions. Those choices that were made as we are finding out were not acceptable in no way shape or form in this or any society. Each person will be investigated and will get their day in court. Once the courts review their cases if they are found guilty then the punishment should match the crime.

I want to take another avenue on this subject. I want to have family and friends, specifically male friends that will be truthful and honest with each other. If I make a choice or one of my friends make a choice that we all know is wrong, then I hope we hold each other accountable and do what is right. If someone comes up with a plan to cover their tracks or keep the authorities/public from finding out the truth I hope that we hold each other accountable and do the right thing. If that means calling the police, then we need to call the police. But after listening to Keith and Andy on the radio today and Whats bugging Andy it gave me a new perspective on what I have been thinking why this has been kept quiet. As we get older and have more responsibility we have to think things through with a slant on how the decision is going to effect my life. The example Andy gave was that he saw his neighbor get mad and throw his dog against the garage. Being an animal lover and knowing what the neighbor did was wrong Andy started to walk over to his neighbors to confront him, but as he started to walk he thought about doing something that might make him lose his job and if he lost his job he couldn't pay his car and house payments. He wouldn't be able to get another job in TV if he hit his neighbor with a shovel because he threw his dog against the garage and that made him change his mind about what he was going to do.

Now take the responsibility that we have in our life home, job, kids so on an so forth and the choices we have to make in our life to take care of the responsibilities that we all have and look at everything a coach at a division one college football team has to make and how they effect everything and everyone involved. I am not trying to justify JoePa not calling the police but the choice he had to make would have effected thousands of people~the fans, donors, people that work at the college and on and on. What I am saying is that added pressure and responsibility added to the situation. If the story comes out he has a challenge recruiting and if he cannot get the players to win donors start to complain and not give money and before you know it you are out of a job the university has lost donors and other people are going to lose their jobs. In this case that is what should have happened. Someone inside the team, sports department or the university needed to call the police. Someone needed to hold everyone else accountable. Someone needed to be courageous. Someone was not any of these and now the chips are falling and will continue to fall.

The courageous I am talking about is well depicted in the movie Courageous. I want to be courageous and I want my friends to be the same!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM&list=FLy6qI1T6b4CMKroeU6MGeyg&index=15&feature=plpp_video

Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday

2011-08-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

Today is the day of the week when I usually feel like I have or will accoumplish something during the week. I mean Facebook does get boring after a few hours! This week is still up in the air! Hopefully I will really kick it in the last 2 days and feel like I am going to get something accomplished!

I just finished facilitating Quest for Authentic Manhood at my church and we had about 10 guys come for the Tuesday morning study. At the end of the course you are to compelte a Manhood Plan and submit it. Only 1 person wrote out a manhood plan in bullet points. I made the joke that if I was a teacher I would have to pass everyone to keep my job! But after everyone had left and I was cleaning up, I wondered to myself why nobody compelted their plan. Many thoughts went through my head....was I not clear enough in the beginning, were they scared to write things down on paper, what could it be. I decided that I am going to challenge them to complete their Manhood Plan and will be emailing them each week to see if they made any progress. I will also continue to pray for them and for the group that will start in the fall.

The 4th annual Treye Blythe Memorial Golf Tourney was a success once again thanks to the generous support of the local AGWSR community. $57,000 will be given back to projects in the local community and for the Treye Blythe Gymnasium in Dominican Republic. One of Treye's teachers said it best that she new Treye would do great things and even though he has passed it didn't effect the fact that he is doing great things!

Last week was 20 years since my Mom passed August 2nd. Doesn't seem like it has been that long. Just seems like it was yesterday sometimes. I miss her of course but I wonder what she would say or be doing if she was still alive. My mom loved Barry Manilow. For you Mom!

Summer winds down this week and school starts next week. Football is just around the corner and its been 4 years since a left a regular job. The things I was worried about don't even cross my mind now, there are other concerns but I know the good Lord will take care of me because I have seen his blessings in my life!

The Hole in our Gospel

2011-08-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this with you. I just read the book "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. Richard Sterns left his very nice CEO job with his Jaguar company car and a 10 bedroom house on 10 acres outside of Philadelphia to take a job with World Vision. To say the least it was a change for him but he felt that it was a call form God that he could not decline. His book talks some about how he received that call to go to World Vision and his life experiences that lead to that point. The book also talks about his job at World Vision and how he sees the "Hole in our Gospel" The book has 3 main principals that all Christians should believe. 1. We are to Love God 2. We are to love our neighbors 3. We are to go and make disciples of others who will do the same. Sterns says #3 is the hole!!

I am going to skip to the back of the book to the Chapter "How many loaves to you have?" Sterns uses the example of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king and he asked the king to go back to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem that had been destroyed over 150 years ago by the Babylonians. The Babylonians had now been concurred by the Persians, the same Persian king that Nehemiah served as a cupbearer. When he heard of the stories from those who went back to Jerusalem he knew that he has to go back to help and build that wall to protect the city from outside evil forces. Nehemiah's approach was simple and inspiring. He was first a man of prayer, he was also a doer! He developed detailed plans, raised money, and organized people to complete the task. Despite opposition and discouragement, he encouraged and inspired each person to do only what that individual could do-his own part. He reminded the people of the great truths of the scripture~in fact Nehemiah had the book of law read aloud while the people worked on the wall from daybreak to noon. The result was amazing! The great wall that laid in ruins for more than 150 years was rebuilt in 52 days!

I love the tie in and the example of what can be done if everyone does their part or does just a little bit. If everyone did just a little bit the number of things that would get done in the world would be amazing. That is my prayer for everyone-weather you are Christian,a Christian that has fallen away or somewere in between. Everyone can make a differnce no matter how small it is. If you don't think you can make a difference because its a small thing, think of sleeping in a small room with a mosquito. Mosquitos are small but they make a difference in how you sleep!

A song to listed to...sorry can embed it http://youtu.be/y8BBCYFAYRI

Sidewalk Prophets You loved me anyway

I am thorns in your crown, I am the sweat from your brow, I am the nails in your hands, I am Judas' kiss

4 powerful lines to an awesome song!

Sorry for the Exodus!

2011-07-27T10:48:00.000-05:00

Its been a while! Seems life gets in the way and there are many things to take our time! I hope that I have used my time wisely! (Facebook and Twitter can really take a lot of time if you let it!)

I wanted to start out with a quote from Rev. Michael C Burton of Corinthian Baptist Church right here in Des Moines. I facilitate Des Moines Urban Plunge and Corinthian is one of the places we visit for church on Sunday. This weeks sermon was on prayer. We need to pray continually. Be in Gods word...not just at church but at all times during the week. Rev Burton had many key points but the statement that stood out to me was as simple as this "If you talk to your dog as much as you talk to God, your dog would have let you long ago!"

The end of June I went on my 7th trip to Honduras..little video below

It was a great trip! They all are but if I had to rank my trips this would rank pretty high. I got to go with my daughter Manda, and watch her witness Honduras for the first time. It was one of the father daughter moments that I will never ever forget! She loved the trip and Honduras. In fact she wants to go back next year! I always love to serve with my brothers from Franklin Community Church in Nashville, but this year we had some new faces from Pennsylvania, Arkansas and South Carolina! I met some really great folks! When you meet someone you can tell they have the "it" factor. The "it" factor that I am talking about is walking with the Lord and having that peace upon your face. It was an honor to work and meet Scott, Denice, Robert, Michael, Peter and Shannon......heck it was an honor for everyone on this team. Looking forward to the mission trip to Honduras in 2012. My prayer is that I will not forget the experience of Honduras, especially with Manda!

Next week-My review of the book-Hole in the Gospel!!

Vacation Time!

2011-04-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

I took a week off to spend 4 wonderful nights at the Stillman Inn in Geneva Illinois with my wife! I have never stayed at a Bed and Breakfast or been to Galena. Despite the possibility of losing a few "Man" points I had a great time! My wife and I just took time to recharge our batteries and to spend time with each other. It didn't take me long to get used to sleeping in a little bit getting up and reading with a cup of coffee and a wonderful breakfast. That was followed by more reading, coffee and an afternoon activity of shopping or visiting President Grant's home. I highly recommend the Stillman in not because of the Inn and the food but because of the owners Dave and Bernadine Anderson. If you are ever in Galena stay at the Stillman!

I returned to Quest this morning and it we talked about the all alone wound for men. All alone is not having guy friends that you can talk to things other than work and sports. Robert Lewis referenced a the St Crispins day speech by King Henry V. King Henry V ends the speech with WE BAND OF BROTHERS....awesome stuff!

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. HE HAS RISEN!

Retro Music and the Man!

2011-04-12T11:34:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday night my wife and I were sitting in the living room each with our laptops and I started watching music videos of bands from my era (the 80's ) and her era (the 90's). It became a trivia game. I would find a song and play it and she would guess who it was and visa versa. Since then I have had this some stuck in my head. We had a lot of fun playing these songs and it brought back memories!

I also watched this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB4lHAEsSyo

Albert Pujols is so much more than a baseball player. I really admire his humility. He does things because he wants to, not because he wants the publicity or attention. He does it to give back to others and expects nothing in return. I have been to the Dominican Republic and the images bring the trips that I have taken to the Dominican Republic. The close up shots of Albert when he is talking remind me of the pride of the Dominicans and also the humility and Faith!

I am reading Tony Dungy's book Mentor Leader and I came across this quote: "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit." ~ Nelson Henderson

I am not sure what Nelson meant by this quote but for me a person that plants trees for others it speaks to me and says, You are planting trees for the true lives of others and there are many more people who need a tree in their life after a premature loss. I don't expect to sit under the shade of those trees but my tree is planting trees for others.

I love all the Tony Dungy books I have read, and this one is no exception. It really challenges you to do more and be a leader and mentor. Have a blessed week!

Sharks, James and a Marine

2011-04-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

Last week was pretty ordinary but with a few highlights. Before the highlights lets start with something funny. I saw this on TV last night. made me laugh out loud and long for the corporate business world!

Last week I had breakfast with James the older gentlemen in my neighborhood whom I mentioned a post or two ago who lost his wife after 60 years of marriage. James made breakfast and we talked for about and hour and a half. After listening to James talk about his wife, kids and life, all I could think was this guy has the IT factor. What is IT? I am not sure if I can describe or define it but its when you meet a person they way they carry themselves and they way they talk and act. They are usually well spoken but also humble, funny and humorous but not offensive, polite, and a good listener. When a person has the IT factor, I watch them and see what I can learn from them. How do they answer a question. How do they look at other people. What are their mannerisms?

Enough on IT. James has an unparrelled faith and conviction. He spends time reading and brought out several books for me to look at. He said he spends at least an hour each morning in devotions. He also has started to journal. He shared some of his and his wives favorite scriptures with me. His wife's favorite scripture was

Philippians 4:6 and 7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." and she said whatever it is commit it to prayer!

As I left I told James that if he ever wanted to have breakfast again I would be happy to do so. He thanked me and said he was going to think about what his plans are now that he is on his own. I hope to have breakfast again with James.

We (Project 52) also received a request for a tree for a Marine that was killed in action in Afghanistan. I looked up information for his obituary and found a Youtube video that was made in memory of him. As I watched it I couldn't help but tear up and think how Blessed I am to have men and women serve our country.

A Thank you and an honor

2011-03-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a busy one. Working on tasks for Project 52 attending a mentorship exploratory meeting and seeing some snow. I looked back at some of the ideas I had written down back in 2006 and 2007 about Project 52 and mission work and see what God has done now is truly amazing! I need to learn to reflect on the gifts that I have been given than to look to the future and the path that God has laid out in front of me. I believe that reflecting on the past will show me the way to the future more than i realize. History does repeat itself!

This week I had two things happen to me. One had never happened before and the other has only happened once. This first involved a man pulling into my driveway after I returned home from the grocery store on Thursday. At first I thought he was lost because he had out of town plates. But then he stuck out his right hand and said I wanted to stop and say thank you for flying your flag! This man looked to be about retirement age or so and I figured that he has to be a veteran. So I asked him if he was a veteran and he said yes. I said no sir "Thank you for your service that allows me to fly my flag." We had an exchange and he was on his way. I tell people that I have one little regret in my life that I didn't go into the military. I took all the tests and was all ready to go and for whatever reason didn't. If I had went to the military I would not have had seen my mom the last 3 years of her life and I certainly would not have met my wife. As I put away the groceries I thought to myself sometimes the little things do matter. My flag is up everyday with a light on it at night and I don't think much of it but it means something to every veteran that passes my home.

The second thing that happened to me this week was being asked to be a God Parent. I have one God son and it was an honor to be asked and be a God parent for my nephew Jack. This couple that asked me was a shock. At first I was shocked that they were expecting but as I talked to Mary I heard the joy in her voice and the admiration for the gift that God had given them. I accepted without hesitation and look forward to the day when i can hold my second God child. I pray that God blesses this family in ways they cannot even fathom.

I like my music.....one for the veterans, everyone that protects us and the good old USA!

A chance encounter....God know better

2011-03-23T17:01:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite songs of late....speaks volumes!

There is a retired couple that lives in my neighborhood and I would see them every once in a while when I walk my dog. Yes, I walk my dog the same route almost every day. I have talked to the man of the house (James) a few times but never his wife. James told me his wife was not in the best health and I would guess that James was at least 80 year old himself. I noticed a week or so ago that his wife's obitiuary was in the paper about a week or so ago. I thought I should tell James I was sorry to see his wife had passed the next time I saw him. Last week I saw James while I was walking my dog. It was one of the first warm spring days. James was bringing in the trash bins and Cooper and I stopped to say hello as we usually do when he is outside. After exchanging conversation on the beautiful spring day I told James that I was sorry to see his wife had passed. He said thank you and said that he missed her and he was morning for her but then a smile and sense of peace came over him and he said "God blessed us with 60 years together" and I couldn't have asked for a better wife. He told me that they always went to bed at the same time and talked about there day and prayed together before they went to sleep. James also told me that he used to tell his wife that he loved her and she would respond with saying "Your the best". James told me his wifes last words to him were "Your the best".

I thought to myself, I am trying to be sympathetic to a man that lost his wife after 60 years of marriage and he is giving me more through his advise, kind words and examples of what a good marriage is based on. We ended our conversation with James telling me.....When you work, you wor for yourself.......when you pray God works for you! With that Cooper and I continued our walk and I thought to myself, I hope that is not the last time I get to speak with James.

2011 Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic

2011-03-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

I dont need to say to much....pictures speak louder than words!

Depravity

2010-08-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

As defined by Webster: Depravity -a corrupt act or practice

I am taking a weekly study called Quest for Authentic Manhood and we covered Depravity wounds in a recent study and this one his me right between the eyes. Robert Lewis the author and speaker calls Depravity Wounds as wounds of the flesh. "We are all fallen and flawed creatures at odds with our creature and each other." We are dysfunctional by nature and that most of my issues are in me not out there! When Adam ate the fruit and God asked him if he did Adam said Eve made me do it. He played the Blame Game at the start of man and then Eve said the serpent made her do it. Adam and Eve did not accept that their inner flawed self made the choice to eat the fruit. Fast forward thousands of years....why do we do things that we know are not right? Depravity! We think we can control these depravity wounds and that keeps us from placing our faith in Gods grace. When we can't control your depravity and you end up in jail or an outcast it seems almost easier to give everything to God. Its easier to finish the race. So many of us including myself seem to sit right at the finish line but never cross it. We go to church read devotionals, pretty good dad and husband and overall a good guy but we never quite get there. So how do we get there? How do we have faith and enthusiasm of an alcoholic or criminal that is on fire for Christ. Don't we sit there and think....Hmmm won't be long until he is drinking or in jail or both. Something I have thought about and how do I change my thoughts and feelings towards those thoughts?

Summer came and went since the last post. Will try and be a better steward of my blog.

God Peace!

God is on Craiglist

2010-05-11T11:54:00.002-05:00

On Friday April 30th Dustin Jen and I planted a tree for Project 52 in Waukee. The tree recipients had no place to put the dirt so we hauled it away in old blue. When we got back to Dustin's house we tried to come up with ideas to get rid of the dirt. I had the bright idea of checking Craigslist to see if anyone in the Urbandale area need clean fill dirt. Low and behold we found one in Urbandale and I called them up. They answered the phone and we made arrangements to deliver the dirt. When we arrived we were met by a gentlemen that seemed to be in his retirement years and told us he was a builder and had built all the homes in the surrounding neighborhood. He of course asked us were we got the dirt and as Dustin explained to George the recipient of the dirt what Project 52 was he told us that not only has he lost one child he had lost 2! George and Dustin began to visit and minister to each other as they had both lost children and how strong their faith was and how it carried them through. As George and Dustin talked more and more I finished unloading the fill dirt and listened as George talked to Dustin. You could see the connection between the two. We asked George if he needed any more fill dirt in the future, He said of Course. I programmed his number into my cell and told him we would call him every time we had some fill dirt. As Dustin and I drove away we could not believe what just happened. Some would say it was pure coincidence but we know it was just another God moment in the journey for Project 52.

I like to listen to music and last week took my daughters to their first concert. We went to see Kutless and one of the opening bands was The Museum. I really liked their last song "My helps comes from the Lord"

Check it out...Sorry I can't embed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K9sc3bCdi4&playnext_from=TL&videos=IqXiiY_g3FE

Spring in the Air!

2010-04-09T23:09:00.000-05:00

I must say that I have negleted writing anything for quite some time. I have been to the Dominican Republic and back, the snow melted and the green grass appeared, baseball has started, I have hosted an Urban Plunge team and Project 52 planted its first tree of 2010.

First let me say that aside from Dustin receiving some bad news the trip to the Dominican Republic was just awesome! Great team, great experience, great people, many God moments, humility, playing baseball just to name a few of the highlights from the Dominican trip. For those who don't know I went on a mission trip to the DR and helped build a house with 24 other Americans and Canadians. A short video of the building of the house and photos of the week

I have to admit the 85 degree days in the Caribean help beat away the Cabin Fever I was having from the what 69 inches of snow we had this winter. I was hoping when I got back from the DR the snow would be gone but no such luck. Soon after I returned the snow did start to melt and this last week the grass turned green. Its like it woke up from a long sleep and is now ready to have some fun.

Green grass looks awesome when baseball is being played on it! I love the sound of the wood bat hitting the ball during batting practice. There is not many things better than catching some rays taking in a baseball game and having a cold one. So far the Cubs look like the Cubs so I am going to have to support the Red Sox a bit more this year I am afraid.

Project 52 Trees to Remember program kicked of last Friday .....Good Friday... with a tree planting in Marion for a little 7 year old girl that had cancer. We planted the tree at her school. Every tree planting is different and this was tree planting was no exception. We found that digging the hole for the tree was a bit challenging. We found rocks and gravel and with 5 minutes to go before we were to start the tree planting we still had 4 inches of dirt to dig out. God answered our prayer and the hole was ready for the tree just in time and the hole was perfect fit for the tree. The highlight of the tree planting was the kids in Maddeson's class releasing lime green ballons for her birthday which would have been the next day. On the count of three they let the balloons go and with all the excitement and joy wished Maddeson a Happy Birthday. What an awesome way to honor Maddeson and what an honor to plant a tree for her!

Another Haiti Email and some random thoughts

2010-02-01T11:44:00.000-06:00

Today marked the 54th day in a row we have had 4 inches of snow or more on the ground and it looks like it will be here another 54 days! The groundhog is not even coming out tomorrow!

Pitchers and Catchers report in just over 2 weeks!

The Sermon Series at church the last few weeks is on conflicts. Its been a great series of messages. I missed one of the messages because of a conflict. (I am here all week!)

I have been getting emails from a contact in Dominican Republic about taking water over to Haiti.

Here is the email:

Hola Amigos,

As the subject of this email says, we just delivered more water to our brothers and sisters of Haiti. It looks like that thanks to your generosity, we will able to accomplish our goal of taking 100,000 bottler of much needed water over there.
This last trip was much more touching/emotional than the last trips as we went again right into one of the areas that was hit the hardest. It’s incredible/absurd/inconceivable that after so many days bodies are still laying on the side of the road in this area. Flies attack you when you just open the window of your car and the smell goes through even the nose masks. But you may know this by now through the news agencies because they like to report on this kind of things, (by the way everybody here seems to agree that there are too many of them in Haiti doing nothing more than disrespecting the dignity of the Haitian people) so I will not go much into that in this update.

After my appearance on national television this week, other news agencies ( 2 of them) wanted me to talk on camera about what is happening in Haiti. So I told them what I really wanted people to know about the Haitian people . They appeared bored, so I don’t think these interviews are going to be aired ( at less for now ) anywhere and will be like unpublished note that I’m sharing with you bellow .

I would like to tell you about what I learned myself about the Haitian people in these last couple of days, something that the press does not report on:

Haitians are unselfish, loving, caring, helpful and grateful people that, for example, have cut down the prices on transportation of goods getting less personal benefit so their own fellow citizens can get more of what they need. Haitians take a truck full of water to a location where it will be distributed evenly, even though they themselves don’t have any water and will have to wait until the distribution starts to get their share. I have seen that for every foreign relief worker there are 8-10 Haitians that have been working everyday on the rescue effort without any protective gear on their hands and in most case just drinking one water for a whole day. One day, like the pastors that we are working with say, this will be a great nation and Haitians will feel proud of what they did to be a part of it .

I can tell you that this Haitians pastors that I’m mentioning are confident that God has reunited Haitian people as one through this tragedy. They are looking forward to the birth of a new Haiti where people know God as their source for everything.

I’m bless of having the opportunity of share Jeremiah 11:29 with Haitians on this tough moments, and thank God and you for choosing me to be the one here.

Love you all,

Cristian

I love the part about the Haitians helping themselves.

God Bless!

Haiti and Urban Plunge

2010-01-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

In a few weeks (less than 4 to be exact) I will be going to the Domincan Republic(DR) for a mission trip.I planned on going on this trip back in November to help build a house for a family. In the last 2 weeks the neighboring country to DR, Haiti, was rocked by an earthquake. We questioned whether this would effect our trip to DR. The organization that we are partnering with has a water purifier and is sending over as much bottled was as they can. I was also forwarded an excerpt from a Blog of a person that is a short term missionary at an orphanage in Haiti. Read some of her comunique in her blog http://norainhaiti.spaces.live.com/

Some of the stories and first hand account about rip your heart out. Its a good to get some unbiased (news based) information from Haiti.

An excerpt from her blog:

Little seven year old Levalencia especially stole my heart. She told me that she was going to get me something to eat. When I told her that I was not hungry, she said, “Mommy Nora, I have never seen you eat anything!” Imagine such a little one being so concerned about MY wellbeing! I asked her about the last couple of days. She told me that her papa had died in their crushed house and that she had cried! She told me that her school had been destroyed and that her mama has four children, but that she had come to LesCayes only with her mama and her 3 year old little sister, Dariana. She told me I was her mama too! Later in the day, she brought her mother and little sister to meet me. Levalencia always wants to be right next to me or sitting on my lap. Many times she will gently shove the other children aside so that she can have her “rightful” place by my side. I am sure that bright and early tomorrow morning she will be calling out my name at the door of my tent! What a little sweetheart! When Sunday did arrive, Levalencia said she wanted to go to church with me. She entered the church with the only dress that I have seen her wear and a pair of shoes that are at least three sizes too large for her. She looked around and noticed that her dress was not as beautiful as the other little girls’ dresses. She politely excused herself and returned with a dress fitting for Sunday worship, according to the Haitian tradition of dressing in your most beautiful clothes to honor God. I’m not sure where she got the dress. My hunch is that she borrowed it from someone else.

URBAN PLUNGE DES MOINES!

We had our first group for Urban Plunge Des Moines this weekend. God cleared the weather for a great weekend. We had ice storms last week and a blizzard today. The guys from First Federated did an awesome job this weekend on the Plunge. They all were willing to help out and do whatever is needed. The thing that stuck out the most for me was the statement of just being there for someone esle is a ministry unto its own. To show others that you truly care for them and what they are doing in their life whether it was a senior citizen with Alzheimers or a possible homeless kid playing video games. They showed true compassion! What a great group of guys!

Looking forward to more Urban Plunges in Des Moines this year! What a great kickstart to a great year!

Haiti

2010-01-21T22:55:00.000-06:00

In a few short weeks I will be in the Dominican Republic....February 19th to be exact. I will be part of a mission team that will help to build simple homes in the Dominican. The Dominican Republic is on the same island as Haiti. All of the news coverage of the Earthquake is unbelievable. Many people have lost their live and many others have lost their homes. Already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere Haiti could ill afford the earthquake they suffered just over a week ago. Water and Food have become more valualble than money. The organization that I am going to stay with in the DR, Unto International, has a water purification system and they are bottling water to truck over to Haiti. Getting the water to those who need it is no easy task. Guards need to be hired and escort the trucks. After the first trip into Haiti it was decided that it was better to move the entire load of water to a Haitian registered truck than to drive a DR truck into Haiti. Available Haitian trucks wanted $3000 to take the water but after some negotiating settled on a few hundred dollars.

I imagine this scene is much more that TV can portray or one can describe. It will be interesting to go to the DR and see what is going on to help Haiti. I feel moved to go to Haiti in a few months to help with the rebuilding process. Until then thoughts and prayers go out to Haiti and their people.

I saw this on the national news the other night. Unbelievable. It is easy to have faith when times are good but when times are tough we seem to question our faith.

Once she is removed from the rubble she sings after 6 days of no food or water.

God Bless Haiti!

Some Fresh Air

2010-01-13T15:28:00.000-06:00

Well today seems to be the first day over 30 degrees in a long time! I stepped outside on the deck to see how warm it was outside. The snow is melting and I could hear the water from the melted snow running down the roof and the downspouts of the house. I decided to grab the shovel and uncover the grill. I am feeling the need for some grilled meat! Nothing is better than grilled meat in the middle of winter! It felt good to get some fresh air and a little activity outside while shoveling the snow.

Last Sunday I watched Facing the Giants by the same people who did Fireproof. It was a great movie...message wise....acting wise its not going to win any Oscars. This movie was not meant to win Oscars it was meant to tell a message. To me the message of we wonder why things happen to us or why the things we ask for don't happen to us. We pray about it but nothing happens. We need to prepare for the things we ask for and seek. The diffining clip of the movie for me is the Parable of the 2 farmers that need rain but only one farmer prepares for the rain. Which farmer will God send the rain?

Check out this clip

Which farmer are you? It convicted me. I want to be the farmer that prepares for the rain but I feel I fall short.

Prepare for Rain. Come Spring there will be rain....will there be rain this winter?

2009-11-18T13:55:00.000-06:00

Well its off to South Dakota today for a talk for Project 52 Inc. We were supposed to fly in a small plane today but the weather is not going to cooperate. Dustin and I will have plenty of time in the car to talk about tonight and pray that we make it on time.

I just finished putting together a little video slide show for the 2009 tree plantings. Its seems like just yesterday that we planted the first tree for Justin Volzke. I read this week that Justin's friends presented the family with a cross to mark the spot where Justin was killed. As I watch the slide show I can think of each story and what happened to each of the people that we planted trees for this year. What an honor to be able to plant these trees! We have several requests for trees next year and we are looking forward to planting each and every one of them.

As we prepared for the talk tonight we went back and looked through some video of the events surrounding Treye in 2006 and it seems very surreal. Almost as if it is someone else. It put a new focus on our talk for tonight and we hope that the message touches the audience tonight. I am looking forward to the talk and I am also a bit nervous because I want it to go well. I just have to remember God will put the words on my lips and I need to trust him to portray the message that He wants me to tell.

If you would like to have Project 52 do a presentation at your school, youth group or church please contact us at our website. Thanks!

Its more than whats between your ears!

2009-10-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

We as humans and ultra intelligent being seem that we first want to understand everything about a subject before we believe it. In the media things are reported and we doubt them until they are proven. I have read the Bible from cover to cover 2 times in fact and I still don't completely understand even 5% of what God says to me in these words. I know reading the Bible is important and I try to read it everyday but it doesn't happen as it should but I feel more guilty about not have the feeling of Jesus in my heart and soul than understanding why Peter wrote what books and where he was when he wrote them and why he wrote them. I want to have that feeling that Jesus had when he lived on this earth. It is said that Jesus came to serve not to be served. Now I am not saying serving others is the only thing that we should do but when I serve I get that feeling that I cannot describe. When I serve others without purpose or thinking about it I get a feeling that I cannot describe but I think Jesus had it every single minute of every single day he walked this earth.

I recently got the new David Crowder CD Church Music and it has some great songs on it, but by far my favorite song is How He Loves

The line in the song "Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets

That says it all I can hold all the regrets I want to hold but if I believe and have the true feeling of His grace inside of my chest then we will sink in his love and grace. What a beautiful song.

In the past few weeks I have been able to meet up with a person that I consider has that feeling and I highly respect and have a sense about this man. He has a vision of what God is calling him to do and he is helping me with my vision and challenging me to look deep into my chest for the feeling of Gods love. He mentors others just as he was mentored at one time and asks that it be passed along. It is easy to get sucked in for the wrong reasons but I feel that God has called us together to do some things that I am not even aware of or have any idea of what they are.

So the next chapter of life goes.....Next week I will be speaking at a church about Project 52 and how I came to be involved in it and how God has used me to this point. This journey is going to be awesome but I must have the patience to let it happen in Gods time not my time.

This week I lost another high school classmate to cancer. I pray for him and his family.

God Bless

Another Month has gone by....Wow!

2009-09-30T13:39:00.001-05:00

This is about 9 minutes long but what a great message!

Everyday we think about what we don't get done and day after day week after week we tell ourselves that tomorrow or next week I will get more done. I am a master at email. I can let them consume my day and the next thing you know your day or week is gone. Then this week I see that one of my classmates is going to hospice with cancer, he has no treatment options left. 40 years old and nothing that a doctor knows can help him. Many people have posted prayers and kind thoughts to him. I also saw another post that asked why do we only do say nice things about folks when they are about to leave or have left this life. Think about it, how many times do folks give a eulogy at a funeral and say that person was pretty average or not a nice person at all. Makes you wonder what people think about you, not the people that know you really well but people that know who you are and have maybe spoken to you once or twice but really have no idea what they true you is. I think we all strive to be the person that others say "Hes a good person." but in reality we mess up and make bad impressions or say things that make people think "What is his deal/problem?" I know that I still do things that I would like to take back. I am a work in progress and so are you!

In the message it says we are a masterpiece in Gods eyes but in our own we feel more like the trash on the curb. I have asked myself as we go out and plant trees for those who have lost children "Why am I doing this?" and "Am I good enough to do this?" I feel sometimes that I need to get my own life in order before I can go out and do things for others. My life is pretty good but I don't feel I have reached my potential, my calling. I feel that I really need to take a step to do something that will get some of these bad ideas that are holding me back out of my way, but in God's eyes I don't need to think that way. I am a masterpiece and He has plans for me. I struggle with this just as the video suggests and I know others do also. My prayer is that each and every one of us feels as though we are a masterpiece that God created!

Tangent Here--> Now that almost all news is online I often find myself looking at different websites to get my news but the comments that people post really bother me. Recently a 13 year old boy was hit and killed by a drunk hit and run driver and someone was questioning why the boy was out at 11:45 at night. Would that person say that to the mothers face? What if the Mother read that article and the comments? It seems anytime there is an article where someone has broken the law or has had a bad thing happen people like to hide behind their screenname and post some of the meanest things. Can people just take a step back and think about putting themselves in someone else’s shoes before they post a comment? Don't get me started on text messaging. Oh how the rumors fly and the gossip goes around on those things.

So today when you see someone who may need some help, offer them a hand. Give out smiles to those who look like they are having a bad day. Peace and God Bless!!

Gosh its been a month!

2009-08-27T11:25:00.003-05:00

How times flys! Now that I am 40 years old it feels like time really gets away from you. In the last month so much has happened that I a felt that I should write a little bit about that but I never got around to it. I have been working on getting the Des Moines Urban Plunge up and going and that has taken longer than I expected but it gives me patience that I need to learn. The sermon series that we are doing in church right now is Famous Failures of the Bible. One of them is Peter. Peter was a devout follower of Jesus but when it came down to knowing Jesus he dismissed him. The lasting point for me was Jesus telling Peter to follow the will of God not the will of Man and relating that to our lives. How we think we have a plan how we need to do this or that. We don't look at the will of God for direction we just forge ahead we know. As I have been doing planning for Des Moines Urban Plunge and Project 52 I seem to really strike me to the core. Am I doing God's will or am I forcing what I want? Sometimes its hard to discern which is which. I really have to take a step back and look for guidence from God and that goes back to patience.

On July 31 the 2nd annual Treye Blythe Memorial Golf Tournament was held in Ackley Iowa. What a great event! Vaugh and Wayne Blythe deserve a lot of credit for organizing and hosting a great tournament. Over $40,000 was raised to 2 daycares and a surprise donation to a family with medical bills from their child's birth defect. All in all a great day! Look for the 3rd annual tournament in 2010.

Des Moines Urban Plunge is coming together and the first plunge will be Sept 18-20, 2009. I am excited and a bit concerned about the first one to make sure it goes as planned and we have fun serving the Des Moines area.

God Bless! Keep praying and serving!

Random Overdue Thoughts

2009-07-28T16:03:00.004-05:00

Here is a photo of the Jesus statue that overlooks the city of Tegucigalpa Honduras. I have always wanted to see this statue up close but never have had the chance, but with the political situation in Honduras we got the chance to go to Picacho Park and see the statue along with a replica of a Mayan temple.

Last week my oldest daughter went to Montana with our church youth group to do service projects at an Indian reservation. She had a great time serving with over 400 kids from all over the country. She was overcome with many feelings and emotions and she was saying many of the things I said when I went on my first mission trip. I am so proud of her, she put herself in a situation that most kids would not put themselves in and she had a great time. As she was telling me about the experience and how happy she was I couldn't help but think of a text I received from her Mom letting me know that Grandma is not doing well and may not make it though the night. We agreed not to tell our daughter until the next day unless it was necessary as we knew she would be exhausted from the trip. The next morning my daughter got the call about Grandma and by noon she had passed.

Grandma in this case is my ex-mother in-law, some folks don't get along with their mother-in-law let along an ex-mother-in-law. I will admit that we have had our differences but in the past few years we had a mutual respect for each other and I even got a compliment from her about being a parent. It was a great compliment and I will never forget it.

July 11 was my wife's birthday so I bought her some roses. When Grandma passed all of the roses were dead except for one. That one rose was bright red and pointed in the direction of Grandma's house. That rose stayed red for a few more days. We all noticed that the one rose was bright red and we talked about how when our earthly body dies our soul is still alive.

Grandma loved music and was extremely proud of her my oldest daughter and her singing. She decided to sing at the funeral. The funeral was on Thursday and she had 3 days to prepare. On Monday and Tuesday the song didn't sound so good, not bad but not as good as it could have been. She was trying too hard, but at the funeral she nailed it! It was beautiful! She sang Chris Rice's Untitled Hymn. Was an awesome tribute to her Grandma.

Keep looking for those opportunities to help others!

Honduras 2009 Mission Trip and Political Unrest

2009-07-06T16:56:00.004-05:00

I just returned from a trip to Honduras on July 4, 2009 and by the looks of it just in time. I don't want to get into who I think should be in control or President of Honduras. I have read some of the information on the Internet and had an opportunity to talk to some of the Hondurans while in the country. Not a single person I spoke to was in favor of the ousted President returning to power. I though this was very interesting. If I go on the information on the Internet and from the local Hondurans it is not enough to make judgement on who should be in power.

What I do know is this; until the political situation is resolved NO short term or long term missionaries from North America will be allowed to provide basic necessities to the poor of the country. I have read that 70% of the county lives in poverty. Poverty in Honduras is far different than the United States. People are living in shacks (and when I say shacks I have seen better barns in the state of Iowa) and struggling to find food on a daily basis to feed themselves. I was part of a team that poured a concrete floor for a women who lived in a 14x10 shack that had dirt floors for over 28 years and raised 8 kids in this home and now her grand kids. No running water and electricity was very slim. Unfortunately this is the norm for this country. Many single mothers raising multiple kids in a tiny shack while sharing it with other family members. Alcoholism, abuse both physical and sexual is very high. Medical and dental care is only for extreme cases that may be a life or death situation.

Our team also provided free medical, dental chiropractic and optical care for anyone who wanted to line up and wait to see a medical professionals. After the physical needs were addressed we talked with each person via a translator about why we come to Honduras. We come to Honduras to serve as Jesus served when he walked the earth and expect nothing in return. The smiles, hugs and kisses on the check are some of the most wonderful things you can get. The people of Honduras are so welcoming and wonderful. They never complain, they are just thankful for the opportunity.

So until the political situation is resolved no mission teams will be serving in Honduras. The risk for North Americans is to great. The people of Honduras are dependent of these services and many will now go even longer without getting some of the vital services they need to maintain their lives.

Please pray for Honduras! The citizens of the country are the ones who are suffering and until the situation is resolved they will continue to suffer.

Don't Complain get in the game!

2009-06-22T15:10:00.003-05:00

Take 12 minutes and watch this!

I watched this video today and had many thoughts go through my mind about how and why I say or do what I do. Usually something will happen or doesn't happen and I complain about it. My day doesn't go the way I planned......heck life does't have a plan.

When I feel myself getting a little down or overwhelmed or I am complaining I dive into something that will get me out of that mind frame. I will take on a project, bury myself in responding to emails or do some household chores. Getting into the game gets me away from the obsticles that I feel may be holding me up. I usually ask God to give me guidence to get through the complaining or obsticles and get me going again. Usually not long after i have this talk I am back in the game.

Don't sit on the sidelines and complain......get in the game!

Why do I remember this?

2009-06-01T21:51:00.003-05:00

I was browsing my Youtube account and came across this

99 Luft Balons...The one hit wonder from my high school years when they played videos on MTV. As soon I saw this it was as if I was watching it on MTV in my youth. The song is in German but I know the lyrics! Why is that stuck in my mind taking up valuable space. Watching made me think of things I can see in my mind that maybe only happened once or a a person I met only once but the image is forever in mind.

I vividly remember crashing my moped and getting stitches in my chin, I remember sitting at the gas station while on vacation as a 7 year old waiting for he car to get fixed, I remember watching a tornado go around Boone when I was 7 years old. I also remember some fun things such as getting a hit in little league (yeah I was bad!), riding bikes all over the neighborhood in the summer, playing in the cornfield across the street from our house and making mazes in the corn ( I am sure the farmer was not to pleased with any of us!

All of this brings me to a question that I get asked and I don't seem to have that one no doubt about moment when I knew it happened. The question is when were you born again or when did you accept Jesus as your savior. This is a tough question for some people and for others it is not. I have been on mission trips and done some other things through church that have given me a mountaintop God moment. If you are like me I was baptized as an infant and grew up in church until about 2 grade when my parents divorced and then really didn't go much until I got married and had kids. I now right now I do not have that "no doubt about it moment", sometimes I wonder if I am there yet? And by there I mean am I where God wants me to be, are there other things that I have yet to experience that when I am older I will say yep that's it! I am not saying that I am not a full fledged christian yet but maybe but rather God has some other experiences he is going to show me to affirm what I already believe and feel. This week I received an application and instead of being called an application it was titled "Getting to know you". I liked that it felt warmer than an application.On the back was the question, "When did you find your trust in Jesus?" I really really liked this question! As I read this question and looked back for that "moment" that I trusted Jesus. When I thought about it I think that ever since I met my wife my trust grows everyday. She is a great spouse and she is always pushing us to deepen our trust in God (sometimes I do not want to hear it). My wife has allowed me to do some things in the last 2 years that I cannot thank her enough for and one of them was waking me up and challenging me to deepen my trust in God.

The Jalapenos always Get ya!

2009-05-19T14:44:00.004-05:00

If you read any of my post you know one of my favorite sayings is "Life is not like a box of Chocolates its more like a Jalapeno...what you do today will bite your backside tomorrow."

Well I did something last week (not against the law or involving a commandment) but without telling the person that means the most to me (my wife) I went out and purchased a truck to use for tree plantings and other volunteer work I do instead of having to borrow a truck and line transportation up every time I needed said truck. I had mentioned it before and had packed away but I always kept my mind open for just the right one! I was out last Thursday and I found it. A beauty of a truck, well taken care of and I gave the salesman a ridiculous offer and they took it. As I looked at the paper to sign for the truck, I kept thinking is this what God wants me to do and will it help to glorify his work....to which I answered well yes! But then I thought my wife doesn't know and she is going to be upset that we didn't talk about it first. So when I told her she was more upset than I imagined she would be and though the course of conversation I found out some things I wish I would have known before I signed the papers for the truck.

Hindsight being 20/20 I would probably would have not only followed Gods will but make sure that when 2 become one during marriage that I follow it no matter how good my intentions may be. I am truly sorry to my wife for making this decision without her agreement.

Awesome Cookies!

2009-05-04T12:34:00.003-05:00

On Saturday May 2, 2009 Project 52 planted its first tree to remember for Justin Volzke in Utica Nebraska. Justin's dad Hollis Volzke was on the Honduras Mission trip in 2006, so we called to have the first tree be planted for Justin. As you can see the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. We had around 30 or so friends and family come out to Centennial High School to help plant and dedicate the tree. It was great to see some old friends that we had met on our trips to Honduras and to also meet some of Justin's classmates.

This was our first tree planting so you are always a little worried how is it going to go. On the ride home I couldn't think of anything that I would have done differently or better yet forgot.

Wondering why I titled this blog "Awesome Cookies"? I sent an email a while back to some of the fellow Project 52 board members telling them I wanted to start making cookies and seeing the tolls of the labors of Project 52 instead of talking about and sending emails back and forth about what a web page should look like or what the brochure should say. Planning for Project 52 has been a long process, but one that I feel was in God's time. It was time to make cookies and to enjoy them. God tells us to GO make disciples of all nations not to talk about how good it would be if you did it. I realize that things should not be rushed and done haphazardly but time comes when you have to take that first step.

I really felt God's and Justin's presence on Saturday. It wasn't something that you can say yes that was definitely it, but rather a feeling from inside. Maybe God did give me one sign on Saturday some folks brought refreshments that included.....you guessed it......Cookies!

Amazed!

2009-04-13T21:19:00.002-05:00

The first time I viewed this video was Friday at church during Good Friday service. What an awesome song and video to wrap up a awesome message. I left service practically in tears and well...........Amazed.

Last Sunday I was on Urban Plunge and it was Palm Sunday. We visited a church that had an outreach to the homeless and less fortunate in the community. The Pastor challenged everyone to a little home work. He asked them to read the account of Holy Week in one of the gospels. So Monday morning I started reading the account in Matthew, Mark and Luke. As I read the account this week I had an "Ahh haa" moment when it all kind of clicked. I don' t think I fully understood what Jesus did his last week from riding in on a donkey to rising from the tomb. Most of my weeks are busy but nothing can relate to what Jesus did in his last week. This year on Friday it felt a little different in service. Maybe my faith and belief caught up with my mind or better yet I think my mind caught up with my faith. No matter the case ( I prefer the latter) Easter had a new meaning for me this year.

Maybe it was serving on Urban Plunge last year or maybe it is spending time talking to God when I am walking the dog that made it all click or have a new meaning. This video certainly did it for me. I was Amazed and am today, Amazed that by Grace I am free.

Hope everyone had a Blessed Easter!

Cooper

2009-03-24T09:54:00.004-05:00

After talking about getting a dog for many months and maybe longer we now have a new family member. Cooper is a shih-poo (cross between a poodle and a shih tzu) and is 4 months old. He came to us from a lady in her 80's that felt she could give the proper time to an ambitious and very playful puppy. The kids renamed him Cooper (a name they have had picked out for a long time) and he has picked up on some of the commands and training that we have given him. He know his name, he know the command come and he loves to play fetch. Potty training is 85% successful, he know what he is supposed to do but to get him to do that on a consistent basis will take some time. The biggest problem so far has been the playful biting and biting items in the house that has been the biggest issue. His favorite chew toy thus far is my hand. So I spend some time scouring the internet for tips and ideas to stop the biting. The underlying message in all of this is be consistent and it takes time. I think often bout how we train our kids to do things. They didn't get it the first time. I am not a patient person so for me to be able to take the time to do this the correct way is going to take some time and teach me patience...more than I have on a most days and even more on the no so good days. I thoroughly enjoy taking Cooper for walks and you get to experience all that God has created and I can talk to God as I walk (along with the Dog). If one of the kids goes for a walk as well it is some time to hear about their day or what their minds are thinking. I also enjoy the evening when Cooper is tired and wants nothing more to sit at your feet or on your lap and sleep. He loves to have his belly rubbed and they say that shows trust. My wife asked me how long the new patient and a bit more laid back Bill will last. It may last a while. Cooper sleeps through the night and the storms we have had so far don't seem to bother him and that will help the patience factor immensely. I am reminded of 2 things through this process that God doesn't give you more than you can handle and take time to enjoy the little things.

Is it Fifty-two or Five-two?

2009-03-04T14:10:00.005-06:00

So today I am out running a few errands and I have to stop at the local Christian bookstore and I see an advertisement for the Sonshine Music Festival in Wilmar Minnesota and it has David Crowder on it so I check it out. David Crowder is my all time favorite but a name jumped off the page and caught my attention. KJ 52 is the name....if you read the blog you know that 52 is a number that I am a big fan of for some very special reasons. I came across this video and I was blow away. It seems to be written for Project 52 and how it can LEAD/INSPIRE/MOTIVATE young adults. From the first line of this video my jaw dropped.

We live behind the pretend world. We say hey I am fine I got nothing bad going on in my life or you think hey this will not happen in my house and then it does. You wonder why God would let this happen as you try to be a good person but then the silent bomb goes off. Maybe if you took the time to talk to God before these things happen but you cannot be so sure. Maybe we wouldn't have these issues but then I look up the lyrics to this song and it counld not be said any better:

If I could write to every kid that’s out there, Every kid that’s hurting feels like nobody cares, I would tell them that God can wipe away tear, And he's right near and I would say it quite clear, Your here for a reason you’re not a mistake, You are a special creation that God himself made, To the victims of abuse to every girl that was raped ,You can live you can be free from your pain, And find strength and no longer be ashamed, You can find peace and hope In Jesus name You, aint gotta live with this hurt every day, Christ came to give you life in a much better way, To every kid right now that’s full of hate, And bitterness I'd tell em just to give it all away, To the one that came to take all the blame, That’s what I’d write here’s what I’d say

Amen! We need to listen to or kids, talk to our kids and tell them that God loves them more than we ever could as a parent and this parent loves his kids a whole lot! If you are struggling with something in your life. Talk to someone! Talk to me I will listen!

2040 miles to Mississippi and Back

2009-02-24T11:03:00.004-06:00

Not more that 72 hours ago I was looking at the Gulf of Mexico while at the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The beauty of the water and watching the sun set over the water is something you can never get tired of seeing. Water was the reason for the trip to the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina and the wall of water it produced is still evident 3.5 years later. Where once large grand homes stood looking at the Gulf now only the foundation of the home remains with a For Sale sign in most of the yards. As I drove around the coast and looked at the buildings that have been left from the Hurricane one can only imagine the force of the water and wind from the storm.

I was honored to accompany 12 others on a Habitat Build in the Gulf Coast. We worked on homes that are nearly ready for new homeowners. The entire street is of nearly 30 new homes sitting inside of a neighborhood that once had some major damage from the storm. It was like being in another town. Where once destruction was wide spread and nothing was left from harms way now a new street of homes....quite a sight to see.

While on this trip I was fortunate enough to go with a person that I highly admire and respect. This gentlemen is one of a kind and the world needs more of them! He has had the same job for 35 years and the same wife longer than that. He served honorably as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and has had more than one brush with death and relied on his faith to keep him safe. He gives his time and his money to serve others. He likes to have fun and laughs like a little kid. He has that personality that you just want to be around and admire. He is one of the people that you say see how he lives his life. I wish the world had more of these gentlemen in it but it is getting so there are getting to be less and less of them. He is truly a gem.

I do not want to leave out the others that went on the trip. They all brought special talents and gave of there time and expected nothing in return. I believe this is one of the most unselfish things a person can do. So often we have a "Whats in it for me?" mentality. For one week I think this entire team thought less of me and more of them.

This week God revealed to me and validated what are my talents. I can organize and plan out a trip to the nines. I can pick places to stay, things to do and places to see and have you leave and come back and be homes 2 minutes earlier than I planned. I am still working on the spiritual side and how to bring that time of service to others and make it personal.

God Bless the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. They were tested to their limits and they are on their way back!

Mississippi

2009-02-18T20:52:00.002-06:00

Remember in grade school when you were so proud that you could spell it all by yourself. I am on my first trip to this area. I am in Gulfport/Biloxi area that was hit very hard by Hurricane Katrina. The damage that was caused by the storm was amazing. Many of the old homes along the coast that were hundreds of years old are gone. The only thing that is left is a slab. The cost to replace the homes is too high. Regular homeowners insurance does not cover it and the government help was limited. It is hard to imagine that the storm was almost 3.5 years ago. The area still looks like it has a long way to go and the economy is not helping at all. I am with a group of 13 people from the Des Moines area that are working on the Thrivent Builds homes in Long Beach MS. There are 28 homes that are nearing completion and should have people living in them with in 2-3 weeks. We are doing some finishing work on the homes. We are lucky enough to have good weather so far, but it rained tonight. Last night we watched a documentary on Katrina by a local news station. The parts that stuck out to me were the before and after photos and the stories of people trying to survive and relying on there faith to get them through the storm. One lady had some holy water and when she held on to it and started to pray as the water filled her home and she had no place to go the water started to subside. One wonders why God allows these types of things to happen. I am not well educated enough to give a biblical answer but I feel that God will test us and he will not give us more that we can handle. Faith is the strongest in those who have survived the tests put before them.

What a Joyous Day!

2009-01-28T15:11:00.001-06:00

Today was for most part the typical day. Get up and get myself going and the kids off to school. I look at the thermometer in my room every morning to see the temperature and it was a balmy zero. I think back to a year ago today I was in Orlando Florida at this time and it was 80 degrees! would the cost of a week in Disney World be worth it again if it was 80 degrees outside? Maybe but I better be wise with the money, we are in a recession! Back to my day...Today I had my chance to contest a parking ticket I received back on December 1st. I know you are thinking a parking ticket common! The ticket was for $50 for parking in a fire zone and it was not even marked as a fire zone! I took photos of the place where I parked, drew a map and consulted an attorney that goes to my church (pro bono!) so I can explain my NOT GUILTY plea to the judge. I never talked to the judge. When you get to the traffic court you check in and then the representatives from the defendant Cities come out to talk to you about why you are contesting the tickets. The try to clear out as many people as possible to avoid court time with the judge. I showed her my photo and map. She offered to dismiss the ticket and I could pay court costs. I figured not bad, I will pay a few bucks and have my Justice! She comes back with the signed plea bargain and says I owe $50 in court costs. At this point I take a deep breathe and start asking questions. I asked enough questions that she left again and while she was gone I pulled out the parking ticket and started reading it. It stated the court cost included were $9. I pointed this out and after some time another person came back out and gave me the option of paying the $9 or contesting the entire amount with the Judge but I would have to wait for court time. I aid the $9 and went home!

What a great County! (as Tim Russert would say) This is a simple process yet most of the world would not get this opportunity. The rest of my day was a normal Wednesday.

Psalm 118:24 'This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Not everyday is like today. Spend some time as Gods feet and you will realize that everyday is a joyous day!

2008 Honduras Mission Trip Video

2009-01-21T21:15:00.003-06:00

Enjoy!

Sure brings back some great memories!

Its Not about me on the Santa Fe Trail

2009-01-11T15:17:00.003-06:00

Its not about me...These are the first the first words of Rick Warren's book the Purpose driven life and that is what I came away thinking after watching the move Sante Fe Trail yesterday afternoon. I was flipping through the TV after shoveling snow and I ran across this movie. I started to watch it having no idea what it was. The only person I recognized was Ronald Reagan playing a soldier named Custer. I did some research on the movie today and found out it was made in 1940 and released in December of the same year. The movie is about 2 guys who go to west point and are assigned to Bloody Kansas as the United States is close to going to war over the Slave issues. Kansas is a territory and it is undecided if it will be a slave state or a free state. John Brown (Of the raid on Harpers Ferry) is bringing slaves from the south to free them in Kansas he is also doing some illegal things as he grows impatient with the governments slow progress to the slave movement. John Brown feels he is called by God to free the slaves but in the movie it is portrayed that he makes the issue his issue not Gods.

His tactics and his means to free the slaves become his and as I watch the movie I notice that when he prays he is not calling on God to show him the way he is telling God to grant the will of John Brown. It make me realize that as great as this week was for me and how much I feel God has done and shown to me, I cannot forget the plan of God. I cannot make a calling of God into the calling of Bill or of Project 52. This is easy to do, John Brown had the best of intentions in mind but the plans he devised to accomplish his plan turned out to be his demise.

This week I did something that I have not done before. It was simply amazing thing. I prayed with my spouse. It was awkward at first but as it progressed it was simply amazing. We plan to continue to do this and see where it leads us.

This week has seen some amazing progress on Project 52. We have invited some great people to serve on the board. We have seen our first contributions and we all feel that we are on the cusp of something, I don't want to follow that with big but it could be if we follow God's plan for us not make it our plan.

Keep Project 52 in your prayers as wee seek to continue on Gods plan.

Everything from the Wii to the Flu

2008-12-30T19:36:00.003-06:00

As a sit at the keyboard and think back about the Christmas that we just celebrated, a couple of things come to mind. First we went to relatives to celebrate Christmas and I got the Flu, along with my wife and 1 of my kids. Every time you have the Flu you think that this is as bad as I have had it; but this time was the worst! No details are worth repeating but it was not fun times 3! We spent most of the weekend trying to recover and muster up enough energy to drive back to Iowa. By Christmas Eve I was feeling pretty good and probably overindulged causing me not to feel so good Christmas day. It took about a week to get back to normal. By that time the celebrations were complete. The presents had been opened and the house was in disarray.

For Christmas I decided to surprise everyone with a Wii. After everyone opened their gifts and started to play with them, I sat the Wii on the floor to see how long it would take for someone to notice it. Well the youngest went right after it and opened it. It was crazy while everyone wanted to get the Wii hooked up. It was a lot of fun to watch everyone from the 6 year old to the 60 plus year old play the Wii games. I thought about not giving the Wii. Maybe I am overdoing it? I am sure the money could be put to better use. After seeing the family play with the Wii... it seems to be worth it. Not the money part but the interaction of the family spending time together and having fun.

The proudest moment for me this Christmas was watching my oldest daughter sing a solo at Christmas Eve service in front of more than 500 people. I was more nervous than she was. She sounded beautiful and was very confident once she started to sing. She really enjoys singing and the confidence boost from singing on Christmas will only fuel that desire.

A second close was watching the youngest 2 girls open the dolls they wanted for Christmas. There is nothing more precious than seeing a little girl with her new doll. They become little mommies and the imagination runs wild. Ever since they got the dolls they have not put them down.

Next up in New years. We will be hosting a party for my oldest daughter and about 20 other 14-15 year old kids. I hope everything goes well. Please pray for us that we are able to be good host for the party.

Next up is resolutions. Mine is Simple.

Get on the bandwagon!

2008-12-15T14:47:00.003-06:00

This recent week Iowa State lost their football coach because he accepted his "dream" job at another school. As soon as the rumors started flying so did the name calling and they statements ranging from "Who cares!'" to what a blantky BLANK BLANK with a few of those words changed to symbols so the bad word filters do not catch them. I received a few emails and phone call from folks as they know I am a BIG Cyclone fan. My response is I can't blame him but the short amount of time he was Iowa State does not help Iowa State very much. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise....you never know. I read the message boards and sometimes I ask myself why I do it. Some folks will say anything to help make themselves feel better or look better. As I watched the press conference today with the Athletic Director Jamie Pollard I can see you hurt he was and he talked about the values that he saw in the coach the 2 years he was in Ames but not in the last week and how he needs to put it into perspective. His statement says a lot about the person he is and about what he stands for in his personal and professional life. Many people get all over Tom Osborne about some of the choices he made while he was a coach and now athletic director but if you have every heard the man talk to a group about life and not football you quickly learn what his make up is.

That got me thinking about what is my makeup and how do I portray it to others. It seems sometimes I have the best intentions but my actions or follow through sucks. Do I always look at the glass half full or half empty? Do others see me as I want to be seen or do they see the "real" me? I don't know sometimes. Sometimes when you look at a mountain you will never get to the top unless you do a little bit each day. But it can get frustrating when you think you have made great progress and you look back to see you have a LONG way to go.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T09:37:00.004-06:00

Its the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Everyone is back to their normal routine today after the long holiday weekend. As much as most people like the Christmas season, I like Thanksgiving even more! First of all; the holiday is centered around eating a huge amount of food. Eating is one of my favorite hobbies. In the past few years I have started to do more of the cooking and I really enjoy it. This year I made the entire feast for the 13 people that were at our home and it turned out pretty good. I have a huge sweet tooth so of course we needed 3 types of cookies, buttermilk brownies and pie (apple and pumpkin). It is a lot of fun to have the entire family at the house to see the young cousins play with each other and how they interact with Grandparents and Aunts/Uncles.

The second thing you do over the weekend is go shopping! The adds come on Thanksgiving day and the ladies spend hours scoring them with paper and pen in hand to plot out a course to maximize the amount of money that can be saved by collecting the most bargins! The anticipation to shop is so great one of the malls opens at 12:01am so we can start shopping. Thousands of people lined up starting at 7:00pm to shop. The ladies talked about going and as I dozed off watching David Letterman they were forming there plan to go to the mall and at 11:30 they left to go shopping. They seemed to have a great time and I think I equally enjoyed my time in bed sleeping. On Friday even more shopping "needed" to be completed, so once again the ladies headed out for the bargins! I decided since it is 50 degrees outside and sunny I needed to get the outside Christmas decorations put up. We have a 12-15 foot pine tree in the backyard and I like to decorate it every year. When I started to put up the lights one of the neighbors came over with a box and a message from his wife that they enjoy the tree in the backyard. I think she has some health issues and its nice to know that others derive enjoyment from the same tree. The box contained a little Santa that kept track of the days until Christmas. My girls immediately took it in the house and set it up.

On Saturday everyone left and the house needed a cleaning and laundry needed to be done before the inside Christmas decorations could be put up. Not long after the guests left it started to snow. It wasn't much of a snow but it was constant and before you know it the ground was covered and when the lights came on for the backyard Christmas tree it was like a postcard picture (see photo above). The tree is pretty neat but when God adds the snow to it; it becomes a real thing of beauty!

On Saturday I really didn't feel the Christmas spirit putting up the decorations (especially when 7 sets of lights for the tree don't work and you have to go buy more!) as I was feeling a bit guilty about how much I have to be thankful for and some of the conversation over the weekend centered on buying gifts for everyone. We already have so much why do I ask for things and give people the expectation that I want and need more! Its not the image I want to portray of myself but I guess it is easy to get that impression when you see how I live. When I was growing up we didn't have much and now that I am able to have some of the things in life I wasn't able to have I will usually buy them. Do I need them? NO Do I want them? YES. I conveyed this feeling to my spouse and she said there is nothing wrong with feeling that way but you can't be a grump when you feel that way and the next thing that you need to do is change the way others see you.

On Sunday in church the sermon was about humans wanting more. How God made us to quench for more and he gave us the feeling of wanting more. I never dreamed of living in a house that I live in or driving the cars that I drive. The key is to not concentrate on the material things that feed you but to also feed yourself with the word of God and to keep your tank full of his word.

On to Christmas and all of its events. Please remember those who are not as fortunate and give to a charity of your choice to help out!

Sign, Sign Everywhere a Sign

2008-11-23T15:43:00.003-06:00

I may have talked about this sign before but I wanted to post the photo I took of the sign. It is meant to be funny but when you think about what the sign says it means a lot. If you don't think so; think of a politician that has had something come up from their past that has made them explain themselves or even lose their job. I am trying to live my life by this sign. I think God would like this sign, it is one half of the WWJD message in my opinion. Things you do should be to glorify God, if not someday it may come back to bite you!

Keeping with the sign theme I had one of the most telling of all signs revealed to me on Friday. If you read this on an ongoing basis ( I know there are 2 of you out there) that I have been involved in trying to get a non profit organization off of its feet and become a reality. In the last week we have had some good emails and conversations about our endeavour. On Friday I was out Christmas shopping with my wife at a local Christian bookstore. I had just got a cup of coffee and I was looking at books with my wife for the kids. A gentleman comes up to me and says " I am sorry to bother you but are you a Pastor?" I replied "No I am not." Then he asks me are you a speaker or are you involved in ministry." I again replied "No I am not....(pause) but I am trying to start a non profit with some friends. " We then exchanged introductions, his name was John. My first thought up to this point was this is the 5th or 6th time I have been asked since this summer if I was a Pastor. You don't think that gets your attention! In fact I was about shaking. I had so many goose bumps that I could not hardly concentrate on what John was telling me, that he too was trying to start a nonprofit organization and he had also been to Central America(El Salvador)on Mission trips. His mission trips inspired him to start the non-profit. At this point I cannot believe what I am hearing, or I guess I can't believe what God is telling me...in fact he is about yelling at me at this point. I ended up talking to John for about 5 minutes or so about some of or passions for helping others. I gave him my card with my information on it and we talked of getting together to share more ideas and off John went. By this time my wife had ventured off in the store because I was talking to somebody that I must have known or just trying to get out of Christmas shopping. When I went back to where she was at and told her what had happened she just smiled. Even while I am typing this I get goose bumps. I definitely feel I am moving in the right direction with the inspiration and encounter with John.

I have come to realize that God is always talking to you......most times I am not listening!

Should I stay or should I go?

2008-11-17T08:53:00.002-06:00

I have been asking myself this question for a while now. I have an "activity" we will call it that I attend on a non regular basis and I have been contemplating if I should stop attending this activity because I do or say things that I do not want to say or do. Let me say these things are not illegal or perverted or something in between but these actions are not the person I want to be. So my question lies to I still attend said "activities" or do I stop going to avoid the temptation of doing and saying things that I do not want to do? On one hand some would say that you have to be like a recovering addict. You need to face the challenges head on but then again a recovering alcoholic doesn't keep a bottle of whisky on the table to remind them of the struggles they face on a daily basis. I am leaning towards not attending these "activities" not only because of the actions that come about but because of the time and money that is also invested which could be invested in others or other "activities". What would you do? Before you answer this "activity" is fun and you really like to participate but as of late the fun seems to be taken away by the worry of the temptation.

Have a Happy Monday!!

History has been made!

2008-11-05T09:49:00.003-06:00

How many times have you heard that in the last 12 hours? Some may say that it is overused. As I watched the TV last night and read the paper and internet this morning I get a sense of how historical last night was. I used to see photos of JFK in my grandmothers home and I have a photo of Bobby Kennedy my father took when he was running for office and when I see and her people that participated in that election of 1960 it reminds me of the significance of last night. One of the most defining moments for me last night was on NBC when they brought out the poster that has the portraits of all the past Presidents. None of them men on that poster has a name that is even close to Barack and they all are the same demographic. As I watched Barack give his speech last night I can't help but pray that Americans have patience because this is not going to happen overnight. I keep hearing that from the Iowa State football coach and he has been on the job for only 2 years and all he does is coach a football team not govern a country. I have read Tom Brokaw's book "Greatest Generation" and I hope this election gets America back on the path to that pride and patriotism that we felt not so long ago. Americans seem to want to take the easy road, make an easy buck no matter the consequences and not live by a higher standard than their parents. I voted for Obama for many reasons but what came through to me was that (in my own personal opinion) he will listen, he will sit down with world leaders and hear what they have to say and when he does not agree with them he will do so in a respectful and genuine way. I feel that America has been labeled as the playground bully for the last 8 years. We are big powerful and we have not had anyone tell us what to do. We will do it the way we want and we don't want to hear what that means to you. When we take action on a problem we will not change that course no matter how much we need to change. I want a President that will inspire, motivate and lead us back on a road that will have lives that are rich (not in wealth but in what we are and who we are).

Last night my wife and I went to see the movie Fireproof. It is a christian based movie about a marriage that is falling apart and how the couple brings their marriage back to when they first fell in love. While I felt that the movie didn't effect me with my marriage because I feel my wife and I have a pretty solid relationship. That is not to say we have not had our rough times arguments and so on. My goal is to avoid the valley in life. Sometime life is either a mountaintop of a valley as low as the Grand Canyon. I want to stay away from the valleys, and I feel like I accomplish it most of the time......its still a work in progress! But back to what struck me about the movie was the father son relationship and how much the father cared for his son. Some may think it was a little hokey but it was a relationship that I have never had and I thought to myself this is the type of relationship I want to have with my kids. So how am I going to get to that point.....that to is a work in progress but God has given me the tools to have that relationship I just need to figure it out and practice the tools that have been given to me.

Last night when I turned off the lights in my daughters room and tucked her into bed she asked me who won the election in a half comatose state. I told her Barack won! She started pumping her fist and exclaimed all right! She has no idea about the importance of the election but (she sure asks a lot of questions) the same excitement she showed last night was the same as many on TV and also the same of my parents and grandparents when they spoke of John and Bobby Kennedy. History has a way of repeating itself doesn't it!

And the winner is......

2008-11-04T09:09:00.003-06:00

Today is the day we get to vote and the phone will stop ringing. So this morning I stroll through some of my lcal favorite websites and readup on what might have happened in the past 12 hours since I last looked at my computer. After checking some of the websites and reading some articles I will look at the comments on the bottom of the page and I cannot believe what I see. I found a You-Tube video of an Obama interview that states he is going to bankrupt the coal industry and somebody put some aweful comments on the comments page. The use of racial slurs and comparisons of the candidate. So these people think this is funny? It is NOT! My bigger fear is that f they don't they think that is funny, then that is what they truly believe and that scares me! In a day when more and more is becoming acceptable it is difficult to raise kids and not have them see or hear some of these things. I know some people get all bent out of shape when you bring religion into things but I can't believe how hatred and anger is common day practice. The 10 commandments are stated in the Bible and it seems that those are just religious things that "You don't need to bother with." If you exclude the first commandment (which to me is a pretty important one!) the other 9 are pretty good rules to live your life by on a daily basis.

In most elections I usually pick the candidate that I agree with the most. being there is usually only 2 candidates I usually disapprove of about half of what they stand for. The thing is that really scoffs me is that people or groups will say you cannot vote for candidate A because he supports topics X,Y and Z. I made my mind up not long after the Vice Presidential candidates where chosen and I do not agree with probably 30-40% of what that candidate stands for but I am going to support him and if that candidate does not win then I will support whomever the winner may be. I think most American agree that this is an important election and I hope the day and the process makes us proud to be AMERICANS!

AS Will Smith's father sais, "If you don't vote......keep your mouth shut!" and I would like to add that if you do vote and you don't agree, make sure you do it in a respectful manner!

VOTE!

2008-10-30T09:45:00.002-05:00

Simple Stuff.

DO IT! If you don't participate in the process.....don't complain.

Life is not like a box of Chocolates.......

2008-10-28T22:40:00.003-05:00

The famous saying of Forrest Gump has been said many times since the movie debut and it gives a outlook on life that you don't know what turn life will make and why. A few weeks ago I was at a local pumpkin farm and they had a sign that put a spin on the famous Tom Hanks character....

Life is not like a box of Chocolates, its more like a Jalapeno. What you do today may burn your butt tomorrow. I saw that and thought now poetic.....if you know me you are saying bull! I really thought no kidding but very true. Here I am trying to be a good husband and a good father; all I need to do is something stupid or being a bad role model one day may come back to burn me tomorrow. Tomorrow my not be tomorrow literally but many tomorrows away. Maybe I say or do something and catch one of my kids doing something later on and I will ask them "Why did you do that?" and they will say because I saw or heard you do such and such. Can you imagine what this means if your last name is Obama or McCain? These guys are watched 24/7 and if they make the slightest mistake they will pay dearly for it and it could possibly cost them the election. Could you imagine the pressure of every time you say or do something it could change your future in some very very big ways.

The Presidential election is next week. Please go out and vote. I am supporting and voting for one of the candidates. If you have read any of my prior posts you may know who I am supporting. Do you feel like it is like comparing a Red Chevy Impala to a Blue Chevy Impala? The red one had higher miles but a lot of bells and whistles. It may run for a long time and give you no problems and then all the sudden completely quit with no explanation. The blue one may not have all the bells and whistles and low miles but it looks nice. The blue one may run for a long time have no issues and then add some things that make it a great car but it may also last 4 years and during that time it will be driven to the brink of blowing up. For the record I do not drive a Chevy.

What what yo do today and Vote on Nov 4th!!

So this is where I am at...

2008-09-23T12:06:00.005-05:00

I feel that I am at a point in my life when I need to fish or cut bait. As the Nike brand says "Just do it" I have all of these ideas in my head and I fell that I am on the edge of something I should be doing or trying. I let the trials of everyday life hold me back. I will get this done and then that done and then I will work on it. Or next week looks good I will start next week. NEXT WEEK never comes. I like YouTube and I saw this video was recommended for me.

After I watched the clip it hit me right between the eyes. Ray had a struggle in his life and he did something to face that struggle. He took action. I have conversations about great ideas with other people and what we should and shouldn't do. I am getting to a point when I am just waisting my time and breath if I am not going to do anything about it. Ideas will say ideas and life will go on and maybe next week I can do it. I heard a message at church last week about mission in God's eyes. We not only need to act upon it we need to do it. You can draw a parallel between when God told the people to march around Jericho 7 times with a rams horn and stop and shout and the walls will come down and Ray Kinsella building a baseball field in the corn. Both of these examples show people following a direction a command if you will. I feel that I have a direction a plan but I am not following it and if that is the case then I am not allowing my faith to guide me. I pray everyday or try to pray everyday for the power and the insight and the courage to follow that direction.

Vanilla Milk

2008-09-05T11:05:00.003-05:00

School started the last few weeks and my youngest daughter finally got to go to kindergarten and ride the bus. Sh is excited because school is all day long and you get to ride the bus. I asked her about school and lunch and she told me she had the same thing as her sister but she had Vanilla milk. You see her older sister gets chocolate milk at school but the youngest doesn't care for chocolate so she proudly announced I had Vanilla Milk. My wife and I just laughed at the complete innocence and the pride in which she said it. Now when you ask her how school was, she will say "Awesome as always!"

This last week I attended another funeral that nobody wants to have to attend. These funerals are for people who died way before they should. This funeral involved a 16 year old boy who was killed in an auto accident. What made it personal for me was this is the 2nd person I have been to Honduras with who has had a son die. The old saying is that you never want to die before your kids and it starts meaning more when you have a teenager in the house. It make you take the time to make sure you are involved in their life in case something happens to them before you expect it. Chances are (Statistically) that it will not happen to me but in the last 2 years I have had 2 situations that are to close to home. This last person had just went to Honduras with his Dad and wanted to go back as soon as he got home. I never met Justin personally but you can tell from the words and emotions of others this kid was special. He had the "it". The "it" that makes a person stand out from the others and you know was walking with beliefs in his life every day. I wish I could say that on a daily basis. Some days I am not very good at this and I get reminded when something happens that directly or indirectly effects me.

The last thing I wanted to touch on was a sermon I heard at church last week involving love. I know guys should not get involved in a subject the do not know anything about :-) but the thing that stood out to me was when things are not going well or are bad there is no plan B only plan A. When God sent Jesus to live among us there was only plan A...Adam and Eve again plan A. When things in our life are not going well we want to dump plan A...Job, marriage, hobbies, and on and on. I realized that my wife is so good at plan A. This is plan A and we are going to stick to it. It may not be easy but this is the plan. It instantly made me feel guilty because I am not that way all of the time. I pray that I can be more like her and I have made an effort to stick to plan A and not even think about a possible plan B.

It football season and I hope all is well in your world!

First Day of School 2008!

2008-08-21T10:16:00.005-05:00

Photos Deleted and availabe upon Request.

God Spoke to me when I was learning about another religion

2008-08-06T00:11:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday I was sitting in church listening to a great sermon (your welcome Pastor!) on other religions and how we as Christians can look for common ground to start a conversation about our beliefs such as Paul did in the New Testament. You may think that is strange but this religion has a belief that no matter what the day is like you always put a smile on your face and you pretend that everything is going great when it isn't. They have discovered that there is an abnormally high rate of depression in the area this church is located in. When Pastor started talking about depression it got my attention because sometimes for a few days at a time I will feel a bit out of withdrawal from everyone. I want to be by myself; it made me wonder if I have some kind of problem and start to overanalyze it. Then the sermon started talking about how we as Humans take on to much and commit to so many things we cannot keep up on all of it and then God told me...Bill that is you! You commit to so many things that you cannot commit the time and effort to every cause or project that is deserves. So this week I started praying and thinking about commitments that I can back away from and concentrate on a few things Like 2 or 3. Football season is coming up and that has to count as a commitment...can high school and college be considered one commitment?

Last Friday was the Treye Blythe Memorial and I had the honor to attend and take some photos of the event. It was an awesome day and night. Everyone truly seamed to have a wonderful time. I enjoyed watching all of Treye's friends golf together and have a great time. The highlight of the night was seeing a cherry pie made by a little girl go for $775 because her Grandpa and Uncle wanted that pie. This was just after the Zach Johnson golf ball went for $55. Zach got nothing on cherry pie!

Its State Fair Time! Yippee!

Communication

2008-07-21T20:57:00.003-05:00

Today I am thinking about communication and how we communicate in todays world. We have cell phones, computers and the like. Yet some days it seems people will ask you the same darn questions they just asked a few minutes ago and received an answer for or they will say something to you and you just said that not more than 2 minutes prior. Is all the convenience items making our listening worse? Take for example teenagers. I swear the only way they will retain something is if you text it to them. Really look around how many teenagers do you actually see talking on the phone? Not very many of them! Yet when we have an emergency or something important or out of the norm happens our communication seems to be pretty good. Today a friend of mine was in a pretty serious auto accident. He is okay but when you get that call or make a call on the subject you are pretty sure of what you said and heard. Another thing that irrates me to no end is having someone say something you already know. Its as if they are influencing your thoughts and tying to manipulate they intended results. It drives me absolutely nutty!

Enough on that! I am finally getting back o my feet from 2 mission trips to Central America. I enjoyed them both but not one on top of each other. I really need to space them out to have the energy to enjoy them more and to be able to recharge my batteries for the next trip. A little video from the trip......

As we celebrate our Independence

2008-07-03T10:53:00.004-05:00

I am finally getting back to normal after 18 out 0f 22 days of travel in June. Each time I go on a mission trip I find that it is such a mountaintop experience and you run on adrenalin for most of the week, but when you return you are in the valley. The valley of not feeling the best, tired and just want to sit on you behind and not be bothered. But that is not fair to those who care for you the most. They are excited to see you and they are disappointed when you do not have the same level of excitement.

The first thing I did on my first day back was go to church. Our church was sponsoring a patriotic concert and some of the songs wee featured during service. When the orchestra and the choir sang I kinda got choked up (a guy is not going to admit he cried. Jesus in the Bible wept, he didn't cry or ball!). I was thinking about how lucky and blessed I am to live in the United States of America. I was just in a country that has so much need and now I am in a beautiful and enormous church surrounded by instruments of every kind. Everyone has new clothes and they have all had a shower today in their own home that is far nicer that most of the world. I must take a step back and say we should not feel guilty or bad about what we have. We are to be good stewards of what we have. But I can't believe the difference between a 5 hour plane ride.

Unless you experience a trip like this you cannot understand what it is like. Some people will say that you should just send the money and let the professionals handle the details. While that may be fine and dandy the other part of a mission trip is you and what it does to you. While you are in country you have no cell phone, TV,computer or radio to consume your time. All you have is your fellow travelers and time. I spent many a nights just talking and listening to others. I so enjoy listening to a first time traveler and have them relate their experiences and feelings. It can be a bit overwhelming for anyone. I know the first time I went it took me the better part of a month to get over it. So if you are thinking that a mission trip is the country or the cause you are going to help that is only the half of it. The other half is you. God talks to us all the time it is just easier to hear him when you don't have a cell phone or computer to get in the way.

My last thought is on the movie the Bucket List. I have watched it a total of 4 times now (3 on the plane coming and going on my last 2 trips and once at home). My favorite part of the movie is when the 2 characters have a discussion if we have had joy in our life and if we have given others joy. My 2nd favorite part of the movie is when Jack and Morgan talk about Faith. Take a look. It is a simple message but when you understand it, it is forever!

Its been a while....

2008-06-18T19:24:00.005-05:00

I have an excuse....well sort of....I was in El Salvador working on building homes with Habitat for Humanity. Our group left on June6th and returned June 15th(fathers day). We dug the foundations for 2 houses. One home was on a nice level area with soft dirt which made the work very tolerable. The other house was more of a challenge. We had to fill an open well, move a drainpipe and deal with dirt in some parts of the foundation that was like concrete! We had a very hard working group...its that Iowan work ethic. We had very hot and humid weather. We saw some of the sites and ate some of the local cuisine....PUPUSAS. El Salvador claims to have the best pupusas and I have to agree, they are very very good! It was a huge honor to co-lead this trip. I have had some experience leading trips with a team of others but this was the first time I had to do everything from A to Z.

As we met many of the friendly El Salvadorians you could see the gratitude in there eyes and the body language. Most of us do not speak a lot of spanish but when they talk you know what they are saying. No matter what class a person seem to be from they would stop to say good morning or good afternoon and wish us the best.

When I was in El Salvador I read a book called Under the Overpass. The book is about 2 college age guys who intentionally become homeless to experience what a homeless person goes through on a daily basis. It was a great read. The book talked a lot about how we talk the talk but don't walk the walk. We preach help those who need help but we ask those who don't fit in because of their appearance to leave. I could relate to feeling like a minority while I was in El Salvador. When a group of 11 Greengos walk down the street or are working to shovel sand by the road everyone is going to look, even the homeless guy we encountered that looked to be under the influence of something. I tried to offer him some water but my bad spanish but he didn't take it. I wished him well and said "Dois te bendigas" God Bless you...But he was off. I wish I could have talked to him more and known more to try to help him out and tell him that God loves him. If you have the time read the book Under the Overpass. It is a great read!

As I come back it is always hard. I have spent 10 days on a high helping others in need, going on very little sleep, having a bit of dysentery and heat exhaustion. When yo get home you want to have the same intensity and high but it is just not there. You feel like you are not giving your family and friends the fullest. I wonder why that is and I can only come up with the fact that life is a journey of peaks and valleys and each is set to test us and help to improve our lives. As I prepare for another trip to Honduras I will experience these emotions all over again. I pray that I will deal with these a bit better than the last trip but chances are I will not. There is just to much time spent on a mountain top and I have to come down for a brief rest.

God, am I going to break?

2008-06-03T11:29:00.005-05:00

The Bible tells us that God does not give us more than we can handle. This past week I have been effected either directly or indirectly by several things that have happened in the world. A little over a week ago a tornado hit Parkersburg IA, it brought back memories of when I was a kid and saw an F5 tornado as I wrote last time. This week there has been several articles and pictures from the tornado in the media. I read an article about Aaron Kampman returning to P'burg to help out as his Grandfather was injured and has lost his home. He went back to see his old football coach who also lost his house but more importantly to the community lost the school and the football field and facilities that he has been a part of for over 35 years. Aaron's coach told him to never forget where you come from and on Monday Aaron was back in P'burg. He is putting the word out for help as he plays DE for the Green Bay Packers. In an interview he gave to Peter King he talked about going on mission trips and giving back. In the article he says, "Can I say the need is greater in Parkersburg and the suffering great there than with the cyclone in Burma or the earthquake in China? No, I can't. The reality is there's a lot of need in this world. There's a ton of good people can do. I just hope people do something.'' This statement really hit me as this is what I feel God has told me several times. I am always trying to get people involved. I send so many emails some people have have probably have added me to their SPAM folder :-) After taking a few mission trips this is the message I have hear several times in my head, so I am sorry if I SPAM you with opportunities to help others. Aaron is correct, DO SOMETHING.

The next thing that has happened is a plane overshot the runway in Honduras and crashed. This airport is notoriusly dangerous. I have heard that it is the 2nd or 3rd most dangerous airport in the world to land. Given the mountains and the short runway it is a very interesting landing. If you like rollercoasters; its no big deal. For the rest of us your either learn to like it or you turn your knuckles white while landing. See the enclosed video of a landing:

The accident at the airport has caused it to be closed and the President has ordered the aiport closed to all larger planes. This causes the orginization in Honduras that I help out and bring in teams on a weekly basis from the States many, many issues. First the planes have to land in another city and take a 4 hour bus ride to the mission house. This also cost extra money. This is a non profit organization that runs on donations and in todays economy many people are feeling the pinch. Extra expences are not an easy pill to swallow plus the logisitics in bringing in the teams has added a lot of worry and work for many people.

So my questions is sometimes people reach their breaking point either physically or mentally. When that happens we usually have our priorities out of whackor at least I do. After we break we take a step back and get our priorities strait and I seem to talk with God a bit more.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T14:37:00.006-05:00

It was a great weekend for our family but others in Iowa may not have been so fortunate. I sent most of the weekend building a new deck on the back of the house with my father in law. As you can see it turned out pretty good.

before and after

I also ate a lot of good food! I like to eat and therefore also like to cook. I like to try many types of foods and also have some standbys that are always good!

Also this weekend we had a lot of rain and unfortunately some bad weather in Iowa that included the loss of 6 lives. The pictures on TV and the Internet are very sobering. The destruction by the tornado was unbelievable. They talked of the strength of the storm and said it is a F3 or F4 tornado. They always make reference to the last F5 tornado in Iowa. June 13, 1976. I remember it as it was just outside of Boone. I was 7 years old but I remember it very vividly. I was at work with my Dad when it started to storm. The storm got worse and worse and it started to hail. Hail and the place where my Dad worked didn't go well together. My Dad worked at a greenhouse...made out of Glass! My Dad grabbed me and took me outside the greenhouse as quick as possible and that is when we say the tornado. My Dad decided we should chase the tornado. So off we went in our 1970's Ford LTD station wagon equipped with a CB radio and followed the storm around Boone. We (my Dad) decided that we were close enough and we sat and watched it move right along Highway 17. We were probably 5 miles from the Tornado but you could hear it and it was huge and black!

Other things from the Weekend being Memorial Day weekend. It is a holiday to remember those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. According to history this started during the Civil War. I wondered if I do not go to the cemetery...does that make me less of a person. I know I should make the time to do this but you get pulled in about a hundred different directions. Do I try to get chores done around the house, spend time with the kids, spend time with the wife or do you go to the cemetery to pay your respects. I know I have not been to the cemetery to visit my Mom and grandparents grave site for a long time. Sometimes I think this is not how I want to remember them......I want to remember the good times. Fact is I don't recall any memories most of the time. It is kind of like going to sleep without giving thanks to God before you go to sleep. I feel really bad when I do that. I realize God probably doesn't feel bad like I do but I know that I am not spending time in prayer or devotion. This is something I need to do a better job of on a daily basis.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms

2008-05-13T17:05:00.004-05:00

So it is that seemed to be made up Holiday by Hallmark this past Sunday and it always gets my mind thinking and my heart feeling a bit heavy. See my Mom has been gone for almost 17 years; I was 21 years old when she died. At 21 I had other things to do in my life besides be a good son and make sure I was being the person my Mom wanted me to be. It was quite a bit different! Hey I am 21 and now it is legal to drink and party........and party I did! It seemed I spent most of the entire summer consuming as much alcohol as I could. What ever I did it involved drinking to one form or another. I was married at the time so it may have been even worse had I not been married! I was friends with 3 guys and we all hung out together and .........drank and drank and partied. I am not saying that I had a drinking problem because I could go a day or 2 without drinking. Anyway summer of 91 I am having a good time partying and drinking and then my Mom gets sick. Getting sick was not something new for my Mother unfortunately but this was different. She was having issues with her head and not being able to remember things or seeing things that were not there. I remember being in the hospital on one of the few times I went to see her and she is pissed off at me for bring in the cat. I argue with her that there is no cat and that leads to how bad of a son I have been and how I don't come around to visit or call on the phone. That was the last time I spoke to my Mom. Soon after my Mom's health got worse so we decided to send her to the Mayo clinic. As soon as she arrived at Mayo they performed surgery on her brain to reduce swelling and pressure caused by a blood vessel. After the surgery she never woke up and we pulled life support 2 weeks later at the advise from the doctors that there was nothing else that could be done.

Fast forward to this weekend. I make the usual plans for Mother's day with the kids. We buy a gift or 2 and get some cards. The kids have made some stuff for her at school. We get up on Sunday and give her the gifts and make a special breakfast and go to church. Mom wants to go shopping after church and out to eat. She has a pretty good day. I think about my Mom a few times during the day. Mostly have a been a good son? Would she be proud of me? Do I realize all the things she did for me? To most of the questions I can say yes. Some of the yes answers are not as strong as others. This week in church pastor talked about Mom's of course and made this statement. If your Mom is not around or has passed God has put another Godly woman in your life. With that statement I wanted to say AMEN! Not only do I have a wonderful wife, I have a wonderful teenage daughter that walks the walk and talks the talk. I am excited to see what she will do in her life. I am truly blessed and thankful for all the women in my life.....and I mean all of them (I think my ex wife could even be included).

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Things you hear on the Radio

2008-05-07T22:16:00.003-05:00

Tonight while I was cleaning up the kitchen after the kids went to bed a program comes on just as it does every night. We usually listen to a local christian station and in the evening they have some syndicated talk shows on. Most nights I don't pay much attention to it. I usually don't have enough motivation to go over and change the station or put on a CD. Anyway they were talking about the differences between men and women. No big deal, its a common subject that many people try to give an educated reason on how we are wired and how we interact with each other. They were talking about how men are wired and what they do and an issue that many men face in every day life. It smacked me right between the eyes. I thought to myself I can more than relate to what they are talking about. I can put myself into the category they are talking about. The interesting thing they were talking about was not changing that it happens but acknowledging that it happens and talk about it with you spouse. I need to make it clear they were not endorsing the act but acknowledge it and then talk about it and don't let it get you down. Focus on your marriage and your family. Now most people would say what I am talking about (or not giving specifics for this post) is no big deal. Well if you want to make yourself a better person and the Head of the household you better have your house in order before you go and try to lead others

And a vignette from my favorite band!

So how....

2008-04-28T16:24:00.004-05:00

Do you make change? Do you pray about it? Do you act on it? Do you write a check or go online to fill out a pledge form? or do you just sit back and think that others have it covered. Maybe it doesn't even cross your mind. If that is the case I am sorry....truly sorry. I think most Americans lead a very narrow life. We see what we want and that is usually just within our lives or what effects it. I am not going to go down the path of condemning others because they live a certain way. Everyone is different.....Thank GOD! I would not want everyone to be the same and I wouldn't ask them to.

The above video is the Africans Children' Choir performing with Daughtry on Ellen. I am not a fan of either Ellen or Daughtry. I am a fan of the African Children's Choir and the founder Ray Barnett. What a vision that man was given! Some would say that the children in the choir are just put on display for our enjoyment. These children are unbelievable! The portray they hope of many of the people in the country that they are from.

As I sit here today it is one day after my wedding anniversary and we didn't do anything special. We usually celebrate with dinner or some Mom and Dad time. I wounder if that makes it any less of an anniversary? One would say no but I would and will do something to recognize the importance of our marriage. Our marriage is the foundation of our family and I do not want to do anything to jeopardize it. I want it to grow and be even better.

Last week I was able to spend some time with a "friend and his wife". What a great day! It is truly what I feel I am called to do.

The one thing I forgot and others that I have learned

2008-04-22T22:55:00.006-05:00

It is finally starting to feel like spring around here! Last night we had an official Thunderstorm that caused the kids to come in for comfort. It was a pretty good storm. It hailed and the winds were blowing pretty good. Its time to start thinking about planting flowers and the garden. I have some yard work I would like to get done in the next few weeks but I don't think its going to happen. Going to be gone this weekend and next weekend is conformation for the oldest kid. I love the warm weather! Can't wait for it to warm up!

This weekend my wife and I and our 2 youngest went to a wedding. It was a very nice modest wedding. The Pastor gave his message and spent a lot of time talking about patience and forgiveness in a marriage. I was thinking how true. I was thinking if I was the one getting married and hearing this message how much would it actually set in? I would probably be thinking I am enjoying this and I am very happy this is happening but can we get on with it so we can make this a reality and get to the reception. After almost 12 years of marriage I am starting to to realize that when there is problems is when I put "Me" ahead of "Us". I also heard something lately about how Jesus was a servant and that is how he viewed himself and we need to view ourselves as the same. If!.....I remember to have patience, be a servant and to be forgiving and ask for forgiveness then marriage is a piece a cake!

A few days ago I heard that a couple that my wife and I know are getting a divorce. You know that they have their issues but nothing major. Well obvious we were wrong! You feel bad for the kids and for the couple going through the divorce and the upcoming changes. You wish you could have known and tried to help.

Pay it Forward today!

Monday Musings

2008-04-14T14:43:00.002-05:00

I was out in Chicago last Thursday and Friday at a Habitat for Humanity Global Village leader training seminar. It was a lot of fun and I met some great people. It is by no coincidence that all of the people that attended the seminar have the same type of servant heart and the passion to serve. I wished I knew half of what I know about programs like Habitat for Humanity even 5 years ago. It it about 60 days until the trip to El Salvador and after the meeting in Chicago I feel there is so much that needs to be done! I am looking forward to the team going and to others possibly going to for the first time!

Wednesday night before I left my wife and I spent a lot of time talking about the role of the father and the mother. We (well she) has a book that talked about it. I can't tell you how much it is to process. You are supposed to do so many things for your kids and be an example for them and if you have any left over time work on being a good spouse, friend or worker. The demands and the privileges of being a parent and spouse are awesome!

I met 2 people that have had near death experiences at the conference. One almost drowned in a capsized boat and the other was on the 14th floor of Tower One on 9-11. I have never had or seem to recall a time when I felt this is it. I am not going to make it. When I got home and told my wife about the weekend we talked about our funeral and what music we would want and who would be my pallbearers. I told my wife I was going to be cremated so I wouldn't take up golf space. But I would want my pallbearers to be at this time Brent, Troy, Dustin, Steve, John and Chris. For music tear the place up with some Crowder and Newsboys and play Word of God Speak at the end. I told my wife that I would put it on my blog for reference.

Be an Organ Donor!

To Not be Inferior

2008-04-06T22:13:00.002-05:00

I will start of with one of my favorite songs. Word of God Speak. Whenever I hear this song it puts the whole world into perspective. If I am in a bad mood it will usually put me in a good mood. This is a slide show with the music playing. Enjoy!

Today the sermon at church was seeing your spouse in a different way that you ever have before. While listening to the sermon I realized that it is a matter of inferiority. We read the typical bible verse about wife submit to husbands as husbands submit to the church. The whole submit word gets some interesting looks and thoughts from many people especially in todays world. We all seem to be on our own path in life. We are married but we both are educated and feel like we know what it best and I am not going to back down or give up my opinion/feelings.

Anyway I realized that you should not make your spouse inferior or should you let your spouse make you feel inferior. The first part is easy don't look down and belittle your spouse but the second is tough. People can take things so many different ways. Your spouse who you should know better than anyone else may take something you say or do in a totally different way or you will intentionally do something to make your spouse inferior because you are mad, hurt or upset about something that was said or done. Easier said than done! I just pray that I will not make my spouse feel anything but equal.

Trust and Funerals

2008-03-31T23:11:00.003-05:00

This week I was able to see one of my favorite speakers speak again on trust. I have heard him speak 2 other times but never about trust. And then this week our sermon was on Funerals, and looking at those funerals for what they are not versus what they are. The trust talk was born of a funeral. Losing our spouse way to early in life and having that person not be there to talk to to share with them to lay on the couch and watch a movie you have watched a hundred times together. We were challenged to look at heaven from a non earth point a view. My kids will ask me if there are certain things in heaven and I tell them that I don't think that it will even matter. The things that we think are so important on earth will be trivial at best in heaven.

Many times when bad things happen we ask "Why". At the trust talk we were challenged to ask "How". The speaker said the "Why" questions are the devil getting inside our head and not having what he called adversity faith. Many times I struggle with "Why". I realize that is not always the best thing to do even before I heard the speaker. Sometimes when I pray for something to happen and it doesn't happen I wonder is God trying to tell me something else or making me be patient or is the devil working on me. Maybe if I prayed and was as excited as I was about cheering for my favorite team I would not answer the "why" questions.

I have enclosed a video I found on YouTube by accident ( I was looking for Iowa State Football) but each time I watch it I get excited. it has 2 of my favorite things..Football and a great message/question. I get so excited every year in August. Football is so close the excitement and anticipation of the opening game is awesome. Someday I am going to have my opening game and I want to have that same excitement and anticipation for when I meet my heavenly Father.

Why do we cheer for our favorite team?

2008-03-21T22:37:00.003-05:00

This past week or so has not been what I would say was a good time in my recent life. I was in Kansas City to spend time watching my favorite team play. While my favorite team played well (at least the women's team) my life team was getting beat up and down, if we were in a game we wouldn't have made it to halftime without using up all our timeouts. Emotions and either right or wrong have to be dealt with. I on the other hand like go "all quiet" and see whom can hold out the longest. Kinda stupid but its only good to be stubborn when your right, and remember what I just said about feelings and emotions.

I wish sometimes people could change places with each other and see things from others point of view. I feel that sometimes I am either not a great communicator or I am a fool for trying to get others to see my point of view. In the end you either lose your cool or your get hurt, either one of these is not good!

This week of course is Easter and we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. I have to admit sometimes I am frustrated with God. You try to do what you feel is the right thing. Being a good Spouse, Dad and friend but even your best efforts fail and then you ask God what do I have to do now! Maundy Thursday sermon talked about Peter. Peter denied Jesus three times as we all know but the question was asked how many times do you fill the role of Peter? If you truthfully answer that question; its more that you want it to be. The walk with Jesus a journey not a sprint. I asked Jesus why He doesn't answer some of my prayers. I ask myself maybe its just the Devil putting up road blocks, but I think that is the easy way out. If I am strong enough in my faith and pray then the Devil cannot get in my way. My last thought is of the my concentrating on "I". If I do this...I I do that then this or that will happen. I must go back and access my faith. Were is my faith on a daily basis? Most times I am not better than Peter.

Tomorrow I am going to cheer for my favorite team again. We will scream, cheer and clap for our team but its the life team that matters. If we had the same passion for our life team that we had for our favorite team it would be easy or so you would think.

Have a blessed and reflective Easter! HE HAS RISEN!

Wow its been a while!

2008-03-10T22:50:00.003-05:00

I just realized it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted anything. I am listening to Letterman in the background drub Eliot Spitzer. I can't imagine it is a very good day for Mr. Spitzer. I had some great thoughts (or so I thought) to write about but never made the time.

I was thinking about Jesus life on earth and how he didn't have a wife, kids, soccer games, grocery shopping, oil changes, homework, mortgage payments or any of the other things we have to deal with these days. It made me think, he wants me to do be a good husband, father and spiritual leader of the home and keep up with all of the other things I have a responsibility to do in my everyday life but he didn't have to worry about them. It is a pretty selfish thought....he died at 33 to save me and I am complaining about all of the responsibilities that I have added on my own. He must sit there and say you fool; focus on what is important...where are you in your faith journey? I have to admit when I am away from the responsibilities of everyday life I am more likely to pray and do devotionals and spend time growing my faith. When I am at home on a normal Tuesday I don't do these things as often or as long because I fill my day with "other" things that are not important. I ran across Philippians 4:11 this week. For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I decided to research this a bit and this is what I found out.

Paul was writing to the Philippians (thus the title):

The most likely reason for placement here is rhetorical, having to do with the orality of the culture. The letter was to be read aloud among the community gathered for worship. The last words left ringing in their ears before the (very brief) greetings would be the doxology of verse 20, a corporate response to their gift to Paul as a pleasing sacrifice to God, who in turn will "meet all your needs" according to his riches in glory "in Christ Jesus."

I am not sure if I clearly understand what this all means but it does speak very clearly to me to look around you man and see it is not so bad, in fact what you have is pretty damn good!

I must close, Off to the Big XII Basketball tourney tomorrow. Time for some quality time with wife and friends. Good Night!

Right cross and he goes down.......

2008-02-26T15:35:00.004-06:00

Ever have one of those days when you think everything in life(well most everything) is going pretty good and then you get a stiff dose of reality? Well I got one last night. I have been on the canvas taking the count from the referee while I try to gather my thoughts and assess where I am. How did I get here? Why did this happen? I like surprises but this is not really a surprise you could feel it coming. Its been building up. Its amazing what 2 different people can take from a look, or a spoken word or from a non verbal action of another person. It is really hard sometimes to communicate what you want the other person to understand when emotions start to come into play. Many people spend their waking time working to be a better husband, father, friend and all around nice guy and you think "Hey I am getting there" and then you realize I am getting there but I have a long ways to go. What you thought would make your life better and was so close just became obsolete and now it is a new journey to succeed. I believe that if you are not moving forward then you are falling back, even if you as a stop. If you are at a stop somebody is going to pass you by and you may never catch up. I wonder if 2 people are at different points of their life can they support the other person where they currently are without wanting them to be at the same point as them. Humans tend to want more. We seemed to be driven towards more. Sure we all like to have nice things but when does it stop. When is enough going to be enough. The answer is easy but to accomplish it is very hard. The answer would be when the stuff has you. When you work for the promotion or recognition to achieve a position that will allow you to have more stuff. How do we cut the stuff?

It seems we are not willing to cut the stuff so our time becomes less and less, but time is something we can never buy or ask for it back. Once it is gone it is gone. This brings me to a link for an email I just received. i may have mentioned about living in the dash. Te dash between the year you were born and the year you died. Its what they talk about at you funeral.
http://www.dashpoemmovie.com/

Life is like the movie Pay if Forward. The more in life you Pay it Forward the more people will have to say at your funeral. Pay it forward comes in all types of forms. Being the good Husband, father, Friend, co-worker. I want to live my life so when I get to Heaven and meet the Almighty he will say "Well done, good and faithful servant" But I know I live this side of Heaven and I don't always do and say what I should. More times than not I confess things that I failed to do...not what I have done. In the meantime I pray that I hear those words in the future as I stumble to my feet to face the next round!

Oh Galveston!

2008-02-18T09:25:00.003-06:00

I have been singing that Glen Campbell song in my head the past few days. I am in Houston to do some training for the week and we are close to Galveston and there are signs all over advertising for people to come. I am doing some training with World Gospel Outreach the group I have had the honor to serve with in Honduras. I feel this is a step in the direction that God is leading me. I have met some great people who have a deep faith and a willingness to help out others. We are staying at a house called Gods Rest. It is a home that a local couple opens for missionaries, pastors, church staff and others that need a place to stay for a short term. They are wonderful hosts and it gives me an idea of something that I could do later on in life. Others are willing to loan a car to help out. There seems to be an entire cottage industry that is kind of a secret underground. What I mean is that you wouldn't know its here unless someone told you.

Yesterday we went to the host families church. They had a guest speaker. He was very interesting. I have some thoughts about what I saw and heard but I will hold those for another time. As we went to church in Humble I could help but recognize that there are a lot of churches here. They are all over. I have to realise that I am in one of the largest cities in the United States but still there is a lot of churches. People seam to have a real passion for helping others and a lot of people know Steve from World Gospel Outreach.

I feel a bit guilty leaving home were it is 12 degrees. It has been in the 60's and 70's. I have been able to go running the past 2 mornings. Very nice! In the 50's in the early morning. I enjoy running and spending the time with God listening to music and experiencing more of his Kingdom that he has created.

2 observations of a Iowan in Texas for the first time. More houses than not have 2 pickups in the driveway and people drive very fast here. I am an agressive driver but these people are borderline nuts!

Thats all for today. Time for training and work!

God Bless your Day!

Living in the Dash

2008-02-11T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am reading a pretty good book right now......John Ortberg "When the game is over it all goes back in the box" On the way home from Florida I was reading about "What is your mission?" Many of these thoughts were expressed by John in his book so I want to give credit and not take credit, but I thought his points were right on! In a section of the book you write your name and below that you write the year you were born followed by a dash and then a question mark because you do not know what year you will leave. He focuses on the dash. What are you doing in the dash? Are you holding the remote and letting life slip away? Have you found a purpose a mission to that burns in your belly. If you ask my wife I have to many of them right now. Heck I am not working and I cannot keep up! I wish I could go without sleep for about 2 weeks to get everything done that I want to get done. Anyway he asks "What are going to do with your dash? That really hit me. When you see a tombstone you focus on the name and the years, but when people talk about a person they refer to the time of the dash. When people talk at your ulogy they talk about the dash.

Ortberg also talks about the story of Ester and Mordecai. Mordecai pushed Ester to live in the dash. To do things she didn't think she could do. he then poses the question "Who is your Mordecai? Who knows you well enough to help you identify what God is calling you to do? Who loves you enough to challenge you when wou want to shrink back." I realized I have a Mordecai and sometimes I don't want to listen to Mordecai but when I step back and listen again most of the time my Mordecai is correct. I know I need to be a Mordecai for others. I have a few ideas of whom I can help. What out here I come!

Back from Florida

2008-02-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

We just got back from a trip to Florida to visit Walt Disney World. It was the first trip for my 5 and 7 year daughters. They had no concept of what WDW was like before we arrived. When w got to the resort they wanted to go swimming. We convined them to go to Magic Kingdom on the agreement that we would still go swimming later that night. We never made it to the swimming pool that night as we stayed at Magic Kingdom until after it closed. The more time we spent at the parks the more they enjoyed. They were real troppers. You could tell they were tired but every morning they were ready to go out on the next adventure. The last day in Florida we spent almost 4 hours in the pool. It was 87 degrees and the sun was shinning brightly! We had great weather the entire week! As a parent sometimes you feel i spent all of this money on this vacation I hope that the kids enjoy it but also Disney doesn't drive me insaine! I can honestly say that I was very happy with the entire experience. I was never able to take a trip like this when I was a child so taking these trips is something I really want to do for our family. I am so glad everyone really enjoyed the trip and wanted to go back. Don't know if the checkbook can aford it but we will go back but not in the next few years!

I along with other american like to get a souviner when I go on vacation, but the image of Disney or Mickey doesn't seem to macho when a guy is wearing a t-shirt or hat. As I spent more time at Disney I was amazed at the attire I would see these guys wearing. They are wearing the WDW clothes and baseball caps, but when you see a guy wearing Mickey ears (even ones that light up!) or a goofy hat you begin to wonder what the heck is that guy thinking! Then there is this whole pin trading cult that I discovered. You see employees at the parks wearing a lanyard with their name tag on it but it wil also have different pins of Disney. The pins could be of the characters, locations and what ever else you can think of, and then you notive the places that sell the pins located through out the park that sell them for $7 each. As an american the more pins you have the better! This is the interesting part; if you see a Cast Member( Disney term for employee) with a pin you would like to have you can ask for a trade and the Cast Member has to trade. This brings me back to my macho point. You see guys wearing these pins on a lanyard. What the heck are people going to do with these things when they get home? Wear them around the house, to work, to the local pub? Then it occured to me most of these guys are on vacation with their family and they seem to be having fun! DISNEY is all about FUN! These guys seem to get caught up in th fun and do what the kids are doing including the pin cult and the Mickey hats. But soon they vacation is over and we go back home to normal lives, the pins and hats get put away and one can only assume so does the time spent having fun with family. I pray daily that doesn't happen to me and my famly but it will to some extent. If you are wondering I did not buy a hat, a pin or a t-shirt. I did buy some pajama shorts that I liked the length of and the material. The do have Grumpy on them :-)

Next time Who is your Mordeci?

Where are we at?

2008-01-28T09:44:00.000-06:00

This last week has been a good week for Project 52. We have put together more pieces of the puzzle (all the paperwork that needs to be completed for the IRS and other agencies). Every once in a while I like to go out to Treye's facebook page and read some of the comments and other stuff that is on there and last night it inspired me to put together the little video. I ended up staying up until about 1 am working on it. The time just seems to fly by when I get wrapped up in something like this. I went to bed with some great thoughts running through my head inspired by what I read on Facebook. Treye was the everyday kid who experienced all that life had to offer but the constant that came out with his friends is how many friends he had and what he did for his friends. I also recognized that many people do not want to see his memories or his inspiration leave any ones recent memory.

Another thought on a different topic. When I ask for forgiveness from God it seems that I pray more about what I don't do or don't get done than what I am doing in my everyday life. I have adopted a lot of principles(cant think of a better work) in the last year that I feel have made me a better husband, father, friend and person but I am still not doing everything that I feel is necessary to glorify God and give him thanks. I am currently reading a John Ortberg book and I have to keep asking myself, "Am I doing what is pleasing to God?" and are those things pleasing to others. The one thing I always want more of is time. I realize God gave it to us and made us to require sleep, rest and down time so we can't go 24/7....so then I ask myself am I trying to do things to please me or others or does it truly please God? Seems to be the $64,000 question right now!

I pray I will find that answer! In the meantime I need to have some fun and I know that I will!

Infomercial for Trip to El Salvador

2008-01-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

Power Point Video of the trip to El Salvador with some great music!!

The Winter Blahs........Apathetic or Pathetic

2008-01-22T10:23:00.000-06:00

Tis the season, not that season but the blahs that follow and I must have a definite case of them. Its cold and there is a lot of snow. I am cold most of the time and want to sleep a little bit more than usual. I am trying to get some volunteer projects up and going but the response is less than positive. I ask myself are most people apathetic or am I pathetic? It seems the response for some of the same projects we have had in the past are not getting the same interest. Do we as humans get board of the same thing and need something new all the time? or am I as a leader doing a PATHETIC job of getting people motivated? Is this God telling me to move on or to try harder or look at something different. This weeks sermon was about making major decisions. 2008 has many opportunities for me to follow. What do I do? I keep telling myself it is not about me ( i just noticed how many times I have already typed I and me) but it seems to keep coming back to that! When I confess my sins it is usually not for what I have done its for what I have not done! its the same thing week after week or so it seems. I want to break through and make a difference somewhere somehow.......I just wished I was able to see it more clearly than I am now.

Time just seems to slip by day after day and I look back on what didn't get done. I am going to start focusing on what is getting done. Hopefully I have something to focus on at the end of the day (sarcasm). I am reading the book by John Ortberg. He just compared the life on earth to living in a motel 6. We humans acquire things (especially Americans) and then we die when our relatives pick over our stuff like vultures. If we lived in a Motel 6 we would not acquire things because we would not consider it a permanent home. Same as our life on earth is not our permanent home. I need to remember that! John also challenged each person that is reading the book to do something different for 10 days. One of these days I am going to start that :-)

Oh to keep life simple!

Hmmm...Several Thoughts Perhaps

2008-01-13T17:23:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading Tony Dubgy's book Quiet Strength. I liked the book....not flashy...easy read with some very insightful simple concepts. His main theme in the book for me was "Do what we do". It applies to his team and also to his personal life. He is a very humble person driven by faith. Many times in a football game a team will go ahead by 2 scores but the other team comes back to win (the Packers did it yesterday). The team that goes ahead has made changes and implemented some new plays or formations but they cannot stop the other team from doing what they do and when the other team figures out what they are doing they realize they have lost the game. Tony Dungy has unwaivering faith a role model for all men, someone who I could point to as a role model for the father and husband I want to be.

I also finished watching the movie "Pay it forward". It is a simple movie a teacher challenges his 7th grade class to make a difference in the world. The student decides that he will do something nice for 3 people and they in turn have to do something nice for 3 people also. Then the deeds of good would continue to grow and grow. I liked the concept of the movie. It encourages people to do good things and it is something I would like to challenge people to do. Hold the door open. let someone go in front of you in line....just simple nice things. I think everyone is in such a hurry in life hey only look out for #1 (themselves).

Last thought is on the sermon at church today..... making major decisions and committing them to God in prayer. I feel like 2008 will have some major choices for me to make. While it has been extremely nice to be at home and do some volunteer work and spend more time with the kids: i wonder what and if God will have me do in 2008. Will Project 52 become something more that I could imagine. I pray for it often and I want it to happen but I have to remember it is not about me but I also am not waiting for the lightning bolt to hit and say yep that is what you should do. I want to make sure I keep eyes open for yield and stop signs.

So somebody took Joseph....

2008-01-05T21:18:00.000-06:00

Today I came home from running some errends and I looked at the house as I pulled up and saw that Joseph was missing from our manger scene. Now this Joseph is no special Joseph. I bought him at Walmart. He is plastic and came with Mary and a baby. My first reaction was total disbelief. Why would someone do that. I did things that I thought were funny but to steal one piece of the Nativity scene 1 day prior to Epiphany......how low an you go! My next thought is "Why if I catch this person would I have something to say to them." Like I am ever going to find out who took Joseph! My later thoughts are why would someone take Joseph? Are they mad at their Dad? Do they nt like Christianity? Did they wet the bed until age 12 because they had bad dreams about a Joseph?

Finallyi decided that it was just a prank by a kid. Right after I got home I took down the outside Christmas decorations. I also was wondering what else a person might take from the front of our home! While i was taking down the lights I felt sorry for whomever did this. They either have no respect and have not been taught respect or they fell to peer pressure and they knew what they did was wrong but wanted to be the "cool guy". Sometimes you have to march to your own drummer, like Ralph Waldo Emerson said blaze yor own path.

Now what to do with Mary and baby Jesus? i will pack them up for the season and put them in the basement. Unil then I will leave no rock unturned looking for Joseph....wait no I won't.

Seems kind of ironic. Jospeh wanted to divorce mary quietly when he found out she was pregnant but an angel of God told him differently. We to are like Joseph, we want to take the way of least resistance......some would say the easy road but Jospeh took the hard road he knew that he would have a lot to live up to with Jesus and Mary. Just as the person that took Joseph took the easy way out they could have been a stand up person.

If I do find out who took Joseph I will give that person some Old Testament!!

2008, The Caucus and the Holidays

2008-01-03T14:04:00.000-06:00

Today is the one day every 4 years that all eyes are on Iowa. We are about to Caucus for the 2008 Presidential Candidates for each party. This time it seems to be evan more intense than before. The phone calls and the people coming to the door when it is quite cold outside. It seems that some candidates are pulling out all the stops, while others are just trying to stay in the game. Tomorrow the players in that game may be fewer than today. Best of luck to all the candidates...well most of them, I will not say who I would absolutly NOT vote for just to save arguements sake.

2008 is a year that I hope and pray will offer many new and exciting opportunities. I feel God has some plans for me and that I am able to fullfil them. I received an email from a friend I went to Honduras with and it goes like this.....Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly......Leave the Rest to God. My goal is to live by those words for 2008 and keep my resolution! UUUGHHH!

Last as I reflect on the Holidays they were very simple this year. We spent time with family and friends. We cut down considerably on the amount of gifts that we purchased and I don't think anyone new any different. We adopted a family through a local church and we had as much fun if not more buying gifts for them and helped out with the Christmas celebration at their church. My 7 year old daughter said it best " I didn't know there were churches like this that needed help in our town." I think that comment and seeing the African Childrens Chior again was the highlight of my Holidays.

Peace in 2008 and may the best person win! I have a favorite!

SMILE Today and Everyday!

2007-12-04T15:35:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you wake up in a bad mood, sometimes something happens that puts you in a bad mood. Both happened to me this weekend! I got some bad news via the mail and I woke up the same day in a bad mood. Maybe it was the freezing rain or the basketball game the night before. Sometimes when I am in a bad mood it lasts for a few days. I don't know if its that man thing to keep things in or just being stubborn. I don't feel like talking or smiling or much of anything. I spent a good part of the weekend sitting on my rear (which is something I do not do very often). Did watch some good football games and an upset by the Iowa State Volleyball team on the Web. Maybe is was an after effect of dropping my cell phone in the toilet this week. I lost 200 contacts not to mention the money it costs to by a new phone. Yesterday I ran across this prayer in a book and it brought me out of my funk and bad mood.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful…
Proverbs 15:13 NIV

Lord, when I begin to take myself or my life too seriously, let me laugh. When I rush from place to place, slow me down, Lord, and let me laugh. Put a smile on my face, Dear Lord, and let me share that smile with all who cross my path….and let me laugh again and again. AMEN!

It made me think in the last week I watched a person who is suffering from life ending cancer and a person who lost their son to the hands of another persons actions. It put things into perspective very quickly. It makes my bad mood pretty small and besides God tells ups to have a happy heart. If both of these people can have a happy heart with the things they are facing in there life then I need to get it in check and quickly!

It is kind of like the times you are not on a mountaintop and it is just the normal everyday life. You can't sweat the small stuff! If that makes you sweat what is going to happen when the "big" things happen in your life.

Tis the season. Give and be Happy not because you gave but because you are!

Leftover Hangover

2007-11-26T14:03:00.001-06:00

Well another Thanksgiving has come and gone. We hosted a few family members at our house. It was low key but very nice! I did all the cooking. I love to cook and make things taste oh so yummy. We had the traditional Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Scalloped corn, Green been casserole, sweet potatoes and every other thing you could possibly think we needed. I read a passage from psalm 100 talking about our Thanksgivings that God has granted to us, I wanted to give a blessing but i was not feeling inspired and the right words and thoughts were not coming to me so I opted for the reading and the common table prayer. After dinner we watched football, visited and played cards.

The night before (Wednesday night) Manda and I served meals at a church close to downtown. This church usually has 250 or so for the Thanksgiving eve meal. It snowed on Wednesday so the crowd was down a little. We served drinks as the meal was served. The folks that came were from all walks of life. Each of them came for the free dinner. As I was pouring coffee I tried to visit with as many people as possible. Some didn't want to visit or talk. It could have been pride or other issues that caused this. After the dinner on the way home my daughter had many questions mostly about the people that came. I think she was very surprosed that people may be very poor or even homeless in the Des Moines Area. Each time as I drive to this church I notice the changing of the housing. We live in suburbia with the earth tone color 2 story homes with attached garages and 2 cars as we get farther away from home (this is only a 20 minute drive or so) the homes get smaller and then they get a little more run down until you get closer to the area and then you notice borded up homes and homes that need a lot of work or they need to be torn down all together. I would like to have more and more people help out at this church. I feel that those ou have been blessed need to help others. There is simply not enough of this going on in our community. We live in the richest nation in the world and there are people going hungry and have no place to sleep or call home.

It is now 4 days after Thanksgiving and the leftovers are almost gone. It makes me wonder how do we keep the same attitude and thoughts we have on Thanksgiving or any other holiday going each and every day? Its like our best days are Thanksgiving and okay or less than okay days are leftovers. How do I want to live my life everyday? Do I want to give thanksgiving and praise God for all he has provided or do i wan to complain about the leftovers or are the leftovers just getting me by?

As I prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus I am learing everday to that God for my Thanksgivings. I hae been touched by 2 particular instances this year that have shown me that life can change in an instant and those thanksgivings may change in a phone call or a visit to the doctor.

God Bless!

From 4 to 8 ladies in the House

2007-11-13T16:02:00.000-06:00

This Sunday we went and watched the African Childrens Chior perform at our church. The performance was wonderful! The children are so full of energy and smile all the time! We also are a host family for 3 of the children and 1 of the caretakers. At first our family was not going to be a host but we got a 2nd email asking for host families as they were still short on families. We decided that we should do it. Its going to be a

big commitment to do this we said to each other. But you know what it wasn't! These kids are such a blessing to everyone they meet. They smile and are so so polite. They laugh and play right along with our own kids. It brings me back to my question I have asked myself I think a thousand times, "Why was I so lucky to be born in Iowa" or is it luck? If you read some of Gods words everything is planned by him. I realy am finding out how much I have been given. I have grown up without having much and worked hard to get to where I am at. Now I am not working at a regular job but you know I am busier than I have ever been. I am finding in making some contacts for Project 52 I am finding more and more people that are needing a pat on the back or a prayer or a little help. Not a handout but a little help. Maybe they were not able to do some of the things I can do because of mental or physical limitations. God commands us to reach out to others in need, and I am not just talking about the poor. Need is everywhere. Tonight as my wife and I are talking about supporting the girls that stayed with us we are wondering how can we do it. We can't just chose one and we can't swing the monthly commitment unless Wells Fargo wants to forget ab out the house payment :-).

I just remembers that God cammands us to spread his word and help others. God answers prayers and I will be praying for these girls.

If you are looking for some great entertainment you must see these kids in concert. Check out the website at www.africanchildrenschoir.com

God Bless!

Bold and Humble

2007-11-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

bold Pronunciation: \ˈbōld\
Function: adjective
1 a: fearless before danger b: showing or requiring a fearless daring spirit

hum·ble Pronunciation: \ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-\
Function: adjective
1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertivehum·ble

These 2 words have come up a lot recently. With every person I meet that has the peace of knowing their faith and walking with Christ shows both of these traits. I ask myself do I profess my faith boldly and humbly? No way, i am an imperfect human just as God has created me. Do I pray to be more of both? You bet I do. The apostiles were very bold and talked about Jesus in the face of death. Humble? More that I think we could ever imagine. Both of these words bring me back to the first chapter in 40 Days of Purpose, its not about me! If I keep that in my heart and I keep my focus on God and do his will I will walk with boldness and humblness. I lost my job earlier this year and I was humbled by the way it happened, but now I look back at what I feel God is calling me to do and I feel even more humbled.

I listened to Crowder again tonight while I was making chocolate chip cookies for the bake sale at church on Sunday and the words just speak to me. He sings with both boldness and humblness. He is not the best singer by far in way of talent but the words and melody are!

I need to catch some winks. Maybe the Iowa State will get their first Big 12 win of the year tomorrow!

God Bless!

Enrique's Journey

2007-10-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

I just read the book Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario on Monday.It is a great book...well maybe not a great book in the terms on reading the Da Vinci code or something like that but for me it was a pageturner. It is about a 17 year old boy from Honduras who travels via Train, bus and walking from Honduras to Nuevo Lardo Mexico to be with his mother in the States who left him over 10 years ago to make a better life for her children. She was unable to even feed her kids so she left them with relatives and went to the States to work and sent money back to give them a better life. You ight think this is an isolated case but it is more the norm as more and more migrants are coming to the United States legally and mostly illegally. I related to the book so much. i have talked to so many people in Honduras that have a relative in the States that they do not know if they made it and if they did what is their current status. This journey is very dangerous and it tells of the desperation of the people of Central America and it is cyclical just as the book describes. Somehow someway the cycle has to be broken. I see baby steps being made in these countries but it is not enough. I don't want to get into the whole imagration thing because I can see the arguement for each side. I instead want to focus on the humanity and the needs that these people face. When you visit these countries you realize that the world does not live like we do in the United States.

My 13 year old daughter must be effected by some of the things she sees and hears. She wants to do something to give back. I am going to help her and see if I can match her up with a project that she can work on.

I guess that brings me to my next topic and one that I have already talked about. Get out and give back. Christmas time is coming up and that is the time we always think about it. We need to do it all the time!

God Bless!

Monday Monday! Get out and Serve your fellow Man!

2007-10-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

A few things happened over the last week that I want to ramble on about :-)

First I did something really stupid on Saturday. I am not going to give details but I am not proud of myself. I acted on my fustrations and let the devil work inside me. At first I thought that it was pretty funny but then it took a turn that was not good and afterward I realized that what I disd was not very smart. I kept telling myself if you want to minister and inspire others you can't go off doing stupid things. I likened it to a public figure having a photograph or a story come out about their past. It may not be overly bad but everyone thinks a person in that position is perfect. They are not perfect and I realized that yesterday in church during sermon....our Pastor said eveyday is a do-over in the eyes of God. He keeps no record as long as you ask for forgiveness and grace. Believe me I asked for plenty of mercy and grace on Saturday night while I was praying in bed. But on Sunday I could not get it out of my head. Heck today I am still thinking "What the heck were you thinking?" (long sigh) I will learn from this and God spoke to me just in the nick of time on Saturday. I will continue to learn and there will be other lessons God will teach me.

The other thing that I want to ramble on about is a very strong passion that was awaken in me in 2005. I grew up with not much. We lived on government assistance and if wasn't for my Grandfather I don't think we would have made it most months. My mother was not in good health but as I look back upon it now I didn't know the difference back then. I was just a fairly happy go lucky kid who did kid things! Anyway back to my point.....giving to the community in need. Seeing the man on the side of the road begging for money. What do you think? Are you skeptical of his purpose? Pastor had a great sermon and it left each of asking questions of ourselves? The photo of me above is at the Annual meeting for the SW Polk County Chapter of Thrivent. The reason I chose it is because it shows me speaking in front of people. This was something I was not very comfortable doing but I have gotten better. I draw a parrellel to giving to those in need. It may be a stretch for you and may make you uncomfortable but the more we do the fear leaves.

Lastly one the new members of the 2008 Honduras Trip gave me a book to read. It is about a 17 year boys trip from Tegucigalpa to North Carolina to be with his mother who left him and his sister to make a better life for all of them. She had been gone for many years! The hard part is this in more common than uncommon. The book is not an easy read as it is very Sad and I can relate to the situations I have seen in Honduras. The book is entitled Enrique's Journey.

Well thats enough I think for today. Think and pray about how you can make a difference in your community. God Bless!

Its not about me.....

2007-10-17T22:58:00.000-05:00

It brings me back to reading 40 days of Purpose by Rick Warren. The first chapter says...its not about you. I have talking......actually I guess more listening to other guys and trying to find out what makes them tick, what are they trying to get from life, what will be their legacy. I hear a lot about keeping your house in order, taking care of every last detail, working a ton of hours to get a promotion or to just keep up with the duties of the current position. We get pulled in many different ways. When do you spend time in prayer or reading the word. I know I don't do it as much as I should. When you get to met your maker he is not going to be proud of you for your job or your clean home or making sure the kids meet all the scheduled events. He is going to look deep into your heart and he can see what kind of person you are. Our society is so full of the wrong things. Sex, gambling, drinking, and the lack of respect seems to increase all of the time. We need to feed each other and we also need to feed the word to others that may or may not have heard the promise that God has given to us.

These writings have been my Field of Dreams. I don't get much feedback nobody else seems them but some day people will come....they will definatly come.

Start and end each day in prayer......start today....if you miss one don't dwell on it and don't make it into 2!

Listen to some David Crowder........Remedy is the new album....listen to the last 2 songs. They speak to me every time I listen to them.

More Monday Mutterings!

2007-10-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

Its another Monday and all is well with the world. I went and watched my beloved Cyclones get smashed this weekend and spent a good part of Sunday on the couch watching more football. I was feeling guilty at the end of the day for not being more productive with my weekend. So Sunday night I was really feeling under pressure when I saw a wet spot on the ceiling of her room. So I got out the ladder, flashlight and crawled up into the attic and sure enough there it is. The joys of home ownership. So I fashion a bucket to catch the water and will have to wait for the rain to quit before I can get up on the roof to check it out. I was wondering if that is my punishment for being a slacker all weekend and not spending it wisely with wife and kids. Sunday morning the sermon was on rescuing others no matter how late it is or how long it has been snce they have had a relationshi with Christ. My weekend was kind of a parallel. Its never to late to get back to what is right and important you just need to get back. I don't feel bad for watching football but maybe I could have taken a few breaks.

How about you? How close are you to coming back? Maybe you already are!

Many blessings!

Field of Dreams

2007-10-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday night I came home from the Annual Thrivent dinner made myself my favorite drink grabbed te newspaper and turned on the TV. Had to do a once around the channels to see what was on. AMC had Field of Dreams on with the information boxes across the bottom telling interested tidbits about the movie. I have seen this movie a thousand times been to the field and own the movie but the info on the bottom added an element to the movie that I had noot experienced before. It told of the thoughts of the director and the actors and how the movie was filmed. That movie makes me tear up everytime I watch it. It is so simple and you don't even need to be a baseball fan to like understand it. It is the story of a persons fight to correct the wrongs in his life. I think each of us has that in them. We look back at things we did and wish we could wish we could have a mulligan but we can't. Life is an ongoing journey just as the movie. The movie is not much on faith or talking about God but at the end the famous line is asked..."is this heaven.......No its Iowa....I could have sworn this was Heaven....Well maybe it is Heaven."

The interesting tidbit is the actor that played Ray's Dad just had burried his own father and was able to spend his last days together and tell him how much he ment to him. When I read that it made me tear up again for the one thousandth time. You can see that in the actors eyes in the final scene. It makes the film even better!

Monday Musings?

2007-10-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

Its a Monday morning nobody in the house. Wife is at work and the kids are at school. I am reviewing my to do list and wondering off reading some of my favorite websites knowing that I have things I need to get done. I have information from the 2008 Honduras Mission trip to organize and I have information from the Thrivent meeting last night to followup on also. Last night I got the opportunity to hear Dr. Micah Parker speak on Servant Leadership. He is a great speaker. He has very genuine basic christian beliefs and he is able to tell those through his stories and questions he throws out to the audience. The thing that stuck with me the most was his wife questioning him if he knew what it was to be submissive. After stumbing around and trying to give her an answer she simply told him She allows him to serve her as long as he served Christ first. (that may not be the exact words but they told me that My partner in life was allowing me to lead this family to be the example and she is trusting me to do it the right way as log as I keep my focus on God. I highly recommend Dr Parker visit his website at
www.trustguyministries.com

I have also had some conversations with other guys about wanting to have some sort of devotion, bible study or accountabilty group but the demands of their time will not allow them to commit to a class or a set time. We got to talking about a blogging group. I think it is a great idea and I am going to see what I can do to get it started!

Are you being the servant God wants you to be today?

House Husband

2007-09-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

On August 30 I stopped working for a company and starting working for what I hope is my calling. So far the benefits are awesome but the monetary pay is a bit low. Oh well for the first time in a long time I am enjoying my kids! They are like sponges! It is amazing how they respond to the new Dad. My days are filled with getting the kids here and there and makin sure the house is in order. We had to let the cleaning lady go so now I have those duties as well. It keeps the day very busy. I have a new appretiation for stay at home parents!!!

The verdict on Treye's trial came down last week. Its hard to describe the emotion. It brings closure for the family and friends but nothing will be the same. I wish the whole never happen. I wish this never happened in all in all of our society. Nobody "wins"... No matter what.

I am going to start working on Project 52 again. I have a feeling that God will be pulling Dustin in a direction very soon and he is going to need to have as much as possible done. I know there are big things ahead for him. I am blessed to help him. What a noble and decent cause!

I am going to try to put in a video from YouTube...just in case it doesn't work I will also include he url...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH4obBclbvA

Finally I purchased the new David Crowder Band CD today Remedy. The last 2 songs really spoke to me and what I feel is my calling. They are Remedy and Surely We Can Change. Check them out......awesome, awesome!!

In His awesome name!

Here we go and Prayers to the Blythe Family!

2007-09-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

Today is much different than last week. I relieved myself of my job at the insurance company. It wasn't that it was a bad job.....its just not what I want to do or see any benefit in doing it. I mean the insurance company will survive without me. I want to make a difference! I was not at the Insurance Company or maybe I was and I didn't realize it. We will see. I feel that God has plans and I am not getting them completed doing the insurance thing! I am going to find my a position that I think will glorify my talents the way it was intended by God.

So much for that stuff........On to more important stuff! Today is the start of Treye's trial. While I cannot comprehend what is going through Dustin's heart and mind I just pray for him and his family. Dustin has been thinking a lot about the next few days. I know he wants what is right and fair but not in a way to get back at others. His spririt is incredibly upbeat most days and that is a credit to his faith and to honor Treye. I will close with one of my favorite poems. ( I don't have many, so don't worry!)

So I Stay Near the Door An Apologia for My Life

I stay near the door.I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out,The door is the most important door in the world-It is the door through which men walk when they find God.There's no use my going way inside, and staying there,When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,Crave to know where the door is.And all that so many ever findIs only the wall where a door ought to be.They creep along the wall like blind men,With outstretched, groping hands,Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,Yet they never find it...So I stay near the door.The most tremendous thing in the worldIs for men to find that door-the door to God.The most important thing any man can doIs to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands,And put it on the latch-the latch that only clicksAnd opens to the man's own touch.Men die outside that door, as starving beggars dieOn cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter-Die for want of what is within their grasp.The live, on the other side of it-live because they have found it.Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,And open it, and walk in, and find Him...So I stay near the door.Go in, great saints, go all the way in-Go way down into the cavernous cellars,And way up into the spacious attics-It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.Go into the deepest of hidden casements,Of withdrawal, if silence, of sainthood.Some must inhabit those inner rooms,And know the depths and heights of God,And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.Sometimes I take a deeper look in,Sometimes venture in a little farther;But my place seems closer to the opening...So I stay near the door.There is another reason why I stay there.Some people get part way in and become afraidLest God and the zeal of His house devour them;For God is so very great, and asks all of us.And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia,And want to get out. "Let me out!" they cry.And the people way inside only terrify them more.Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiledFor the old life, they have seen too much:Once taste God and nothing but God will do anymore.Somebody must be watching for the frightenedWho seek to sneak out just where they came in,To tell them how much better it is inside.The people too far inside do not see how near these areTo leaving-preoccupied with the wonder of it all.Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door,But would like to run away. So for them, too,I stay near the door.I admire the people who go way in.But I wish they would not forget how it wasBefore they got in. Then they would be able to helpThe people who have not yet even found the door,Or the people who want to run away again from God.You can go in too deeply, and stay in too long,And forget the people outside the door.As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,Near enough to God to hear Him, and know He is there,But not so far from men as not to hear them,And remember they are there, too.Where? Outside the door-Thousands of them, millions of them.But more important for me-One of them, two of them, ten of them,Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.So I shall stay by the door and waitFor those who seek it."I had rather be a door-keeper..."So I stay near the door.Samuel ShoemakerExtraordinary Living for Ordinary Men

Its been while!

2007-08-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

Man the time and the days slip away! I finished the book "Blue like Jazz" I really liked the way it ended. Donald Miller is a great story teller. He can go off on rants and raves bu he brings everything together in the end. I am plugging away at the job. Its okay but its not what I want to do. My dream job awaits, I just dont know what it is yet. GOD I am being patient here!

Its August and its 4 weeks until football starts! My favorite time of the year! I am a huge Iowa State Fan and I love going to the games and tailgating before and after the games! We have some friends that we have had season tickets with for a few years and we always have a lot of fun!

Dustin and I are slowly working on Project 52. We really need to keep it moving. I can understand that he has many things on his mind and probably doesn't want to deal with most things on some days.

I admire his faith and his patience.

Talk again soon!

Normal Life has returned....and its not what I want to see!

2007-07-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay since the last post. I have been extremely busy with trips to El Salvador, Chicago and Honduras. The Honduras trip was great. We did not start out the way we wanted as our flight was cancelled. Our team was great about coming together and overcoming the obsticales that we had to overcome. I am always amazed by God's great power and how he shows himself during these mission trips. I am convinced that God is always talking to you but he is just easier to hear when you don't have your cellphone, computer, TV and blackberry. As I return back to normal life I have accepted a job at a local insurance company. Project 52 has suffered during June. I have been traveling and Dustin has had a baby (well his wife actually had the baby) and it was on my birthday. Its time to get Project 52 cranked back up and moving forward! I am looking forward to the day we launch Project 52. I have not thought about it as much as I had before I left for El Salvador. After these mission trips I am convinced that God is leading me on the right path. Sometimes he uses my wife to remind me what is the most important things in my life and where my focus should be. On my trip to Chicago i was able to see several speakers and of course I purchased their books. I highly recommend the first one: John Ortberg "If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat" It really challenges you about what you are to do in your life. The second is "Blue like Jazz" by Donald Miller. I am not done reading it yet but so far I like it. Doonald talks like one of those people that eat organic foods drink organic coffee and sit and talk while they drink their organic coffee about all subjects that make them look very smart but he interject Christianity into what seams like a very unchristian group. So far a good book. i will let you know what i think when I am done!

That is for now. See you soon!

Between Trips

2007-06-18T23:25:00.000-05:00

I am home from El Salvador and Chicago. 2 very different places that I found God spoke to me. In El Salvador I met some great people who are doing some great things. These people all have a vision and they are willing to take action to see these visions came to reality. The El Salvador people are contagious. Their smile is very genuine and they are very hard workers. I had the opportunity to work on some Habitat houses. I would love to take a group to El Salvador next year and I am looking into the opportunity for 2008. In Chicago I was able to experience Willow Creek Church firsthand. Was a grand statement of God's people! The main sanctuary holds over 7000 people. The Civic Center in Des Moines is smaller and less impressive! I was able to hear some great speakers. I was honored to listen to Donald Miller speak 2 times. He truly has a gift from God! I was also able to see the David Crowder Band! The one thing that was in common with all the presenters at conference is these people are very humble. They don't do it for themselves they do it for God! I am preparing for our trip to Honduras! It should be another wonderful opportunity to serve the kingdom of God!

So it goes

2007-05-30T23:31:00.000-05:00

Were does the time go? I am always asking myself that question. If I only had a few more hours to get this done or a few more hours to get that done then I could see some accomplishment. I have been spending every single night in front of the computer getting ready for 2 upcoming mission trips to Honduras and El Salvador. I have also been spending a lot of time trying to get Project 52 up and going. On Friday night my wife reminded me that I need to focus on the family. I have been spending way to much time on this. She read that I was consummed with this and I am but I need to regain my focus. She is 100% behind the Project but I need to be doing it the right way and make sure it is a God thing. So my laptop sat for 3 days. I spent the weekend doing the family thing and had a great time. Got to see some friends and have some good food. Did I mention I love to cook and EAT! But this week I am back logging in many hours trying to get things done before I leave. I got a call from Dustin saying he had to go out of town. Another delay? He offered soutions but this week I should be spending as much time as possible with my family. I really like to go on mission trips but I will miss them a lot!

I like Quotes! One I came across today makes a lot of sense and is so simple.

"On Retreats God does not speak louder to you, He is just easier to hear." Author Unknown

God does speak to me everyday. I need to chose if i am going to listen. I sure was Friday night when my wife was!

Project 52

2007-05-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

I have been working on creating a foundation with 2 of my friends that will honor one of my friends son who was murdered last year when we were returning from Honduras after serving on a mission trip. We had a very motivating week. My friend Dustin had never been on a mission trip before and he was full of inspiration on the way home. Only hours later we would find out some horrible news. Recently I sent an email that I wanted to get into faith based charity work. Dustin approached me at church and said he was interested in starting a foundation for his son. Since that day it has nearly consumed me. I think about it all the time. I have some talents to add to the foundation but I have to remember that this will come by way of honoring GOD. Sometimes things don't move along as fast as we would like but then again everything has a reason in Gods eyes.

Our hope in Project 52 is to motivate, inspire and lead young adults to make the the right choices in life and to think about how they can make the world a better place. Young adults have all the support in the world (well most due anyway) and then when they go off to college or move away from home they lose all that support. We want to be that support, that sounding board when young adults have issues they are facing everyday. These new challenges for young adults can make changes in their life and for the rest of their life.

Dustin, John and I want to hear from as many people as possible and help them find the answers they are looking for.