Food For Thot

Q: Doctor, should  I cut  down on meat and  eat more fruits and  vegetables?

A: You  must grasp  logistical efficiencies.  What does a cow eat?   Hay and corn.   And what are these?  Vegetables.  So a steak  is nothing more  than an efficient mechanism of  delivering vegetables to your  system.   Need grain?   Eat  chicken.   Beef is also a good source  of field grass  (green leafy vegetable).   And a pork chop can  give you  100% of your recommended daily allowance of  vegetable  products.

Q:  Doctor, how about fried foods?  Aren’t  fried  foods bad for you?

A:  YOU’RE  NOT  LISTENING!!! …..  Foods are fried these days in  vegetable oil.  In fact,  they’re permeated in it.  How could  getting more  vegetables be bad for  you?

A Whopper!!!

Got to go fishing with Mike yesterday before they move to Seattle tomorrow.  Here’s a picture of his prized catch (actually, he caught some really nice fish – but we took a picture of this one).  Yes, that is a largemouth bass.

Just A Thot

I’m reading Tony Morgan’s book, Killing Cockroaches, which is a, amongst other things, a collection of a bunch of his better blog posts.  In his book (from a previous blog post) he has a piece called “Venti God.”  This section speaks to an article about Starbucks.  As a huge fan of Starbuck’s Frappuccinos, I found this article interesting.  One section stuck out to me as it relates to the church and our student ministry.  Here is an excerpt from this piece.

Community. “Starbucks filled America’s need for a public gathering spot – a ‘third place,’ with home and work being place one and two.  This became Starbucks’ community rallying cry: It wasn’t a coffee company, but a place to bring people together through the socail glue of coffee.”  Here’s an example of a need that people had that could have easily been filled by the church.”

People like coffee but they really want a place to belong.  They want community.  Starbucks realized that and cashed in on people’s needs and in the meantime sold lots of coffee.  The Church has so much more to offer than Starbucks, including genuine community, yet Starbucks beat us to the need.  It is the Church that is commanded to love, weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, to live as a family and as a body.  That’s the real definition of community and we have it to offer through Jesus Christ.  Why don’t more people look for their need of community in the church instead of Starbucks?  How could a coffee company manufacture a way to meet a need and do better at it than the Church who was designed to meet it?

As I ponder the excerpt and the questions I ask myself, I believe I would like a Venti Raspebrry White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino to help me think.

Monday Musings

Short list this week . . .

WOW! I was blown away yesterday morning at Elevation!  The suprise cake and words for being here at AUC as Youth Pastor for 15 years caught me completely by suprise and really left me speechless.  I kept trying to come up with words but kept feeling like they were way too insufficient to really express how much that meant to me.  I love what I do.  I love working with all of you students!  There’s nothing I’d rather do.  You guys are incredible and I love all of you deeply.  And, I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it many more times, I couldn’t possibly have lasted 15 years nor could I do a small fraction of what I do without the most incredible team of adults that have surrounded me for the past 15 years.  Amazing is maybe the best word I can come up with right now to describe them.  And then, of course, there is my beautiful bride, who has been by my side for all of these years (and for four years before these last 15) and in the trenches doing youth ministry alongside of me.  How could I do it without her?  And my children, who sacrifice so much of their Daddy every week  to what God has called us to as a family.  It is an honor and a privilege, and I am so completely humbled to be used by God and called by God to this place with all of you that we might walk this journey together as we grow in our understanding and practice of loving God and loving others more deeply.  Thank you all for your display of love yesterday.

Fishing. Got to go fishing with Mike on Thursday – in the rain.  Great time together.  Mike caught three bass and three sunnys.  I caught three catfish (I hate catfish), a turtle, and one sunny.  Nice little fishing hole right in our “backyard.”  Thanks to the Peltz’ for cluing me in to this place.  Hoping to get fishing with Mike at least one more time this week before the family moves this weekend to Seattle.  If you think about it this week – pray for them as they move; pray for Alyssa and Madeline as they have to say “good-bye”; and pray that I can get out fishing again with Mike and that the Holy Spirit might open up some some good conversation between us.

The Science of Together

Lanny Donoho posted a video on his blog which was from last year’s Catalyst conference.  Lanny is always funny and he doesn’t disappoint in this one either.

Monday Musings

Vacation.  We had a very good vacation together as a family.  Lots of little day trips and stuff.  it was needed.

Fishing Tournament.  While on vacation, I took the kids to a fishing tournament in Clifton Heights.  We brought some friends, too.  None of us caught anything but people all around us were catching some really nice trout.  We had a huge trout swimming in the creek about 6 feet in front of us – had to be a good 24″-30″ long.  he was huge.  Kids couldn’t catch him though.  It was a really fun day and a good chance to spend time with Mike.

Aldan Elementary School Field Day.  Alyssa had her field day last week.  I was up at the school all day.  They don’t make field day like they used to – no winners or losers, no ribbons, no real races or anything.  The only hold-over from my days of field day (30 some years ago now) was tog-of-war.  After field day, there was a kickball game – parents v. teachers.  The teachers won 3-2, despite a home run by yours truly.  All in all, a fun day and more time spent with Mike.

Starlings.  I’ve really grown to like Mike and Shannon Starling and their kids.  We knew Alyssa would have a hard time when her best friend, Madeline Starling, moving this summer.  But now as that move is just two weeks away, I’m having a hard time, too.  I’m really going to miss them.  I have a good time when Mike and I get together.  Hopefully we’ll be going fishing together this Thursday.

JAM ‘09.  JAM was amazing, as usual, this year.  Our students did a fantastic job!  Our group of nine had the privilege of leading three children to Christ on Saturday!!  It doesn’t get any better than that.  So much could be said.  It really was an amazing weekend!

Reeses Cups.  My favorite candy of all time is a Resses Peanut Butter Cup.  However, due to Dean’s peanut butter alergy, no Reeses for Rich on a regular basis.  Now, I love my son, and no sacrifice is too great for him (or Alyssa either).  So I willingly sacrifice the Reeses all year . . . until I go away.  Reeses Peanut Butter Cups this past weekend, a Reeses Pieces Sundea at Friendly’s.  MMMM…mmmm…good.  Got my fix for a while.  Let’s see, next fix will probably be in october when we go to Catalyst.

Video Idea.  So, they had The Donut Man do a concert at JAM this weekend.  While sitting there, I had a brilliant idea for a video – Steel Cage Match – Donut Man vs. Bible Man.  I know – I’m a bit warped.  But, unless someone does this before then, I’m going to make it a project for our High School Ministry’s Drama Team next year!  

Steve’s Prince of Steaks.

While at JAM, Wayne and I got hungry Friday night and went out to get a pizza.  Apparently, pizza joints don’t stay open past 11:00 in Langhorne (opening one that does could make a lot of money off PBU students – as would opening a Wawa up there).  We found one place open at 11:30 – “Steve’s Prince of Steaks.”  We stopped and got some cheese steaks and brought them back to eat in the dorm.  WOW!!!  By far the best cheese steak I’ve ever eaten in my life (sorry Mike)!  And so, their slogan “One bite and you’ll be a loyal subject for life!” was true.  Saturday we went back.  If you’re ever up in Langhorne on Rt. 1, you’ve gotta grab one (apparently there are a couple of other locations in Philly, too)!  They’re simply amazing!!!

Monday Musings

Vacation.  Starting vacation tomorrow.  It’s going to be a busy week but I hope I can find some time to relax and to read in the midst of it.  Stuff tentatively planned:  Alyssa’s end-of-year gymnastics show, a nice ride with my buddy Jim, a RiverSharks game, Ocean City, fishing tournament for the kids, Baltimore, church @ Willowdale Chapel on Sunday, an afternoon at the Hotel Conklefornia, Monday with friends in Lancaster, Alyssa’s school field-day, Dean’s t-ball game.

Baptisms.  Last night was another incredible highlight for me.  One of the greatest things to witness and be a part of is a baptism where people stand in a proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and follow Him in obedience.  I just love the way our congregation claps after each person is baptized!  

Computers.  I love them and I hate them.  is that enough said?  I can’t believe that we cannot get Tammy’s new Acer netbook to connect to the wireless signal it sees and identifies in our house.  Ugghhh.

Communication.  The ripples of poor communication (or failure of it) are far reaching.  I blew it about a year ago and just found out about it yesterday.  I felt like such a jerk.  Dad always told me that when you assume you….

God’s Glory.  I am so impressed with a guy I know.  I had this guy as he came through our youth group.  He has so matured and grown and his deep passion and committment to Christ now that he is gone, married and serving our country in the Navy, impresses me.  As his father sits with stage four cancer and very little “hope” as the world sees it, he and his dad and some other family members recognize that regardless of what God does in this situation – whether He chooses to heal him or not – God will receive glory from it.  We may not see it now.  Maybe we’ll never see it while we are alive.  But one day when we’re standing with the Father in heaven we’ll see all that God did and how He received glory as a result of what He chooses to do in this situation.  And to know this young man (and his dad and some other family members) holds firm in this faith and hope  leaves me with nothing more to say than “Thank You God!”

Servant Teams.  I love our students. And each month I am impressed by the high school students that come out on a Sunday afternoon for our Servant Teams and the way that they tireslessly work and serve.  I love the hearts that they have and are developing – hearts that love God and love others and desire to serve both.

Friends.  Good friends are hard to come by.  I am so glad that Lowell and beth are back at AUC and for Lowell’s partnership in the HSM again.  I keep having flashbacks to the “good ole’ days” 15 years ago when I came here and Lowell was one of the first guys on my new team.  And then to sit yesterday afternoon with him and Junior to just talk – it was very good.  Good conversation.  And I’m grateful for former students who have grown up and become good friends – guys like Junior.  God is and is going to use him in big ways.

2009-2010.  Both the MS Ministry Team and the HS Ministry Team have now met and have planned out the coming year – just a metter or plugging everything into the calendar now. It is going to be a very good and exciting year for both ministries!

19 years.  As I begin vacation tomorrow, I also get to celebrate 19 incredible years of marriage to my beautiful bride, Tammy.  I am so thankful to God for such a beautiful woman who loves Him and such an incredible partner in ministry and in life.  I am blessed far beyond what I deserve.

Keaggy Week Extended – Day 10 – Final Day

“Reunion”

“Shades of Green”

“Chase the Bad Away”

Keaggy Week Extended – Day 9

“County Down”

Another Day I’ve Been Waiting For

Dean’s first T-ball Game this past Monday night.

The Boy couldn’t have been happier or having more fun.  And his hook slide is coming along just fine.