Christmas!

We decided to post our family's Christmas morning for Grandma's and Grandpa's to see. Others can enjoy as they may.

My favorite is right at the beginning when Isaiah goes, "There's a tractor!" Priceless.

Lost in Translation...

Reading my daily blogs, I came across an article by Andrew Connard. He sees a really cool site that does concise, post-Modern, teaching videos. The particular video he references was on blogging, and I highly recommend seeing the clip...it's quite witty.

Anyhow, he asked the question, "Why aren't we doing this?"

Being who I am, I asked, "Why not!?!" Then I emailed Bishop Coyner about the idea of doing short video clips about Baptism, Communion, What is Church, etc. These videos could be tools for all UMC's to use in Confirmation classes, Membership classes, even on websites.

My biggest question in all of this is as follows: Are we willing to do things in new and innovative ways to reach new people?

I looked at a section of the UMC.org website for seekers, and it was a page with a huge amount of text. No videos. No flash. No eye-candy.

Yes, we have good information, but I don't think we were or are translating our important message very well.

Take a look at the video, and please comment: What would you like your church to answer with a short, teaching video like this?

Praise You in the Storm

We went to the Casting Crowns concert in Ft. Wayne (in late November). They played the song "Praise You in the Storm," which I vividly remember hearing as we were driving away from one of the darker Dr. visits we had during Sophia's issues. I'll never forget hearing the lyrics "I lift my hands and praise the God who gives...and takes away." As I wrote here, that was a faith stretching moment. Could I really praise God in the storm...Man, at the time, I didn't know if I even wanted to, but we did. It's all we could do.

At the concert, a tsunami washed over me all over again. Sophia was alive, healthy, growing, and my little girl. The song brought back those months to my mind, and I cried tears of relief and thankfulness...Tears of grace and mercy received...not just for my little girl, but for me too.

Now the words that stand out so clearly are different..."As the thunder rolls, I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, "I'm with you."

It brought back home just how blessed we really are. I invite you to listen to Casting Crowns sing this song that has meant so much to me and my family.

Snowed In!

Stephanie, Isaiah, Sophia, and I spent the weekend snowed in! Sunday was a level 2 snow emergency where we live, so we were able to be together all day. It was fun. We played games, watched TV, slept, ate, and played together.

Such a simple thing, snow, shut everything down; yet, for me the weekend was what the Winter holidays are all about: We enjoyed each other. We spent time together.

Earlier in the summer, Steph and I went to a church worship arts conference entitled, "What's Right in Your World?" The presenters articulated that so often the Church talks about what is wrong with the world (and there are some things wrong with and in the world); however, there are definitely things good and right with the world, too!

The snow days reaffirmed something I already knew: My wife and my babies are what's right with my world. There is no better day than the day spent with those I love most...playing, praying, and being family.

What's right in your world?

Getting Back to Blogging

I'm back (again).

More to come soon.