A dad has many jobs through the years

As a dad, you have to wear many hats. And over the years, those hats change. Here is a quick look at how a dad's many jobs change over the course of being a dad (of at least what I imagine)...

When you have a toddler:
- toy repairman
- toy car mechanic
- financial planner
- story teller
- cartoon expert
- monster fighter
- comforter
- superman

When you have elementary age:
- math expert
- homework coach
- chauffeur
- wrestling opponent
- friend adviser
- financial adviser
- ball team coach

When you have a teenager:
- chauffeur
- relationship expert
- money tree
- rule enforcer
- college/career adviser
- car mechanic
- listener

Even though a dad's duties with his children changes over the years, I think there are a few things that never change.
1. Always love your wife. Model it to your children.
2. Show your children grace. It will teach them about God's grace.
3. Love, love, love.
4. Always keep the communication lines open. Listen more than you talk.
5. Pray every day for your children.

What would you add to the list of jobs a dad has over the years?

My top 10 favorite films

I was tagged by Dennis to list my top 10 favorite movies. Here they are:

1. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (a Wookie & Ewoks, do I have to say more?)
2. The Truman Show (reality TV, before there was reality TV)
3. LOTR: Return of the King (great battle scenes)
4. March of the Penguins (I love penguins)
5. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (some great, thoughtful moments)
6. Groundhog Day (or did I already say that?)
7. X-Men (all 3, plus hopefully Wolverine when it comes out)
8. UHF (classic stuff)
9. Jesus Camp (see my thoughts here)
10. The Princess Bride (inconceivable if anyone hasn't seen this one)

The rules:

1. List your top ten favorite films (in no particular order).
2. If you’re tagged, you’ve got to post and tag 3-5 other people.
3. Give a tag back (some link love) to the one who tagged you in your post
4. Give a hat tip (HT) to Dan

I'll tag:
1. Jeremy
2. Brad
3. Jason
4. Tim
5. Chris

New Poll: Summer Vacation

The last poll was about your day off during the summer. This time, I'm curious as to how you handle vacation during the summer. The summer is a very full part of a youth workers year. And this can make it difficult to take a vacation (even a small one).

When do you take summer vacation?
- I don't
- before summer starts
- in the middle of summer
- after summer is over
- a few days here, a few days there

In the past, I've taken my vacation sometime in the middle of the summer. It has to be an off week, as to not miss a big event. But this has helped me not be completely drained when the summer months are over.

What are you thoughts? What are the advantages to taking a vacation before, after or during summer?

Poll Results: Off day during the summer

It seems like a few people took an off day from voting on the poll.

So, what does your off day look like during the summer?
33% (1 person) take their normal off day
66% (2 people) take an off day, but it varies from week to week

I hope this summer you get to enjoy some rest with all that ministry you are doing.

Photo Friday: Penguin

I love penguins.

to quote someone else: Mark Atteberry (Jesus' love)

"We can avoid, defy, elude, evade, rebuff, resist, or reject him (Jesus), but it doesn't change the way he feels about us. Nor does it diminish his desire to bless us."

taken from free refill by Mark Atteberry

Today, remember that there is nothing you can do to make Jesus love you less. Enjoy knowing how much Jesus loves you!

Trivia Wednesday #72: Joseph's brothers

answer #71 - Daryl Hannah

question #72 - To cover his coat with blood, Joseph's brother slew which kind of animal - a cow, goat or sheep?

Visual thought on losing your job (or mowing your lawn)

About sums it up for me.









(gracias a indexed)

Photo Friday: Old Park Bench

An old bench. You can tell it has seen better days.

Trivia Wednesday #71: Splash

answer #70 - The Tomorrow Show

question #71 - Who played the mermaid in the film Splash?

Dog Litter

I got this coupon/flyer in a bag of dog food recently. I found it strange.

A few thoughts:
1. I like the blurred face on the dog, it definitely hides the identity of the dog.
2. Its a dog with an attitude.
3. Its called "secondnature" for a reason. The first nature is to go outside and use the bathroom.
4. Just wow.


If you know anyone who uses this, or you use it yourself, please leave a comment and tell me why.

Youth Ministry through the Judges: Othniel

As I have been reading through the book of Judges, I am drawn to the lessons we can learn. Reading about the cycle the Israelites kept going through reminds me of myself. It reminds me of the students I work with and the adults I know, too. I thought I would go through each of the judges and share my thoughts on them, from a youth ministry perspective. First up...

Othniel (Judges 3.7-11)

• First let's look back at v. 4, "They (surrounding nations) were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands," God does leave people and situations in our life to test us and see if we will obey Him. Do your students recognize this? Do we (parents & youth workers) allow people to be there that might test the students or do we try to buffer them? Think about a few of your students. Who are their testers?
  
• The Israelites did not do well with this test. They quickly forgot God. (v. 7) How often does this happen to students? I think the Israelites forgot about God because things were going well. They didn't have any major conflicts with the surrounding nations; besides the people seemed nice. When we become comfortable with our surroundings, we lose sight of God. This happens rather quickly for students. Keep God in the forefront and remind them of what God has done in the past.
  
• They got themselves into trouble, and God was willing to get them out. How amazing is that? Inevitably, the trouble is always our fault. Your students will make stupid decisions. They will make bad choices. They will think they are too far gone to be forgiven or loved by God - they might even think that all the bad stuff in their life is God punishing them. Take time to remind them of God's love. Remind them that God wants to be there for them and will provide a way out of their struggles.
• After a war, led by Othniel, the Israelites enjoyed a time of peace (40 years). Two things about this; first, it took a war for them to get to the peace and the peace only lasted as long as Othniel was alive. In youth ministry, there are times where the only way to get to peace is through a rough time. You have to wade through some negatives in order to get to the positive. Working with students means there will be some seasons that feel like battle. When you get through those, you get to enjoy the season of peace. Be willing to go through the tough times!
• Students can depend solely on the youth minister. This is taken from the fact that the Israelites enjoyed peace as long as Othniel was alive. Just like the Israelites relied solely on Othniel, there will be students who live for God only when the youth worker is around. This could mean until the youth worker leaves the ministry or it could mean only moment to moment when a youth worker is around. Teaching the youth to wrestle with their faith helps them to not rely on the adults. The students have to be able to grow on their own or they will fall when the adult leaves. Be mindful of this as you work with students.
  

Next up, Ehud the left-handed.

Small Town Youth Ministry: Meeting Locations

Another benefit of working in a small town is the ease of meeting someone at a location. When I want to meet someone or a group of people for lunch, all I have to say is "Let's meet at Subway" or "Let's meet at the chinese place." That is enough. There are not 2 of any restaurant, so just saying the name is enough. You don't have to give directions. You don't need to search a map online. You just know. It makes getting together with people a little easier when you don't need to decide on a location.

Reflections on: leaving a ministry

Leaving a ministry is part of being in ministry. Everyone who ministers will do it at least once in their ministry (there are a few who do not, but that is rare). Every exit is different. Every leaving is unique in its details. But there are a few similarities. At the end of your ministry, you will pack up, clean up, and haul multiple carloads of boxes, containers, shelves and other office furniture from your office to your house. You will probably do a lot of thinking about leaving your ministry.

What follows is some of my thoughts on leaving a ministry. Maybe they will encourage you in your ministry. Maybe they will make you laugh. Maybe they will give you the resolve to keep going. Maybe they will be the same thoughts you are having about your ministry. Whatever it is they are to you, I pray it is helpful.

Reflections on: leaving a ministry:

1. There is never a good time to leave. Regardless of what you might think or feel, it is never a good time to leave. When things are going well - you don't want to miss out on the joys and growth. when things are going bad - you feel like you are just running from something that is difficult.
   
2. There is a God time to leave. This is the "time" where God leads you to leave. It could be when things are going well (like Gerrard) or it could be when things are not going so well (like a youth minister I know who got forced out because the sr. minister wouldn't resign after moral failure). But when it comes to God time, you can't plan it. You don't know when it is coming until it gets there. Though you can't plan it, you need to be ready for it.
   
3. There is a difference between being a minister and doing ministry. One is the job title and one is a lifestyle. You can leave one, but you can't get away from the other.
   
4. Its hardest to leave the students. Now, don't misunderstand me on this one. Saying goodbye to the adults and parents is difficult. But, for me, saying goodbye to the students is even harder. On some level, the adults "understand" the process more and adjust more to the situation (either good or bad). But its trying to respond to those students who says things like ... "Have you thought about staying in the area?" "Why do you have to go?" "Don't forget to stay in contact." "What am I going to do without you around?" Leaving those students who have allowed you to enter their world is one of the toughest things I've ever had to do.
5. Awkwardness is normal. Most people do not know what to say. The other people can't really say what they are thinking (because they don't want to really hurt your feelings) or they just don't want to talk to you. Because of this, it is awkward to be there on Sunday after it is announced you are leaving. I think that even though you may feel, as the youth minister, you are the only person feeling awkward - you need to remember that others are feeling awkward, too.
6. You have to trust God. You may know where you are going next. You may be clueless, without any leads. No matter what you know, you have to trust God to take care of you. This trust might be financially, with your job, with your reputation or something else. Regardless of what happened (good or bad, right or wrong) God is bigger than the situation. God is bigger than your worries. God is bigger than your bills. God is bigger than everything. He will take care of you. It may not always be comfortable, but God will provide.
7. Integrity is crucial. When leaving a ministry, always act above reproach. Do not say hurtful or harsh words about others (even if it is the truth). Do not try to stir the pot. Maintain a level of integrity that brings glory and honor to God. Finish strong. Whether you will see anyone from that church again or not does not matter, you must continue to act in a Christlike manner.

Whatever your situation, I want to encourage you to leave well.

Photo Friday: Fence Posts

pray for the Chapman family

MARIA SUE CHAPMAN, DAUGHTER OF STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, DIES IN ACCIDENT AT FAMILY HOME

NASHVILLE, TN...5/21/08... At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Wednesday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.

go to Steven Curtis Chapman's website to find out more and see how you can pray and help. They have set up a website dedicated to her memory, go here to meet Maria

Trivia Wednesday #70: NBC late night

answer #69 - a trunk

question #70 - Which late night NBC show was replaced by Late Night with David Letterman?

7 Wonderful Years

Today is my 7th wedding anniversary. What a crazy 7 years it has been. As I look back on the first 7 years of our marriage, I just shake my head. What would we have done if we would have known the future? Thank God we didn't know (and still do not). I would not want to go through life with anyone else by my side.

7 years of being married to the greatest women in the world. She has truly been a comfort during tough times and a blessing at all times. I am honored and blessed to have Amy in my life and I thank God everyday for her.

I love you babe!! Happy Anniversary.

Prince Caspian: My thoughts

Disclaimer: I need to state right from the start that I've never read any of the books. I tried to start reading "The Magician's Nephew", but only got a few chapters in. So, I don't know how the movie compared to the book.

Prince Caspian is an edge-of-your-seat movie. If you liked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you need to see Prince Caspian. If you didn't like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you still need to see Prince Caspian.

Prince Caspian starts off quickly and puts you right into the thick of the plot within the first few minutes. From that first scene until the last, the movie is full of action and suspense. And along the way, there is woven in moments of humor and lightheartedness. In fact, this Chronicle of Narnia seems to be filled with more sarcasm and humor than the first. (a nice change of pace)

There are a few great battle scenes, though they did remind me a lot of the Lord of the Rings. And if you are looking for some great Aslan moments, they are here, too. The characters are rich with depth and insight. Prince Caspian himself is a lesson on vengeance. Peter is full of pride. Lucy learns to believe in herself and not worry what others think.

I highly recommend seeing Prince Caspian. Then after you have seen it once, take someone else with you to see it a second time. You cannot go wrong with this movie. You will walk away pondering the depth of the story.

One last thought: near the end of the movie there is a moment between Aslan and Lucy that in itself is worth the price of admission. Lucy is sent to find Aslan to help fight in the final battle. After some trouble, she finally arrives at the place where Aslan is. At one point in the conversation, Lucy tells Aslan that the others didn't believe her and that is why she didn't come to him sooner. She knew he was there, but did not want to search for him by herself. Aslan's response to her statement is, "Why did that stop you from coming?" What a great moment. What a great lesson. If you get nothing else from this movie (which I believe you will) then you need to walk away with that understanding in your head - why would you let others determine how you interact with God.

my advice (rating) - go see it in the theater(5 out of 5)

New Poll: Summer off day

With graduations done and the temperatures rising, we must be entering summer. For youth workers this means the busiest 3 months of the year. But this busyness got me thinking, do most youth workers still take an off day during the summer. Thus, that is the newest poll question.

During the summer, do you still take an off day during the week?

• yes, my normal day
• yes, varies from week to week
• yes, when I'm not on a trip
• no, no time

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on a summer work schedule.

Poll Results: Graduation Ceremonies

The end of the school year means graduation. And graduation equals graduation ceremonies.

What do people think about graduation ceremonies? Well, according to my poll, on this site, (of mostly youth workers) a majority of people do not enjoy the ceremony part.

Do you enjoy graduation ceremonies?
20% (2 people) do enjoy the ceremonies
80% (8 people) do not enjoy the ceremonies

This could be due to the fact that a lot of ceremonies last for hours. Or that most ceremonies are in places without A/C. Or it could be the fact that most youth ministers only know a small percentage of the graduating seniors. Even with this large percentage of people not enjoying the ceremonies, I don't know a single youth worker who would miss it. That's how much we love the students!

Photo Friday: Rainbow

5 most mentioned men in the Bible

As I was cleaning my office, I ran across this little tidbit of information, the five men who are mentioned the most in Scripture.

In order, from 5th to 1st

• Saul with 338 mentions (He'll probably want a recount)
  
• Aaron with 339 mentions
  
• Moses with 740 mentions
• David with 1,118 mentions
• and Jesus with too many to count

This list got me thinking. Who are the people you talk about most in your ministry? (people from Scripture, not pop culture) Do you spend a majority of your time talking about Jesus? Or do you spend most of your time talking about pop culture and other frivolous stuff?

What are the five topics that are talked about most in your youth ministry?

Discussion Starter: The story of stuff

If you haven't seen this video (20 minutes) yet, you need to watch it. You can find it here.

Use this video to spark discussion on: consumerism, waste, money, the planet, taking care of creation, and anything it might spark in your students.

(gracias a Marko)

Trivia Wednesday #69: Elephant

answer #68 - Maharishi Maresh Yogi

question #69 - What name is shared by the base of a tree and an elephant's snout?

4 Leaf Clover: God's good luck charm?

As I was cleaning out my office, I ran across this little poem. I think it came from some 4 leaf clover thing we got as a wedding gift many years ago. I thought it was a little odd, so I would share...

One leaf is for hope
and one is for faith.
And one is for love, you know
and God put another in for luck.

Really? Someone actually believes that God would need to put a fourth leaf on a clover for luck.
Anyway, enjoy.

Amos 4:4-5

Amos 4:4-5
"Go to Bethel and sin;
go to Gilgal and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three years.

Burn leavened bread as a thank offering
and brag about your freewill offerings—
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,"
declares the Sovereign LORD.

When I read this, I was struck by how it can be read with sarcasm. Did God say it sarcastically or is that just me reading it that way?

God goes on to talk about how no matter what He did, the Israelites would not return to Him. This got me thinking, how often have I sinned (strayed from God) and yet continue to tithe or do the right stuff on the outside without really returning to God? What would God say to me? What would He say to you?

Photo Friday: Sleeping Baby Opossum

I found this little guy sleeping in the trash can one day. Isn't he cute?

thoughts on an end to a ministry

Sunday it was announced that my current ministry is coming to a close.

Due to this, the last few weeks have been pretty tough for us. They haven't been tough because people have been mean or anything. They have been tough as we worked through this decision. There is never a good time to leave a ministry. There are always events and plans you want to see through to the end. There will always be students you are working with and mentoring. There will always be ideas you want to see become a reality.

All of those are true for me. The last few weeks have been emotionally draining, too. There seems to be little I can focus on. Even as I try to write this my mind is wondering.

We are in the process of looking for a new ministry. As we work through this time, all of your prayers are appreciated and cherished.

Trivia Wednesday #68: the Beatles

answer #67 - Rose

question #68 - Which religious leader was sought out by the Beatles?

to quote someone else: Stormie Omartian (God & our future)

"He (God) only promises to reveal Himself to us, when we seek Him. That's because He doesn't want us to know the future - He wants us to know Him. He is our future. When we know Him, He guides us into the future He has for us."

taken from The Power of a Praying Husband by Stormie Omartian

Helping others can be dirty

What do you do when you see someone in trouble? What is your first thought?

Maybe you start figuring out how to offer your help. Maybe you start praying someone else will come along and do "their" part to help. Maybe you glance the other way and pretend to not notice. Maybe you keep driving. Maybe you have never encountered it.

It happened recently to me. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece were visiting for a few days. One afternoon, while playing at the park, I noticed a truck drive near the pond. Normally this would not be a big deal - people drive up to the pond to go fishing all the time. But on this day, due to the massive amount of rain we'd been getting, it was a problem. The ground was really wet and there were puddles everywhere. The driver of the truck did not think about this and drove near the pond to go fishing.

As I was standing on the play bridge, at the park, watching him I started to think. The ladies had just left to work on getting lunch ready, leaving the three kids and two dads. I knew we were going to need to go and help try to push him out, but wasn't sure what to do. So I watched. I knew it would take a minute or two to get the kids from the park to the pond. And I was hoping he would be able to drive right through without getting stuck. But then he stopped. (not good)

I watched him try reverse and just spin his wheels. So, we collected the kids and started walking toward him. By this point, another car had stopped to try and help. The driver was able to help push the truck a little bit, but was not going to get him out. By the time we got close, the help was walking back to his car.

So, the three of us (driver who stopped to help, brother-in-law and myself) walked back to the truck and were going to push it out. Well, the other driver ended up behind the right wheel and my brother-in-law ended up behind the left wheel. I was the second guy there and went to the middle with little thought. We pushed him out, but not before getting a "little" muddy. Because I was in the middle, I only got some of the spray. Look at what my brother-in-law got...

This is what some of the pants looked like afterward.








This was his shoe.








Helping others is dirty.

You do not always get physically dirty, either. But you are not guaranteed to stay clean.

As we were walking home, I was reminded of one truth. It is always the right thing to do to help someone in need. My 2 year old told me, "Daddy, I'm glad you helped him." So am I.

Reminds me of something Jesus said.

New Poll:

This is graduation season, so the poll revolves around graduation. (clever isn't it?) It is a simple poll this week, only two options.

Do you enjoy graduation ceremonies?
yes
no


I'm also interested in hearing about some funny, sad stories you might have about graduations. Maybe you went to the wrong one or sat through a four hour graduation and still missed seeing one of your students walk across the stage. Please share in the comments.

Poll Results: Summer Missions

The last poll asked whether you were taking a summer missions trip this summer. It turns out, this was not a big poll. Only 2 people voted. How did they vote...

100% (2 people) are not doing a summer mission event.

Interesting...

Photo Friday: Bowling

Let's just say it took the ball a little while to get down the lane.

Trivia Wednesday #67: Flower Families

answer #66 - J.R.R. Tolkien

question #67 - Which flower family includes apples, pears and cherries?

Thoughts on Believe '08: Anderson, IN

First, let me just say that Believe was a great event. It was a great chance for our jr. highers to "Connect."

Like all trips; we had our share of unexpected events. But nothing hampered the weekend. Here is a breakdown of how we started the weekend (picture it if you will)...

- got to the school "on time" to pick up 7th graders, the 8th graders were at a local church for the day doing an all day 8th grade thing.
- walked in office and one of the secretaries (both who go to the church) said "I've got good news and bad news, what do you want first?" This is never a good way to start a trip.
- I said, "let's go with the bad news." To which she responded by telling me that a couple of the students left their bags on the bus. We would have to drive to the bus drivers house to get them off the bus.
- Waited for the 7th graders. They were in gym (I mean PE). The teacher's words to dismiss them from class "Alright, all you believers can go now" - had to be one of the highlights of the weekend for me, it brought a smile to my face.
(we never heard the good news)
- Drove down the street to pick up 8th graders. Then on another 5-7 minutes to get the bags from the bus. Then back past all three stops to head out of town.
- I think we started off being at least 30 minutes off schedule

The trip was good. We got there after the first session started. But the good thing about that was, as we were walking in we ran into Brent the Stunt Guy outside. Got to talk to him for a few minutes, great guy.

Even the first night, the students were opening up and sharing. This is rare for me; it usually takes the first day to get them talking.

Scott Rubin did a phenominal job communicating with the students. Also with the adults in the "breakout session"

Brent was great doing his "stunt guy stunts." The students think he is crazy.

Eric Timm added a whole new dimension to the weekend with his art. I've seen him before at other conferences and such, but this Believe tour has to be my favorite stuff I've seen him do.

I had some great adults who really made the weekend a great time to connect with the students. We were able to have some really good, deep, conversations that were about more than surface issues. Hoping to have it just springboard into ongoing conversations...

Thanks to Johnny and the rest of the staff for all the work they put into making Believe a very jr. high intentional and effective ministry.

(maybe I'll post some pics soon)

YouVersion.com review

There is a website called killerstartups that tries to give its readers a good assortment of web startups each day. Recently they reviewed YouVersion.com, which you can read it here.


An interesting take on it.

Photo Friday: Tree and Blue Sky

I like this picture.

twitter apps

I've been meaning to write this post for some time. Over the last few weeks, I've run across a couple (more that I'm not including) Twitter apps. Here are the ones I think can be most useful/fun for those in ministry. I haven't used them all and do not claim to say they are great. But they look to be worth a look.

Twitterlights allows you to highlight internet snippets and twitter them.


Twixxer is a site that lets you share and see video and pictures on Twitter. If you have the greasemonkey addon you can see it in twitter, otherwise you get a link to click and see it (which is no different than what you can do now)


Tweetlater is exactly what it sounds like. You write your tweet and set the time/day it gets posted. Could be fun to do when you are in a meeting or youth group or in a van with 12 teenagers.

Twitimonials is a place to say why you follow certain twitterers. You just say something like, "always has something funny to say."


Intwition is a site designated to letting you track links used on Twitter. See which YouTube video has been sent over Twitter the most and which blog is getting a lot of mention.

Twitearth is a fun way to watch how tweets happen around the world at the same time. Reminds us that the world is a small place.

Trackthis is a way to track your shipments on Twitter. Every time your package changes location you get a direct message on Twitter.

Trivia Wednesday #66: The Hobbit

answer #65 - Ronald Reagan

question #66 - Who wrote The Hobbit?

Happy Birthday Nathan

Today, my oldest turns 4.

I know that isn't old, but it still seems strange. Happy Birthday buckaroo!

Reflections on: earthquakes

This morning, at 4:40am, I was awakened by an earthquake. And I live in southern IL. I've never experienced an earthquake before (I've lived in Cincy, OH, Augusta, GA and grew up in northern IN) At first we thought it was strong winds, but for once this week it wasn't windy. The longer it lasted, the more I was sure it was an earthquake. A few pictures got shaken up, some puzzles fell from our huge box pile of puzzles, and I just found out one of our picture frames fell and broke.

As I tried to go back to sleep, I was able to do a lot of thinking. First, I think an earthquake would be a great plot for a movie. :) Second, I wondered how anyone could miss an earthquake. How could people just not notice it. Third, I was thinking about all the earthquakes found in the Bible: Elijah (1 Kings 19.10-12), those guarding Jesus(Mt. 27.54), at Jesus' resurrection (Mt. 28.2), Paul & Silas in prison (Acts 16.25-27), a few in Revelation (6.12; 8.5; 11.13; 11.19; 16.18)

earthquakes connected to God:
Isa. 29.6


Here is the info on the earthquake. Here's a CNN article on the quake.

Photo Friday: cement truck

I call this 'cement truck'.

Believe '08: Anderson, IN

Tomorrow, we are taking a group of jr. highers to Believe in Anderson, IN. I am very excited about this trip. I've never actually been to a CIY event at Anderson before. I've been to many other events, in other locations, and have never been disappointed.

Another reason I'm excited is the group that is going: great students and great adults.

I'll post about the highlights after we get back. Hopefully this year, I won't have to talk to any police.

Trivia Wednesday #65: Oldest US President

answer #64 - Casey Stengel

question #65 - Name the oldest man elected to the U.S. presidency.

DSL filtering & the church

Have you ever had a DSL line put in your house or business? We did it a few months ago at church. It was a process to get it all done. That would be a topic for a different post.

What did catch my attention during the installation process was something that happened in order to get the DSL to work in our building. The phone guy had to filter the DSL line outside of the building before it could enter. Originally the thought was to filter it once it was in the building, but that didn't work.

This filtering got me thinking about something. What do we filter before it gets into the church? Do we need to filter ourselves before we enter the building? Do we filter the "secular world" before it comes in?

And does our filtering help us or hurt us?

I don't have answers, just questions/thoughts right now. I'd love to hear what you think about filtering "anything" before it enters the church building. Please share, but make sure you filter your comments first...

Catfights & game names

Over the years, I've heard the phrase catfight used mainly to refer to two females fighting. The other night, I found out what a real catfight is all about. About midnight, I was woken up by the dogs starting to bark at some cats meowing outside. I was able to keep the dogs from getting too loud, but the cats didn't seem to get any quieter. So I decided to get up and see what was going on. Turns out there were two cats fighting on the back porch. They were jumping, rolling and chasing each other. (or it was just one tormenting the other, I couldn't tell). Either way, I couldn't get them to move by just using my voice. I had to go get a broom to chase them off. It was weird to watch.

Made me glad I don't have cats.

On to something completely different...

Last night I was looking at this booklet of various games a certain game company had for sale. I was struck by some of the names and thought I would share:

• "doodle dice: see what your dice can doodle" (looks like you try to have the dice 'draw' something)
• "Pegs in the Park"
• "Rock, Paper Scissors, the card game"
• "Solitaire Frenzy"
• "Over and Out: the fun just keeps adding up"
• "Kazink!"
• "The Game of chips"
• "Shake Up"
• "Takeaway"
• "Respond!: can you respond in time?"

and my favorite

• "How Tall Am I?: fun from head to toe!"

Discussion Starter: Video on regrets - Spoons

I saw this over at YS sometime and thought it was pretty good.



You can use this clip to talk about regrets or your past. What do you regret? How does it affect your everyday actions? Have you told others? What can you do to make up for it or change it? How do you get past your regrets?

If you don't want to use this video to spark discussion on regrets, then use it just because its funny.

New Poll: Are you going to do any missions this summer?

With summer fast approaching (despite the recent cold temp. making us forget that its spring), I'm curious to hear what kinds of mission trips you all are taking. So, that is the question for today...

Are you going to do any missions this summer?
- no
- yes, overseas
- yes, national
- yes, local
- what is missions?


I would love to hear specifics about your trips. Please leave a comment and share where you are going and/or what you are doing. Thanks.

Poll Results: How many times a week do you teach?

The results are in...

The readers of this blog cover the spectrum of teaching responsibilities. Here are the specifics:

8% (1 person) normally does not teach
33% (4 people) teach 1 time a week
41% (5 people) teach 2 or 3 times a week
8% (1 person) teach 4 or 5 times a week
8% (1 person) teaches way too much each week

I'd be interested to hear if the person who teaches way too much teaches different age groups or how many lessons they teach multiple times.

Despite how much or little you teach, know that you have a great responsibility in sharing the Bible with the students. You are playing a role in how they will understand their world. Thanks!

Photo Friday: Spring Flower

Spring is here!

Trivia Wednesday #64: NY Yankees World Series Wins

answer #64 - Italy

question #65 - Under which manager did the NY Yankees win five straight World Series?

Adding a "wow" factor to an event

I just got done watching the latest mission from Improv Everywhere. This one was called, "best game ever." They basically took a little league game and turned it into a major league event. At first, I thought - man that is cool. But, at the end, I started thinking about what it would take to pull off something like that in my youth ministry. What could we do to turn an "ordinary" event into something extraordinary? What would it take?

Watch the video and then we'll continue this discussion...



I think everyone in youth ministry would agree that doing something like this would be awesome. Talk about memory makers. But how do you pull it off and which students do you include? How could you do something like this and include all your students?

I don't think many of our ministries could afford to do a jumbotron or even the mascots. Maybe it could be something you do for the seniors each year, or the freshmen. I'm pretty short of ideas - I was just really impressed and wanted to start some conversation/thinking.

(read about what it took to pull of, as well as a nice recap of what happened, here on their site.)

Do you have any ideas of what a youth ministry could do to add this "wow" factor to an event?

Reflections on: being "old"

Recently, after a jr. high small group I was caught off guard by this conversation...

teen #1 to teen #2 - Do you think Mike knows about Monty Python?
teen #2 response - Probably, but you can ask him.
teen #1 to me - Hey, Mike have you ever heard of Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
me - Do you know how old that movie is?
teen #1 - no
me - I bet I saw that movie before you were even born. What year were you born?
teen #1 - 1994
me - Yeah, I think I saw that before you were born.

me (afterthought) - does that make me old?

One moment you forget how many years there are between you and the students. The next moment you are reminded that there are plenty of years between you and the students. And I'm not even that old, just shy of 30. What will it be like in the next few years? Will the students remember the Smurfs? Will they know about baseball before there was a "central" division?
Will they know about the original Super Mario Bros.?

Have you had one of those "old moments" recently?

Technology & Your Teen: A parent seminar

I'm teaching a seminar on technology tonight. Its a seminar for any and all parents of teenagers in the congregation. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I'm hoping enough parents are concerned about the subject and want to learn more. I've found a lot of good material and really want to get it into some parents' hands.

If you get a chance, pray for it. thanks.

Here's the promo I used for it. (there is no sound)

Photo Friday: Resting Dogs

This is a picture of my two dogs relaxing on the couch. Don't they look comfortable?

One year of tweets on twitter

At the end of last March I joined Twitter. What a year it has been, too. At the beginning, I wasn't sure what it was going to be like to use twitter. I mean, really, who wants to know "what I'm doing" at any given moment. Plus I didn't have any friends to follow or many people following me. It turns out that using twitter has been quite fun and beneficial.

I've been able to...
meet and get to know a couple youth ministers from around the states.
reconnect with friends I hadn't talked to in a while.
gain some insight on topics I wouldn't have otherwise gotten.
laugh.
share the good times and bad times with people.
receive prayer from friends when its been needed.
laugh some more.
find out about opportunities and helps for ministry.
get to know people better.

I think Twitter has and will be beneficial to me and my ministry. But you don't have to take my word for it (man, I miss Reading Rainbow) read what Dennis and Adam have to say.

Good Idea, Bad Idea: Hand Sanitizer

Good Idea: Using hand sanitizer after eating lunch at the middle school.

Bad Idea: Using hand sanitizer, after eating lunch at the middle school, on the hand with two notes written on it you need to remember. (Let's just say it smears)

Trivia Wednesday #63: Aircraft Bombs

answer #62 - false

question #63 - Who demonstrated the first use of bomb-equipped aircrafts - Germany, Italy or England?

Why teens enjoy fast food and what youth workers can learn

I found an interesting post on why teenagers enjoy eating fast food. It got me thinking about what we (youth workers) can learn about why teenagers might enjoy being involved in a youth ministry. Look at a few of the reasons noted for why teens like fast food...

The food is affordable.
The place is comfortable and safe to hang out
They can choose what they want.

Affordable = cheap.
Most youth ministries have many, many events that are free or low cost. Do more teens come out to events because they are free or low cost?

Comfortable and safe.
There are not too many ministries out there who are not trying to be a safe place for teens. Does it count as comfortable to have couches and games? Do more teens come to a youth ministry event because the couches are comfortable?

Choose what they want = get their way.
There are options. We have a small group on Wednesday, basketball on Tuesday, outreach on Thursday and a youth service on Friday night. Does that sound like enough choices for a teenager? Is that what draws a teen to a youth ministry event, the fact that they can go to something they want to?

I think if we look at youth ministry the same way the fast food industry looks at itself, we are going to find ourself in trouble.

Yeah, teens will come to events that don't cost much. But if that is all they are coming for or to then you might find yourself with a teen who isn't growing. (with the obvious exception of Bible studies/small groups which don't usually cost much to attend) Maybe the concern shouldn't be on the need to have cheap events, but on having quality events. If you can't do many quality events without charging the students more than you want, then try doing less events - just make the quality. Remember teens will go to more expensive places to eat, just not everyday.

Feeling comfortable is very subjective. The methods you use that make "Timmy" comfortable may make "Tony" very uncomfortable. As a ministry, you cannot expect to do the same thing for every student and achieve the same results. (but isn't that so much easier to do?) Accept the students for who they are. Make sure they know you are concerned about them and want to know about who they are (ie hobbies, sports, interests...). Use their names whenever possible.

Of the three, I think the multiple options is the hardest for a ministry. Unless you are a large youth ministry, it is difficult to have systems in place to "appeal" to a wide range of likes and interests. Maybe the choices aren't always as easy to see. Maybe the teenagers get to help pick out the music you listen to on a trip. Maybe you allow them to pick the place you stop to get gas or pick up food. Maybe you let them help you decide which topics to teach or how long you teach them. Even at a fast food restaurant the choices are limited to a relatively small menu board.

And really, do you want to be like those fast food places and give the teens a "mildly fulfilling" stock product?

In the end, I don't think youth ministries need to try to be like McDonald's or Wendy's and especially not Taco Bell. But who says we can't learn something as we drive-thru.

Teens & Swearing

I recently came across this article on teens cussing and just got to reading it today. It all seems about right, based on what I've noticed when at school and just around town.

Timothy Jay, author of two books on teens and swearing, "estimates that the average adolescent uses roughly 80 to 90 swear words a day."

The article goes on to say that teens are losing the ability to adjust their language to their audience. Saying the same words around parents, teachers, at church as they do around their friends. I haven't noticed too much of this going on at youth events. But I have noticed it while around students at school. Some of them do not try to "adjust" their language based on the fact that I (a youth minister) am around.

When it becomes an issue at an event, I like to talk to the person quietly and just ask that they respect everyone and not use that language. In our community, most of the teens understand the standing of the church on cussing and have enough respect to not use swear words.

Do you notice this at your events? How do you handle it when a student continues to use foul language during a church sponsored event?

I'll leave you with this quote, that really stuck out to me...

The solution, says Jay, is for parents to teach the etiquette of swearing.

I didn't realize there was an etiquette to swearing.

New Poll: How many times a week do you teach?

How many times a week do you teach? It can be either a Sunday school, Bible study, small group, a theology class... Most youth workers, not to mention other ministers, have multiple teaching responsibilities during any given week.

How many times a week do you teach?

• I normally don't teach
  
• 1 time
• 2 or 3 times
• 4 or 5 times
• way too much
  

Plus I'd be interested to hear what kinds of classes you are teaching. Please let us know in the comments.

For me, I teach high school Sunday school regularly, lead a jr high small group each week, lead a high school small group every other week, and help teach the jr high Sunday night class. Plus twice a month I teach a 5/6 grade class during service. That seems like a lot as I type it in a row like that. :)

Poll Results: Most used Social Networking Sites

The latest poll on the site was on Social Network sites. I asked which one you use most. At the beginning of the voting, I was a little surprised that MySpace was leading, but it didn't take long for Facebook to just take over. What I did learn is that most youth workers use whatever networking site their students are using. Most use more than one, but only one can be the "go to" site. According to the poll, here are what youth workers use most:

84% (22 people) use Facebook most
11% (3 people) us Myspace most
3% (1 person) doesn't use them and thinks they are evil
(I don't know where the other 2% went, but hey maybe their still trying to figure out what a social networking site is)

Photo Friday: Adam & Eve walk with God

I took this picture at the Creation Museum. It is the representation of when Adam and Eve walked with God, before the Fall. It looked so cool, I had to take a picture. And I must say the picture turned out much better than I thought it would. It is my favorite picture from the museum (and probably one of my top 3 of the year, if not longer)

Trivia Wednesday #62: Bison

answer #61 - 1962

question #62 - True or false? A bison calf is born blind?

Discussion Starter: couple gets married in swimming pool

Alaska couple gets married in a pool.

NIKISKI, Alaska (AP) - Mark Confer and Joanne Wainwright took the plunge. Literally. The two were married Saturday in a swimming pool. They didn't exactly jump in with both feet; instead, both came whooshing around and down the 136-foot water slide into the pool.

This is a fun little story to use when discussing marriage or weddings. You can use it as an example of a nontraditional wedding or of incorporating your interests into your wedding.

Parenting mistakes (1 of 5)

Parenting is tough. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don't. I believe you are constantly learning and improving as a parent, and should always be looking for ways to improve. Over five posts I'd like to share some thoughts/advice on parenting, by looking at 5 mistakes parents make.

Mistake #1: Never let your children cry (in public).

Think about the last time you were at the store and you heard a kid crying. Better yet, think about the last time you were at a restaurant and heard a child crying. What thoughts went through your head? Did you hope the parent would take the kid out? Or did you want the parent to give the kid what s/he wanted?

I think it is an unspoken rule of parenting. I have heard too many parents make comments about how embarrassed they get when their child cries in public. Or they comment about how they just want their kid to be quiet and will give him/her whatever they want - to accomplish that goal.

I have always thought this mistake stems from the desire of the parents to not have attention drawn to themselves. If children learn to equate "throwing a fit" with "getting what they want" guess what they do? I have known a lot of children who learn to play the system and end up with more toys, games, _______ than they really need. Then as they grow up, this behavior transfers to how they react when things do not go their way. They complain about teachers who are too strict. They make scenes hoping to get someone to back down and give in.

"Advice"
Instead of giving in to your child, there are other options. Be willing to leave the store without finishing your shopping. Be willing to continue shopping with a crying child. Take a moment and stop to talk to your child about the situation. Remember that just because your child is crying in public does not mean you are a bad parent.

plugrug.com vs. a sixth grade boy

PlugRug.com vs. a 6th grade boy

Lets compare...

Plug Rug 6th Grade Boy
Noise level none a lot
Conflicts avoidable oh yeah
Level of Trust 90% .5%
Honesty Level won't lie to you don't trust them
if you don't like "push under the rug" wait for them to graduate
overall thought great source of ideas never a dull moment

so, who wins? its a 50/50 tie

Go check out PlugRug, add to the articles, spread the word, learn from others

facebook & YM

Jay, over at ysopenbook, posted about this mindmap from Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg recently. (click the image for a larger version)

What's the role of Facebook - creating empathic social relationships

What's the role of your ministry?

Photo Friday: Easter Eggs

Last night, we colored easter eggs with the boys. It was actually the first time we've done it with them and the first time in a long time either Amy or I have done it. I thought I'd share some of the photos with you all for this edition of Photo Friday.

Look at dull and white they are...









Then you add the color (in this case blue)









Don't they look happier?









The final products. (we had a few casualties during the process)

Trivia Wednesday #61: Space Needle

answer #60 - Artichoke

question #61 - For which year's World's Fair was the Space Needle erected?

YM Resource: Invisible Bookshelf

Looking for a place to put those Bibles in the classroom? Or those information packets? Or that collection of cd's from the 80's? Look no further. Here is a fun idea for storing some of your stuff on the wall. It will also make a good project to work on with one or two of the students in the ministry, as well.



I want to do this, but I have to find the right place to put it first. I'll post pictures if/when I do it.

Psalm 33: we serve a BIG God

These verses, along with the rest of Psalm 33, remind us what a great/loving/powerful & BIG God we serve.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.

13-15 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

check out the entire chapter here or in your Bible at home.

New Poll: Which social networking site do you use more?

I'm working on an upcoming meeting/seminar about technology and teenagers. So I thought I'd ask you; youth workers, ministers, random people which sites you use more often? (now this will not be an exhaustive list, so if you can't find your site, leave a comment to let us know.


Which social networking site do you use more?

• Facebook
• Myspace
• Bebo
• mychurch.org
• holypal.com
• other
• I don't use them, they are evil

I know some of you, like me, use multiple sites to connect with people. Try to think of the one you use the most - if you could only check one today which one would it be.

If you have any stories (funny, inspiring, boring) about using a social networking site, leave a comment and share.

Poll Results: paper or plastic

People have spoken on which they prefer, paper or plastic. I must say, I was not surprised at the winner.

80% (4 people) voted for paper
20% (1 person) voted for plastic

Now, neither one is great for the environment. but I feel better with the paper myself.

lesson from the YM Summit

The Youth Ministry Summit at CCU has come and gone, but the lessons go on...


Take-aways:

Don't allow pressures to steal your soul, including...

1. Pressures from the church
2. Pressures to produce
3. Pressures for success
4. Normal desires of the flesh
5. Money

"Don't let the church squeeze you into it's mold."

When teaching, give yourself time to think about the text. Always have your radar on the lookout for illustrations, music, videos or whatever.

3 tips when teaching:

1. have a simple tag
2. give the students a story to be a part of
   
3. have a practical connection

Believe that your ministry is worth asking people to be a part of.

Frozen Grand Central Station & Mobile Desktop

two fun videos from improv everywhere.

to quote someone else: Dick Alexander (church conformity)

"Don't let the church squeeze you into it's mold."

spoken by Dick Alexander, at the YM Summit at CCU, during a message on 'How to stay in youth ministry and not lose your soul'

Does your church expect you to act/be a certain way? Do you feel you are not allowed to be yourself in your ministry? Is your church leadership expecting you to fit into their mold of what ministry should be like? Does the molding come from just the local congregation or the church as a whole?

What happens when you don't fit the mold?

Photo Friday: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake: Before.

YM Resource: hulu: watch shows and movies

Apparently hulu.com has gone public. I've been using it in the beta version for some time (a few months) and have really enjoyed the variety of material. And they have added more movies to the site, now that it is public.

My biggest complaint would have to be the lack of full episodes for some of the newer shows. Some have many clips, but no episodes. Besides that, there is a bunch to find on the site. I would recommend taking a look at it. The biggest plus is the ability to watch a show when I want to, not necessarily when it is on TV.

I've even found a few clips from older shows that I am planning on using in ministry (whether it be a promo for an event or part of a lesson)

Trivia Wednesday #60: Vegetables

answer #59 - NY Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers

question #60 - The heart of which prickly vegetable is a delicacy?

Uniterian Universalism: Open Source Faith

While doing some research for a small group study on Uniterian Universalism, I came across this video. Its a message given by Rev. Christine Robinson of the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque.



Does this mean that if you like Open Source Software, you should be a Uniterian Universalist? If so, I'm going to rethink my liking of Open Source. :)

new NASA research and the early universe

Another article on the age of the universe.

Opening paragraph:

A treasure trove of data released by NASA this week is giving astronomers insight into what the universe is made up of and how it developed, including that it is awash in a sea of weightless sub-atomic particles.

Where is God in all that new info?

Lord's Prayer: Rewritten by jr. highers

A few weeks ago, in a lesson on God being a good and loving Father, we were talking about the Lord's Prayer and I asked the class to help me rewrite it in light of what we had just been talking about. Here is the jr. high version they came up with...

Father, who lives in Heaven
we will honor Your name
May You rule as the ruler of Your kingdom
May it come soon here on Earth
Your wants come true
for all of Your creation
Give us daily what we need
Forgive our messes
as we don't hold things against others
Protect us from things that will tempt us
and keep us safe from Satan

puts a different light to the verses.

New Poll: Paper of Plastic

It is an age old question asked in grocery stores across the country.

Paper or Plastic?

I'd love to hear your reasonings, too.

Grand Canyon is 17 million years old?

That is what this new research is saying. Interesting read, especially since I was just at the Creation Museum on Wednesday - and they have a whole section on the Grand Canyon.

Apparently new "research" is saying that one side of the canyon is 11m years older than people have thought. Not to even start that discussion...

Here is part of the article:

The findings: The western side of what is now the Grand Canyon started forming about 17 million years ago, and that initial erosion was fairly slow and steady — a couple of inches every thousand years.

The canyon formed not just downward and westward but it opened steadily to the east, too, through what geologists call "headward erosion," the team reports — until the western side cut through enough rock to meet water on the eastern side, around 5 to 6 million years ago.

and this:

While geologists point to some questions in the new research, overall it does fit with various theories about how the Grand Canyon formed, said Rebecca Fowler of the University of Colorado, Boulder, who also studies the Grand Canyon.

You might want to use this new study in a lesson on creation.

Poll Results: spring break trip

Well, it seems like no one reading this blog will be taking a group to do anything during spring break. No beach trips. No mission trips. Apparently no mall trips, either.

Here are the results from the question: are you planning a spring break trip with your students?

75% (3 people) just said no
25% (1 person) said there were too many different breaks

In any case, I hope you all have a great spring break (whenever it is).

Photo Friday: Inedible Tanker Truck

I took this picture a couple years ago. I just found the word "inedible" funny on the side of a tanker truck. I guess if it was full of milk, then it would be edible. But it still is funny to me.

Trivia Wednesday #59: Baseball World Series

answer #58 - red

question #59 - Which two baseball teams from the same city competed in the 1956 World Series?

life. love. pain.

This is a modified version of an article I wrote for the church's weekly Epistle back in January after my grandma passed away. I thought I'd share it with you all...

Life. Love. Pain. Three words that carry with them a lot of meaning. Meaning that changes over the years or through certain circumstances. Regardless of what they mean to you, these words are connected to memories and stir emotions.

Life. When I was younger, it meant getting to play anything I wanted to at any time. It has meant playing cars on the fireplace with my best friend. It has meant playing wiffle ball with the other kids on the street. More recently, it has meant playing cars and putting together puzzles with my two boys. It has also meant purposefully making time to do things with Amy.

Love. I like this word. It has been connected with Snoopy, Star Wars, and Full House. In high school, it was connected with anything from Third Day to golf. While I was dating Amy, love took on a new meaning (and became deeper). Today, my definition of love is still changing thanks to being married for 6 1/2 years and having two wonderful sons.

Pain. I don't like this word. I didn't like it when it was associated with falling down and scraping my knee. I didn't like it when it was associated with being picked last for the kickball game. I didn't like pain when it meant I was made fun of by other students. I didn't like it when it meant being far away from my family. I didn't like it when I sat at the breakfast table and got a call telling me my grandma had passed away.

Though I felt a lot of pain with my grandma's death, I know my grandpa experienced a deeper and more intense pain. I know this because I know how much he loved my grandma. They had spent their life together (65 years of marriage) and loved each other very deeply. My grandpa lost part of who he was when my grandma died. That is a pain I do not understand. But, I do understand that my grandpa would not give up the deep love to avoid the intense pain he is feeling.

This pain/love connection reminds me of another strong love which leads to intense pain: God's love for you. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus knew the pain would come, but he chose to experience it because of his deep love for you. His love led to his pain.

Do you love others, even knowing you will be hurt? John says in 1 John 4:11, "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." Starting today, love one another. Your life will be richer because of it.

Youth Ministry Summit @ CCU 2008

On Thursday, March 6, I'll be at the Youth Ministry Summit on the campus of Cincinnati Christian University. I'll be taking notes and will post what I learn when I get back.

Reflections on: funerals

This past week, I attended two funerals in as many days. (there was another one that I was unable to attend this week, too) Before these two, the last funeral I was at was for my grandma a few months ago. With these funerals fresh in my mind, I have a few reflections I thought I would share.

Some reflections on funerals:

1. Words are difficult to come by.
2. You can tell a lot about a person's life at their funeral.
3. The loss of a loved one equals deep pain.
4. Even when you know your loved one is in a better place (Heaven), your joy for them is mixed with the pain of missing them.
5. Both funerals this week used Pr. 31 - I don't usually hear that passage at a funeral.
6. More comfort comes from God's Words than from anything a person can say.
7. Just being there is enough. One thing I experienced at my grandma's funeral was the power of presence (God's and those you love)
8. I don't remember much, if anything, of the message spoken at my grandma's funeral. And I'm ok with that.
9. Funerals, and the loss of a loved one, help remind us of the important things in life (God, family, friends)
10. As much as a funeral represents an end of a person's life on earth; it is much more a beginning of a life eternal.

A 3 year old and money

The other day, we were out shopping as a family. The had each gotten some money, so we told them they could spend it while we were out. The first place we went, that had toys, Wes picked up some sea creature toys. Nathan almost picked up some western toys. We told Nathan that we had a big day of shopping ahead of us and that he didn't have to get anything right away. He said he really liked them, so we got them. Then we told him that if he wanted to wait to open them, he could return them if he liked something else.

A little while later, we were at another store. Nathan wanted to look at the toys to see if there was anything he liked better. While in the car aisle, he found this truck and trailer set he really liked. So we told him if he got the truck then we'd have to take the western toys back. He wasn't too happy about it, but decided he wanted the truck. (We tried not to convince him to not get the truck and trailer, he already has toys like it and doesn't have many western toys.)

It was tough to not "make" him buy what we wanted him to buy.

Fast forward, just a bit, to the post-toy aisles. We were walking down the tool aisle and I could see that Nathan was getting upset. I knelt down to talk to him and he just started to cry. I asked him what was wrong. He told me he wanted to get truck, but still wanted the western toys. He even told me it was a hard decision. (at this point I started to tear up) I reassured him Amy and I knew it was a tough decision and wanted to help. We stood there in the aisle for at least 5 minutes. Near the end of our conversation, Nathan made this statement - "I want to get both of them, but I know I can't." He was really struggling with what he wanted and what he could get. And it was a struggle he had to figure out.

At that point, he decided on the truck. But ultimately, he ended up with a bike horn and construction set.

The whole process made me rethink my wants/desires. What Amy and I do with our money (how we spent it, what we spend it on...) is an example to our boys about money management. For Nathan and Wes, a lot of their spending and saving habits will come from watching Amy and I handle our money.

New Poll: Are you planning a spring break trip with your students?

With Spring Break right around the corner, lets find out how many people are planning a trip with their students.

Here are your options:

1. yes
2. no
3. they don't get a spring break
4. the dates for all the schools do not match up, so no

If you are taking a trip, let us know where to by leaving a comment.

Photo Friday: 228

its close to today's date. And it is otherwise known as the regularly scheduled last day of the month. :)

Poll Results: What lesson material do you use?

It seems like readers of this blog are prone to writing their own curriculum. That is, according to the poll from last week.

Everyone who voted (all 3 of you) said you write your own material.

I'll assume that at times you also use/modify curriculum on some level. Or you might if you have others who do a share of the teaching.

Discussion Starter: School suspends student for mohawk

An Ohio school suspends student for mohawk, after two warnings. Its a short article, but it says a lot about how some parents parent.

Listen to this quote from the end of the article:

Rather than request a hearing to appeal the suspension, Barile (the mom) said she'll enroll him at another school. Changing the hairstyle is not an option, she said.

"It's something that he really likes," Barile said. "When people hear Mohawk, they think it's long, it's spiked, it's crazy looking, and it's really not."

"Changing the hairstyle is not an option." Strong words. Is she taking it too far? Did the school go too far? I wonder what the boy thinks about all of this.

Use this to start discussion on respecting authority, rules, conforming, being different, facing a problem, running away from problems, outer appearance

Trivia Wednesday #58: One-Room school house

answer #57 - honey

question #58 - Most one-room school houses were painted which color?

SNL clip with one great piece of money management advice

Watch this clip. It has some good advice. Don't buy stuff you can't afford.