Amazing Grace - He still is

Turn the sound up to this and listen to it in it's entirety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc

spare the rod...

I like this post on parenting by Michael Spencer (read full post). Here are his observations:

1. You want to produce a happy, healthy, productive, well-balanced human being. If, in your urgency to produce a religious child, you produce a distorted child, you’ve not been a good parent. The end doesn’t justify the means in Christian parenting.

2. All sorts of things in parenting have no relationship whatsoever to any book you’ll read or seminar you’ll attend. Parenting isn’t some mystery that can be taught be experts. When you hear an ad for someone telling you they can make your kid into a near perfect child if you’ll only buy/attend their thing, you’re being taken for a ride on your insecurities. Relax.

You’re going to mess up, screw up and make mistakes. Your family isn’t going to be that !$#$! picture on your church web site. Look at families in the Bible, especially the Old Testament. Read what Jesus said about families. This is where sin shows up. It’s where we fail and get forgiven. It’s where we get to be human and hurtful, but still belong.

A family can’t survive everything. There are limits, but determine that mistakes won’t be covered up and real life will be the canvas on which this picture is painted.

3. Show up, be there, be present, don’t leave, be predictable, be stable, be a presence. That’s not all of parenting, but it’s a lot. All kinds of people turned out really well, not because they were raised by little parenting geniuses, but because they were raised by people who were THERE in their lives. They came home. They made breakfast. They put them in bed. They didn’t chase their own hobbies and dreams at the expense of their kids. They were just there.

4. Turn off the damned television (and attendant electronic devices.) Yes, that’s “damned” for those of you monitoring me for the local authorities. Spell it right. Turn the thing off and read to your kids. Get some animals. Ride bikes. Go hiking. Plant a garden. Buy a telescope. Get dolls. Get action figures. Go on weekend drives. Learn history. Go to ball games. Just decrease the television time.

5. The family dinner table. At all costs. As much as possible. No matter what the resistance. No matter how much coordination it takes. It is, always was and always will be, the key to good family life. Talking around that table is very important. More important than church, I promise.

6. Consider seriously the wisdom of putting your children into a large church program that separates them from you into children’s worship. I believe this is the worst thing evangelicals have done in the last 50 years. Other than a very modest extended session for very small children, you should be fearful of making your children the passive participants in programs that set them in front of big screens, DVDs, stages, etc. The demise of evangelicalism is the result of specialized programing. It has very limited usefulness.

7. Loving your children is not the same as you being happy. Loving your children will mean getting into places where you are unhappy, and then asking what does it mean to love that child.

Roxanne's Song

Hey all, have a listen if you have some time. It's the song Roxanne wrote. I'll probably add a couple more things. Hope you enjoy.

Steve

the "TWILIGHT" zone?

Ok, so, for the past couple of months, myself and fellow colleagues, have been facing a very interesting classroom management issue. No, it's not spitwads, horseing around or even the occasional F bomb.......no, this time we are up against EDWARD, the main SQUEEZE from the book and now movie out today, TWILIGHT.

Most of my female students are entranced by this fantasy novel and yet, I am reluctant to call it that, because it seems like a reality to these young learners. They read it during every hour, and give that somewhat "how dare you" stare when questioned about its relevance to our class....How can we teachers compete with a young, daunting, handsome, melodramatic Vampire?

It's incredible to see the shirts, books, and hear the craze for something like this. It Woodstockish? I know may be even some of you might be able to relate and share this zeal for this "SO LONG TO J.K. ROWLING" craze? hmmmm?????

It's hilarious to hear my guy students address the issue and call out the girls in the middle of class and have the girls say something like, "You're just jealous of Edward." "You guys need to pick up the book and read and learn how to treat a girl!"

The guys just chuckle, "Dude, he's a Vampire."

Anyway, I had to post this, because I can't remember for the life of me OUR GENERATIONS juvenile literature/pop culture addiction. HArdy Boys? Mario Brothers?

Anfd today it topped it off by some of my girls coming in showing me marks on their neck , saying they've been "bitten" by Edward, after seeing the movie last night at Midnight.

......................Help!

prayer request

This the latest from California; I just was facebooked this a little while ago.

Diane sent you a message.

--------------------
Subject: prayers

Keep Bob and his family in your prayers. They had to evacuate their home due to a horrible fire, went to the Residence Inn, and now have had to evaculate that. Terra is at a shelter and Bob, Laure, J.P., and Bear are trying to get closer to the ocean.

They are still safe. Bob is at a friends. laure and Terra are at a Jonas Brothers concert (her friend who was going with her... house burnt down) J.P. is waiting for his friend who is driving from Santa Barbara because his house burnt down also.

Love,
Diane
I sent this prayer request to Steph's email also.

Travelog: if you're going to Asheville...

I've been in North Carolina for work, and spent today in Asheville, which is one of the raddest cities I've visited. Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, which John Denver famously called "almost heaven". Here's my travelog of things I like in Asheville for anyone who might go there (Norm, Debbie).

1. Listen to 88.7 WNCW: great music and provides the perfect soundtrack for the city, including some local folk Americana artists


2. Have breakfast at the Early Girl Eatery. The food is incredible and they use mostly local organic produce and meat. Its also cheap.


3. Visit the Mast General Store on Biltmore Avenue, this store has tons of vintage toys, classic candy, and isn't overpriced.


4. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. One of the most scenic drives in America, gives you the best views of the mountains.


5. Do the lunch buffet at Mela Indian Restaurant. Only $8.50, great beer list.


6. Check out the local art at the Woolworth Walk.

If you get the chance Asheville is a great get away (check out the web album). Here were my three favorite bumper stickers I saw there (there are lots of them).

1. Native Americans are living people not mascots.


2. God's original plan was to hang out in a garden with a couple of vegetarians.


3. Keep Asheville Weird

Happy Birthday To a Timeless Man!

Happy Birthday Ben! You are a timeless gift these and pictures show it. We love you and hope you feel celebrated today!!!

Practice???

Per my mom's request in Wes' last blog about A.I. here's the video that makes lifelong coaches like Norm so, so proud. As I post it, the Pistons are down 21 points to Boston in Iverson's Palace debut (he has 8 points). Perhaps it's time to practice!

A.I. in Dtown

The world has shifted dramatically in the last few weeks, and amidst this the Detroit sports world has shifted dramatically also...Todd Jones retired, Matt Millen fired, and A.I. hired?? No more Chauncey or McDyess?? Has Joe Dumars pulled another Darko or is this going to make the Pistons better? Let's hear it Detroit! My thought is that it made them no better and no worse, they'll still get to the conference finals and lose to Boston. I hope I'm wrong.

Give him a hand!

Jackson just learned to clap. He is so proud! Check it out:

HAPPY VOTING!!!

Jacob's Pre-Election Musings

With the election only days away and political fervor reaching levels I've never before seen, I thought I'd drop one last article for perspective and critical reflection. This morning as Barack Obama addressed a crowd in Columbia, Missouri he told his supporters, "It's gonna get nasty" in these last few days. Too bad, I thought. I've heard and seen a lot of nastiness from impassioned people on both sides who are certain that the future of the free world hangs in the balance of this election. A lot of hope tied up in a system as the article below says, "built upon being right and proving your opponent wrong, and winning at any cost." A LOT of money spent. A lot of families and friends divided. And in my humble opinion, a lot invested in a system that is simply not the end-all answer to the plight of our country. Perhaps I'm trivializing things a bit and not appreciating the democratic process that we hold so dear. Or maybe, I'm just ready for this all to end, and I'm just calling the Church to reassert itself and refocus itself on the only real, lasting hope for humanity. I'm with Steve, this life I live, I live for so much more!!!

Give this article from Relevant a read before you go to the polls on Tues. Love to hear your thoughts.

And Happy Belated Blog Birthday to Andrew!!!

Happy Halloween

Here is a picture of our little Shark!

Roxanne (A Reminder of Why I'm Alive)

Some of the greatest, most meaningful moments happen in life when your the farthest away from the world. This past Wednesday I walked into the room of a 29 year old girl named Roxanne. She sat in bed covered in mounds of blankets. For 23 years she has been battling two brain tumors while in pain because of the several that run up her spine. I was invited over because it had been a dream of hers in life to write a song. As I sat there asking her to tell me about her feelings of life and her experience and what Christ means to her, she began to unload. As my friend was writing these things down, she would forget quickly and repeat the same thing over and over again, "I don't know why I have to go through this" and "Jesus is everything to me." At that moment, nothing else mattered. It didn't matter I was late coming home, it didn't matter I was going to miss dinner, it didn't matter I was late for worship rehearsal and prayer. How could I remove myself from experiencing something Christ dedicated his life too. I sometimes wonder how much of life is lost to other things like TV, acting like we have it together, fighting for politicians, complaining about how much we don't have, when I'm staring at a girl who hasn't known normal health for the majority of her life. Roxanne continued on," He's all I need. He hears my prayers. Why can't I walk, why, why, why?" After about an hour and a half of writing and playing music, we had it. The song was done. I played it for her and she bobbed her head ever so lightly and smiled. At that moment I felt purpose. I don't know if you can feel purpose, but it was something I don't feel a lot. As my friend drove us home, I had a chance to sit and think. Thoughts went through my head about so much. Sometimes I hear people talk about things so passionately but rarely hear who Christ is to them. I think if Paul would come back and sit in on a conversation with a group of people any where in the U.S. he would probably say, "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." I'm not sure I've seen this type of passion for Jesus in my entire life. Was it only Paul, I'm sure it's not. I think what I felt that day was something Paul felt on a consistent basis. He suffered for Christ, have we? I'm not sure, but I think the more you do, the more purpose you find in Him. For two hours i sat with my friend and a girl named Roxanne. What I learned from that moment was more than any message I have heard on Sunday morning all year. I was in it, not just hearing it. I will continue to ask myself ," What matters Steve, what truly matters?"


Roxanne's Song:

Sometimes You're so hard to find
As questions run through my mind
It seems the answers come slow
To questions You only know

I cannot understand how
You hear my prayers even now
I need you more everyday
Closer to you I will stay

With every thought I think of You
As every breathe begins to sing

You are everything, You are everything
even in my pain, You are all I need
You are everything, You are everything
What no one else can see, You are everything

the moral dilemma?

Hey guys and gals,

I wanted to share a sermon our pastor preached a couple of weeks ago, ironically, yet not ironically, in the midst of the fiscal crisis in America. It brought so much perspective and was a reminder of Wes' blog on GREED (and I believe he preached on similar topic last night), and our conversations we've had over the last couple of months. Please take a few moments to listen to it if it's possible or you if you so desire. Nothing SO profound or what you haven't heard before maybe, but a reminder. Have a great Sabbath.


Love,

Jeff

http://files.urc-msu.org/mp3/2008/092808.mp3

If that link doesn't work, just go to "urc-msu.org" and to the left is the sermon in blue, "The gift that keeps on giving"

here's to you evil knievel

Props again to Ben for putting his life on the line for his students. Here are the views over Temecula Valley High from 13,000 ft. (jump) and 5,000 ft. (parachute)!! Question for Ben: what does the free fall feel like (rollercoaster??) and were you singing Tom Petty the whole time down?

13,000 ft.

5,000 ft.

Happy Fall from the Lampi's

Here's to the best time of the year in the Midwest. Miss ya'll.

Happy Birthday to Grace!

Wish we were there to eat cake with you!

From 13,000 feet

One of our esteemed bloggers parachuted with the famed Army Golden Knights this past Tuesday. He went from 13,000 feet to 5,000 before the parachute deployed. I was nervous at the time I knew he was jumping. It is on video so I hope that it can be put on the blog some day. Oh yea who was it, # 76 on the Brighton Football team (left tackle). Benjamin Lee Gaines is his name.

Tin Caps!

The team formerly known as the Fort Wayne Wizards has a new name. Next year we'll be watching Tin Caps baseball at our new downtown stadium! For those of you confused by this, might I remind you of one who "lived for others", he was known for giving all he had to the poor even the clothes off his back, leaving him with no cap but for his tin pan, and so what better way to commemorate this legend than naming our team after him. By the way Lugnuts and Loons, Johnny may have lived for others but not our sluggers. You better get a tetnus shot before you come to our tin shack, we gonna done put a cap in yo a##! A tin cap that is. Ha! I'm getting a hat. Anyone else want one?