A Snowy Trip to the Chicago Auto Show

Just the Beginning

Honda Concept

Look at that smile!!

A personal favorite

Checkout this price tag

Is that Jeff Albsmeyer?

That is Ice!!!!

Born for This

Living in the Midwest can sometimes warp my perspective. Life can be filled with ease, comfort, and entitlement. I tend to think about things that only matter to me and that are for my benefit. Every now and then a dose of reality brings to the forefront what really matters.

We live in a world where there are many injustices. The evil one seeks to destroy all that is good and leads people down paths of hopelessness and despair. It's easy for us to lose perspective on the larger battles that are being fought. Bigger problems than cold weather, poor driving conditions, and unexpected bills exist. 

This past weekend I received another (of many lately) wake-up calls. This happened for me in a parent visit to Kensington, Pennsylvania. Kensington is a community with great needs: spiritual, economic, social, and physical.

From on top of Esperanza 

My son, Matt, is spending a year of his life giving to the dear people of Kensington through a ministry called Mission Year. The community is a multi-ethnic, low income, urban area. High unemployment, addiction, and high crime make up the neighborhoods. He works at Esperanza Health Care Center. Esperanza provides health care assistance to low income families in the greater Philadelphia area.

I was amazed and encouraged at how well Matt fit into life in the inner-city. He has come to know countless people. The impact that he has made at Esperanza is evident. We went on a tour of downtown Philly where Matt introduced us to a older lady who works in guest relations in one of the downtown parks. He had met her there and drummed up a friendship. Everywhere we went, Matt was introducing us to "his" people.

Matt's Friend

The words came out of my mouth as Lisa and I were leaving the city... "I think he was born for this." We have been watching Matt develop for nearly twenty-three years. We have worked hard at shaping his experiences and supported the paths that he has taken. Now another journey begins for him. We are encouraged that Matt has not settled for a "less than" life.

What were your children born for? Are you leading them down paths in which they have no choice but to settle? Our expectations can often lead our children to become people they were not born to be.

Sissies need not apply!!!

Here are some pictures a friend just sent me. He serves as a missionary in Africa with A.B.W.E. His name is Kyle Farran. This was his description ;  "thought you would like a taste of Africa.... He picked our 4x4 three foot off the ground...... (before) .....the herd came up behind us and trapped us....the now very mad male in the musth noticed us.....we took off through the bush and he t-boned us, lifting us three foot into the air.... the sign appeared one month later"

Teamwork

 What a milestone!!! Tonight we expanded our leadership team in Pittsfield by two. We want to welcome Darin East and Dennis Will to our deacon fellowship. It is exciting to see this ministry grow. I am reminded once again that God desires to use us all for His glory.

Pittsfield Leaders

Death Bed Regrets

From The Top Five Regrets of the Dying : A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish I had let myself be happier.

"Stepping Up" Night # 1

Next Wednesday at 7:00

Circling Up

Full House

Catacombs No More

Seven Rooms into One

Check Out the Beams

Steve Wollbrink on a ladder

Christmas Eve 2013

Pre-Service 

Praise Team

Full House

Post Service

Protect Yourself with Gratitude

My dad is a beekeeper. It seems kind of funny to say that, but it is so like him to try something new and different. Along the way, family members have been educated by him in the discipline of beekeeping. We have been talking about gratitude at Columbus Road recently and a powerful illustration emerged from my recent beekeeping classes with dad.

On Thanksgiving, dad showed me his beekeeper outfit. I even TRIED IT ON. The suit covers the beekeepers entire body from head to toe. It is an outfit that keeps the bees from stinging the keeper while he or she works with the hive to maintain it. It dawned on me that there is a picture of how life happens in relation to bees and the keeper.

The bee stings in life come in the form of broken relationships, loss of jobs, isolation, conflict with people around us, and discontentment with our circumstances. The beekeeper's outfit represents prayer. The scriptures (Colossians 4:2) make it clear that gratitude protects us from the enemies of our lives.

It says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. " We see three simple admonitions in this verse. First we are to devote ourselves to prayer. This is simply explained. Run everything in your life past God all the time before acting or thinking about it on your own. This is obviously easier said than done.

The second thing we are to do is stay alert. Be cautious, active, and give strict attention to the circumstances that surround you. This is sometimes where we don't completely cover ourselves, and "bam"... we get stung. The best way to avoid those moments is by applying the third point. Always have an attitude of thanksgiving. We are protected from the stings when we chose the proper attitude. Gratitude is that protective covering when life happens in a way that is not favorable (or appears to be unfavorable).

Richard Baxter said this, "When men accustom themselves to have ten words or twenty of confession and petition for one of thanksgiving, and ten thoughts of sins and wants, and troubles, for the one of mercies, they starve thankfulness and turn it away."

It may be time to check to see if you have your protective outfit on. If you don't, watch out! The stings are on their way!

Gratitude is Essential for Happiness

Stuck

Have you ever been stuck? I am not talking about being stuck in a ditch or at an airport. I am talking about being stuck in what to do next...how to proceed with a project or a vision. I have been stuck for a little bit. I have been asking myself, "How can I take this to the next level?"

I have been racking my brain with questions, attempting to figure it out. Questions like: Why am I stuck? (which was not helpful); How can I get unstuck? (that didn't help either); When am I gonna get unstuck? (even worse yet...made it more painful); Who can help me get unstuck? (I couldn't think of anyone.)

Then it happened... and now I am unstuck.

How did this happen? When did this happen? Who helped me get unstuck? Here are my answers; they might just help you.

1. I needed the time to think through why I was stuck. This required some time away from the every day routine and busyness of life. I needed time to gather information, talk to others, and think through the stuckness.
2. I needed to remember key factors that played into my stuckness. My usual surroundings and routine weren't providing solutions. I reflected on my passions, gifts and abilities. I surveyed how I was using them, and the ways that I was not. Others shaped and affirmed my thinking through general conversations, without even knowing that they where helping me move forward.
3. I began to dream again. It is sometimes hard to dream when you are too busy and the next thing is on top of you. To sit and plan...to prepare and work at something that "could be"...is refreshing. 
4. Beginning the process of what-is-next takes a first step. For me, it required others to dream with. I realized a long time ago that "we" can do more. Taking the first step has already begun with an action plan, and with a goal (vision) in mind.

Are you stuck? If so, you may find a starting point to becoming unstuck by looking over these four steps.