Random Musings

Opportunities and Goals for 2012

2012-01-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

It is the year 2012, and it has started off with a bang. On January 4th, my wife and son and I traveled to Orlando,Florida for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. The last time we visited the House of Mouse was in 2007, when we went during the Labor Day weekend. This time, we were going for a purpose: so that I could compete in my first Half Marathon!

The experience was truly inspiring! Being out there running with 27,000 others in the Half Marathon, and running the 5K race with my son and 8000 other runners, was an emotional event that I will never forget. The fact that I ran my first Half Marathon was a big part of it. But also, meeting new friends, running mates, and members of the W.I.S.H. Racing Team (We're Inspired to Stay Healthy) made the whole weekend that much more enjoyable for me and my family. Needless to say, I plan to return to Disney World in 2013 to compete in all three races -- the 5K, Half Marathon, and Full Marathon. If I can do that, I will come home with four Disney medals for the effort.

For a more detailed report of my Disney experience, visit my Healthy Living blog site and read the posting about it.

After returning to the 'real world' of Illinois, I have been thinking about the past year and what this year might bring. I have been thinking about what I would like to accomplish in 2012, and I have come up with several.

Lose another 50 pounds

In 2011, my weight loss efforts continued, bringing my total weight loss since May 2010 to over 110 pounds. This was very rewarding for me, seeing my shirt size go from a 4XL to just XL, my pants size go from a 58 to 44, and now being able to fit into clothes previously too small for me. I have given away tons of clothes to Good Will that are now way too big for me.

But, I am not done yet! My weight target is 190 pounds. I have 50 more pounds to lose and my goal is to lose them in 2012! The past few months have seen my weight loss stabilize -- no gaining but no losing either. I believe part of this is the result of my training for the Half Marathon, but another part of it is that I have become more lax in my tracking of what I eat.

So 2012, I re-dedicate myself to following my Weight Watchers PointsPLUS program more carefully, continue to eat healthy foods, and lose these last pounds.

Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle

This will be the year of the Half Marathon! I ran my first on January 7th at Disney. My second will be on January 21st, when I run the Polar Dash down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago where it will be well below freezing and lots of fresh snow on the ground. After that, I have three other Half Marathons scheduled between April and September. I also have three 5Ks (one was completed on January 6th) and one 10 Mile race scheduled.

In June, I will be participating in the AVON Walk for Breast Cancer Research. This is a two-day event where the first day is a 26.2 mile walk, followed by a 13.1 mile walk the following day. I will be doing this to raise awareness and funds to help in the fight to find a cure for this terrible disease that affects both men and women alike. More on this soon. I hope I can count on your support to help me in this fight!

My biggest athletic challenge for 2012 will be my first Full Marathon: The Chicago Marathon in October! I am very excited and intimidated by this one. I am putting together my training plan for this race now, so that I will be prepared.

Other than running and walking, I will also be working out at my health club, doing some biking and swimming and strength training. Not only do I want to lose weight, I want to build more lean muscle mass, strengthen my core, and make sure that I am losing fat, not muscle. I want to be a lean mean fighting machine!

Read the entire Bible

I want to improve my Bible literacy this year by reading the entire Bible over the course of this calendar year. More importantly, I want to study the Bible more this year, finding out more about God's purpose for our lives and how His Word can both convict and encourage me to live a life worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me on the Cross.

Learn a new skill

No one knows everything. I want to learn something new this year. Right now, I do not know what that might be. But I am going to keep my eyes open adn when the opportunity arises, I am going to grab on with both hands. He who stops learning, stops living!

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So, I guess that is it. These are my goals for the new year. What goals are you shooting for? If you haven't thought about it, then now is the time. What do you want? What do you value? How can you improve yourself, your life

Here is hoping that you have a wonderful and prosperous 2012!

My Reflections as 2011 comes to a close

2011-12-31T19:15:00.001-06:00

Wow! Did you think I had been totally absent for the past 4 months? I am not surprised. It seems like after the Mission Trip I took down south for Katrina Relief work, and the Chciago Comic Con, I just dropped off the face of the publishing world.

But alas, it is just that with life being so busy, and with so much of my free time being taken up with my training for my upcoming Half Marathon race at Disney World next Saturday, I have only had time to post on my Healthy Living/Running blog. I am afraid this poor blog has paid the price. For this, I truly apologize. I will aim to do better in 2012.

But to keep things in perspective, I really have done pretty well as far as blogging in 2011. In fact, as I look back upon 2011, I think the year has been pretty positive and I have done pretty well on the resolutions I published here at the beginning of the year. So here is my final review of my resolutions.

Lose another 75 pounds

This has been a great year health-wise for me. I lost a total of 55 pounds in 2011, bringing my total weight loss since beginning my journey to 112. In the past two months, my weight has stablized due in part because of gaining more muscle mass while losing fat. I determine this because while my weight is staying the same, i am still losing inches off my waist, hips, and arms. So it is all good. I did not reach my 75 pound goal but I consider 55 a significant achievement and will place this in the "win" column!

Make exercise part of the regular routine

On this score, I have to say "Boo-yaa!" Since the beginning of 2011, I have been walking, running, biking, strength training, and swimming. I have allocated from 3-4 days each week to these activities and to great effect. I took up running in April, and since then I have run over 730 miles, run in 13 different races, logged over 150 'foot' hours, and burned over 108,000 calories in the process. I have over 188 exercise sessions in my logbook for this year! My first week in 2012 will include my first Half Marathon race so I have no intention of slowing down! Yet another resolution in the "win" column!

Post a blog each week

When I posted this resolution, I only had one blog. Now I have two! In 2010, I posted nothing on my blog. In 2011, I have made 25 posts to this blog and 72 postings to my Healthy Living blog. That's a total of 97 posts for 2011 which is far more than one posting per week! Score another in the "win" column!

Improve my spiritual discipline

This is an area where I feel I can always improve. I was very active in the first part of 2011 with my Cursillo Reunion Group, meeting with the group or another Cursillista on a weekly basis. I participated in a Christian Journey study group at church which met monthly to discuss and support one another on our journey towards a better understanding of what God is calling us to do.

In the Fall, I started teaching the high school Christian Formation class at church on Sunday mornings. This has been really rewarding for me, and hopefully the youth who have been attending feel the same. I want to do more with the kids next year, adding activities and other events outside of Sunday morning. And I spent more time this year studying the Bible, and working with the youth of our Diocese on retreats, mission trips, and other church-based activities.

To conclude 2011:

This has been a fun year! Getting more healthy, losing weight, gaining strength and endurance, learning how to 'run' and doing these races (race reports are on my Healthy Living blog), and doing a lot of things with my Youth Ministry work. I also was able to attend the Chicago Comic-Con, the Episcopal Youth Event, and had fun with new techie gadgetry. And let's not forget having the awesome opportunity to play a cameo role -- in full Klingon costume and makeup -- in this year's production of "A Klingon Christmas Carol"!

In the next post, I will share with you my thoughts about goals for 2012!

Geeking out at the Chicago Comic Con!

2011-08-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

Well, I just returned from my third Chicago Comic Con at the Convention Center in Rosemont, IL (just outside Chicago). As usual, big crowds, lots of vendor booths selling all kinds of collectibles, comics, swords and props, action figures, and a decent list of celebrities offering autographs, photo opportunities, and if you're lucky a decent conversation. (One of these days, I am going to get to the San Diego Comic Con)

The Convention started on Thursday, August 11 and ended today (Sunday). My son Ryan and I got 4-day passes so we could take our time and see everything. We even got my wife Christi to come with us on Saturday (I threw in a one-night stay at the Hyatt next door as a bonus). This is her first Comic Con (I got her to go with me to the Las Vegas Star Trek Con last summer -- another 'first' for her).

The Con this year seemed a little smaller in some respects than last year. I think that is partly because last year, there was a large Star Trek (and to some extent Star Wars) presence here and that really brought out the crowds. But don't get me wrong, there were still thousands of people there, especially on Saturday. Plenty of people dressed up in costumes, plenty of collectors looking for great deals on merchandise, and plenty of people looking for their favorite celebrities at booths and panels.

This year the big draws were Bruce Campbell, Felicia Day, Patrick Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, and most of the cast from Buffy (James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Julie Benz, Nicholas Brendon). Other celebs that I saw were Vivica Fox (Independence Day), Tia Carrera (Relic Hunter), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Louis Gossett Jr (Officer and a Gentleman/Iron Eagle), Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers), Gil Gerard & Erin Gray (Buck Rogers), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Ray Park (Darth Maul), and Pam Grier (Foxy Brown/Smallville).

The floor was pretty filled with vendors and displays, and I think the Artist Alley was the largest I have seen over the past three years. Comics were the majority of vendor booths present, but there were a lot of action figures (mostly Marvel and DC stuff) and weaponry and the like. There was a tattoo artist this year (I met his girlfriend while waiting for photo op tickets). I thought that was interesting.

Star Trek Represented

This year, there are only a few notable Trek celebs in attendance: Patrick Stewart (who had to back out of last year's Con at the last minute), LeVar Burton, and Daniel Stewart. On Friday, Ryan and I stood in line to get a photograph with LeVar Burton who played our favorite engineer Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Then on Saturday, I had the opportunity to get LeVar to sign that photograph and to speak with him for a few minutes.

Then about an hour later, I attended his Q&A Panel and live-tweeted the event. You can check out all those tweets at @rpeete on twitter.com. He was very genuine and funny. Did you know that the VISOR was screwed onto his head? Yep! Two screws on either side! He said after about 45 minutes, he always ended up with a headache, and seeing out of that thing was difficult.

There was also a running joke throughout his panel with people asking him to dance, because of a comment made an hour earlier during Patrick Stewart's panel when Sir Patrick said LeVar had some killer dance moves and that everyone should ask him about it. Well LeVar elected not to demonstrate any "moves" and pretty much said that he had his ways of reeking vengeance on Patrick and I quote "Patrick's bald head will be MINE"

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Patrick Stewart panel. The main ballroom for his panel filled up before the line got to the doors. They would not let me in. What!!? Don't they know WHO I AM? Guess not! Hmmph!

StarGate SGU

Another highlight for me this year was meeting Alaina Huffman, who played Lt. Tamara Johansen the medic on the show. She was the only person from Stargate at the Con this year. Ryan and I took a photograph with her on Friday afternoon and then spent quite a while talking with her at her booth later that day. She was very personable, spoke equally to both me and Ryan, and shared her good news: she is pregnant with her fourth child! She is expecting a son (I thought she looked pregnant at the photo-op but knew better than to say anything). Her youngest is a boy and he is very excited to be getting a baby brother as his two other siblings are older girls.

Among other things, Alaina and I talked about the cancellation of SGU and she was candid about feeling "bummed" by the initial negativity by Stargate fans regarding the show. And even though there were many who liked it, she thought that perhaps that negative minority was a lot more vocal than those who quietly enjoyed watching the show. We agreed that SciFi shows with a balance of tech/SFX, action, and character development/story are the best. It was a shame that SGU did not get the chance to realize its full potential.

When I asked her what she is working on nowadays, she mentioned that she is the main baddie in the upcoming Alphas TV show this Monday on SyFy. She said it was a lot of fun to do, so I encourage everyone who reads this before Monday evening, August 15th, to check it out.

Other Celebrity Panels

Bruce Campbell, Felicia Day, Patrick Stewart, and Christopher Lloyd were the big draws for the Q&A panels and were assigned the Large Ballroom A. Bruce was hilarious albeit most of his humor is definitely for adult ears, which was a little distracting since I was sitting next to a bunch of kids ages 8-13. He was definitely different. He was actually giving out dollar bills to people who had gotten tattoos of Evil Dead and other shows he was connected with via a little fashion show he held up on stage. Towards the end of his panel, he had a woman come up and talk with him and then asked her boyfriend to come up and join them. Then the boyfriend proposed to her on stage. It was pretty coo that Bruce and the guy had set this up.

I only got to hear the last 15 minutes of Felicia Day's panel but she was awesome! Very engaging with the audience and answered questions very openly. She was quick to point out that she is NOT going to be in the next Avengers movie (evidently Josh had made some passing comment about it).

SEXY NERD GIRL

You may not have heard of Valerie Lapomme and her video blog (VLog) called the "Sexy Nerd Girl" but I do subscribe to her YouTube channel and find her pretty entertaining and funny. She is a self-avowed sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming fangirl who loves Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Nintendo games, and pretty much anything geeky. Her vlog posts are usually 2-3 minutes and altogether wacky (and sometimes a bit on the adult humor side).

I noticed Valerie's booth on Friday and tried to set up a time to interview her for Treks in SciFi (a weekly podcast and web online community that I love). But that girt was busy! She was all over the Con doing her own interviews! In fact, I saw her interviewing the guys at the Extreme FX booth and got off a quick photo. Her booth was giving out small posters, business cards, and other free stuff. And they were holding a raffle for a Sexy Nerd Girl T-shirt (which you can buy from her web site).

So, I met her staffers at the booth as I visited it probably 6 times between Friday and Saturday and each time, Valerie wasn't there. I told them all about Treks in SciFi and they were pretty excited to know that we all love her Vlog! They told me that Val was entered into the Comic Con Costume Contest on Saturday night but Steph said she didn't win. So we decided to give it one more try on Sunday morning.

Success! I finally got to see Valerie on Sunday morning! The first thing I noticed is that she is taller than me. Looks like she might be 6'1" compared to my 5'10" stature. But the smile gave her away. She is pretty friendly and wanted to know a bit more about the Treks in SciFi crew. So I explained that we were going on our 6-year anniversary, and since many of us are followers of her vlog, I wanted to know if she would record a little greeting for the podcast. She readily agreed!

So we discussed it a bit more and her camera crew rolled the tape! We made a short little clip for the podcast which they promised to send to me for inclusion in the Treks in SciFi Anniversary special this fall. Awesomeness!

One cool thing was that as we talked, they asked how I watch her Vlog. I told her that I used my iPad most of the time to view it. Well, Valerie had never seen her show from an iPad. So I brought my iPad 2 out and we watched her latest post on it right on the convention floor. That was pretty sweet and she was pretty pleased with how it looked.

So I will keep you in the loop when the video is finally available (I wonder if she will use any of the footage on her channel). And if you are a SciFi fan and you aren't listening to the Treks in SciFi podcast, then you should go over to iTunes right now and subscribe. It is awesome! And the online community is a great place to hang out. Look for me there!

Collectibles

Well, I have to admit that this year I did not buy as many collectible items as I have in the past. I did, however, pick up three large prints from Lightspeed. Two were Babylon 5 prints -- one of all the ships in the show autographed by all the Captains and the other was a nice print that included all the primary cast members in the series. These were for Ryan, who I have turned into a major B5 fan.

For myself, I found a very nice print of Kirk, Spock, and Kahn that is autographed by both Shatner and Nimoy. Unfortunately, Ricardo Montalban passed away about a week before this was created so it does not have his signature. But even still, it is an awesome print that depicts one of my favorite Trek movies -- The Wrath of Kahn.

Other than that, we got some miscellaneous stuff: t-shirts, Star Wars Lego guys that Ryan didn't have, and an awesome Star Fury model to put together. I also found some cool mock-up ID badges and parking passes so I now have a Hogwarts Parking Pass on my car.

I saw an awesome Captain America shield for sale at $500. I was sorely tempted but in the end, decided to walk away from it. But that shield might be in my collectible future if I see it again next year!

.........

Well, I guess that is about it for my Comic Con report. Ryan and I had an amazing time there this year, and staying overnight at the Hyatt was a nice little getaway bonus for the family.

I missed not having my "Treks in SciFi" buddy Rico Dostie there with us this year (but hey, maybe he can come out here in the Fall for the Trek Con). By the way, this will be the last Convention for Leonard Nimoy (I heard that from his agent who also manages LightSpeed. Nimoy was at the Vegas TrekCon this weekend and it was his last Creation Entertainment Con)

Until next time, "Live Long and Prosper"!

I made it! 102.2 pounds are GONE!

2011-08-13T10:03:00.000-05:00
I just had to post a quick note about my weigh in at Weight Watchers this morning. I walked in at 7AM for my regular WW meeting and I was guardedly excited. I was pretty sure that I had lost weight during the week and that I would cross the 100lb milestone.

And I was correct! I lost 2.8lbs this week, bringing my total weight loss (since May 2010) to 102.2 pounds!! I cannot tell you how excited I was as I sat through the meeting! At the very end of the meeting, the leader turned to me asn asked me to tell everyone how much I had lost. Everyone was very supportive and happy for me. And then the leader gave me a signed certificate! (I didn't know they did that!)

This has been a long journey, one that I am still walking (literally and figuratively). WHile I still have 58 more pounds to lose, I can take a moment to enjoy how far I have come. I think I need to do some kind of celebratory thing but I haven't come up with any good ideas yet. So if you have thoughts, post them here or email me. :)

And I will say this: you can achieve anything if you want it bad enough. I really want this! I want to be lighter and healthier and to feel better about myself. It took me years to get to the point where I 'wanted it bad enough' to do something. But I encourage everyone to take the plunge and live a little healthier. You will not regret it!

2011 Resolutions -- A Progress Report

2011-08-11T14:59:00.001-05:00
Well, it has been eight months since I first posted my goals for 2011 (I hate the word 'resolutions'). So I thought this would be a good time to post my progress on those goals as a way of making myself accountable to you for how things are going.

Lose another 75 pounds

Since the beginning of 2011, I have lost a total of 47.5 pounds, and if I continue with this pace, I will be on track to reach the goal of 75 by the end of the year. In fact, as of this posting I have lost over 102 pounds since May 2010 (when I first started my weight loss journey).

I am very pleased and excited about this achievement! It feels great to be so much lighter! Just this year I have gone from a size 3XL to XL in my shirt size and have donated a ton of clothes because they are TOO BIG for me now!

Make exercise part of the regular routine

This goal has truly been accomplished! I have been working out at LifeTime Fitness since the beginning of January and at this point, exercise is now a major part of my weekly life. I work out a minimum of three days each week for at least an hour each time. I do both strength training and cardio workouts each week.

In March, I added running to my exercise regimen. I have run in four 5K races thus far and each time, my finishing time has improved significantly. I have a 10K race scheduled in 10 days, and I have five more races scheduled for the remainder of the calendar year, including one 15K race in November. In January 2012, I will be running my first Half Marathon at Disney World!! It is safe to say that running has become a new and enduring part of my life and I really love it!

Post a blog entry each week

By the 'letter' of the goal, I have met this goal. But that is not to say I have been lax in my blogging for 2011. I am happy to say that I have posted more entries this year (21) than I did in 2009 (and I posted nothing back in 2010). And I have been doing some podcasting this year as well which has been fun.

I created a new blog this year around Easter to chronicle my health and fitness (and running) journey and have posted 31 entries there already! You can follow it online here.

So for total posting activity, I feel good about being much more intentional about my online communications.

Improve my spiritual discipline

The major focus of this year has been more intentional prayer. Feeling the need to be closer to God has been more prevalent this year for some reason. So talking to God while on my runs, or commuting, or while preparing for my monthly adult study gathering has been awesome. I really felt connected during the last Happening retreat weekend and the recent Mission Trip to Mississippi.

I still need to do some more 'study' and reading of The Word. As I continue to prepare for my high school Christian Formation class (I am teaching it this fall), I look forward to being more immersed in Scripture as I work to bring His Word to the youth in my church.

SO......

There you have it. I feel very good about this year and the accomplishments I have made thus far. There is still a lot of work ahead of me, but with perseverance, God's help, and the support of all my friends and family, I am confident that I can keep this momentum going and continue moving forward.

Mission Trip -- Reflections

2011-08-07T20:02:00.002-05:00
It has been about 19 hours since we arrived in Union Station yesterday morning, ending a 8.5-day Mission Trip to help those still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which hit the Gulf Coast six years ago.

Since coming home, I have taken time to rest, to run, see two movies with my family, and post photos on my FaceBook page. I have also spent some time thinking about the trip and how it has affected me personally.

Our last Friday in Mississippi started with clean-up. Let's just say that when 64 people are occupying a facility for 7 days, lots of trash is generated, not to mention the state of bathrooms! So everyone spent time cleaning all the sleeping and bathroom areas, leaving them cleaner than they were when we first arrived. I was very proud of the youth who really stepped up to the task. Then we walked the property, picking up any trash that they could find. Lakeshore Baptist showed us such hospitality; it is only fitting that we demonstrate our appreciation by leaving them with a clean facility for the next crew who comes.

We loaded up the minivans and cargo vans (I got the job of loading the cargo vans), and made our first stop: the Super Walmart (and a gas station). Everyone had the chance to pick up a few snacks for the train ride and then head for the New Orleans train station. The van trip was filled with laughter, music, and a certain excitement about heading 'home'.

We boarded the train around 12:30pm and found out that we did not have enough seats in our train car (even though that meant we had more legroom). So four adults had to sit in the adjoining car. The good news was that our train car was right next to the Lounge and Dining car! I think we had youth playing and hanging out in the Lounge Car for the entire 19-hour trip. It was truly the 'party train'.

We arrived at Union Station on time which was nice. And it did not take nearly as long as in years past to get our checked baggage. And with that, the Mission Trip was over (well, after we took Sue Cromer home, that is).

This morning, I was thinking about everything I experienced during the past week and trying to put it into words. So many people have forgotten about the Gulf Coast. FEMA and the government have left. It seems that the average person thinks everything has been rebuilt, or, that those still suffering are somehow to blame for their plight.

After talking with the pastor of Lakeshore, members of St. George Episcopal Church in New Orleans, and the staffers at Habitat for Humanity, several messages come across loud and clear.
Katrina was huge! It is almost impossible to imagine the severity of its impact
Churches and support groups can make a major difference in LA and MS
Volunteers bring a sense of Hope and Connection to the communities they serve
The Spirit of God is at work in the Gulf Coast, healing and keeping Love and Hope alive in the hearts of those who live there
The work our mission team did out there was amazing. Working on four different Habitat houses, ripping out defective sheetrock from an occupied home, clearing out debris and wood from properties that could not be salvaged, and providing support to the congregation at Lakeshore as they offer goods and services to their community.

Jesus calls us to respond to those in need. In Matt 25:31-40, Jesus tells us to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, heal the sick, and welcome the stranger. 5 years ago, the youth and adults of the Diocese of Chicago have committed themselves to respond to the statement "What Would Jesus Do" with actions rather than words.

I am thankful that our young people have such passion for fulfilling God's commandment to Love One Another, and to bring their gifts of time and talent to the Gulf Coast. With God's help, we will continue to make a difference.

Praise Him!

Mission Trip Day 4 - Wrapping up the Work

2011-08-05T15:54:00.002-05:00
(Point of clarification: The days 1-4 in my blog titles refer to the actual work days on the trip. The length of the mission trip is actually eight days, going from Friday, July 30th to August 6th.)

As I wake up on Thursday morning, I am excited to return to the Habitat work sites for one more productive day. But I am also sad because I know this will be our last day working with Ryan, Chris, Tom, Steve, and Katie from the Habitat crew on the four houses we have been focusing on this week. Habitat for Humanity has such an amazing mission and ministry to communities across the globe (they are actually called Habitat International) and it has been an honor working with them in support of those affected by the Katrina disaster.

I have to admit that it was a bit harder to get out of bed this morning. I am definitely beginning to feel the effects of the extreme heat and humidity. When you have to work and live in it for 10 hours each day, it can just drain your energy level because of how hard the body works to keep itself cool.

Today, we worked with Chris to continue building a porch for the side of one the houses. We completed the foundation for the porch, dug out the footings, laid down the support beams. and poured in the concrete to set. Then we finally put up the permanent railings for the porch. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to build the stairs leading down from the porch -- that will be the job of another crew.

We also put up all the railings for the large front porch of that same house - they place where were have been eating lunch all week. After three coats of white paint, they look marvelous! We also did touch-up painting on the exterior of the house were a previous crew had missed spots.

We also had teams working on two other houses today. In one house, we put up window frames on almost all the windows of the house. In the second, we did all the work to hang doors in all the rooms of the house.

Let me say right now, that our Van Group was the best! In fact, both Van Groups at Habitat were just awesome and it was a real pleasure getting to know them and working alongside each of them. I especially want to recognize my Van Group: Andrew, Gina, Russ, Ellen, Matt. and Shelley. We were a great team and we really enjoyed one another's company on this trip. I could not have asked for a more awesome team!

Our workday ended at 3pm. And while we were sad that we couldn't come back for one more day, we were all very pleased with what we were able to accomplish in these four days. We were working in the same neighborhood as our mission trip here in 2010, and were so satisfied to see that the three houses we worked on during that trip are complete and occupied by families! How awesome is that!!?

We ended Thursday with a trip to Sonic for Sonic Blasts, chocolate malts, and similar yummy things. After which, we all went to the Beach in Lakeshore for some well deserved play time! It was kind of different to swim in a lake that felt like bath water (it was really warm water).

Dinner was next on the agenda, followed by a final worship gathering where we got to listen to the pastor of the Lakeshore Baptist Church speak to us about how Katrina affected the lives of those living in Lakeshore (no one's homes survived) and to the church itself (nothing but its steeple survived).

He shared with us how our presence, service, and ministry is a consistent source of comfort and hope for everyone who lives in this area. Even six years after Katrina hit, there is so much yet to do to rebuild communities and lives. And how awesome it is to see God's providence realized in the actions of Christians from all over the world who take the time to come to Mississippi and New Orleans to offer help and support.

Mission Trip Day 3 - More Fun in the Sun!

2011-08-03T22:59:00.002-05:00
Hot child in the City! Remember that song by Nick Gilder? Well I definitely felt like the 'hot child' this week! Today was another seriously hot work day. Temps in the upper 90s and a heat index of 118. Habitat for Humanity has a policy that they do not allow volunteers to work too long in weather where the Heat Index is above 114 so today was a few hours shorter than usual. But having said that, we were still on the work site from 8:30am to 3pm today.

We got a lot accomplished today. We completed the construction of two sheds. finished installing the window frames in one house and had begun doing so one a second, we finished painting the railings for a porch, and started work on building a side porch to allow people to exit the house from the kitchen area.

We also got to do some organizing the the Habitat warehouse not too far from the job site. The place was a good size and filled with cabinetry for about five different homes. We had to get all the cabinetry organized into groups so that it will be easier for them to load and transport the stuff after it has all been 'clear coated'.

Then we loaded a large truck with tons of scrap sheet metal left over from their housing development work. They were going to take all that stuff to a place that recycles metal and get some money for it, which they can then turn around and spend on more materials. Pretty cool!

The other 9 work teams worked on demolition of a house which had been built with substandard sheet rock from China. There is a big lawsuit going on how between the USA and China over these materials which had been sold to large stores like Lowes and 84 Lumber, etc. This poor family has to gut their house to remove all this stuff and then have the house pretty much rebuild with the right kind of materials. Such a shame because the house is really nice. The family, which has a little girl, is so nice. In fact, they came to our Eucharist service this evening to express their gratitude for our help.

I have to say that I am really tired today. After a very busy day at the work site, and the oppressive heat, my van group had kitchen duty for dinner. So after we showered and got a few minutes of rest, we went down to the hot kitchen and prepared dinner for the whole team of 63 people. It was pretty tasty! Chicken Tenders and/or Baked Chicken Breast, with a salad bar, and a fully decked out Baked Potato Bar, plus drinks and Oreo cookies for dessert. We also had selections for vegetarians, diabetics, and those on a low-fat diet. We covered all the bases! By the time we were done, I felt like I needed another shower!

Then at 7:30pm, we had a nice Eucharist celebration, complete with engaging music, an engaging sermon from Deacon Lee, and fun fellowship. At first, we were going to have the service on the beach, but the weather did not cooperate -- it started raining -- so we decided to have it at the worship space here at LakeShore.

I was so tired! I am pleased to be able to go back to the dorm and finally lay down (well, after I post this blog). A little Advil for my aching back and I should be good as new for tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be a full day with some fun at the end. Once we all finish our work, most of us will go to the beach for some swimming time! Others will take a tour of Bay St. Louis and Waveland to show the effects and rebuilding efforts since Katrina struck. Then after dinner, it will be time to start packing and getting ready to head back to Chicagoland on Friday.

Mission Trip Day 2 - Sheds, Windows, and Demolition!

2011-08-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

Today was just plain HOT! It was 97 degrees with 60% humidity with a heat index of 118!!! Oh. My. Gosh! The only mitigating factor was that there was a good breeze and the really hot part of the day was after our lunch break.
I started the day with a 4 mile run at 5:30am. It was only 78 degrees at that time even though the humidity was about 68%. I ran about half the run with Sue Cromer -- it is always nice to have a friend to run with. Then I got cleaned up, ate breakfast, and got prepped for the van drive to Habitat at 8:30am.
Work started immediately. We broke into the same four groups: two building sheds, one doing interior work on windows, closets, etc., and the fourth group doing painting. We really worked hard today. By lunch time, one shed was about 90% complete, the other was about 60% complete. The painting was done and drying, and the interior windows were all in place.
Work after lunch was more grueling only because it really heated up. We started taking 20 minute breaks with water/Gatorade in the shade to manage it and stay in good shape. After talking with the leader of the Willow Creek team, we agreed that cutting the workday short at 3pm was the best plan to keep the teams safe.
There was a new team of Americorps volunteers there today. They will be working with Habitat for the next two months. They continued to work after we left the work site. We, on the other hand, left and made a pit stop at the local Sonic for smoothies, malts, and Sonic Blasts. Yummy! I think we deserved that treat with all the hard work and determination we demonstrated today.
We came home just in time to miss the daily rainstorm -- this time at 5PM. We had a tasty pulled pork dinner, and spent time at the Worship Kwanset Hut singing songs and reading Compline together. Then the van drivers and youth leaders met to discuss plans for the next two days. Looks like we might be having Eucharist tomorrow night on the beach! And on Thursday, we might be going swimming! Nice! :)
Tomorrow, my van group is responsible for dinner. We are going to be cooking roasted chickens, baked potatoes, chicken tenders, and serving salad. Sounds good, right?

Goin on a Mission Trip!

2011-08-01T22:12:00.005-05:00
On Friday evening, I joined with a group of 64 high schoolers, college students, and adults on an adventure in service. The group came from parishes across the Diocese of Chicago to gather in support of those who are still impacted by Hurricane Katrina six years ago. We are headed to Lakeshore, Mississippi to help build affordable housing for victims of the hurricane. We are fulfilling Jesus' call to help others -- to answer the question: What would Jesus do?

FRIDAY

We all boarded an Amtrak train (we were large enough to get our own complete train car) and left the station around 7:15pm. Our trip will carry us to New Orleans where we will rent 11 minivans and 2 cargo vans and drive to Mississippi, where we will stay at the Lakeshore Baptist Church's facilities. They host groups year-round who wish to volunteer to help the community rebuild.

The train ride was loads of fun! The kids we're totally pumped to be going on this adventure as were the adults!. There were games to be played, songs to be sung, snacks to be consumed! By midnight, I was tired. But I found that sleeping on a train in the seat is not all that comfortable.

SATURDAY

So I can't say that I got a good night's sleep but I did get in a few good hours of rest. The morning and afternoon were pretty relaxed as we began to settle the logistics of the van drive to Mississippi, etc.

We arrived in New Orleans at 3:30pm (a nice 20 hour train ride) and rented our vans. Of course, I ended up with the one that had all the cool tech gadgets (I did not even pick the van I wanted, it just worked out that way) so that was a bonus. We divided everyone into their 'van groups' and started the 1 hour drive to Lakeshore. Did you know that NASA has a rocket testing center in Mississippi? We passed right by it! Too bad we don't have the time to check it out...

Once we got settled into the housing at Lakeshore, we went to Los Tres Amigos mexican restaurant for dinner. Very tasty! Then after we got back, a friend and I went on a nice walk to map out a running route for the next morning. We mapped out a 2.5 mile route and then went to bed.

SUNDAY

First thing Saturday morning, about 10 youth and adults went for a run before the rest of the group woke up. 2.5 miles is a little short but still a nice run and a nice sunrise!

Then we drove back to New Orleans to attend church services at St. George Episcopal Church. Beautiful parish! They fed us breakfast and lunch, and we were treated to an amazing presentation on the Katrina disaster (a man-made disaster) by one of their parishioners. I will post some video of that up on YouTube when I return home.

Then we took the streetcar to the French Quarter and spent the next six hours walking around the shops and musical entertainment in New Orleans' famous marketplace! It was hot but really fun. We concluded our day with dinner at Bourbon Vieux (yes, it is on Bourbon Street). The food was okay but the time spent together was great! Then we drove back to Lakeshore to prepare for our first full day of our work.

MONDAY

We ate breakfast and arrived at our work site with Habitat for Humanity at 9am. My van group and a second van group were assigned to Habitat -- 14 people. When we arrived, we met another mission trip group there. And guess what? They were from Willow Creek!! So it was a Chicagoland team working today and throughout the week! How cool is that!?

Today we worked on four different houses, building window frames, building out closets, building outdoor sheds, painting, and prepping for the installation of doors. We also prepped the lot for a new house whose foundation was just poured last week. We might get to do some framing for that house this week!

It was 95 degrees and 91% humidity all day today. We worked to keep ourselves hydrated and protected with sunscreen. Three of our team had to go back to Lakeshore due to the heat, but everyone did well and no one had any lingering health issues today. The workday ended at 4pm and we all went back to shower, chill, and have a tasty dinner of taco salad and brownies!

My can group got KP duty tonight ao after cleaning the dining hall and kitchen, we got to join in the evening reflection time, followed by Compline and lots of singing. Then it was free time until lights out at 10L30pm. As I write this, the kids are all singing loudly outside, having a fun time. As for me, I am tired after a long day. So I am going to get some sleep and hopefully go on a 5 mile run early in the morning before Day 2 of our mission adventure!

The Episcopal Youth Event 2011!

2011-06-29T16:14:00.000-05:00

Every three years, the Episcopal Church hosts the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE). This youth conference is attended by youth from across the United States as well as many international churches who belong to the Episcopal Church (Taiwan, Haiti, Virgin Islands, Navajoland, Paris, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Honduras, among others). This usually means that between 1100-1500 youth and their adult leaders come together to work on leadership development, program and curriculum, mission opportunities, and experience amazing worship and engaging fellowship.

This year, the conference was held in Bethel University in Minneapolis, MN on June 22-26. And after the formal conference concluded, there was an additional 3-day mission trip opportunity for those who wished to participate. And during the conference itself, many attendees helped to build an energy self-sustaining house for a family in the city. It was designed with solar panels to generate more energy than was consumed by the homeowner. We worked with Habitat for Humanity on this project. What an awesome ministry to be a part of.

For me, it was such a treat, and something I had been waiting for since the last "EYE" back in 2008. It is a chance to reconnect with youth and adults involved in youth ministry from all over the place. The chance to see friends from other dioceses that I only get to see every couple of years is just priceless. And you learn so much from just talking and sharing stories and ideas! The workshops were numerous and I attended many of them. I particularly enjoyed the workshops on game leadership and 'dorky dancing' (yeah, it sounds funny but it was an awesome workshop on movement and engaging youth in fun activities that build community). These kinds of events really recharge my batteries for mission and remind me why I love Youth Ministry and the Episcopal Church.

The Diocese of Chicago brought a group of 11 to the conference this year, along with several others who were there serving in staff roles for the event. The Bishop of Chicago, the Rt. Reverend Jeffrey Lee was also with us -- how cool is that!! But more than anything, I love the young people that came on this trip. They are fun, smart, crazy, faith-filled, and amazing! And, we were lucky enough to pick up youth from the Diocese of Milwaukee on our way so the bus was full of cool people!

We got there on Wednesday the 22nd, just in time for dinner. Our first 'adventure' was at 2AM on Thursday, when the fire alarm in our building/dorm went off. We did not know it at the time, but a tree had fallen outside the building and hit an external gas line. Some kids smelled gas and the staff immediately went into action, getting everyone out of the building and alterting the fire department/police. The end result was that no one was hurt and after 1.5 bours, we were allowed to return to our beds and try to get some sleep. Sleep was fleeting; so Thursday was tough since I hadn't gotten enough sleep, AND, I ran 2.5 miles in the early morning before breakfast. (The campus at Bethel is beautiful; with running paths through green grass, tall trees, and besides a lake. It was a nice run. In fact, I ran another 3.5 miles on Saturday just because it was such a relaxing location.)

Our opening Worship on Thursday morning was celebrated by our Presiding Bishop. the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori. Her sermon was inspiring and her presence among us just electrified the entire community. The cool thing about our worship together was that all the services were fantastic! The music was awesome! What a music team! And the speakers were all great, especially Rodger Nishioka who spoke on Friday and really energized the faithful!

On Saturday, we enjoyed an outdoor cookout for dinner, followed by the Episcopal Olympics. I have to admit that by Saturday evening, I was really tired so I opted to take a little nap while everyone else jumped into the games. I wanted to be awake for the closing liturgy that night. And it did not disappoint. Wow!! I have a bunch of video from the worship services which I will work on getting published on my YouTube channel and FaceBook when I can find a good chunk of editing time. I also have around 600 photos to weed through so I can put together a nice photo album on FaceBook for everyone to enjoy.

The bus ride home was fun but a bit subdued. Everyone was tired and little sad that we were leaving all the friends that we had made during the conference. Most of the youth were staying and working at our Diocesan Summer Camp so that was something they were looking forward to (the bus was taking us to the Camp).

EYE was exciting, exhausting, energizing, and enriching! I cannot WAIT for EYE 2014!! No date or location have been announced yet but I plan on being there!

Saving hundreds of dollars -- using an iPad 2!

2011-05-23T17:23:00.001-05:00
A good friend of mine, through the judicious use of his iPad 2, pretty much paid for the device last week. I thought his story was so cool that I want to share it with you.

My friend Ron needed some repairs made to his vehicle, after having it towed to the dealership when it wouldn't start that morning. After waiting for the mechanic to complete his diagnostics and assessment, he was informed that the estimate for all materials & labor came to $1750.00. Whew!!

So Ron used his 3G iPad to take a photograph of the written estimate. Then he used the White Pages app to locate several other repair shops in the area. Using that information, he sent the estimate as a FAX (using the MaxEmail.com email-to-FAX service) to those shops, requesting they respond with a more competitive estimate of the work required.

Within 20 minutes, Ron had received quotes from two other locations via his iPad that were $500-600 cheaper than the dealership. Ron showed them to the service manager saying, "Over the years, I have done all my business with you but your estimate is just too high. I hope you can make an accommodation given these quotes I have so that I can continue bringing my vehicle here for service."

It took about 15 minutes for the service manager to come back to Ron with an adjusted estimate that came in at $1100 -- beating the lowest quote from the other shops.

It just goes to show how having a highly functional and versatile tablet device like the iPad can make a difference in your everyday lives. And the $600 savings? Well, I think Ron is treating himself to a few new tech gadgets, of course!

Could this have been done with a laptop? Certainly! But in the time it takes just to boot up a laptop, get the webcam ready, and google the repairs shops, the iPad would have already completed those tasks (and you'd be playing Angry Birds while waiting for the responses).

You can't beat having a portable, powerful, and magical device like the iPad at the ready. It's all that, and has the potential to be even more given the vast number of apps available and the creativity of the one who wields it!

I am an iPad wielder. Ron is an iPad wielder. Do YOU have what it takes? :)

Thoughts to catch up on

2011-05-19T16:11:00.002-05:00
Bet you thought I had dropped off the blogosphere, eh? Yeah, well it has been exactly a month since my last post on this blog, but a lot of stuff has been going on in my life which has been keeping me so busy that I kinda let the blog dangle for a bit. But now I am back!

So what have I been up to? Well, I will attempt to recount some of the more interestings things and leave the rest on the editing floor.

Ryan made Honor Roll! Yep! Ryan was on the Honor Roll for the Fall Semester at his middle school. I was bursting with pride at his achievement. He worked very hard this school year and it really paid off for him. Last month, he asked me to go with him to the school's Honor Roll Breakfast for family. We enjoyed a nice pancake breakfast together and I got to watch him get his certificate. It was a special day for him (and for me too)!

Getting Fit! Starting this year, I decided to start working out -- walking, strength training, etc. In March, I added running to my list of activities. I am finding that I really enjoy running. First on the treadmill and now outdoors. I even ran (well actually ran some, walked some) my first 5K in April! I think I am hooked! In fact, I am running another 5K this Sunday, May 22. I feel good, and it adds to my overall goal of living a more healthy, active lifestype. I even set up a second blog just to chronicle my journey down this path: rickpeete.squarespace.com. In fact, I have been posting to it more often than I have here this past month. (Oops!) Check it out!

A few Hospitalizations Not me, but in my family. Ryan had to go into Children's Hospital for a week in early May to address some gastronomical issues. He was a real trooper and got through the experience alright. He was discharged on Mother's Day, which was awesome because it made that day even more special for my wife Christi. He is back to his old bouncy self now!

Unfortunately, Christi ended up in the hospital exactly a week after Mother's Day. Go figure! She is still being treated and I ask your prayers as we work through this difficult time. She is improving but it is still unclear as to what the doctors are going to do and when she might be coming home.

Entertainment So in the midst of all of these things, we have tried to find ways to have a little fun! In April, Christi and I went to see a good friend (and Ryan's Godfather) in the musical "Guys and Dolls". A really fun show. And Tony, the lead male role, was fantastic! In May, we all went to see a CYT Production of "Godspell" which was very well done as well! It was nice seeing so many friends from CYT there and watch the young performers! Brought back good memories of Laura when she performed with the group.

We also saw quite a few movies over the last month: Fast Five (Cars!), Thor 3D (Awesome!), Rio (Fun!), Source Code (Great!), The Conspirator (Intriguing!), Battle: Los Angeles, and The Adjustment Bureau. Yeah, we like to see movies as a family or on 'date nights'. We are looking forward to seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 4, The Hangover Part II, X-Men: First Class, Captain America, Super 8, Harry Potter, Green Lantern, and The Tree of Life.

Graduations! I have lots of great young adults who have graduated this year so far that I want to send a 'shout out' to: Corey Noe, Amanda Ossler, and Kylie Noe. Congratulations to you all! And there are more coming in June as well -- Abbey Kolarczyk, Kirsten Noe, Carol Koelling, Bryan Jones, Matt Andrews, and so many others! It is always a joy to watch kids from your youth programs grow up into amazing adults!

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Well, I think those are the major events in the past month. Stay tuned for what's coming up in June. The biggie? The Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) in Minnesota!! I am going and it is going to be phenomenal!!! And I will totally be blogging about that right here!

Holy Baptism Episcopal-style

2011-04-19T23:14:00.001-05:00

I listened to my friend Rick Moyer's podcast this week called "Take Him With You". He is doing a multi-part segment called "Spiritual Bootcamp" where he explains the key tenants of the Christian Faith. The podcast is focused towards the unchurched where he shares his faith and discusses Spirituality in a non-threatening, non-preachy, and non 'religious' way.

This week he was talking about Baptism. He explained some of the origins of Baptism, where it is referred to in the Bible, and drilled down to the essentials of its importance. He talked a bit about Episcopalians in the podcast and suggested that I send in an audio comment explaining Baptism in the Episcopal Church. So I did! Below is what I sent him (note: I am no theologian so hopefully I did not misrepresent anything):
Holy Baptism was instituted by Jesus after His resurrection, when He appeared to His disciples and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:18-20). He went on to say “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Another important Scripture verse that addresses Baptism is in John 3:5 where Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” All of these actions by Jesus are why we see Holy Baptism as a Sacrament within the Church, just like the Eucharist or Holy Communion. In fact, these are the two major Sacraments in the Episcopal Church. (There are five other Sacraments).

We believe that one is only baptized once as a Christian. It does not matter which faith tradition baptized you. Once you are part of the Body of Christ, there is no further need to ‘redo’ that membership. For those who wish to formally join the Episcopal Church from another tradition, we ‘receive’ them into the church as opposed to baptizing them.

We baptize people of all ages when they request it. It is true that it is our tradition to baptize babies into the Body of Christ. This is done so that they can share in the New Covenant, in membership in the Body of Christ, and receive redemption by God (the whole original sin concept). During the service, promises are made on their behalf by their parents and sponsors (godparents), who guarantee that the infants will be brought up within the Church, to know Christ and be able to follow him.

Then later, as you stated, when youth are old enough to make their own faith affirmation, there is a separate process called Confirmation, where they profess their belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior in front of the church and usually a Bishop.

During a Baptism, the person being baptized states their faith and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they renounce Evil and the Devil, and they commit themselves to following God’s will. Then, using water, the person is either immersed or sprinkled three times, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus instructed in Matthew. Then the person is anointed with Holy Oil marking them as God’s child forever. And then we pray for the newly baptized.

It is a very powerful service, and the community witnessing baptism is encouraged to recommit themselves as it reminds us all of our responsibilities as Christians in this world.

I wanted to share with you part of the prayers that are said towards the beginning of the service. I think they are pretty cool and explain why water is such an important symbol in Christianity as a whole.
“We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that those who here are cleansed from sin and born again may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Anyway, I hope I wasn’t too wordy here. I hope this provides a little clarity around how the more mainline Christian denominations like the Episcopal Church view Holy Baptism. Thanks for allowing me to share this.
I wish all of you a meaningful Holy Week and a joyous Easter as we celebrate the Resurrection and New Life in Jesus Christ.

Moving forward with my weight loss goals

2011-04-06T14:07:00.004-05:00
It all started last May when I decided to lose all the weight that I have been slowly gaining over the past five years. I was tired of looking at myself in photographs on Facebook because they made me feel like I needed to purchase a bigger digital display just to see the entire photo!

I met with a Registered Dietician several times, talking about my eating habits, what I like and did not like to eat, and what I needed to change. Then he and I worked out a strategy and a plan for what I should be eating for good nutrition, how to count my daily nutritional consumption (and what those numbers should be), and what is considered an appropriate 'portion' by normal (not American) standards.

I also decided to go back to what works; I went back to Weight Watchers. This time, I went to their 'At Work' program where the weekly meetings take place at your office and your support group are people with whom you work. It was the most convenient solution I could think of.

From May to December, I lost 50 pounds! Just by eating more intelligently, making better food and portion choices, and pretty much giving up fast food and sodas (drinking mostly water, iced tea, and an occasional Coke Zero).

Starting this year, I started working out at a local fitness center. I do both cardio (treadmill & biking) and strength training workouts and go at least five times a week. It is really making a difference in my endurance, strength, and my self image too. This week, I started a new program called Team Weight Loss which is a cardio program focused on weight loss and nutrition with a group of like-minded people. It is a challenge but it is kinda fun and the people are nice.

I am expecting good things from all this work! To date, I have lost almost 75 pounds. Very exciting progress, right? I am about halfway to my goal so I have to keep things interesting so I can stay motivated.

Then I joined their 90-day Challenge, where you weigh in at the start and then are weighed again at the end. There are prizes for the biggest 'losers'. But the two big cool things with this are 1) there are two 5K races I get to walk/run, and 2) twice each week I get to do any of their classes for free. I plan to take advantage of that deal!

In fact, I am doing a total of three 5K races. Two with the Challenge (in April and July), and a third sponsored by Weight Watchers in May. Hopefully I will survive -- I have never done a real 5K before. Hopefully, fast walking 5K on the Treadmill for several months has prepped me for this...

My bottom line goal is to lose another 75 pounds by this time next year and then to keep the weight off. I am going to be a lean, mean, fighting machine!

It is going to be hard work but it is so worth it! Pray for me! :)

Cool Apps for Ministry

2011-03-28T11:43:00.002-05:00
There are several iPhone/iPad applications that I have used in support of my work as a Youth Ministry work. Since I have published articles about other apps that I like/use on my iPad, I thought I would share a few of my ministry-related apps as well so that others might benefit from their use.

BibleReader (by Olive Tree)
There are a lot of bibles available for iDevices. Olive Tree has been around for a very long time offering electronic bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, and study guides. I prefer this 'reader application' which is Free. The reader supports note taking, bookmarks, text searching, side-by-side viewing, complete font color/size controls, and display options. It also has integration with the EverNote web site/application for storing your notes for external uses.

Costs are incurred depending upon which resources you wish to download -- some bibles are free while others are still copyrighted. The good thing about this app and the company is that they offer lots of content, various translations including Hebrew and Greek.

iBCP $4.99
For Episcopalians, you can now have the complete Book of Common Prayer on your iDevice. Complete with the ability to bookmark sections, adjust font sizes, and cut-n-paste.

Lectionary for iPad $.99
This is a great resource for the standard or revised Common Lectionary for most Christian denominations, containing the complete three-year lectionary as well as the Daily Office. You can adjust the font size and background colors for ease reading.

Hymnal EH $6.99
There are a full collection of 'Hymnal apps' contains the top 250 hymns from the Hymnal -- music and lyrics -- and includes an organ recording of each hymn so you could play it as accompaniment. There are individual apps for Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian denominations as well as a 'general hymnal'.

Gospel Harmony $.99
Three of the four Gospels in the Bible are called the Synoptic Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Most of the stories and events in Jesus' life are found in all three of these Gospels. The Gospel of John also contains some of those same events but told from a different perspective. This app will show you the events and stories of Jesus' life as they appear in each Gospel "side-by-side" so you can read and experience them the way each writer recorded it.

Catholic Calendar
This is a Free app that will display the complete church calendar from the past through the year 2300. You can search by date or keyword, making it easy to find out when Easter falls or when a particular feast or Saint's Day is scheduled.

iPause $1.99
Need to relax and center yourself but cannot find a nearby Labyrinth? Then this is your app! Labyrinths have been used as an instrument for meditation and prayer for millennia. Now you can find that peace from the convenience of your iDevice.

Leading Ideas
This is a Methodist resource but is applicable to any parish ministry. It includes articles published by various authors, pastors, ministry leaders on a wide range of topics pertinent to church life and practice. It is a good resource for suggestions and ideas that might spark some creative solutions for your ministry.

Other apps
The following two applications are not specifically related to ministry but they are helpful 'support tools':

EverNote
This is a free web service that offers online storage, management, and sharing of notes, email, audio recordings, and photos which can be accessed from any web browser or mobile device including iDevices, Android, Windows Mobile, and other smartphones. There are apps for each of these devices as well as an app designed for Macintosh and Windows computers.

In addition to being a great way to take notes during meetings and such (where the app keeps a local copy as well as storing it online), it is also able to share your content with others via email. And, if you are using the BibleReader app I mentioned earlier, all your notes entered within that app are synchronized with your EverNote account.

Box.Net
This is another free web service that offers 'cloud storage' of any kind of file you may wish to access from anywhere you have Internet access. Because the iPhone/iPad does not support USB/flash drives, the easiest way to 'carry your files around' is to place them on 'the cloud' in a secured space. It is a great way to store and share PDFs, Word and Excel documents, Presentations, photographs, etc. Many apps on mobile devices like the iPad support the ability to open and save documents to Box.Net.

This service also allows you to designate others to be able to access specific folders/files if you choose, giving them either View or Edit privileges.

Well, there ya go! Obviously, there are tons of websites that provide content and resources for your ministries, and most of those are accessible using your Safari web browser (or a browser like Perfect Browser).

If you know of other awesome/helpful apps for ministry leaders, please post a comment below. I love learning about new resources!

Note: I have not been approached by any of these companies to promote their products and I am not being compensated in anyway. Just wanted to be clear on that point.

More iPad 2 stuff -- Check out the "Just Because" Podcast!

2011-03-26T17:50:00.000-05:00
So there I was, March 11th, in 40+ degree weather, waiting in a line with 400 other people for the new iPad 2. Luckily, I was around 60th in line so I was assured of getting what I wanted -- a 64gb 3G White iPad. Two and half hours later, I had two iPads in a white Apple bag and driving home to get them set up for me and my wife.

It has been two weeks and I have not been disappointed. The new iPad is fast, lightweight, and cool. Even my wife, who was not really sure she would use an iPad, is now using it regularly and enjoying the mobility and power that it offers.

So of course, I am willing to extol the praises of the latest Apple device to anyone who shows an interest. Well, the hosts of the podcast "Just Because" asked me if I would join them to discuss all things "iPad 2" on their show. Being the gentleman that I am, I had to accept! :)

The podcast should be online by March 27th. We discuss all the reasons for getting an iPad, what apps are helpful, and how the device can help you get work done as well as be entertained. You can go to their web site to listen/download the podcast, or, you can download/subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or your favorite pod catcher application.

In a previous post, I outlined what is new/different with the iPad 2. I also posted an article on iPad Killer Apps. So I invite you to read those articles if you are interested in learning more. I won't write all the stuff we talked about because it would be more entertaining and interesting if you just listened to the show.

However, I thought it might be helpful for me to outline all the applications that I have on my iPad right now so that you might have a list to work from. I am going to keep this just a 'list' rather than long explanations of what they all do. (There are so many web sites out there about iPad apps that I figure you can find all those details on your own.)

Not all of these apps might be useful to you but hopefully there are a few 'diamonds in the rough' that will elicit an 'oh sweet!' response.

Applications I use

Communications

FaceBook - FaceBook's Social Networking client
Skype - Audio & Video Conferencing
FaceTime - Apple's Video Conferencing service
Osfoora HD - Twitter Client
Friendly for FaceBook - 3rd party FaceBook client
IM+ - Multi-platform Instant Messenger (AOL, MSN, Google, etc)
HeyTell - Push-to-Talk Messenger (remember Nextel?)

News and Publications

CNN - Cable Network News (text, audio, and video)
NPR - National Public Radio Audio & Articles
WGNTV - Articles & Video
PBS - Video
USA Today - Digital Newspaper
The Daily - Digital Newspaper, Video, Photos
AP Mobile - Text articles from the Associated Press
People - Digital versions of People Magazine
Zinio - Digital Magazine aggregator
TED - Business related video presentations
Mashable - Online Tech news publisher
Flipboard - News/Twitter/FaceBook aggregator
Pulse - News/Twitter/FaceBook aggregator
Twit TV - Tech news broadcaster in audio and video
Kindle - Amazon Kindle Book Reader
Instapaper - Solution for 'saving' web pages for offline reading

Office and Business

Office2 HD - Editor for Microsoft Word and Excel documents
QuickOffice - Editor for MS Word, Excel, & Powerpoint docs
Numbers - Apple's spreadsheet application (reads Excel docs)
Keynote - Apple's presentation application (reads Powerpoint)
PocketCloud - Remote Desktop client for RDS, VNC, & VMWare
WebEx - To participate in online WebEx presentations
GoToMeeting - To participate in online presentations
WhitePages - White and Yellow page search/reverse searching
PDFReader Pro - Excellent PDF Reader
ToDo - Appigo Task Manager with online sync feature
Evernote - Online & Local Notetaking application
MaxJournal - Daily journaling app with security
BlogPress/WordPress - Blog Management and Publication
Perfect Browser - Browser alternative with browser emulation
FTP On The Go - FTP Protocol for file transfer

Cloud Storage

Box.Net - Free and Premium online storage
DropBox - Free online storage
GoogleDocs - Free online storage for Google users
MobileMe - this will likely be a free service in the near future

Travel

Weather Channel - Excellent for weather info w/maps & video
FlightTrack - flight information & real-time tracking, airport info
Kayak - Airline, Hotel search and booking tool
Google Earth - App to view any location on the globe
GPS Drive HD - Verbal turn-by-turn driving directions
Beat the Traffic - Traffic information for local streets & highways
HopStop - local Bus and Train schedules
Goby - search for events, restaurants etc

Reference

Dictionary - Dictionary, Thesaurus, etc
Wikipanion - Wiki search client
Epicurious - thousands of recipes
Ancestry - client for Ancestry.com to research family tree info
Star Walk - amazing star gazing tool
Epocrates - Physician Desk Reference information for medications

eCommerce and Finance

Groupon - online coupons and deals for local businesses
Living Social - online coupons and deals for local businesses
Amazon - excellent online store application
Best Buy - buy whatever Best Buy sells online
eBay - Nice eBay client for searching and bidding on items
Apple Store - If Apple sells it, you can buy it with this
CraigsPro - Craigs List client
Mint - Quicken's free financial management tool
Paypal - Manage your Paypal accounts

Entertainment

Audible - audiobook manager and storefront
Fandango - movie information, trailers, and ticket purchasing
IMDB - all things TV and Movie related, nice implementation
ABC - view the TV shows being displayed on ABC.com
Hulu Plus - view videos from Hulu (subscription service)
VEVO - Music Video player
VLC - Can play many video formats including Flash videos
LiveStream - onilne streaming video service
UStream - online streaming video service, allows broadcasting
TV.com - viewer for many 'old school' TV programs
iMovie - edit and author movies
DC Comics - Comic book purchase and viewer
PluggedIn - movie reviewing service by Focus on the Family
NetFlix - watch NetFlix on demand videos (with an account)

Music and Audio

Pocket Tunes - listen to radio broadcasts worldwide
SiriusXM - listen to live broadcasting if you have this service
Digi Drums - play the digital drums
Piano DX - play the piano
GarageBand - fantastic music authoring tool
Djay - mix, tempo match, and scratch as a live DJ

Photography

Photo Transfer App - copy photos/video bet computer & iDevices
Photogene - photo editing software

Games

Angry Birds
Solitaire City - multiple version of Solitaire
Jeopardy - Jeopardy (single player or network)
Wheel HD - Wheel of Fortune (single player or network)
Cut the Rope
Doodlehang - Hangman game
Pinball HD
PAC MAN
skee-ball
Yahtzee
fritz - nice chess game
NFS Shift - cool interactive racing game

Accessories of interest

There are many options that Apple and other vendors offer to extend the capabilities of the iPad. Here are a few ot them:

Apple Smart Cover - provides protection for the display screen and will automatically turn the iPad 2 off when it covers the screen. it also converts in a stand for horizontal viewing or for slight elevation for easy typing.

Bluetooth devices - there are several external keyboards, mice, speakers, and headsets which will connect to the iPad via Bluetooth wireless technology.

Cases - starting April there will be a bunch of new cases released for the new iPad which will support the new cameras, offer built-in bluetooth keyboards, etc. Cases are very individualistic so pick one that will work for you, fit your use of the device, and of course match your favorite color and fabric preferences.

Digital AV Adapter - this will allow you to connect the iPad to an HDMI device for full 1080P display of movies and other content. It will also provide 5.1 surround sound audio output.

Component Video cable - for those without HDMI devices, you can connect the iPad via the RGB Component cable.

Composite Video cable - this is the most basic method for connecting an iPad to a TV or other display device. It is not HD but the display will be crisp enough.

VGA Adapter - this is what you need if you plan on using the iPad for business presentations via an LCD Projector. Very nice to have!

Camera Connection Kit - for photographers who want to connect their digital SLR camera to the iPad, this is the device for you. It will allow you to view, copy, and delete photos from your camera (or SD card) as long as they are stored in a folder named 'DCIM'.

If you are looking for a fully functional and magical tablet that can really free your mind and increase your productivity as a reasonable price, then I encourage you to consider the new iPad 2.

Enjoy!

Prayer -- God's "Wireless"

2011-03-23T15:58:00.003-05:00
Prayer and Music are two ways that I communicate with God. Finding ways to stay in contact with the Holy is important. It gives me a way to share my joys and concerns; it helps me feel close to the Creator; and it helps me create a space where the Creator can speak to me.

So how does it work? Well, I think it works differently for each person. Some people are very verbal, others are very movement oriented, while others are very visual. I think personal Prayer is just that -- personal -- and you have to find the approach that puts you in touch with the Holy Spirit living within your heart and the Creator.

How do you start?

There are as many ways to pray as there are ways to communicate. One might even call prayer "God's own Wireless Network" that connects all humanity to Him. Hmmm, does that mean "4G" could mean "For God"?

I have a friend in a "Christian Journey" discussion group who shared that his prayer life is anchored by the phrase "Thank You, Lord". He has experienced some tough situations in his life and has come to a profound sense of gratitude for the life he has been given, and the gifts that each new day brings. He wakes up giving thanks, he gives thanks throughout the day, and at the end of the day, he gives thanks again.

Another friend shared that for her, music plays a huge role in her connectedness with God. Singing hymns and listening to Christian music open a window into her soul and lets God's Love shine in. Singing the words of those songs is a prayer offering for her.

Tolstoy has a great story about prayer. It is about a Bishop who meets with three Hermits isolated on a small island. He asks them how they pray and they responded by raising their faces to the sky and saying "Three are ye, three are we, have mercy upon us." The Bishop, determined to teach them the right way to pray, spent all day teaching the three old men The Lord's Prayer. I won't tell you the ending, but suffice to say that the Bishop realized that the three old men were already praying the 'right way' -- the way that was meaningful to them.

For me, I just start talking. Many times, I pray out loud, especially during my long commute to/from work. There is something concrete and 'real' when I speak my thoughts to God. I feel like I am making commitments, taking my sharing seriously, putting feelings and thoughts 'out there' for Him to fully digest. And music is huge for me -- whether I am singing or listening -- I feel like I am in the midst of 'holy space' between me and my Lord.

Some examples of Prayer

There is no formula to praying. You just say what is on your heart. But like lyrics to a song, there are many sources of prayers that can help you form the thoughts you wish to express. There are several prayers that are meaningful to me, for various reasons. I will share a few of them here.

Prayer of Humble Access (humility before God)
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.

The Doxology (praising)
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (focusing on my mission)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The Serenity Prayer (to help me cope with life)
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

So.......

So take some time during this Lenten season, to take time for prayer. Lent is a particularly appropriate time to be a bit more thoughtful and contemplative. Maybe you can start off each morning with the following prayer called The Morning Resolve:

I will try this day to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.

And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Find your special way of connecting with The Holy One and strike up a conversation. God is like the switchboard operator who is always on the other end of the line, just waiting for you to pick up the phone on the other end. He is patient; he never hangs up.

And His Wireless Network never drops a call.

The iPad 2 -- so what's the big deal!?

2011-03-09T11:32:00.000-06:00
So there I was, sitting at a table with some friends beside me and several other friends on a Skype conference call. Why? Because we were all excited about the latest Apple announcement: the new iPad 2 is coming! On March 11th! And you better get your chairs, blankets (here in Chicago at least), and snackage ready to stand in line (at 5PM no less)!

So why should I consider such a crazy thing! I already have -- and LOVE -- my 3G iPad. It does so much stuff I sold my NetBook and rarely have to use my personal laptop for my computing needs. So is it worth it to go through all the inconvenience to have the new iPad in my twitchy little fingers on March 11th? Do I just order it online using my existing iPad and let them deliver it (free shipping) several days later?

I mean, "What's the Big Deal?"

Those of you who know me personally are probably already saying, "Dude, you know you want it so just go ahead and get it." In fact, one of my friends responded by saying "Do it! You're only young once!" (I am 50 years old, LOL).

So I guess since I am apparently very young still, I might be taking my friend Ken's advice. Not to mention that my wife would love to have my 1st generation iPad. But why would I want to make another technology investment (i.e. lay out the cash) for this thing?

I use my iPad for a lot of work activities. When I say 'work', I mean not only my full-time IT job, but all the work I do with youth ministry, theater tech, blogging, and just the regular stuff we all do daily (finances, communications, office automation, etc.). It gets LOTS of use and I push it to the limit. And of course, I use it to unwind after doing all that work stuff -- music, videos, streaming video, news, online shopping, games, photography, and keeping track of my family tree. It even helps me with my Klingon Language training (no snickering in the back row!).

So why the iPad 2? Because I can do all of that stuff faster and hopefully more efficently. I can also do more things that today are either not possible or require jumping through multiple hoops to accomplish. And the lighter weight and thinner form factor will delay my eventual carpal tunnel problems. (And yes, because it is cool!)

Here are some of the features that I see are most beneficial to me (your mileage may vary):
The faster A5 Chip. I cannot stress how important having a faster processor is. Having a dual-core CPU will allow me to use some of the newer features of the iPad that require more muscle. And it will make my current tasks flow much faster. I hate delays in app execution and I anticipate this will be signficantly reduced. Fast = Good!
Ligher and Thinner. The new iPad will be 15% lighter and about 33% thinner than its predecessor. In fact, it will be thinner than the iPhone 4. While this will mean I have to buy a new case (the wife inherits my current cool cases), the ability to handle the device for longer periods without fatigue or awkwardness will be an advantage. I carry the iPad around practically everywhere I go so this is important to me.
Front and Rear Cameras. I utilize online conferencing frequently to communicate with friends, family, as well as church workers, my youth group, and so many others. Having the ability to conduct two-way video conferencing via Skype (and now FaceTime) will be huge for me. I will no longer have to use my laptop for those calls, making me more flexible regarding when/where I can collaborate with others. The 5 megapixel HD rear camera will be nice for photography, and now I can take the shot and edit it (avoiding my current process of taking the picture with the iPhone and then transferring it over to the iPad for better viewing and editing).
Faster Graphics. This will make video and gaming applications run more smoothly and with greater rendered detail. While gaming is not a primary use, it will be nice!
Gryoscope. This addition to the hardware will make the iPad respond better to orientation changes and to gaming behavior. It will also work along with the accelerometer for more accurate precision and sensitivity for those apps as well as location-based services/applications.
65,000 iPad-specific Apps: This is a big thing for making the choice for going for the iPad rather than another tablet device. No tablet is worth much if the apps that meet your various needs do not exist. And in my opinion, iOS is the best mobile/tablet operating system currently on the market. (Android is cool, but it ain't iOS yet.)
I won't lie: I really want a white iPad this time too. So I appreciate having the choice. And while you will be able to also choose between a 3G model using AT&T or Verizon, I will probably take the AT&T version because it supports the ability for 3G use in countries outside the USA. And the AT&T data network is faster than Verizon's -- as long as the network is available. I am a bit disappointed that the iPad 2 does not support 4G.

So I guess I am going to have to deal with the lines at 5PM on the 11th (or figure out some other ingenious method for getting my iPad 2 on Friday).

Or, maybe I will calm my 'instant gratification' urges and just buy it online (and lay in the fetal position in the bedroom until the UPS guy shows up).

Living out your Passion

2011-03-08T11:44:00.000-06:00
I have been a Youth Leader in parishes for over 20 years and have served as a Youth Minister in my current Diocese for at least 10 of those years. Working with middle and high school youth is my passion and a calling to which I have tried to be faithful throughout my life. It is fulfilling and heartwarming in a way that I cannot even begin to explain. But when I am in the midst of it, my soul rejoices and I know I am doing what God wants for my life.

In the 1970s, I was encouraged to be active in my church by my mother: participating in youth group events, serving at the Altar, working at the church's Well Child Clinic on Saturdays, and attending youth rallies. As a Junior, I served on a 'Program Group on Youth" in my Diocese as a Youth Deanery Representative, where we planned all the diocesan-level youth events (retreats, summer programs, dances) and coordinated youth participation during the annual Diocesan Convention in Los Angeles. I was also doing Basic Catechism for youth at a Los Angeles Juvenile Detention facility.

It was an exciting, amazing time for me. I was filled with a sense of God's presence and was developing a strong personal relationship with my Savior. I was also struggling with discernment over what my purpose and future would look like. I discussed feelings about pursuing ordination with my priest and friends but I wasn't sure how that would fit in with my other interests and skills (like computer science, foreign languages, photography, music, etc.). But it was clear even as a high schooler, that my faith would always play a major role in my life and that God had a plan for me -- even if I did not really understand what it was yet.

And I am still on that faith journey. I have served in many capacities over the years, working as a youth leader in various Christian churches/denominations, serving in soup kitchens, being a camp counselor at a Christian Camp, and serving on any number of commissions and committees at both local and diocesan levels. But the one consistent thread in my life has been working with young people of all ages, hopefully helping them to experience God in a meaningful way.

This past weekend, I just spent last Friday through Sunday serving on a ministry team for a high school youth retreat called Happening whose theme was "Joy" (Isaiah 12:3). The leader of a Happening is a high school student (usually a senior) we call the 'rector'. The 'rector' builds a team made up of an 'observing rector', two adult mentors, two spiritual directors (priests/deacons), and a staff of other high school students and adults serving in various capacities necessary to make the retreat a success. I served as one of the mentors.

The retreat gathered over 50 youth and adults together to take a journey of discovery, looking for Christ and how He works in our lives. We remove the 'masks' we usually wear during the day to reveal the beauty of our true selves -- the 'self' that Jesus knows and loves. We took time to Embrace the Joy of Smiling.

Experiencing God in a real, tangible way is a powerful thing. This weekend was fabulous and I got to share it with youth who are gifted, joyful, and amazing. It was truly a blessed event for everyone there and concluded with a worship service celebrated by one of our Bishops. My heart was soaring!

I share all of this just to say that for each of us, God has a plan for our lives. That plan will be revealed through prayer, listening, and discernment -- usually through the witness and insights from friends, family, and others that God puts in your path. And when you find your call, your passion, you have to go for it! You have to respond. I found mine. You can find yours.

Go Live your Passion!

God is our Help. But are you doing 'your' part?

2011-02-28T22:54:00.000-06:00
Life can be a struggle at times. God gave us life but nowhere in the Bible does it say life will be easy. We have to work at it. He just promises to be there for us every step of the way. I have been reflecting on this quite a bit over the last few weeks. And today I received the following reflection from a good friend of mine named Rick Moyer from the "Take Him With You" podcast. He said it better than I could so here it is:
We have all probably heard the story about the man that was in a flood and as the waters rose he got up on his roof. He prayed to God "Oh Lord save me from this mess!" Just then a boat came by and offered to give him a ride. He said, "No thanks, the Lord will save me!" So the boat moved on. A little while later a helicopter hovered over the roof and offered to throw a lifeline to him. He again shouted at the copter "No thanks, The Lord will save me!" Finally the waters rose and the man drown. He died and went to heaven where he met the Lord. He said, "Lord, what in the world? How come you didn't save me?" Jesus answered "What else did you want me to do? I heard your cry and I sent a boat and a helicpoter, but you refused them!"

My friend Jeff and I were chatting this last week about life and how sometimes it doesn't seem like God answers our prayers. We both faced some challenges and were discussing them when he said something that made me think. He said "I pray to God at times, on why things don't happen, but if I look at it, I have not done enough to put myself in a spot for him to help."

Immediately I thought of that joke and about the self serve soda dispensers in some of our local fast food restaurants. We have the drink all paid for, and we can even go back for refills, but if we simply sit on our butt and never walk over to the dispenser we will go thirsty. So we need to do our part.

We can't expect that if we pray and ask God for something that he will just have it fall in our laps. We need to, first of all, make sure our prayer isn't self serving and then ask ourselves where we need to be to receive the blessings of God. If we need a job, then have we applied at places? Have we filled out the paperwork? Have we made it a point to go around and talk with the folks that we need too? We can't just sit and home and wait for a phone call.

Or maybe it's a health struggle. Changes need to be made, but we are unwilling to make them. How can God heal us if we ignore our responsibility? He is not a big candy man in the sky. He gave us a brain and the ability to do his will, so it goes without saying that we should probably be obedient to at least attempt to position ourselves in a place to receive his blessings.

This applies in about all areas of life. We should be asking for God's help with life, but we need to be willing to do our part as well. A lot of times we will blame God for bad things that happen in life, when He never wanted that for us. The question is, are we under the dispenser? Or are we still sitting at the table hoping that somehow magically our drink will show up?
So don't just sit around wondering when God is going to make something happen. Perhaps He already has but in order for you to receive the blessing, you need to do your part. So get moving!

Communications becoming too impersonal?

2011-01-30T21:54:00.004-06:00
When I was but a lad going to Elementary school in the 60s, the major method of communication was face-to-face. Rotary telephones were available (I'm not THAT old) but it was not a device kids used very often other than to talk to your relatives on holidays. Our concept of social networking was passing little handwritten notes in class or playing the 'telephone game'.

Then, in the seventies came two more devices: the Walkie-Talkie and its big brother, the Citizens Band Radio (CB). I remember getting my first set of Walkie Talkies and giving one to my best friend who lived two houses down the street. The ability to talk to each other like secret agents was just SO Cool!

And, later when in high school, talking to friends across the Los Angeles area using my neighbor's CB Base Station was equally Cool! In fact, at my high school, the VP of Student Affairs had a Base Station in his office and used to talk to students driving to school in the mornings (there was no 'talking while driving' concerns back in the 70s).

Then in the 80s, we had Bulletin Board Systems where if you had a 300 or 1200 baud modem (analog), you could text chat with friends or use rudimentary messaging systems where you could leave someone a message (the beginnings of electronic mail).

Later came answering machines, physical devices connected to your phone or build into the phone, that took messages for you while you were out. remember those?

Then we hit the 90s and thought we reached the pinnacle of communications with the Internet. We had electronic mail that sent messages across the nation. We could send documents, images, and began to publish content electronically using Gopher, Mozilla, Cello, and Netscape.

And Motorola gave us the StarTAC flip cell phone. The first time Trekkers everywhere started to feel like we were finally catching up to where Captain Kirk and Picard were with their communicators. Truly, we had arrived!

But now we are in the new Millennium and we have progressed so much further. We have digital phone services over the Internet (VoIP). We have cell phones that not only deliver calls, but take voicemail, allow direct text messaging (SMS), manage our email, deliver video and web pages, conduct commerce, take and organize photos, and fits in your shirt pocket. We have wireless internet (WiFi) networking that connects almost all of our computers and handheld devices to the world. And most of us can watch broadcasts using a variety of sources while we take the commuter train home from work.

And then there is today's Social Networking with more services and providers than I can list here (FaceBook, Ning, MySpace, Foursquare, LinkedIn, etc.)

What will the next communications revolution be? Will our children's children laugh at what we use today (in much the same way we laugh at the 'party lines' and Lily Tomlin's switchboard operator)? Will we even understand how to use their cool new devices?

As much as I love new technologies, I have real concerns about how our communication has become so impersonal. We use phones, but often to text or email or 'post' messages rather than delivering them verbally to another human being. This very blog, while being a method of mass distribution/publication, is still an example of impersonal communication.

As a society, we need to remember that we are in essence social beings that need to be in community and interact with one another. We need to embrace IRL (in real life) relationships and foster/maintain interpersonal connections while we continue to embrace the benefits that our emerging technologies provide.

What would Jesus do?

2011-01-23T20:34:00.000-06:00
As Christians, we are called by Jesus Christ to minister to those less fortunate than ourselves and to plant the mustard seed of faith through the gift of His Love and Grace. We are called to serve others, following Jesus' example. "For He came to serve, not to be served." (Matthew 20:28)

An Example

In January 1992, Grupo Amor de México, A. R. initiated one of its most desired projects, the creation of: The Home Of Love and Protection For Children. This association was founded with the desire to help orphans, homeless and mistreated children, giving them all the support that they should normally have in their own home, support not only in their physical needs but also in their spiritual and emotional needs as well.

With this in mind it was planned to provide for every 15 children, a couple to take care of them, by supplying them with all their basic needs such as: love, security, acceptance and identity, which will enable them to develop normally. Many of the children have never been to school; others have been sick or have been abused, so each one of them needs to be attended to according to their own personal needs. This ministry has expanded since its inception to include nine orphanages across the country. The original orphanage now houses almost 80 children in a multi-building facility.

A Response

Five years ago, I took a group of 32 high schoolers and adults on a mission trip to Colima, Mexico to work at that orphanage. It was a week-long servive project, helping with the children, working on their facilities, and preparing land for a new facility being built. It was a phenomenal, life-changing experience for all of us.

The youth in my parish have decided we should return to Mexico this summer to work at a different orphanage -- this one in Puebla, Mexico. I am very excited about returning to Mexico and serving the abandoned and/orphaned children in that country. The Mission Team, comprised of 10-15 youth and adults, will work at the orphanage for 1 week where they will be doing landscaping, vacation bible school, and sharing love and companionship with the children. The Mexico Mission Trip is scheduled from the end of July to the first week in August.

The Call

Servanthood in a world that is hurting. That is why we are here. Servanthood manifests itself in how we care for others. Making sure that other peoples' highest priority needs are being met, often ahead of our own. We need to instill this value in our youth so that they grow up apreciating that there is more to life than making money, moving up the corporate ladder, and obtaining symbols of success.

What have you done to support those less fortunate than yourself? You don't have to go to another country. There are needs right in your own neighborhood/city. Take a moment to find out how you can make a difference in the lives of families, children, and adults who have been on the fringe of our society. They need our help. And we can no longer expect someone else to respond.

Servanthood. It is how Jesus answers the question "What would Jesus do?"

I love my iPad

2011-01-15T02:51:00.003-06:00

A touchscreen tablet? I did not think I would get one, having purchased a Dell NetBook back in 2009. But then I played with a friend's iPad and ended up buying one for myself in May 2010. I haven't looked back and I have been all smiles since!

Don't get me wrong. I am a PC guy. I have used Macs over the years but I love my PCs. But I have to give Apple the props on their design for the iPhone (I have a 3Gs) and the iPad. I use these devices all day long and have been very pleased with how reliable, functional, and 'cool' they are. With the release of iOS 4.2, about the only thing I wish they did was support Flash (other than just for YouTube).

But let's focus on the iPad. The thing just works. I can do about 90% of tasks I used to use my NetBook/Laptop for but now with a device that is much lighter, easier to carry around, always online (with 3G), and whose battery lasts for over 10 hours. (And yes, it looks like a handheld PADD device from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Who doesn't want one of THOSE!)

The key to the power of the iPad is the wealth of applications that have been developed specifically for its screen size and faster processor (compared to the iPhone). The 'apps' give the iPad a level of flexibility that allows me to accomplish what I need for business, hobby work, entertainment, social networking and collaboration, and task management.

So what apps do I use the most? Well here are some of the 70+ apps in my arsenal. Some are free, many are not. But since the average price of an app is about $3.00, you can pretty much give up the soda machines and fast food for a week to be able to afford anything you will need to be productive.

1) Cases
Okay, so these aren't apps but I have two cases that I love. One is the Apple Case which also serves as a stand for the iPad (both landscape and portrait), and, the ThinkGeek Bluetooth Keyboard case which also becomes a stand and includes a built-in keyboard for when you need to do some serious long-term keyboarding work.

2) Osfoora HD ($3.99)
If you are a Twitter enthusiast, then you need a client that will use the screen real estate well. Osfoora does that and a lot more. It provides the full-featured Twitter publishing environment you need to keep on top of the Twitterverse. There is a version of TweetDeck for iPad as well.

3) The Weather Channel (FREE)
This app is great for tracking weather conditions, severe alerts, etc. and offers good doppler radar displays, video weather reports, and forecast information.

4) Appigo ToDo ($4.99)
If you are a busy person who needs to track 'to do' lists for multiple categories like work vs personal, then you need an app like this. ToDo can organize your tasks and supports task types like checklists, simple tasks, contact tasks, and multi-step tasks with ease. And, it will synchronize over WiFi with Outlook and several 'cloud-based' solutions. It also supports Notifications for upcoming tasks, etc.

5) FaceBook (FREE)
Yes, I am addicted to FaceBook. So if you are a FaceBook fan, this is a very helpful app to use. Sure, you can surf to the FaceBook web site itself, but this app can help you do most FB actions more quickly and supports Notifications for activities happening on your page. Note: This app is an iPhone app that runs on the iPad.

6) Evernote for iPad (FREE)
This is one of the best notetaking apps for the iPad (and iPhone). It integrates seamlessly with the Evernote.com web site, allowing you to create, view, and manage notes from various sources into 'notebooks' that are stored both locally and synchronized on the 'cloud'. Your notes can be shared with others and are accessible across multiple platforms/devices. This is a great tool for meeting notetaking. And if there is no Internet available, it will store your notes locally and sync them when you are online later.

7) Max Journal ($1.99)
This is a wonderful application for journaling (business, personal, etc.). It supports multiple journals so you can keep business and personal reflections separate. You can also assign passwords for security. You are able to not only enter text but also include embedded photos and categorize each note with multiple tags for searching purposes. Journal entries are tracked by date and can be backed up to another computer via iTunes.

8) BlogPress ($2.99)
This is a great tool for managing your WordPress, Blogger, or other blogging site. There are several apps for this type of work, including specific apps for WordPress. But I find this tool very easy to use and it allows for both the creation and management of your blog posts as well as being able to announce new postings to Twitter, FaceBook News Feed, etc.

9) Skype (FREE)
Skype is great on the iPad (and the iPhone). You can conduct both voice and text chat with your Skype buddies and even conduct a video chat (albeit for now the video is one way -- you can see the other person but obviously you cannot transmit video cuz there is no camera on the current iPad). Certainly when iPad 2 comes out this year, the video chat will become two-way.

10) Office2 HD ($7.99)
This is the second most expensive app I have installed at the moment. This app allows the creation and editing of Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It can handle the basic word processing features but cannot handle complex documents yet. It supports cloud storage which is a big plus. There are other products out there, notably Documents to Go and Quick Office Connect but they are more expensive.

11) Wyse PocketCloud Professional ($14.99)
This is the most expensive app I have. This is for all the IT and business folks out there who need to access a server on their network or the cloud using the Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP). This is an excellent tool that provides all the functionality you need to be successful. If you work in IT, and you have Microsoft Server technology, this is a must-have.

Other apps by Category

Communications: VNC Viewer, IM+, WebEx, GoToMeeting
Office Automation: Numbers, Keynote, Google Docs, PDF Reader Pro
Shopping: Amazon Windowshop, eBay, Best Buy, CraigsPro, Groupon
Entertainment: ABC Player, PBS, Hulu Plus, NetFlix, Pocket Tunes, Pandora, UStream, Fandango
Travel: GPS Drive HD, FlightTrack Pro, Kayak HD, Google Earth
IT Stuff: IT Tools, FTPontheGo
Cloud Storage: Box.Net, DropBox
eReaders/Audiobooks: iBooks, Kindle, Audible

Games

I won't even get into Games in this posting because that is a topic unto itself. Suffice to say that if you like gaming, you will have a plethora to choose from. Angry Birds, Need for Speed, Words with Friends, Cut the Rope, Jeopardy.... Oh wait, I said I wouldn't go there...

Bottom Line

If you are considering getting an iPad, my only suggestion as of right now is wait until March/April when Apple announces the iPad 2. It supposedly will be faster, have dual cameras, be lighter and thinner, have a louder speaker, and perhaps an even better display. But official specs have not been published at this time.

The iPad is a fantastic tool -- very useful, very flexible. Are there other devices out there right now that compete? Nah. But the recent Consumer Electronics Show promised a bunch of competitors coming in 2011. So we will see. But for right now, the iPad is the trendsetter and leading the pack.

Looking for information about the iPad as far as what apps are out there? Looking for recommendations? I watch a weekly video podcast produced by TWIT.TV called iPad Today. It is an excellent source for app reviews, iPad features, discussion, and ideas. You can watch them LIVE weekly on Thursdays at 3:30pm CST or download their podcast from their site or subscribe to it via iTunes.

iTunes and disk space woes

2011-01-09T21:24:00.002-06:00
Ever wonder where all your disk space goes? I have a 350gb hard drive on my laptop. And while it isn't one of the largest drives in the world, it is fairly decent for a laptop system. So imagine my concern when my drive showed that 2/3 of the space was already in use!

Okay, so for most people this is not a big deal. But for me, with all the video and music and photos that I carry around, space is a premium. I keep terabytes of external storage around, but I like to have space for those times when I am authoring content while mobile.

Well among many other areas that suck up drive space for no decent reason, I found that iTunes is one of the culprits. Especially if you listen to a lot of podcasts. Did you realize that then you subscribe to a podcast, those podcast files never go away? Even after you have listened to them and they are no longer appearing on your 'i-thingy' (iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc)?

Well I guess I knew that. But I never really did anything about it. So last week I went into my podcast category and looked at all of my podcast subscriptions. Each subscription contained dozens of podcasts I listened to in 2010. I have no real reason to store these beyond my initial 'listen' so I decided to delete them all, saving only a few that I really felt were worth keeping. This was especially relevant to the video podcasts I watch.

I freed up about 40gb by doing this! Oh, and when you delete files from iTunes of any type, choose to Remove the file, not keep it. Choosing to keep your files just makes it harder to find what you need to delete later.

So, I suggest to everyone who listens to a lot of podcasts to periodically go through and remove what you no longer need. You will be happy you did!

Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-01T14:06:00.003-06:00
Let me first state that I do not believe in New Years Resolutions. Usually they are not well conceived, frequently ignored after January, and are frequently negative rather than positive.

And, I guess I just don't like the word 'resolution'. What is it, anyway? The word brings legislation to my mind. "Be it resolved,..." is just not my style for personal goals. In point of fact, I like the term 'goal' much better. I understand what a goal is. So here are my goals for the coming year.

Lose another 75 pounds
2010 has been a mixed blessing on the health front. After a wake-up call for me to get serious about my weight and diet, I joined Weight Watchers which is one of the best ways to learn how to change your eating habits for life. I have lost 54 pounds in 2010 and I have no intention of slowing my progress. It really feels good to be that much lighter on my feet!

Make exercize part of the regular routine
Now that I have lost a good amount of weight, I need to add more exercise into my daily/weekly routine. Walking was a definite starting point but I need to do more of it. Some weight training will be a goal for 2011 also. Gotta tone these poor muscles!

Post a blog entry each week
Well seeing as how this is the first posting I have made since my daugher started college in 2009, I have to say that blogging has been a major #FAIL for me. Outside of FaceBook and Twitter, I am just not sure I have anything worthwhile to share! But I am going to give this 'personal publishing' thing another try in 2011. If anyone has ideas on topics, I am all ears.

Improve my spiritual discipline
This is a lifelong journey, right? I am always looking for ways to gain a deeper understanding of God and what His goals are for my life. Sometimes I have a clue, often times it is just beyond my reach. But I am going to keep reaching and finding ways to stay in relationship with The Holy.

So there they are. The proverbial guantlet has been thrown. We will see how 2011 unfolds.

Transitions!

2009-08-20T22:55:00.004-05:00
Yesterday, my daughter and I made the 3.5 hour drive to Millikin University to start her new adventure -- College! Our day started at 6:15am at Starbucks, followed by the drive to Decatur. It was a fun drive. We listened to music, sang, laughed, talked, etc. and before we knew it we were there!

When we arrived, we met her roommate and her father, who were very nice. She is a theater major which is cool. When we entered the room, she was playing the soundtrack from "Wicked" (which was the same thing we were listening to when we drove up). So needless to say, that was a good match!

It took about 2 hours to unload the car, get everything moved into her dorm room, and get about half the stuff unpacked. After that, we went shopping, got her mailbox and meal plan squared away, set up her laptop, and paid a visit to the bookstore. Note to self: the Millikin Bookstore is way expensive for books! We got most of them from Follett but there were 5 we couldn't get. We will definitely be getting books from Follett and other sources in the future.

I left her decorating and arranging her room with her roommate. It was nice to see her excitement for getting everything 'just right'. I feel really good about her and Millikin. It should be a good year! By the time I got back home, I was exhausted and went to bed way earlier than usual.

Today when I woke up, the house was SO quiet!! I am already missing her. I went into her room and just sat on the bed for a while before going to work. Lots of memories in that room -- 18 years worth. She lived her whole life with that room as her homebase. Seeing it without her and much of her stuff was a real indicator that change is in the air. And my heart beat a little faster. (It is beating faster again, even as I write this)

Change is a constant, even though we'd like to avoid it most of the time. Change is good, most of the time. It spurs us to grow as people; it brings perspective to life; it forces us to confront our choices and confirm our beliefs; all of which help mold us to become more fully the individuals we were destined to be.

Our kids need to leave home to begin that transition. And we parents need to encourage them to spread their wings, and trust that we have laid a strong foundation to support them when they take those next steps forward. Transitions are never easy, but always necessary in life's journey.

Having just wrote all that, I can tell you that it is going to be a hard transition for me. Not because I don't think she can handle it. I think she is very prepared for college, has a good heart, and will succeed.

No, it is because I have shared every moment in this home with her and now I have to face the reality that A) this new life phase is one I won't be sharing with her (not directly at least), and B) this is going to change our relationship because she will change. I know it is all for the better, but did I mention I am not fond of change? Yeah.

When women are in labor, there is a point when they pass through 'Transition'. This is a painful period where the body has to make adjustments in order to prepare for the actual birthing of the baby. Although our 'College Road Trip' to Millikin was not nearly as difficult as Transition #1, it marked the second Transition I have experienced with my daughter. I imagine the third Transition will be when I walk her down the aisle (oh my!).

I am excited! I am proud! I am also sad and nostalgic. I am a bundle of emotions all revving up inside. So I am going to have to lift all of that up to the Lord and know that He will keep Laura safe and sound as her freshman year begins at Millikin.

You go girl! Have fun! Study hard! Build friendships! We love you!!!!!! (And don't forget that Skype is your friend...)

Chicago Comic-Con this weekend!

2009-08-06T22:44:00.005-05:00
Sometimes you just have to let the 'inner kid' out to play! (Of course, some would say I do that entirely TOO often but that's a topic for another blog post)

So I have a three-day pass to the Chicago Comic-Con (Wizard World) and I am really excited about going. I could not attend the San Diego Comic Con (the BIG Daddy!) so this will have to do. And, I get to bring my son Ryan along with me to share in the 'geeky goodness' (as my friend Rico would say). I haven't been to a 'con' in a very long time so this is going to be a real good time.

We have our Green Lantern t-shirts, our wristbands, and our cash and we are heading out on Friday to explore every inch of the place (and maybe watch some panel discussions if Ryan can sit still long enough). And I get to go back on Saturday to hang out with a bunch of gaming buddies! Woot!

There will be plenty of celebrities there: Ray Park (Darth Maul), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Chris Heyerdahl (Stargate Atlantis), Michelle Rodriguez (Lost), Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3), Doug Jones (Silver Surfer), Billy Dee Williams (Lando), Daniel Logan (Bob Fett, SW Ep II), Scott Campbell (Spiderman Artist), Michael Hogan (BSG), Edward Olmos (BSG), and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane). And there are lots I did not list here.

I went to the opening on Thursday late afternoon to get a quick preview. There were already a lot of people there and about 1/3 of the booths were still in a state of flux but there were tons of exhibitors already set up with just about everything you can think of. I saw some handmade Katana Blades that were amazing (but out of my price range). And there must be hundreds of artists in Artist Alley. Wow! I scored some N.C.I.S. Identification and Vehicle badges for my wife (she loves that show).

Just to be clear: I will not be wearing Spandex or costumes. Believe me, you do NOT want to see me in Spandex! But I will definitely get a photo of me with the 501st in full stormtrooper armor! Hmmm.. maybe Vador will be there too!

Bring it on! And Live Long and Prosper!

The Episcopal Church leads the way

2009-07-31T05:19:00.000-05:00
I saw this article in The Episcopal Cafe and just had to repost it...

Marion Hatchett, a beloved professor of liturgics at Sewanee and a key figure in the development of the 1979 Prayer book and the 1982 Hymnal has some words of exhortation for the Episcopal Church.

Quoting a speech he gave at General Seminary earlier this year:

"The American Church jumped way out ahead of the Church of England and other sister churches in a number of respects. One was in giving voice to priests and deacons and to laity (as well as bishops and secular government officials) in the governance of the national church and of dioceses and of parishes. The early American Church revised the Prayer Book in a way that went far beyond revisions necessitated by the new independence of the states.

At its beginning the American Church legalized the use of hymnody along with metrical psalmody more than a generation before use of 'hymns of human composure' became legal in the Church of England. At an early stage the American Church gave recognition to critical biblical scholarship.

The American Church eventually gave a place to women in various aspects of the life of the church including its ordained ministry. The American Church began to speak out against discrimination against those of same-sex orientation, and the American Church began to make moves in establishing full communion with other branches of Christendom.

Historically the American Church has been the flag-ship in the Anglican armada. It has been first among the provinces of the Anglican Communion to take forward steps on issue after issue, and on some of those issues other provinces of Anglicanism have eventually fallen in line behind the American Church. My prayer is that the American Church will be able to retain its self-esteem and to stand firm and resist some current movements which seem to me to be contrary to the principles of historic Anglicanism and to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures."
---------

I am proud of the leadership my church continually offers to the larger Anglican (and Christian) community.

Hospitals -- where's the 'care' in their Care?

2009-07-27T20:31:00.004-05:00
I hate hospitals. The doctors are overworked, the nurses are overworked. Few people seem to have the time to show that they got into the 'care business' because they have a caring heart. Whether or not healthcare costs are lowered as a result of the Obama health care proposals, I am not sure what can be done to humanize the process of 'care' in most hospitals.

Don't get me wrong. One on one, I think nurses are fantastic. They are the true advocates for patients and I believe that they care. I have many friends who are nurses and I can see how much of themselves go into their profession.

I think the biggest issues are the long hours, the burnout, and the crap that they have to put up with by certain doctors who take them for granted rather than treating them as partners in patient care.

Today, I had to take Christi to the hospital. The ER was full so she spent over an hour suffering in the Waiting Room with no effort made to reduce her pain. When she was moved to an ER room, it took the usual extended effort to get an IV into her and blood drawn. She did finally get some meds for pain and nausea. But then the nurses and doctors were absent for several hours until the blood work came back -- and the results negative as always.

After that, we saw no one for another hour. As her pain began to return, it took me several attempts to get a nurse to DO something about it. They ignored her call button light. Finally, I got the doctor to tell me she was being admitted and that the floor would take care of her at that point. After more bugging, they gave her something for her pain.

Now I know that the ER is a busy place. Lots of people were coming through; lots of ambulances were bringing in patients. But it was still VERY upsetting to feel that I needed to track down people to get Christi attention. What if I hadn't been there?

We have spent enough money at this hospital to have a wing named after Christi. In fact, the hospital has done a lot of remodeling over the past nine years -- building a new ER wing, expanding floors, updating equipment, even providing wireless Internet for patients and guests.

I guess they should have taken some of that money and increased their STAFF to provide better customer care. Sometimes the best medicine is love and attention between the staff and the patient. I think we need to get back to those basics.

We don't have to sacrifice the humanity of medicine as we rush towards progress in treatment and diagnostics.

A Lesson learned

2009-07-25T23:20:00.009-05:00
Laura and I are both working on the Christian Youth Theater production of West Side Story -- one of my favorite musicals of all time (mostly because I was in my high school production of it way back when). Laura, who was hoping to land a principal role in the show, auditioned. But because of her schedule conflicts (working at camp, mostly), that was not going to be possible. She got a role as one of the Shark girls and is one of the quartet of singers in the famous 'America' scene/song.

I remember telling Laura that no one gets a lead role every time they audition. It just doesn't happen. There are a lot of talented people out there so the competition is very tough. So she needs to get comfortable with the idea of being an ensemble cast member sometimes, finding the joy in those roles, and using them to learn more about her craft and widen her versatility as an actor.

Good words I thought. Little did I know I was going share her experience as well.

Just a few weeks ago, I got asked to be the 'backup sound tech' for the show. I agreed, thinking that I could contribute to the show by running the sound board and making sure it all sounded great. Lil ole me, jumping to the rescue!

I have to say that I had to take my own words to heart. I figured I would walk in there and they would be happy that my 'skills' were part of the team. But what I realized was that they really did not need me at all (other than to be the backup in case their main sound tech could not make a performance). And they also had a professional sound engineer there to set up all the gear, balance everything, and ensure the quality of the sound production.

So I have to admit, I was feeling like a 'third wheel'. But then I realized that, like Laura, my role was not to be 'the sound guy'. My role was a supporting one and I needed to 'lose the ego' and figure out how I could best fulfill that support role. So I listened to Dan and Wes. I did what I was told. I determined one thing I could do was to define and write up all the sound cues in the script since I knew the show so well. So I did that. And it wsa appreciated. I figured out how to contribute. I also learned a lot more about sound design from Dan which is a real bonus!

So my job in the show is to call the sound cues that I wrote for Wes. (And I will get one day where I will actually run the board because Wes has to miss one performance.)

It is good to be reminded that in the grand scheme of things, you are just another cog in the big wheel and it is best to keep your ego 'in check' so that you have a chance to learn something new, improve yourself, support others, and enjoy life.

Humble Pie! Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Good!

Life after General Convention?

2009-07-18T23:39:00.005-05:00
Well I learned from Twitter and Shawn Schreiner that on Friday afternoon, the House of Deputies passed resolution C056 on Same-Gender Blessings -- the one that came amended from the House of Bishops a few days before. The vote, by orders, was pretty one-sided with 2/3 of the lay voting in favor and about 65% of the clergy doing the same. I was well on my way home when the afternoon session took place.

I am home now and the first thing I did was sleep for 10 hours in my own bed. What bliss! When I got up, Ryan and I went to Camp Chicago for 'closing'. Yeah, I do Convention for two weeks and the first activity I engage in after returning is what? A church-related event! I must be a crazy man...

Camp was cool though. Got to visit with the staff, see my daughter and wife (who actually remembered who I was), and watch the drama performance, worship service, and award ceremony. All good! If you are reading this and have children between the ages of 3 and 17, you are doing them a disservice by not sending them to Camp Chicago. It is hugely fun!

After camp, Ryan and I ate at Burger King and then went to see Harry Potter! It was his first time seeing it -- I saw it on opening night (midnight) while at Anaheim so this was my second time. It was just as good the second time. Now I am home, watching Ice Road Truckers, Eureka, and doing my laundry. My DVR is full of stuff I missed -- I got some catching up to do!

My next task will be to put together a presentation to my church, St. Mary's, about the highlights of General Convention. I am also going to put on a table in our Parish Hall a bunch of materials I gathered while in Anaheim so that anyone interested can read them. My presentations are scheduled for August 9th.

Did I mention being really tired? Oh yeah. Very tired. Later this week, I will put some additional reflections on General Convention. But for the moment, my mind is a little mushy.

So, life after General Convention? Sure! But I think it starts after 2-3 days of rest and recuperation. My brian needs a rest. Thank the Lord I do not go back to work until Tuesday!

Ubuntu, Odds n Ends, and Farewell

2009-07-17T02:05:00.003-05:00
Well today was a busy one! Pat Abrams let me be a "Deputy for the Day" and it was really a cool thing to be on the floor of the House of Deputies, working through the budget, voting on lots of resolutions, electing people to offices within the Church, etc. We had two sessions today (thankfully a third 'evening' session was not required). And afterwards, I enjoyed dinner at an Indian restaurant, followed by a U2charist. We ended the day at our deputation meeting room where we debriefed 'our day', ate some munchies, and sang some 'creative' renditions of songs with an 'Ubuntu' flavor.

All in all, it was a great but tiring full day of Convention. Tomorrow, I will return to my Alternate status and sit for the morning legislative session with my fellow alternates while the House of Deputies debating Resolution C056 regarding same-gender blessings, which was passed by the House of Bishops on Wednesday. Then I take my leave of Anaheim and return to Illinois where seeing my family (a nice rest in my own bed) will be most welcome.

I want to thank the Diocese of Chicago for electing me as an Alternate Deputy to General Convention. It has been a blessed honor to serve.

Final Thoughts

Ubuntu!! "You in me and I in You." The theme for our Convention. A statement about our connectedness as human beings, as children of God, as fellow Episcopalians, as part of God's creation, as companions in Mission.

Our deputation has really gotten into Ubuntu (and I suppose Ubuntu has gotten into us as well). We have had a lot of fun together as we worked long hours for the past ten days. We have supported one another, laughed together, broken bread together, sang songs together. And I for one will really miss the camaraderie and the sense of community that we have developed.

This Convention has been full of experiences of Ubuntu. Sharing ministry stories with folks from Chicago. Discussing legislation and the state of our Church with my fellow Alternate Deputies at our 'table'. Having breakfasts with my mother, aunt, and cousin. Hanging out with youth from Western Michigan, Oregon, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Experiencing the daily Eucharist with thousands of Episcopalians. Sharing some 'Harry Potter love' at a midnight showing with friends. Reconnecting with friends that I probably wouldn't otherwise see if it weren't for General Convention.

I learned a lot. I learned more about the Church that I love -- its successes and its challenges. I have also gained greater insight into what makes me excited about ministry, and have seen that the Love of Jesus Christ is alive and well in the Episcopal Church. But mostly, I have learned that the Spirit does work in community and we can move forward in faith knowing that God is with us.

Got Ubuntu? The Diocese of Chicago does!

Bishops pass same-gender blessings resolution

2009-07-16T14:26:00.003-05:00
In their afternoon legislative session yesterday, 104 bishops voted to begin the development and collection of resources same-gender blessings (30 bishops voted No and 1 abstained). They amended the original text of the resoluton (Resolution C056) that was crafted within the Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music committee. Now it is up to the House of Deputies to concur or reject the resolution. The House is scheduled to act upon the resolution in their Friday morning session.

Part of the amended text of the resolution includes wording to provide 'pastoral generosity' towards bishops of dioceses which cover states that have legalized same-gender marriage so that they can provide pastoral care for LGBT parshioners who have married in a civil ceremony. This addition to the resolution may make Resolution D012, which made this very request, no longer necessary if C056 passes without modification in the House of Deputies.

Many amendments were considered and rejected, including a motion to throw the entire Resolution out. But given the 3-to-1 postive vote, it seems clear that the bishops ar ready to seriously investigate ways of responding to the call for blessings between LGBT couples in lifelong, committed relationship that reflec the Love of Jesus Christ.

Note that passage of this resolution does not specifically authorize the adoption of same-gender blessings, just the process of gathering and reviewing such rites. What is gathered/developed will then be distilled into proposals for the next General Convention to consider. (Those dioceses in states that have legalized same-gender marriage will have some flexibility in responding to their specific pastoral situations.)

Click here to view the amended Resolution. You will be able to see the strikeouts in order to appreciate which sections of the original resolution were modified by the House of Bishops.

Budget revealed -- the challenge is before us

2009-07-16T02:06:00.002-05:00
The challenge to move forward in faith, utilizing the resources we have wisely in time, talent, and treasure to fulfill our mission priorities over the next triennium.

The budget committee shared an opening statement to a joint session of both Houses on Wednesday at 2:30pm that summarized the focus and motivation behind the recently released budget for the Episcopal Church for 2010-2012. The total budget comes to $140M (which is down from the $163M that was originally estimated).

For me, the key paragraph that cuts to the chase was, "For each new challenge, there is a new opportunity. The economic environment and its effects on the financial resources available to the Budget for the next Triennium call the Church to take a very close look at all that we do, how and where we do it, whether or not certain activities should continue, and how programs might be done more effectively by a network of service organizations. This work was hard, and more often than not, painful."

It is painful. The Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance (PB&F) had a difficult task, and the results were not totally unexpected. Programs have had their funding reduced or cut altogether. Significant staff reductions -- some estimate around 30 -- at the national church offices corresponding with those cuts are happening. I do not think there is anyone who is not going to be affected by the fiscal reality we are going to live with for the next three years.

The Budget committee was very clear to state that while these changes will cause us to become more efficient in the ways we move forward in mission, they are NOT 'value statements' about the quality or efficacy of those programs that have been cut or reduced.

Some positive things listed in the budget were:
The Millenium Development Goals have been restored in the budget, with .07% allocated to address poverty
Seed money was allocated in support of Hispanic communities
$200,000 was earmarked to assist seminarians with debt relief
$3 million was allocated for legal fees associated with property protection for dioceses

Some painful cuts listed included:
Funding for General Convention was reduced by almost $2 million
Womens Ministries was cut from the budget entirely
Lay Ministry was cut from the budget entirely
Anti-Racism and Racial/Gender Justice and Equailty was reduced by $800,000
Evangelism & Congregational Life was reduced by $5 million
National Church Center services/functions were reduced by $9 million

The Diocesan 'asking' -- what dioceses are asked to give to the National Church -- is going to be reduced over a three year period. Year 1 will remain at the current 21% level. Year 2 will be lowered to 20%. Year 3 will be lowered to 19%. It is hoped that this will help the dioceses.

The committee suggested some 'out of the box' thinking when it comes to General Convention and the various committees that meet during the period between Conventions. Travel expenses have been reduced for CCABs to cover only 2 face-to-face meetings so the use of conference calling, video conferencing over the Internet, etc. is going to be encouraged. Some other items include:

The 77th General Convention will be reduced from 10 days to only 8 days to help save on expenses at both the Diocesan and National level.
The 'Blue Book' containing resolutins, committee reports, etc. will only be made available online
Free Wifi will be made available during General Convention
A strong push for a 'paperless' Convention will be encouraged

On Thursday, deputies will be able to request for changes to the budget. The catch is: for every dollar you request be added in one area, you will also have to identify where those dollars are coming from elsewhere in the budget. There is no extra money laying around and the budget must be balanced. So while the discussions on the floor will likely demonstrate the pain people will be feeling, I am highly doubtful that anything in the budget will be changed.

The budget should be published on the Episcopal Church website at some point in the near future (probably after tomorrow's debate is finished and the budget is passed in both Houses).

Church passes Denominational Health Plan

2009-07-15T14:04:00.005-05:00
The General Convention just passed resolution A177 calling for the establishment of a Denominational Health Plan that would be mandatory for all dioceses, covering both lay and clergy employees. This implementation will follow a 3-year transition plan so that in the end, all dioceses will offer this one plan for medical coverage. This plan will be managed by the Church Pension Fund which has continually demonstrated its ability to handle financial dealings of the Church most effectively. (Click here for more details)

The mandatory nature of this plan is important from a cost perspective. The higher the participation level, the better the rates will be for both the Church and its employees in the plan. Things like plan deductibles, monthly fees, and details around what types of services are covered can be significantly affected by the number of people enrolled in the plan.

I am definitely not a Healthcare specialist. But having worked closely with the Human Resources department at my company, I can tell you that the Church Pension Fund will be quite busy as the plan manager for this Health Plan. One of the things I would be most concerned about are the cost of the plan, the benefits it actually covers, how pre-existing conditions are handled, how many doctors/hospitals accept the plan, and how emergency care is handled. I have not seen a Summary Plan Document (SPD) and without that, these questions remained unanswered for me. (Perhaps the Deputies received this document and not the Alternates).

Overall, I like the 'idea' of this plan but without having the details in front of me, it is difficult to get too excited at this point.

A change of pace... family time & Harry Potter?

2009-07-15T00:38:00.004-05:00
Today, I spent time in the House of Deputies for sure, but I also spent some time with family. My mother, aunt, and cousin are all here for General Convention and up until today, I have been too committed to meetings and other arrangements that I needed to step back.

I started my morning with a wonderful breakfast with my family and Michelle, a friend of my mother's (and defacto member of the family). We ate and talked and laughed out loud and generally had a great time together. And God saw that it was good, and it was GOOD!

After the morning legislative session and the daily Eucharist (have I mentioned that the worship here has been awesome and the music fantastic? Well it has been.), I spent some time just talking with my cousin Margaret over lunch. You don't realize how much you miss family until you reconnect and come face-to-face with 'that which you do not normally get to experience'. It was so nice.

Then Margaret (or Button as we call her), and I went to listen to my Aunt Edna lead a workshop on "Mothers, Sisters, and friends of the Bible". My mother joined us. And while I could only be there for about 15 minutes because I had to get over to the House od Deputies, it was amazing to watch my aunt in action. Her workshop room was full of women (this was an ECW workshop) who were fully engaged in her presentation. i was very proud.

On the floor of the House this afternoon, we passed the amended version of the D027 Resolution that the House of Bishops passed yesterday. It was a good feeling!

The day turned into evening. The Chicago Deputation had a dinner scheduled and we spent the time laughing, sharing copious amounts of "UBuntu", singing, and enjoying each others' company.

And to top off the day, Ian Hallas, me, and several folks from the Western Michigan deputation are going to go the the Disneyland Theater at midnight tonight to watch the opening of the new Harry Potter movie! Yeah, we will probably pay for it tomorrow when we have to live with the lack of sleep but it will be well worth the sacrifice!

Accio Firebolt!

Chicago youth travel to Anaheim

2009-07-14T04:23:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, a group of 13 young people and their youth ministers descended upon the Anaheim Convention center. The Diocese of Chicago has always found ways to support youth who demonstrate an interest in the church, its beliefs, and its polity. Chicago youth have been to the last three General Conventions attending legislative sessions, testifying at committee hearings, and discussing issues with deputies and bishops.

Sue Cromer, Canon for Youth, Young Adult, Campus Ministries, and Summer Camp for the Diocese of Chicago is responsible for making these and other leadership development opportunities available to the youth of our Diocese.

When they arrived, they spent time with the Chicago Deputation to gain a sense of what had already transpired at Convention and what hearings and legislation were likely to surface while they were here. They wasted no time getting 'plugged in.'

It wasn't all business, however. They also spent time in fellowship with the Official Youth Presence and other young people at Convention. They attended the big Sunday Eucharist celebrated by the Presiding Bishop. And they participated in a Latin Festival being held in Anaheim, enjoying a variety of food, music, and cultural events.

Because most of the youth are also on camp staff at the Diocesan 'Camp Chicago' Summer Camp program, they left for Illinois Monday morning -- bringing stories to share with the campers coming to camp tomorrow.

Episcopal Church a step closer to full inclusion!

2009-07-14T03:49:00.005-05:00
The last few days have been very eventful. It started in the House of Deputies on Sunday afternoon when in a vote by orders (meaning votes were counted by diocese, lay and clergy) resulted in the passing of Resolution D025: Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion.

This resolution (text can be found here) affirms our relationship with the Anglican Communion. It also affirms the reality of gay and lesbian members of our community living in lifelong committed relationships, and, affirms that God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry in the Church.

The voting in the House of Deputies was:
In the laity, 50 votes required for passage. 77 voted for, 31 voted against.
In the clergy, 49 votes required for passage, 74 voted for, 35 voted against.

On Monday afternoon, the resolution was discussed in the House of Bishops. The bishops made an amendment to the resolution, and in a bold move, passed the resolution! The voting in the House of Bishops was 99 bishops in favor, 45 bishop dissenting, and 2 bishops abstaining. The social networking service Twitter was ablaze with the news. This occurred towards the end of the legislative seesion in the House of Deputies so news traveled quickly to the larger House.

The amended resolution will now be referred back to the House of Deputies where they will have to review the amendment and vote to "Concur" or "Reject". So the final decision is in the hands of the House of Deputies. If the amended resolution passes, then this will effectively nullify the 2006 Resolution B033 (which issued a moratorium on the consecration of gay/lesbian bishops).

Stay tuned!

Youth make themselves heard!

2009-07-14T03:05:00.004-05:00

The President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, gave us some sobering statistics about the membership of our house. Some of interest were that about 80% of the deputies in the House were age 65 or more. Less than 3% were under the age of 35. Even less than that -- 2% -- were less than age 25. That is not a good indication of how involved youth and young adults are in the legislative process of our church.

But that 2% are doing all that they can and people are paying attention!

Last General Convention, Mr. Ian Hallas was the first youth elected Alternate Deputy for the Diocese of Chicago. This time, he is the second youngest full Deputy at Convention. The youngest deputy is a friend of mine, Olivia Adams, in the Diocese of Western Michigan (also in Province V). Ian and Olivia are fine examples of the kind of energy, intelligence, and passion that our church needs to move forward and keep the Episcopal Church relevant both now and into the future.

In addition to youth deputies sprinkled throughout the House, the Official Youth Presence (made up of two young adults from each Province) is also on the floor of Convention. While they have seat and voice, they do not yet have vote in the House. Resolution D066 hopes to change that. If passed in both Houses (in two consecutive General Conventions), it will grant the Youth Presence vote.

Other resolutions regarding young people in the church are:

B003: Camping Ministries
This resolution would direct the Youth Formation Area of the Evangelism and Congregational Life Center to help dioceses to develop currciulum, training, and resources for camp programs. Chicago has been fortunate to have a wonderful Summer Camp program in place for many years.

D064: Youth Meeting in Europe
This resolution includes many young adults actions including recommending 30 young adults make a pilgrimage to Geneva Switzerland to engage with organizations like the World Council of Churches and the World Health Organization in implementing the Millenium Development Goals. All activities are designed to help build leadership skills and a deepening of faith through engagements in the work of the Church.

D065: Youth Seat, Voice, and Vote on Vestry
This resolution directs that each congregation create at least one youth seat on their Vestry or Bishop's Committee. This seat(s) would include voice and vote for a one year term for a youth between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Here in the Diocese of Chicago, we wrote and passed a similar resolution and have authorized youth on Vestry for over five years now.

At Monday's morning legislative session, Mr. Zach Brown and Ms. Carolyn Chu addressed the House of Deputies with empassioned speeached on the vitality and importance of youth and young adult participation in the life of the Church. One quote I particularly liked was "It's our job to show you our interest; it's your job to give us the opportunity."

Young people have been showing their love and dedication to the Episcopal Church during this Convention. The other 80% of the House is taking notice. This is a good thing! Let's work to empower more youth to get engaged in mission and involved in the life of our church -- at the parish, diocesan, and national levels!

Budget cuts expected to be 'draconian'

2009-07-14T02:27:00.003-05:00

At the afternoon Legislative Session, a letter from the Program, Budget, and Finance (PB&F) was read aloud to the House of Deputies. It was reported that the actual budget shortfall is closer to $14 million and that significant cuts will be made across the spectrum of the budget.

It was also suggested that the 'diocesan asking' may be reduced (the amount each diocese is asked to contribute to the church) in hopes that a lower 'asking' might result in more dioceses actually paying it in full. This diocesan asking is the primary source of income for the national church.

The budget committee is digging in deep, working well past midnight to come up with the budget that they plan to announce to a joint session of the House of Deputies/Bishops on Wednesday's afternoon Legislative Session. In fact, the budget has been completed and is now being printed in preparation for Wednesday. In addition to broad cuts, it is likely to contain 'creative proposals' for reducing the costs of the next General Convention as well as the expenses associated with the various committess and task forces that will meet over the next three years.

After the budget is announced on Wednesday, we will all know and feel the pain that these economic times, and the impact of reduced giving and membership, have wrought. I doubt anyone will come out unaffected. Lack of funds will certainly impact resolutions with financial implications, which in turn will impact the way we fulfill out mission in the next three years.

The rubber is about to hit the road.

And so it begins!

2009-07-09T03:04:00.008-05:00

Wednesday was the first official day of General Convention. We had a short Legislative Session in the morning where the House got itself organized and ready to conduct business. Then we went to the daily Eucharist which was led by the Presiding Bishop who gave a very good sermon.

I ran into Bishop Persell and Nancy at the service. They were looking very well and happy to be part of the Convention. I also ran into another good friend from the past -- Fr. Jim Friedrich and his wife. Jim is well known for his work with Cathedral Films but my favorite memories are of him are as one of the assistants at St. Johns in Los Angeles, my home parish as a child.

Highlights for me

Budget Priorities

The House of Deputies approved the mission priorities for the Church which will guide the Budget allocations during Convention. These priorities are:

Networking the members of the body of Christ

Alleviating poverty and injustice

Claiming our identity

Growing congregations and the next generations of faith

Strengthening governance and foundations for ministry
Now it goes to the House of Bishops for their consideration. A full description of each priority can be found here.

The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks to Convention

The opportunity to hear from the Archbishop of Canterbury who gave an insightful assessment of our world today -- we are in a crisis of truthfulness. We all need to get back to a place where our actions and behaviors are based on 'mutual attention' to the truths in our relationships, to the world we live in, and to the 'Common Good'. We, the Body of Christ, were made so that what is given to us is then given to others in turn.

Hearing on Resolution B012

At 2pm today, testimony was heard during the hearing for Resolution B012: Pastoral Generosity. This resolution is in response to recent State Supreme Court decisions legalizing marriage between same-sex couples. This has been done in six states thus far, with more states expected to follow suit in the near future.

Bishops in these dioceses are asking the church for 'pastoral generosity' to give them permission to authorize marriage rites for LGBT couples who have entered into civil marriage and would like to have their marriages recognized and celebrated in their church. Without passage of this resolution, priests and bishops face a serious pastoral challenge in responding to their parishioners. How can they discriminate against a segment of their communities of faith when it comes to the Sacrament of Marriage?

Hundreds of people showed up for the hearing. Many, like myself, had to stand outside the meeting room and strain to listen to the testimonies. Laypersons, priests, and bishops -- including Bishop Gene Robinson -- spoke in favor of the resolution. Many shared the pain they have endured as a result of not being able to celebrate their bond of matrimony in and with their church communities.

Concerns on my mind
We have a $9M shortfall in the budget. This means drastic cuts. The question will be 'where' the cuts will be reflected. One area I worry about? The draft budget proposal has cut all financial support for black colleges that the church helped to establish long ago. These colleges, like St. Pauls College, Voorhees College, and St. Augustine have been hard hit by the economic crisis. State funding has dried up or been drastically reduced while demand for improved curriculum, higher enrollments, and operating costs have increased. Given the church's mission priorities, it seems inconsistent that we would cease to fund educational institutions that help people escape the bonds of poverty and despair. I believe funding needs to be reinstated and even increased if possible.

We need to recommit ourselves as a Diocese and as a Church to eliminate institutional racism. We need to dedicate the time, talent, and treasure required to continue moving forward in this very important goal and to show others how to do the same.

We need to ensure the equal access for all the children of God to all Sacraments of the Church. How can the church call upon its clergy to discriminate against a segment of their congregations by denying them the Sacrament of Marriage? All people are created in the image of God. I liked Bishop Gene Robinson's comment during the hearing today, "Marriage equality is a reality coming to a state near you."

It's all about Ubuntu!

2009-07-07T20:49:00.004-05:00
Yesterday I got on a plane and flew to Anaheim, CA in preparation for the upcoming 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. General Convention meets every three years and is the legislative body that votes on the Canons and laws that govern the church. General Convention is similar to the United States government in structure -- two houses -- where votes are cast for legislation. There is the House of Deputies (with both clergy and lay deputies) and the House of Bishops. Legislation must be passed by both houses in order to become law. Our governing body is widely considered to be the largest in the world with over 1000 deputies.

So anyways, yesterday was mostly a day of fellowship, reconnecting with friends, and preparing for the days ahead. It was also the first day of Registration for deputies and bishops. So after getting my badge, document binder, and other materials, I spent most of the day reading and getting my schedule entered into my iPhone.

Today was the Opening Day for Convention. Legislative Committees are already meeting. I attended the Prayer Book, Liturgies, and Music committee meeting in the morning. One of the main decisions made today was the date for the Hearings on resolutions pertaining to Same Sex Blessings. It appears that these will take place on Thursday at 2pm. It is anticipated to take the entire two-hour period allocated.

Also interesting is that the Hearings on the resolutions pertaining to Resolution B033: Exercise Restraint in Consecrating Candidates (from the last General Convention in 2006) are scheduled on the same day -- Thursday evening at 8pm. It is going to be a very busy day on Thursday indeed!

This afternoon, Convention opened with addresses by the Presiding Bishop Schori and the President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson. We were introduced to the theme of Convention: Ubuntu.

ArchBishop Desmond Tutu, when speaking of Ubuntu, said "One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."

Then we received an introduction to Public Narratives -- a participatory, vision-focused dialogue on the Mission of the Church which was directed by the last General Convention in Resolution D043. These Mission Conversations are designed to help articulate our commitment to mission by sharing a person's individual faith journey, the values of our community, and how we choose to 'act' in response. During this Convention, all deputies will learn this method of 'sharing our story' as well as how to help others articulate their own stories.

Tonight, there will be more Legislative Committee meetings. I haven't yet decided which one I will attend. Lastly, there is a meeting for Deputies of Color which I will attend -- where we discuss legislation that may have important impacts upon minority ministries, issues of social justice, and progress towards anti-racism within the Church. It will also be nice to meet up with old friends.

Tomorrow will be our first FULL day of committees, legislative sessions, etc. More then!

Welcome!

2009-06-17T18:12:00.004-05:00
Well after years on the Internet, I guess it is obligatory that I jump into the blogisphere with both feet. Why you ask? I am not really sure but I figured 'if I created it, the words will come'.

Well, that remains to be seen....

But in any case, welcome to what will be the ramblings of my mind. I will probably not be posting here on any kind of regular basis -- I have this need for what appears here to have some intrinsic value -- but if I have anything to say, this is the place where it will be posted.

Who am I? I am a Software Engineer, Systems Designer, and Web Developer who has spent the last 30 years developing software applications for companies, customers, schools, and the government sector. I am a husband. I am a father of three great children. I am a lifelong Episcopalian. I love music, photography, science fiction, mystery/action/military novels, movies, and having fun. I am a Youth Minister. I am an American. I am an African American, I am just a guy with a beard.

Hang around here for a while and perhaps you will get an insight into my thoughts, dreams, observations, struggles, joys, and beliefs. "Life's like a box of chocolates. Ya never know whatcha gonna get" about sums it up.

Comments are welcome. Tasteful, funny, constructive, insightful, relevant comments only please. I would prefer the dialog to be healthy and in no need of 'editorial mediation'.

So stay tuned, subscribe if you feel so inclined. Maybe I will surprise you with my ramblings.