1.  We have lived in seven different locations and three different states

• Reading, PA
• Mt. Airy, PA
• Ambler, PA
• Souderton, PA
• Rutland, VT (for 2 months)
• Baldwinsville, NY (in Raddison)
• Baldwinsville, NY (in current location)

2.  We have two wonderful children

• They are the joy of our lives

3.  We both have had major surgery

• My wife had an emergency c-section . for the birth of our first son.  Three days later my appendix ruptured.

4.  Four years of seminary

• I was in graduate school full time, I worked part time, and helped with the kids and the house work
• My wife took the brunt of most of the parenting and house worked and worked full time

5.  Graduation of seminary, my 30th birthday, the call process and my ordination (all within four months).

• This was a nerve wracking time for both of us.  I had a wonderful 30th birthday party/graduation party.
• We went through a process where we experienced tons of paperwork, seven  interviews, thousands of miles traveled and finally settled in a job, community and home that we love.

6.  Continued love

• I can honestly say that I love my wife more now than I did when we first got married.  So much happened our first years of marriage sometimes it seems like a blurr.  We are finally on track to a life we both have dreamed of and we are very happy.  Sure there are bumps in the road, but those bumps tend to only bring us closer together.

So what do the next six years have in store for us?

I don’t know.  I would hate to guess because six years ago I never even heard of Baldwinsville, NY much less thought I was going to live there!!  All I know is that as long as I have my wife and my kids there is nothing I can’t face in my life.  They are the most important thing to me, yes even more important than Facebook.

Here is a list of things that I would love to have happen over the next six years:

I have a list of 100 things that I want to do before I die, I hope that I can accomplish more of them.  I would foresee us having one perhaps two more children.  I would love to finally start a band of some sort.  I would love to get into pet therapy.  I would love to have at least 3 months salary in my savings account.  I plan on supporting my children in all the activities that they are interested in.  Finally, I would love to keep blogging and be the host of an active online community surrounded in faith.

What do you see happening in your life over the next six years?

But now it is summer, so weekly Bible Studies have taken a hideous, Sunday adult forums are done until September and I can relax and catch up with lots of projects that have been sitting on my desk.

Here are some random thoughts to bring you up to speed with my life:

BIRTHDAY

On June 21st……I turned 32

It wasn’t one of the “major” birthdays….like 13, 16, 21 ect.  Actually come to think about it I did not even mind turning 30.  For me 31 was much harder,  I felt that I officially entered my 30′s when I turned 31.

It does feel like yesterday I was having my birthday at the “Dream Machine” arcade in Rutland, Vermont.  Then the next thing I know I am in NY, married, with two kids, a dog, two cats, a house to take care of and a professional job.  Where did the time go?  But you know what? I would not want it any other way.

For my birthday I upgraded my phone from an iphone 2G  to a iphone 3GS and I LOVE the 3GS.  I know that the 4G just came out but I am glad that I waited in getting it.  My wife’s line is still eligible for upgrade (since I gave her my 2G) so perhaps Christmas I will be getting the 4G.  We will see…..

CONFIRMATION CAMP

Last week I was the director of the local Confirmation Camp at Vanderkamp Center.  Confirmation Camp is an extension of our Confirmation Ministry at St. Mark’s.  It is a week long program and it is fantastic.  I will be sharing more about this program soon.  I have a ton of stories to share and reflections by some of the kids that were heart warming.

That’s what has been going on the last couple of weeks in my life.  I am back in the game right now.  I hope to offer more insight on the life of the church, leadership in the church and personal reflections from my family life.

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I have not been in the “right space” to seriously blog lately.  I have posted some great video’s and pictures but my content has been lacking.  As things settle down in my head I hope to share more about that…..but in general my mental and emotional feelings have not been good.  I enjoy my life, my job, and my family — but I feel like I am at a turning point right now in all of those areas right now.  I feel like I have two choices:  I can choose to either embrace the changes or I can run away.   I want to let you know that I am choosing to embrace all the changes in my life and let me tell you, from what I have been experiencing and what I have been told embracing is usually the harder thing to do.

Something else that I have been told is that many if not all pastor’s go through this change at some point in their ministry.  It usually happens within the first 2-4 years of a new ministry setting.  Well,  I have been in my ministry setting and in pastoral ministry period for almost two years.  I have had a lot happen to me personally and professionally the last two years.  Some of it I have recorded on here, some of it I talk about on facebook and others of it I have shared with close friends and family.  But overall I would say that my time at St. Mark’s and in Bladwinsville has been very positive.  We were unsure about moving to CNY, but I do believe that this is where God has called me to be……

So here I am, I am in CNY, I am doing the ministry work God has called me too.  I am also experiencing a change in my life.  So I am talking with colleagues, friends and family about my life, my ministry and I am praying and discerning what God is calling me to next — not in my ministry setting (as in I am not leaving Baldwinsville) but in my ministry at St. Mark’s.

One of the changes that has brought me to this point is that I have spent most of the year studying preaching.  I have been working harder and harder on my preaching style, my content and the way I approach writing my sermon.  I think I am finally “finding my voice” in my preaching.  I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about my preaching.  I enjoy that positive feedback (thank you) and I want to “find my voice” in other areas of ministry at St. Mark’s.

What does that mean?  I really don’t know right now.  All I know is that I feel good about it, but it also causes a problem.

The problem with “finding my voice” in my preaching and the problem with the positive feedback I have received is that the more I get the more I want to pour myself into my preaching…..but just because I put more time and energy into my preaching does not mean that the demands of the everday work at church does not become less, it does not mean that the demands at home become any less, so where does my “extra” time come from?  Well…..mostly it comes from my personal “down” time.  Which leads me to not take any extended period of time off for about 6 months…..which makes for an unhappy papajoe.

What do I do now that I realize all this?

I am taking the next week off!! Granted I am not going anywhere, but I am staying out of the office and I am going to get things done around the house and around my life.  My uncle has come to Baldwinsville for the week and he is going to be helping me with lots of yard work!

Physical Life

As I have mentioned on here 1.000 times, I need to get in shape.  It has come to a point in my life where this is not a want anymore — I need to do it.  I don’t know why, but I have this mental block that  kicks in anytime I start to get healthy.  I need Jullian or Bob to come and kick my butt to get at the root of my problems because I have not been in a good space with it.  But in all actualityI have not taken the time in the last 6-7 years to really devote to serious weight loss.

So part of my time this week is going to be dedicated to starting a new healthy papajoe.  I am  going to take time and work out everyday my plan is to hit the gym 2 times a day for the next week.  I don’t want to mess around this time.  I believe if I follow through on my plans I will see a significant weight loss this next week and I pray that motivates me the rest of the summer.  So when I see the results over the summer that will motivate me for the fall — you see where I am going with this???  Please pray for me.

Family Life

This is one area that I think is going pretty well.  Cheesewiz will be finishing his first year of Kindergarten up this next month, and he has had a banner year.  I hope his schooling continues to go well.  But I have seen a growth and maturity in him that is like night and day.

We have been trying hard to keep him on track and some of the hard work seems to be paying off.  We have been very diligent about his overall health as well. We have tried very hard to get the right nutrition inside of him and I think it is helping with his overall behavior.

For example, in the last two days he was very engrossed with two different outings — yesterday a scouting event and today during our trip to the beach.  He was enjoying himself and he did not want to leave.  Now, in the past we try and prepare him for the transition from being at the event to getting in the car and leaving for home.  But he usually starts to throw a fit and we eventually have to physically remove him.  Well yesterday and today he started to throw the fit and then I did some negotiating and he pulled himself together and we left happy.  I have been amazed at the growth I see in him, I account it to good health, wellness and maturity.

Overall

I would have to say that overall I am in a good space right now.  I am thankful for all the people who love me and care for me.  I am thankful for a great congregation to serve and supportive people. I am thankful for my wife and my kids.  I am thankful for colleagues who are honest with me, who support me and who share with me.  Without these things in place I would be in a bad space right now.

I can honestly say that I am really excited for the week ahead — I am going to really be working on me and that is very much needed. Oh and if you would like to help in shaping who I am in the future (I need all the help I can get) leave a comment below

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I did catch most of the Super Bowl, since I was not vested in either team I was not disappointed to miss part of the thrid quarter and all of the fourth.   I am glad it did not come down to the wire.

My favorite super bowl commercial was the one with Betty White and Abe Vigoda

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Sv_z9jm8A

Well Monday came and I was feeling worse, so I decided to go to the doctor who told me that I had strep.  Not something that I wanted to hear, but at least I was able to take something and get over it in a few days, rather than waiting a week or two for everything to pass.  So I got on some meds and started feeling better right away.

Wednesday I had the pleasure of going to the Syracuse University vs University of Connecticut boys basketball game!!

It was a great game!  Living in Syracuse, I have become attached to all SU college sports.  So I was routing for SU to win and they did not disappoint.  It was a night of laughter, fellowship and fun.  I am glad I was able to go.

I worked Thursday and today is my day off.  My wife is now sick, so I am spending the day taking care of the kids and her.  This weekend is my daughter’s third birthday so I hope everyone is healthy by then!

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I get the fact that most resolutions are too vague or too unrealistic.  But at the same time, there’s a lot of energy right now.  There is a ton of optimism for the new year and the new decade.  People are fired up, dreaming big, and digging down deep.

I totally agree.  I know that most of the “resolutions” or “goals” that I make this year will not stick.  But I always have hope this time of the year.  I always see the possiblity of change and that gets me excited.  I am excited to live my life more fully and I am ready to make a positive impact in my life and my families life.

After thinking about it and outlining some resolutions, one word that connects everything together is Community

I want to create a stronger community in all aspects of my life.  Here’s how I am going to do it:

Professional

• Become a B/C list blogger – eventually I want to become an A list blogger, but I need to take baby steps.  I don’t know what this looks like yet, but I would love to start a Lutheran Grilled Cheese Community via my blog.  I would like to have at least 750 unique visitors to my blog by the end of 2010.
• Define what it means to be a member of St. Mark’s worshipping community — I have been working this year trying to define what I think it means to be a part of St. Mark’s.  Now I want to turn that over to the leadership of the church and eventually to the general congregation.  By the end of 2010 I want the leadership to have a sense of what it means to be a part of St. Mark’s and prepare to launch that into the general congregation and then the community.
• Be an active member of the blogging community – If I want to become a better blogger, I need to be active in the blogging community.
• Immurse myself into my preaching — I want to read all I can about preaching and I want to try new preaching techniques.

Personal

• Form a strong knit community of friendships in the Syracuse area – I have the best friends a guy could ask for, but I hardly ever see them.  My friends are located all over the United States and I miss them.  I would love to develop stronger friendships in the area.
• Start playing my guitar more – One of the things I let go when I was in seminary was playing my guitar.  Before seminary I was playing gigs, I was writing music and I miss doing that.
• Lose at least 70 pounds by the end of 2010 – I will do this by watching what I eat and exercise.  Nothing too complicated.
• Read at least 6 theological books and 6 non theological books by the end of 2010
• Be credit card free by the end of the year- I do not have too much credit card debt but I want it to be all gone by the end of the year.

There you have it!  It feels good to get this out there and to be more accountable to my resolutions.  Thank you in advance for your support.

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I can’t believe it is September already, not only is it September but we are half-way through September!!

Anyway, I am back and I have lots to share over the next several days so keep posted.

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