Is this how Jesus walked on water?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ
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Mental/Emotional Life
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’sand 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 
Happy Mother's Day
It’s Mother’s Day! I think that it is great to take some time for those who are mothers and those women who play an important part in children’s lives.
I especially would like to honor my wife……
She is an amazing mother and wife. She keeps our family going. She is understanding about the demands of my job and she keeps our home in order. I don’t know what I would do without her in my life.
There are some people who are born to be mothers and wives, I think my wife is one of those people. She loves children and she is constantly looking to improve herself as a mother and as a person.
With the business of life I sometimes forget to tell her how much I love her and how much I appreciate her…..so I want to say that I love you my wife and my love. I can’t thank you enough for all that you so for me and for our children.
I cannot let Mother’s Day pass without the acknowledgement of my mother. I have wonderful, loving parents who have always been there for me throughout my whole life, especially my mother. She was there for me as a child, she supported me throughout my schooling, and always encouraged me. I have had pretty crazy ideas in my life and my mother was there through it all supporting me, encouraging me and loving me. She always gives her advice but is supportive of me even if we go in a different direction. Thanks Mom! I love you!
Mother’s Day is Not for Everyone
However, as much as I love my wife and my mother, Mother’s Day is not happy and positive for everyone. With the celebration of Mother’s Day there is also those who are unable to celebrate this day. Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day) is a day of pain for some people. It is painful for those who have lost mother’s (especially recently), it is painful who have lost important women figures in their life, and it is painful for those who try to have children but are unable too.
There were more than a few tears shed in worship this morning and I can only attribute that too the heartbreak of those who are saddened by this day.
Here are two links that I found today. The first on is about why the author does not like mother’s day. The other link is to an article about why the author loves and mother’s day.
If you love mother’s day or you would rather hide out, I hope you have enjoyed your day and if there is an important mothering figure in your life, you have taken the time to honor them.
Taking Risks
When I worked at Camp Calumet, I would host youth weekends. About 5-6 small youth groups would come to the camp to participate in Calumet run youth weekend. I, as the retreat host would use Friday night and Saturday morning as an opportunity for group building….I would plan activities that enabled the kids to feel comfortable with one another, to strengthen their current relationships in their groups and establish new relationships with the other churches.
On Saturday morning I would take a big piece of chalk and draw a line on the floor. I challenged the kids to cross that line and take a risk. I would say “you are one of 80 teenagers at this retreat, you might know 10 others, I challenge you this morning to take a risk, cross this line and meet someone you don’t know.” You know what? Almost everyone of the kids did cross the line, they took a risk and it worked out well for them.
So my question for you today is…..Do you consider yourself a risk-taker?
In one of his books, Leo Buscaglia wrote that,”To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, to weep is to risk appearing too sentimental, to reach out for another is to risk involvement, and to expose feelings is to risk exposing one’s true self. To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss, to love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk despair, to try is to risk failure. But all risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”
So much in our life is based on risk. I know that I have opted out of certain opportunities in my life because I did not want to take the risk of hurt, failure, embarrassment or despair. But I have also taken risks and I have been successful, happy and satisfied.
I also agree with Leo Buscaglia. If, out of our fears, we refuse to risk, we also forfeit our freedom because only a person who risks is truly free. And, only a person who risks can grow, because all personal growth involves risk.
Where in your personal life are you drawing lines? How can you cross them and take a risk?
This week, take a risk…..see what happens……
Staying Sane in the Midst of Insanity
A colleague asked me the other day. ”How do you stay sane in the midst of insanity?” It seems our lives are filled with insanity and if we are not careful it is easy to get caught up in it! A quick google search of the “phrase sane in the midst of insanity” revealed that there are a number of people searching for some kind of relief from the insanity in their lives. I read posts from parent support groups to alcoholism support groups to the regular office worker trying to get by in his 9-5 job.
According to dictionary.com insanity means: ”the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.” Now, I think this definition could encompass many people suffering from many conditions. So what is your “trigger point?” What causes you to become insane or “crazy?” I often to think of Homer Simpson when I think about someone going “crazy”
But then again there are lots of ways one can “go crazy” and more often than not we do not act like Homer and Simpson.
But when we feel like we are going “crazy” or start to become “insane” with trying to keep up with all the “stuff” in our lives we need help — Then I begin to ask myself, where does my help come from? Sure I have lots of support in my life. I have my friends, my family and the community of the church that is there when I need them. But for me it is more than that, my help also comes from the Holy Spirit which gives me power and courage to meet my daily challenges.
The Holy Spirit is there for you too, to help you face the challenges within your struggling marriage right now. …To face the challenges with your kids who may be driving you insane right now. … To face the challenges with your mother’s aging, your father’s aging……with their death. …To face the challenges with your aging and with your death. …
We watch as innocent lives are being taken around the world in war. I weep at the injustice that so many people in our wold experience. I see the strength of men and women who have hardships in their lives and yet they still move on and they not only survive but they thrive. The only explanation that I have is that when the Spirit is inside of you and the people around you, there is power, spiritual power and spiritual gentleness.
That spirit comes to us in our baptism. Jesus was baptized not to get rid of his sins, but in order to carry our sins on the cross. I don’t have to carry my past sins with me, my failures, my imperfections, or my guilt. All the sins that I have done wrong and all the things that I haven’t done right are placed on his back, on his cross. Jesus is the one who carries the weight of sin. His baptism tells us he carries our sins the sins of the world.
I once read a story about a preacher who felt he was a gifted orator and had memorized Kipling’s poem, ‘If” for a high school thespian contest. The pastor recited the poem with great gusto. He still remembered the poem and wanted to share it with his congregation.
“If you men can keep your heads when all about you, are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, and make allowances for their doubting too.
If you men can wait and not be tired of waiting. …Or being lied about, not deal in lies….
Or being hated and not give way to hating. Yet don’t look too good nor talk too wise. …
If you men can dream and not make dreams your master….If you can think but not make thoughts your aim. …
If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and meet those two imposters just the same. …
If you men can fulfill the unforgiving minute, with sixty seconds left of distant run.
Yours is the earth and everything in it. And what is more, you will be a man, my son.”
As the pastor recited this poem, the “thespian” in him choked with emotion. He was on the edge of tears and filled with deep feelings. There was a long silent pause. During that pause and silence, a voice from the back of the room piped up, “What if you can’t?”
We can ask ourselves that — no matter what is said or done, “What if you can’t?” What if you can’t master your dreams? What if you can’t meet triumph and disaster just the same? What if you lose your head when everybody else around you is keeping theirs? What if you can’t trust yourself? What if you can’t wait? What if you are tired of waiting? What if you are a lousy parent? What if you are a failure in marriage? What then? …
Then you hear the words that you have been baptized, and that all of your burdens and imperfections and disappointments have been loaded onto the back of Christ, that everything is put on the shoulders of the one who carries the cross on our behalf.
In your baptism, you hear the words that Jesus Christ carries the sins of the whole world. It is Jesus Christ who helps us stay sane in the midst of insanity. Because I know if I did not have Jesus in my life, things would be harder, life would be more difficult and I very well might not make it from day to day.
So how do I stay sane in the midst of insanity? I rely on the one who carried my sins to the cross – Jesus Christ.
Confirmation Ministry
Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a two or three-year process where seventh, eight and/or ninth graders spend time in conversation about their beliefs of the Old Testament, New Testament and Luther’s Small Catechism.
Confirmation has become the “rite of passage” for Lutheran fourteen year-olds. For many is is the most important moment of their young faith life with the emphasis placed on their confirmation vow. However, at this peak of their faith life many junior high youth consider confirmation their “graduation” from church and many newly confirmed members drift away soon after their vows because they believed they had “completed” their instruction. As a result, Lutheran churches most recently have been trying new and varied approaches to better teach children about Jesus.
In the Confirmation Ministry Task Force Report of the ELCA, Confirmation is defined at
Confirmation ministry is a pastoral and education ministry of the church that helps the baptized through Word and Sacrament to identify more deeply with the Christian community and participate more fully in its mission.
With this in mind the church on 370 had evaluated and reevaluated our confirmation ministry program. We first started our discussion about Confirmation Ministry with scripture we see confirmation as “equipping the saints for the works of ministry…” (Ephesians 4:11) We invite families to engage in a two-year program that enables youth to grow in faith, to ask probing questions and to become active members in the life of the church. In addition to addressing the question of content, “What do we (I) believe?”, we also seek to answer such questions as “What do Christians do?”, “How do Christians live?”, “What does it mean to be called a Christian?”, and “What difference does Jesus Christ make in my (our) life?”
There are five major components in our confirmation ministry
1. The Crucial Role of Parents
Because parents are learning partners with their children, and play a critical role in their child’s faith journey, we therefore:
- Strongly encourage each parent to participate in the faith life of the church
- Encourage parents to discuss daily high’s and low’s with their children
- Invite parents to pray at mealtime and bedtime with their children
- Seek their participation in learner sheets given to the confirmands during the year which are designed for parents and confirmands
- Request that parents attend a mid-year evaluation with their child’s guides
- Ask parents to oversee completion of a sermon outlines each week
- Expect parents to insure that their children arrive on time and prepared for classes with their Bible, folder, small Catechism and pen.
The rest of the confirmation requirements are for the confirmands themselves
2. Worship
- Regularly attend worship
- Complete sermon outlines as they worship
- Involvement in the worship leadership of the church (usher, lector, acolyte, choir member, altar guild)
- Visit different faith communities with the class during the year
3. Devoted to Learning
- Attend Confirmation Preparation time with Pastor (9th grade)
- Participation in confirmation camp during the summer following 7th or 8th grade.
- Study of Luther’s Small Catechism
- Study of key Biblical themes, books and verses, including the following work due on May 1st of each year:
- 7th Grade: Outline the Gospel of Luke (Chapters 1-9)
- 8th Grade: Outline the Gospel of Luke (Chapters 10-24)
- 9th Grade: Develop personal faith project
4. Fellowship
Events will be planned to help assimilate confirmands into the life of the congregation. These will include such elements as lock-ins, key congregational events, and getting to know other youth through fun, fellowship, and food. The Christian community plays an important role in the formation of its members. For this reason we seek to involve peers, parents, mentors, and guides, as well as the pastor, in the process of confirmation.
4. Mission
Jesus invited his followers to respond to the needs of others in a way that modeled his own behavior. As He said in the Gospel, “In as much as you have done it to the least of these, so you have done it to me.” One basic element of Christian life is that of servanthood. We have been called to mission. Each year we participate in servant events that are designed to help us learn about Christian mission and to participate in that ministry. These events will allow our confirmands to meet people active in Christian mission and support their outreach endeavors with hands-on experience.
- Participate in a minimum of four of the following eight annual servant events: CROP Walk, Volleyball Marathon, Bowl-a-Thon, Vanderkamp Clean-up, Community Dinner, Block Party, Youth Garage Sale, or one that you propose
- Develop a “Pay it forward” activity with members of their 9th grade confirmation class in conjunction with the Pastor.
As far as curriculum we are using Augsburg Fortress Here We Stand curriculum. I have used it for the past three years and really enjoy how well it is laid out and how flexible it is to use.
Since we use three years of material and only have two years of program we have established a “pre-confimation” program. I have been really excited about this program. We have a large number of 5th and 6th graders who are eager to learn about the Bible and learn about their faith in God. So we are using the 5th and 6th grade years to introduce the Old Testament to the group, to have opportunities to learn about the lighter side of church and to have opportunities to ask questions. So far this has been very successful.
As we move forward in our confirmation ministry at the church on 370 we hope to create disciples, to build relationships in and among the group and to enable the youth to see their confirmation not as the end of their time in church but the beginning.
Twitter Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
Do you pray? I have to admit I don’t always have the best prayer life. Everyday things seem to get in the way of my devotional time. Something may come up and I push off my devotional reading and time I spend with God.
So I sat down the other day to think about my prayer life and things that I could do to improve my prayer life. God lead me to the above verses in 1 Thessalonians….In this letter Paul is telling the Thessalonians (and us) what the will of God is, and that is to pray without ceasing. So how do we do that? This does not mean that we need to be talking with God 24/7 – but what we can do is to thank God for all the little things that happen in our daily life.
For example, if we get up in the morning, we can say “thank you God for another day” – if we are not feeling well we can pray for help “Oh God, help me through the day” If someone cuts us off while we are diving to work, the store, or to school we can pray “God please protect them as they drive today and give them what they need to be a safe driver.” These are short prayers to God that can happen a number of times throughout the day. These are Twitter prayers!!!
For those who might not know Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers.
So our prayers could be like tweets to God – short, to the point and we can say a number of things: “Here I am send me” – “You are the potter, I am the clay” – “The Lord is my Shepherd” – Most of these prayers can be said in one breath and said over and over again. They can be there to help us with whatever we are going through – to focus our life and our energy on the one who created us and who loves us. Hopefully God then will tweet back.
Teen Advice – Confidence
From time to time I would like to have some reflections for teenagers, reflections about life, relationships, or spirituality. Here is my first installment.
Confidence
Confidence might be a scary word for many people. One definition used for the word confidence is “belief in your abilities.” Too many times you may put yourself down because of how you look or what you might think people are saying about you. But you do not have to live that way.
You are an unique individual, you have special gifts and talents that have given to you and you have opportunities to use them. Unfortunately the gifts and talents that you have been given might not always be noticeable right away, they may take months or years to develop. Most of the time you want to know what those gifts are now!
You see the school nerd who might not be popular but seems to be happy reading a book and getting straight A’s, or the three sport athletes who seem to have it all and you want to be like them. But most of the time you may find yourself unable to get straight A’s, or run without falling. Then where to you turn?
There are many people are in the same situation as you are. Where do you to turn when you feel like you have been rejected? What group will you fit into when you feel like you do not have anything in common with anyone? There are things that you can do to feel like you fit in with a group no matter who they are.
Believe in yourself.
This might sound simple but it is probably the hardest thing to do. You are special and you are put on the earth for a reason. If you believe in yourself you will show the confidence that is deep inside of you wanting to come out. Then there will be more and more people that will want to be around you more. There will be more and more people looking to you for advice because you will have something that they will want to have.
Body Language
Ninety percent of how someone judges you is based on your body language. For example, if you are sitting slouched in your seat with your arms crossed and a frown on your face someone might think that you do not want to talk with them, that you have an “attitude,” and you are likely to get a negative response. However if you sit up straight, have a smile on your face and look in someone in the eyes when they talk with you then you are more likely to get a happy, positive response.
Take risks
It might be hard but throughout your life you will have to take risks. So you might as well start taking risks now while you are young. If you see that girl or guy you like, ask them out. If there is a sport that you want to try out for but were scared to do so – try out. Sure you will fail every now and again but the more you take risks now, the easier it will be for you as you get older. Then when you are going for that big job interview where you will be making lots of money, the interview will not be so scary.
Do what you love to do
Sometimes you might feel more pressure from your parents and teachers than from your peers. All parents (weather they admit it or not) have an idea of what they want their child to be. Parents want you to be happy, but they also want you to be the best at anything you put your mind too. If you like to play sports, play sports, if you like to draw and paint, then draw and paint, if you like too hang with your friends and play video games, then do that. But whatever you do, love it – you do not have to be the best to feel like the best.
Surround yourself with good people
One of the greatest things that you can do to become more self-confident is to surround yourself with good people. By good people I mean people who love you and care for you. These can be friends or family members. These are the people who will look out for you to make sure that you are believing in yourself, showing off good body language, taking risks and doing what you love to do.
All of this is going to take time to accomplish. Don’t try too much too fast. There is no magic pill for you to be confident in yourself. All you can do is have an image of the person that you want to be and try everyday in becoming that person. The only way that you will eventually become that person is to know yourself, be yourself and love yourself.
Summer Wrap-Up
If it wasn’t for the Blog-off that I participated in earlier this summer, there is a high possiblity that I would not of touched my blog all summer. I really got out of the routine of blogging and twittering over the summer (except at the national youth gathering). I must say that I have missed posting and I do have a number of posts started but not complete.
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.
Triathlon
I have been working hard recently at getting myself in shape. I have written about the successes and failures over the years on this blog. Most recently with the support of my Biggest Loser group I have been pretty successful at losing weight. I wanted that energy and momentum to continue over the summer. My decision……to participate in a triathlon.
I know that this might not be the first option for anyone who weighs over 300 pounds but it has been enough motivation for me to exercise and stay active.
Now I am not totally crazy. I want to start small with a sprint triathlon which is about an 800-yard swim, 14-mile bike, 3.0-mile run. Exercise combined with my Chinch drinks (a new batch came yesterday!) I am continuing with the weight loss and getting ready for my triathlon
The first triathlon that I looked at was the Finger Lakes Triathlon. I picked that because it was happening in mid-September so I thought that would give me enough time to get myself ready……to at least finish the race.
Well, I went online yesterday after I finished a 10 mile bike ride to register for the event but I found out that the event is closed!!! I was disappointed to say the least.
So I went online to look for more triathlons to participate in and the only other one in the area is Labor Day weekend!!! It is called the Skinnyman (I hope they let me in) and it is a sprint triathlon. This scares me because it is 16 days sooner so that is 16 days that I will me missing out on training. I just hope and pray that I am ready!!
Since it is happening labor day weekend I would love to make a party out of it and hopefully get some support for the event. Keep posted on the details!
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