I didn't want to go to church yesterday. Yet I left church renewed and refreshed wanting more. Service was definitly not what I expected. Not sure if any one else experience what I did. I felt like I saw the Kingdom creeping in on us.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Sports
This whole having a kid thing has changed the way I think about a whole lot of things. Tonight I went to a Mount Vernon basketball game and watched them lose by a point. There were a couple of bad calls (I guess that is only my opinion) towards the end of the game and when I saw the refs leaving the court after the game I wished I was closer to them so I could tell them they sucked. I haven’t felt those kind of emotions in me in a long time and I wish I hadn’t felt them tonight. It was stupid; I wanted to tear down and humiliate another human being because I thought he made a couple of incorrect calls in a high school basketball game? Personally I don’t care if I ever go to another sports game again. It just brings the worst parts of me out.
Oh yeah, back to the kid thing. Chances are Lucy and any other kids we have will play sports of some kind. I can only imagine how bad my attitude would have been tonight if my kid was on the team. Actually I did talk to a Father of a kid on the team and he seemed a bit worse off than me. Why do we care so much about sports? How can I teach my kids not to care even if they do play? Luckily, Mandy and I have a few years to figure that stuff out.
Organized sports are stupid, nothing more than one person trying to dominate another to show that they are somehow better than another. Well, at least that is the way they are played right now in the world I see.
Oh yeah, back to the kid thing. Chances are Lucy and any other kids we have will play sports of some kind. I can only imagine how bad my attitude would have been tonight if my kid was on the team. Actually I did talk to a Father of a kid on the team and he seemed a bit worse off than me. Why do we care so much about sports? How can I teach my kids not to care even if they do play? Luckily, Mandy and I have a few years to figure that stuff out.
Organized sports are stupid, nothing more than one person trying to dominate another to show that they are somehow better than another. Well, at least that is the way they are played right now in the world I see.
Friday, January 28, 2005
sermon writing
Why is it so stinking hard? I feel like I'm trying to birth a baby. It's always fun when the idea gets planted, and once you realize where your going with it you get excited. But over time you get bloated and you swell up and wonder how is this baby gonna fit through that hole. The actual writing of it is like labor to me, so painfull! But actually giving the sermon is sorta like when you get to hold the baby, but the true joy comes in watching it grow to maturity as people leave to live it out.
I'm in the midst of a painfull labor write now.
I'm in the midst of a painfull labor write now.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
May I be the first to introduce you to...
...Lucy Kay. The nurse seemed pretty sure that she is a girl today. I guess I better get the guns out. You keep your boys away from her Stetler!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Narnia
Just had a discussion with a friend about Narnia. We thought it would be a wonderfull idea to have a Narnia book club. We would gather once a week and talk about one of the books. It would take us seven weeks for us to get through all of the books. I'm thinking we could possibly pull it off in July and August of this year. My mouth is watering, anybody interested?
"Safe? Of course he is not safe, but he is good."
"Safe? Of course he is not safe, but he is good."
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Thought on parenthood
Since in about 21 weeks I'll be a dad, thoughts on parenthood in books that I read jump out at me. I liked this one from A Work of Heart by Reggie McNeil:
"Common wisdom maintains that children are given to parents so parents can instruct them. The truth is, God gives children to parents to teach the parents some things. Things like patience, and discipline, and self-sacrafice, and responsibility, and mercy, and hope. Also exquisite joy and celebration, and the meaning of legacy, and a glimpse of eternity."
"Common wisdom maintains that children are given to parents so parents can instruct them. The truth is, God gives children to parents to teach the parents some things. Things like patience, and discipline, and self-sacrafice, and responsibility, and mercy, and hope. Also exquisite joy and celebration, and the meaning of legacy, and a glimpse of eternity."
snow shovels
I was getting out of the shower this morning and I heard someone knocking on the door so I threw some clothes on real quick. I saw it was a couple of kids from the neighborhood who had snow shovels in hand. I thought to myself that all I had was a bunch of quarters and I hope they'll take that. I opened the door and the two kids, whom I know pretty well, asked if they could shovel my sidewalk for free. I said, "No, I can pay you." But they said that they wanted to do it for free, so I let them.
I then walked inside and almost started to cry. These kids weren't youth group kids doing a community service project, they were two kids who wanted to do something nice for me and Mandy. I remember having a conversation about a year ago with one of the kids teacher. I asked her if she knew this kid and she shivered and basically said how rotten this kid was. I was glad I got to see how good he is this morning.
I feel like I get to see glimpses of the Kingdom every once in a while, and I feel like this morning was one of them. I think maybe he has seen the Kingdom in the life of our church, even though he isn't really a part of our church, and he likes it and maybe he is trying to imitate life in the Kingdom. I think it is time he meets the King. Pray for Marcus.
I then walked inside and almost started to cry. These kids weren't youth group kids doing a community service project, they were two kids who wanted to do something nice for me and Mandy. I remember having a conversation about a year ago with one of the kids teacher. I asked her if she knew this kid and she shivered and basically said how rotten this kid was. I was glad I got to see how good he is this morning.
I feel like I get to see glimpses of the Kingdom every once in a while, and I feel like this morning was one of them. I think maybe he has seen the Kingdom in the life of our church, even though he isn't really a part of our church, and he likes it and maybe he is trying to imitate life in the Kingdom. I think it is time he meets the King. Pray for Marcus.
Monday, January 17, 2005
MY MOM
The year is still young, but I think I pulled into the lead for worst son of the year award. Last Friday (1/14) was my moms birthday and I completely forgot all about it. And it wasn't just any birthday for her, it was her 60th b-day (I hope I don't get into more trouble for sharing her age on the internet).
Mom,
I just want to let you know that I think you are the best mom anyone could ever ask for. You have meant so much to me throughout my life and you have never failed to be there for me when I needed you. You even put up with me during those times when I was trying to figure who I was and what I really believed. You gave me space to grow, but also the comfort of knowing if I ever fell you would be there to help me get back up again.
What is really cool about you is that you are not the same mom you were when I was a kid. I've gotten to watch you grow throughout my life. You were 32 when I was born and most people are pretty much set in their ways by that age and maybe you were for all I know now. But God got ahold of you in some pretty powerful ways over these last 28 years and I've seen you let Him change you. That has been a powerful lesson to me as I try to always be open to a new work of God in my life.
Knowing that I am going to be a dad here in about five months leads me to pray that Mandy and I can be as good as parents as you and dad were for me and sis. You two are a powerful example for us. You guys weren't always perfect, but you admitted when you were wrong and always tried to be better, which wasn't always the case in my trying to be a good son. I look forward to our children (well one for now anyway) being able to learn from you and dad what I have learned over my life.
I'm exited knowing that our child will get to continue to watch you grow as they grow up. You have a faith that is so active and God uses that to continally make you new. St. Paul talks about people following him as He follows Christ. I want you to know that I follow you as you follow Christ. I am who I am today in such a great measure because of you and your faithfullness in following Christ.
I love you mom and I always will. Thanks for being my mom!
your favorite son,
kevin (b-bub)
Mom,
I just want to let you know that I think you are the best mom anyone could ever ask for. You have meant so much to me throughout my life and you have never failed to be there for me when I needed you. You even put up with me during those times when I was trying to figure who I was and what I really believed. You gave me space to grow, but also the comfort of knowing if I ever fell you would be there to help me get back up again.
What is really cool about you is that you are not the same mom you were when I was a kid. I've gotten to watch you grow throughout my life. You were 32 when I was born and most people are pretty much set in their ways by that age and maybe you were for all I know now. But God got ahold of you in some pretty powerful ways over these last 28 years and I've seen you let Him change you. That has been a powerful lesson to me as I try to always be open to a new work of God in my life.
Knowing that I am going to be a dad here in about five months leads me to pray that Mandy and I can be as good as parents as you and dad were for me and sis. You two are a powerful example for us. You guys weren't always perfect, but you admitted when you were wrong and always tried to be better, which wasn't always the case in my trying to be a good son. I look forward to our children (well one for now anyway) being able to learn from you and dad what I have learned over my life.
I'm exited knowing that our child will get to continue to watch you grow as they grow up. You have a faith that is so active and God uses that to continally make you new. St. Paul talks about people following him as He follows Christ. I want you to know that I follow you as you follow Christ. I am who I am today in such a great measure because of you and your faithfullness in following Christ.
I love you mom and I always will. Thanks for being my mom!
your favorite son,
kevin (b-bub)
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Walmart
My new year's resolution for this year is to not shop at Walmart this year. I hope I'm not relying on false info about how the company does things, but at the least they don't seem the best for our country. So I decided to put my wallet where my mouth is at for at least the next year. Though I still have to go there and exchange something from the holidays.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Holy Clothes
My friends from college, and a few sense, have always made fun of me cause of all the holes that are in my clothes. Usually just in my socks or in the armpits of my t-shirts, though occasionally elsewhere. I liked to joke that my clothes were holy. Well this weekend I had a small jar of annointing oil in my pants that I forgot to take out of them before Mandy did the wash. We found the jar in dryer and it was empty. All the clothes smelled like the oil, and a few had some oil stains. But on the bright side, my stupid jokes now have a new meaning to them.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
My first B
Yep, I got my first "B" in a seminary class this last quarter. I hope I don't sound boastfull in saying that. It shouldn't bother me cause grades aren't important, learning is, especially when I don't see any more school in the future for me. I just like having a high GPA for ego purposes, I've got to get over that, so in some ways I'm happy I got a B. For the record I've gotten plenty of A-'s at seminary, so I haven't been a perfect 4.0 student all along.
But just after my ego got crushed by getting a "B" one of my favorite proffesors came and asked me to be a teaching assistant for him in one of his classes he is teaching this quarter. So my head got filled with more air. I don't have time to do it, but just the fact that he asked made me feel good about myself. So, if you know me or live close by me come over and say mean things to me so my head will deflate a little.
But just after my ego got crushed by getting a "B" one of my favorite proffesors came and asked me to be a teaching assistant for him in one of his classes he is teaching this quarter. So my head got filled with more air. I don't have time to do it, but just the fact that he asked made me feel good about myself. So, if you know me or live close by me come over and say mean things to me so my head will deflate a little.
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