I need your help with Movie Illustrations.

I'm speaking at a Senior High Camp in a couple weeks. I'm looking for DVD illustrations - illustrations from movies.

I'd love any recommendations you have. Here are some topics.

Forgiveness
Love
Humility

Or maybe you know an amazing story about one of those topics.

Fun Typing Game

I learned to type on a real typewriter - with Jan Erickson - room #3 at UBAC. No girls were in the class. The first day she told us to make sure we threw the carriage return hard enough. Before the day was over, she told us to take it easy on it - cause we were having way too much fun throwing it hard. I loved typing and did well. Computers have allowed my fingers to become lazy - too lazy.

I was looking for a spam filter - and I always go to Kim Komando's web site to find such stuff - cause she does the research to figure out what is best. While there, I thought I'd look at some of the other stuff she has - and I came across a typing game. Basically - you choose to race - others join the race, and then you go - typing whatever paragraph is put up in front of you. Little cars are shown by each person's name - so you can see your place in the race as you type. I don't know why, but it's fun. You have to do one word at a time - I mean - if you are typing fast and mess up one word but keep typing - you have to go back and fix that one word and then go to the next word - you can't just jump up to where you were. Anyway - it's fun - and if you want to waste some time and enjoy typing - check it out.

http://play.typeracer.com/

FYI - my best words per minute so far is 106. I usually get 70-85. That includes the time it takes to fix mistakes. The fastest I've seen is 137ish. I type that fast, but I make mistakes - which is a killer.

Life Update...

Summer is officially just started, buy my summer has been screaming by for weeks now - and the relaxing part of summer is still far away.

We just returned from our annual summers missions trip to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. We stay in Wood in the Native American Community Building (a gym with a kitchen and bathrooms) - population 70. We love on kids all day long and do a Kids' Club. We also try to develop relationships with anyone we can in town. We saw God work in a variety of ways - in our lives, in the children's lives, and in the lives of people in the community. I'll share more on this in a later post.

We've already been to one wedding (cousin - Etienne) - in Dixon, IL. I am doing 2 weddings on back to back weekends for students who graduated from our youth group here. I'm missing out on some weddings of friends and former youth back in Michigan.

I am speaking at Senior High Camp at Hidden Acres this summer (6 sessions). I have preached twice and will be preaching again in one week.

My kids are amazing. They are well behaved, a joy, and incredibly cute. There are new stories nearly every day. Benjamin joined us on our missions trip - and that was great. My wife is amazing - she just keeps going and going - with so much to do.

I should mention we've had a little water in our basement - seeping through the walls - but we don't have padding under the carpet and only some of the carpet got wet - so we just lifted it up and aired it out - now we are trying to put our basement back together.

We are looking forward to 2 family vacations. First - Branson - with a family from Church. Second - near the Wisconsin Dells. Both vacations were found/booked through VRBO.com (vacation rental by owner). Unless you have tons of money to throw around, a vacation of 3 days or more should be booked through them (assuming they have a location where you are going). The price is about the same, sometimes less, than a hotel, and you end up with a beautiful house or condo or cabin. You gotta check it out (we've used them many times and have had many friends start using them - and everyone has loved it).

God continues to provide for us in wonderful ways. He gets the Glory!!!

What are the dangers of using DVD curriculum?

We are blessed in this country with an abundance of great Bible resources. I have been blessed by many of them. Our church uses DVD curriculum for adult Sunday School and Home Bible Fellowships quite a bit.

I've had this growing sense in me that we should be very careful to limit our use of DVD teaching (and similar) .

What are the dangers in the local body of regularly using a DVD curriculum or lesson? I really am hoping for some great answers.

My Cute Kids

On Saturday there was a District Track meet in Eagle Grove. I said to my kids in an excited voice - "Do you want to go to a track meet?"

Elise responded - "I love track meets!"

I replied - "What is a track meet?"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders - having no clue at all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
We went and had fun. Jonathan loved lying down in the mud/grass and also sitting in it and scootching his behind across it. Go Eagles!!

Is God Humble?

Is God humble? I ran across such an idea lately. I'd love to hear what you think (I'll put my short response to it up sometime soon).

What happened to dreams?

I was reading a note a local student did on facebook - one of those that asks all sorts of questions. This student is one that came to youth group for a short time. As I was reading through the note, the question was asked - "Do you want to get married some day." The answer - "No. I don't want to do that."

I suppose that isn't earth shattering news, but I do remember when I asked students 10 years ago - do you think anyone goes into marriage thinking they'll get divorced - everyone thought that was a bit silly. I think things have changed. It's a sad world where the hope of a committed, loving, relationship with a spouse is not even a dream.

This student comes from a broken home - and a rough home - which doesn't surprise anyone. Things have changed. I try to imagine what kind of relationship this student hopes for or dreams for? And where do kids fit in? What about love? What about trust?

Our society, especially on the younger end, is increasingly unable to live relationally. For all our technological relational helps (texting, cell phones, facebook, email, blogs), I think we are losing the ability to really live relationally. None of the above mentioned things can take the place of a real conversation, face to face. And certainly, in real relationships, you can't just hang up or log off when it gets tough.

I'm not suggesting technology is ruining us. Clearly a huge part of our problem goes back to the break down of the family (and where is the Church in all this?). But I do think our technology is hurting us relationally - at least for deeper relationships.

I haven't thought this through well. I'm just dumping my heart out on here. My heart breaks for this young person.

I was wrong... Ephesians 4 Outline

I was wrong in my Ephesians 4 outline. PJ (Pastor John) hooked me up with some Greek help. The following is the basic (it is not going to tab it over as it should - so you'll have to figure that out yourself). The NIV flow of thought and the NAS fooled me a bit. Hopefully this makes some sense. Again, I haven't totally figured out the wording correctly. Of course, now I have to understand the passage, get a preaching outline, and write the sermon. Hope my wife loves me as I ignore her a bit and work on it.

I. Walk in a Manner worthy of your calling

A. Humility and Gentleness

B. Patience (forbearing.. love)

II. Results in an eagerness to Maintain the Unity of Spirit

A. Unity explained more

1. One Spirit

2. One Lord

3. One Father

B. The Spirit gave many gifts which lead to unity

1. Spiritual gifts are given by Jesus and because of grace

2. Jesus has earned the right to give the gifts

3. Spiritual Gifts are given to prepare believers for works of service

4. Spirit gave variety (not just one) of gifts

5. Gifts are for equipping the saints

C. Results of being unified by using the gifts of the Spirit

1. No longer children

2. We will grow up in Christ

Pray for me

Please pray for me.
I am going to our District's Youth Pastor Mentoring Retreat today.
Tomorrow my dad is having prostate cancer surgery.
Wednesday we are going a concert of prayer - at youth group - with the whole Church.
Sunday - I'm preaching and leading worship at the new church plant in Webster City (and I'll be doing that the following week).
Pray for my wife - she has our kids and more to deal with (and she is amazing).

Thanks.

Ephesians 4 - more thoughts...

Every commentator will tell you that chatpers 1-3 are theology and chapters 4-6 are the practical side of that. In chapters 4-6, the word "walk" keeps occuring - marking off sections, I believe. 4:1; 4:17; 5:1; 5:8; 5:15; Then note that in chapter 6:10-11 - we have the word "Finally" - and then the word "stand firm" - which definitely is another physical body word.

I say all that because I think it points to 4:1-16 being it's own section - and if it is, I think the one command - "To walk in a manner worthy of our calling" is the main idea. I guess I'm saying I like my outline more and more. I'm so frustrated because I can't find an outline like mine - but I don't think I'm crazy. I'm either on to something or on something.