Character Counts

1998 was a magical year for Mark McGwire. He was engaged throughout the summer in an epic home run battle with Sammy Sosa that commanded the attention of the entire nation. He ended up hitting 70 home runs, demolishing the old record of 61 set by Roger Marris. By the end of the '98 season McGwire was anointed as the new Home Run King.

What a difference eight years makes. Today Mark McGwire has been reduced to a mere mortal. His career achievements have been overshadowed by allegations of steroid and growth hormone use. His character was put to the test and came up empty.

McGwire's reputation plummeted following allegations by former teammate Jose Canseco, who claimed in a 2005 book and subsequent interviews that he and Mark McGwire used steroids together while playing on the A's. And then came McGwire's testimony to a congressional committee on March 17, 2005, when he repeatedly avoided questions regarding steroid use, saying time after time: "I'm not here to talk about the past."

And for the past 1 1/2 years we almost forgot about Mark McGwire. But his character has once again taken center stage as people begin to debate his candidacy for the Baseball Hall of Fame. McGwire, who hit 583 career home runs, headlines the ballot released Monday along with Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Ballots were mailed to voters this week and must be postmarked by December 31. Results will be announced January 9, and inductions will take place July 29.

McGwire's baseball credentials and achievements are "hall of fame like." But then there is that sticky character issue. The ballot says a player's record of achievement, contribution to the team, the game, their character, longevity and sportsmanship should be considered. So where does that put McGwire?

The Associated Press surveyed about 20 percent of eligible Hall of Fame voters, and only one in four who gave an opinion plan to vote for McGwire this year. That's far short of the 75 percent necessary to gain induction. It seems that in spite of McGwire's insistence to not talk about the past, the majority of sports writers are still trying to come to grips with it.

Which brings us back to character. Like it or not, a baseball players past achievements and character are considered when voting for the Hall of Fame. For the next several weeks Mark McGwire's statistics, achievements and character will be reviewed, evaluated and discussed. Mark can deny his past, but he can't run from it. For better or worse, Mark McGwire is discovering that in the game of baseball, just like the game of life, character counts.

Watch What Your Kids Watch

Senator Joe Lieberman joined the National Institute on Media and the Family's founder David Walsh today in presenting the organization’s 11th Annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card. Lieberman has been a staunch foe of violence in video games. In 1993, he headed Senate hearings about violent games that led to the establishment of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. And late last year he co-sponsored the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which would make it a crime to sell violent video games to minors.

While public policy can be helpful, nothing can substitute for a caring and involved parent. Apparently Senator Lieberman agrees. "Pay attention to the games your kids, our kids, are playing," said Senator Joe Lieberman. "It's really time to focus on the parents and urge parents to pay attention."

So what's all the fuss over a few video games. Aren't they just harmless entertainment? Over 1000 studies indicate otherwise.

• Almost half of all “heavy gamers,” are 6 to 17 years old
  
• Children who spend more time playing video games are heavier, and are more likely to be classified as overweight or obese. Furthermore, playing video games in the bedroom is an added risk factor for overweight and obesity.
  
• The amount of time kids spend playing video games is correlated with poorer grades in school and attention problems.
  
• Violent video game play increases aggression in young players in the short term. Additional studies show these effects last.

The American Psychological Association is also concerned and issued their own report in August 2005. You can read my previous blog post conerning their findings.

Kudos to Senator Lieberman and to all concerned parents who care enough to set limits and to get invovled in the lives of their children. It's 9:00 PM, do you know what your children are watching?

Small Is Good!

No Pagel Thanksgiving weekend would be complete without an excursion to the Hoffman Tree Farm. We made our annual trek to select the "perfect" tree on Friday during a small window of time when no one was working. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the selection and decoration of our tree. You can also click here to read about last years tree excursion!

Of course, no tree is "perfect." But each year we go on a quest to find just the "right" tree for our living room. Of course we never find the "perfect" tree, but that never stops us from trying! And this years quest brought us to a much smaller tree than we usually select. It's a wonderful tree in it's own right, just smaller. Of course the boys are always saying, "Let's get a bigger one." And Sharon and I are increasing saying, "No, let's get a smaller one."

This years tree measured in right at 6 feet. I think the real story is that we selected a smaller tree in honor of Erin, Jason's girl friend who was with us for a few days this past week. Erin has taught us that good things come in small packages. That the stature of a persons character isn't measured by their height. And that God in His creativity has designed a universe full of variety.

In fact God loves small things. He loves small beginnings, a small gate, small loaves and fish, faith as small as a mustard seed, and people who are faithful in small things. Americans love big things. We love big meals, big cars, big homes, big titles, and big events. In fact our national motto might well be, "Just biggy size it please!"

Which brings us back to our Christmas tree this year. It's rather small, but we love our tree. We selected it out of an entire nursery full of trees of every size and shape imaginable. And if we had to do it all over again, we would select this tree every time. For you see, we are learning that small is good!

A Great Way To Start The Day

Jason's girlfriend, Erin, is staying with us this weekend before she returns to Moody. Jason had to be at the Westdale Starbucks to open at 4:30 AM so we drove down to see him this morning and to get a cup of coffee. Erin and Josh aren't coffee drinkers but they enjoyed a peppermint mocha and carmel apple cider. You can click on the picture above to see some pictures from Starbucks.

We had a great time at Starbucks this morning. Unlike Jason, we all got to sleep in, then wandered in to Starbucks for coffee around 10:45 AM. It's a rough life! A good cup of coffee shared with family and friends! It was a great way to start the day!

Thankful

I have much to be thankful for today. Of course, as a follower of Christ, I'm thankful each day for the grace and mercy that he has extended to me. But today on Thanksgiving, I want to pause and thank God for His many blessing to me and my family.

I'm thankful for Sharon, God's special gift to me. I'm thankful for Ryan, Jason, Josh and Jon. And of course I'm thankful for Natalie, our new daughter-in-law. I'm thankful for my dad and for caring family. I'm thankful for our New Covenant church family. And I'm thankful for the many awesome family times we got to experience together this past year - from Jason's graduation from Moody, to trips to the state Track Meet and Baseball Tournament, to a family vacation to Chicago, to Ryan and Natalie's wedding. You can watch a short slide show of some of these events by clicking on the above picture. What an awesome year. What an awesome God!

But why limit giving thanks to just one day a year? Hebrews 13: 15-16 talks about continually offering a sacrifice of praise. And the passage goes on to describe what a thankful heart looks like. A lifestyle of thanksgiving involves doing good and sharing with others. Thankfulness begins in my inner world and demonstrates itself through how I live in my outer world.

Today is a day of thanksgiving. This afternoon we will gather with friends and family to celebrate God's abundant provision to us this past year. Today is a day to recognize God's goodness and grace. Today is a day to be thankful!

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:9,10, 15, 16

Do You Offer Insurance With Your Chicken Nuggets?

I overheard the most awesome conversation today while waiting for my order at Wendy's. A young father and his two year old son came in the door and walked up to the counter right next to me. The little boy was noticeably sad.

The Wendy's employee asked the dad if he would like to place an order. And the dad said, "Do you offer insurance with your chicken nuggets?" The employee at the counter responded, "Pardon me?" And the dad repeated his question the second time. The employee then said, "Could you please explain what you mean?" The dad then responded with the following story:

"We were on our way out to the car and our chicken nuggets jumped out of their box and ran away. Do you offer insurance?" The employee then said, "We sure do. We can fix you right up." At this the dad looked down to his son and said, "I told you that they wouldn't let a little boy go hungry!"

What an awesome response! What awesome customer service. That Wendy's employee saved the day for that little boy and created a memory that may last a lifetime. Good customer service rarely costs more money but it does require a little more time. It's placing yourself in the other persons shoes and asking yourself, "what's the right thing to do?"

Good customer service is always prepared to answer the most difficult of questions or problems - even "Do you offer insurance with your chicken nuggets?"

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:9-12

A New Family Tradition

We enjoyed a wonderful rehearsal dinner last Friday evening at Freddie Paul's Steakhouse in Stillwater. We had great food and a good time of interaction. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the dinner and some of our other activities the day before the wedding.

Each person at the rehearsal dinner had the opportunity to share a humorous story or memory of Ryan or Natalie. We enjoyed some good laughs and got to know both Ryan and Natalie better. At the end of the evening, the Pagel family began a new family tradition. Each of us gave Natalie a "welcome to the family" gift. Jon gave Natalie a Uno game - we taught Natalie Polish Uno when she came to Cedar Rapids to visit several months ago. Josh gave her a Hawkeye coffee mug - Josh is a Hawk fan and Natalie loves coffee. Jason gave Natalie a bag of Starbucks coffee - he works at Starbucks, enough said! Sharon gave Natalie some Dove chocolate and a pink Iowa stocking hat - something she will need when she comes to visit us in the winter. And I gave Natalie an Iowa State University key chain - I graduated from ISU, Natalie from OSU! In addition I gave her the little teddy bear that I went out and bought Ryan the day he was born. A guy can never have enough teddy bears!

We traveled to Stillwater last week to participate in a wedding. But more importantly, we welcomed our new daughter to our family. And in the process we began a new family tradition.

Just Married

Natalie and Ryan are now on their honeymoon and we are back in Iowa. It was a little hard getting back to work after a full weekend. You can see a slide show of the wedding by clicking on the picture above. Once the slide show begins you can click on each individual picture to see a short caption. You can also set the slide show speed to control how fast the pictures scroll through.

Congratulations Natalie and Ryan. May you know God's richest blessing as you together seek Him.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Pagel

Well, it happened! A wedding took place in Stillwater, Oklahoma today. I know I'm biased, but I have to say that I've never seen a more beautiful bride and groom. Natalie and Ryan looked radiant. The ceremoney took place at the Watkins Center located in the School of International Studies building on the Oklahoma State University campus.

Ginni Davis, Natalie's mother, transformed the banquet room into a space fit for a wedding using greenery, pillars, lights, a string quartet, fresh flowers, beautifully decorated tables, colorful sashes on each chair and delicious food. Ginni, you said that a good wedding needs plenty of greenry, sting music and good food! Kudos to you! You went above and beyond to create wonderful memories for everyone involved.

And special kudos goes to Danny Darnell, the Watkins Center staff person who assisted with the wedding and reception dinner. Danny is one of the most gifted, gracious and competitant servants that I have every met. He can do it all. He assisted with set up, Power Point and sound, served us food and drinks, helped cut and serve the cake, found a cuff link that Jason didn't even realize that he had lost, and effortlessly handled a host of other details. I told Danny that I wish I could pack him up and bring him back to Cedar Rapids with me! Thank you Danny for being our personal attendant today, looking after our every need.

As I sit in the lobby of the Fairfield Inn this evening typing this blog entry, I'm thankful for our family and friends who made the effort to be with us during this time of celebration - Milt and Ruth Nolting, Neil and Carol Middleton, Mark and Becky Flage, Steve and Sari Flage, Bob and DeLores Shuman, and Frank and Barb Stephen.

And of course I was the proudest person in the building today, with Jason, Josh and Jon all standing up with Ryan during the wedding. Each of them shared something during the ceremony about what Ryan meant to them. Wow! Does it get any better than this?

And in addition we gained a new daughter. Welcome to the Pagel family Natalie! You are awesome! And now, it's my privilege to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Pagel.

How Awesome Is That!

We leave tomorrow, actually later today, to travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma for Ryan and Natalie's wedding. There will be a rehearsal dinner on Friday evening and the wedding will take place on Saturday at 4:00 PM on the OSU campus. Jason, Josh and Jon are all making the 10 hour drive with us. We are especially trilled that four of Sharon's brothers and sisters and my aunt and uncle are making the trip to the wedding. Isn't family great! How awesome is that!

My oh my, where has the time gone. I prepared the power point slide show with a lot of pictures of Ryan and Natalie from early childhood. It seems like only yesterday. Everyone tells you to enjoy your children while they're young, that they grow up too fast.

I can honestly say that Sharon and I have enjoyed our children and family during every season of life. And even though the season we are now moving into is different than any that has preceded it, and even though we don't know if we are going to like the season ahead, we are determined to enjoy every minute of it. We are going to Oklahoma to experience and enjoy a wedding celebration. We will soon have a new daughter-in-law. How awesome is that!

Our new season of life presents us with new opportunities to trust and serve God. We hope and pray that He gives us many more years together. There are new things to learn, new people to meet, and new changes to embrace. How awesome is that!

Priceless

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. Bob Westfall, Gary Hoobler, John Maehl and myself attended the Worship Facilities Conference and Expo last week in Dallas. It was an awesome time. I came back encouraged that we are on the right path with our building plans.

One of the highlights was being able to spend time with Tom Smith, one of our architects. CDH Partners was one of the 275 exhibitors that had a booth at the Expo. We checked out different seat manufacturers and even found a chair that we liked! We learned about Meyer Sound and Constellation Electroacoustic Architecture. We talked to three different companies regarding digital signage. Gary got to attend an hour long, hands-on, product demo with the Yamaha M7CL Digital Mixing Console. I tagged along with Gary and got to try my hand at the controls! I don't know much about audio and mixing, but this console rocks!

John had 40 vendors on his "hit list" and talked to each one by the end of the day. Way to go John! He even mapped out the most efficient way to get through the Expo floor in order to get to each of the vendors he wanted to see.

Over 40 elective seminars were offered. I attended sessions on Building and Embracing Your Tech Budget, Tools and Techniques to Provide a Clear and Immersive Audio Experience, Case Study: Church Growth Through Project Management, Designing Effective Youth Spaces, and Creating Committees That Work.

In addition, we had plenary messages by Ed Young Jr. and Rex Miller. I especially enjoyed hearing Rex Miller talk about the future of the church and the implications of our societies move to a digital culture. I have heard him speak once before and have read his book, The Millennium Matrix. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to better understand the cultural shift we are in right now.

And to top it all off, we toured the Fellowship Church Downtown Campus. The Downtown Campus is part of a multi-site church, with the message delivered via DVD. We got to experience what a high definition image looks like on a 26 foot wide screen. What can I say? It was awesome!

But after it's all said and done; after all the sound, video, and lighting equipment is turned off and put away; after all the glitz and glam of the latest and greatest technology is replaced by newer and better; after looking at all the high-tech gear you could ever imagine; it all comes down to people. Low-tech and high-touch. People who selflessly volunteer their time and commit their resources in a mission they believe in. People who invest in the life of another person. Small groups of people who gather in living rooms and family rooms, who open their Bibles and their hearts to one another.

I love new technology and all that it can do. I hope that we are able to integrate some of it into our new facility. But technology and buildings only facilitate ministry. They're useful to the extent that they help us accomplish our mission of building a family of growing disciples. I'm glad to be part of a church that understands the difference.

There are some things that money can't buy. The joy of seeing someone come to Christ. The excitement of sitting around a table at 6:00 AM, discussing our journeys to manhood. The sense of community that comes from the sharing of our stories in an adult community. Getting to spend time with three other men who I care for and respect. This is the church in action. This is priceless.

Get Out To Vote

Just a reminder to get out to vote today! This is one of the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans and we need to use it to do our part to express our wishes at the ballot box. Make sure that your voice is heard. Get out to vote!

A Very Special Person

We celebrated Sharon's birthday this past Wednesday with dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. Josh, Jon and Jason were all able to join us as we honored Sharon and expressed our appreciation to her. Later that evening we gathered in the family room as Sharon opened her gifts and cards.

Sharon is an awesome wife, mother, friend and Christ follower. She inspires and encourages all who know her. Here are a few words that describe some of the things I appreciate the most about Sharon:

Servant ~ Sharon is always thinking about the needs of her family and others, looking for ways that she can come alongside to serve. She cooks, cleans, mends, washes, prays, shares, encourages and gives; thinking about the needs of others above her own.

Heart for God ~ Sharon has a great heart and passion for God. She loves His Word and desires to know Him more deeply every day. Through her example she encourages others to grow deeper in their relationship with God.

Action Orientation ~ Sharon has a bias toward action - she just flat gets things done! The bigger the job and the closer the deadline, the more mobilized she becomes. And as if working on one thing at a time isn't challenging enough, she has a knack for multi-tasking and working on several things at the same time!

Relational ~ Sharon loves her family, her friends and people. She's a thoughtful friend and loyal partner. She loves sitting down with a good friend and a good book over a good cup of coffee!

Open to Change ~ Sharon has always been willing to try something new. She is constantly reading, learning and growing. And come this summer, she along with a few friends plan to hike the Grand Canyon!

Neat and Organized ~ Sharon loves to organize things. She stays on top of the details and schedules of an active family, helping all of us to think ahead. One of her favorite phases is, Do you need this anymore?"

Well, there you have it. Happy Birthday Sharon. You are a very special person!

Let Your Light Shine

Linn-Mar High School had their Academic Award Ceremony yesterday. Gary Hoobler was planning to attend, I had an open hour in my schedule, so spur of the moment I decided to hop in the car and ride along with Gary. And I'm glad that I went. It was an awesome sight seeing over 500 students sitting on the main floor of the gym, being recognized for their academic achievement. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the event.

In addition to their academic award, Josh and Jon were also recognized as Renaissance Award winners. This award is given to students who are involved in extra-curricular activities and community service. Good job Josh and Jon! It was also fun to see so many New Covenant students being recognized. And of course, we are proud of Lukas and his achievement, being recognized for his academic accomplishment.

Kudos to our Linn-Mar students. Your commitment to hard work, character and to honoring Jesus Christ in all you do is a strong witness for all to see. Let your light shine!