A Life Worth Living

On new years eve I like to use spend time reviewing the previous year. I found a list of questions that I really like to use. I modified the list and here is what I now use for my year-end review. Solitude and time alone with God press meaning into my busy life and help me live more intentionally.

Socrates has said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to consider our mortality, so we might live wisely." (NET) Wise living and a life worth living require regular review and time alone with God and His Word.

2009 was a very busy year with lots of changes. Several things that were hi-lights for me:

• I became a Lunch Buddy at Polk School and began meeting with DeShawn.
• We awarded the first Pagel Family Scholarship.
• Our first Family Vacation in Colorado with our adult kids and spouses! 
• Sharon and I had many important, honest conversations and our relationship is growing and thriving!

It's your turn now. Feel free to change the questions and make your own list!

1. If the last year were a movie of your life, what would the genre be?
2. What were the two or three major themes that kept recurring?
3. What did you accomplish this past year that you are the most proud of? These can be in any area of your life—spiritual, relational, vocational physical, etc. Be as specific as possible. 
4. What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for but weren’t?
5. What disappointments or regrets did you experience this past year? As leaders, we naturally have high expectations of ourselves and others. Where did you let yourself down? Where did you let others down?
6. What was missing from last year as you look back? Again, look at each major area of your life. Don’t focus now on having to do anything about it. For now, just list each item. Here is my list: 
7. What were the major life-lessons you learned this past year? Boil this down to a few short, pithy statements.
8. What issues or opportunities will you face this coming year? What do you want to trust God for?

Once I Was Afraid of Dying

Grab the tissues and watch the video. During the past 24 hours Coach John Wooden was been referred to as a leader of men, icon, someone who made you want to be a better person, humble, loyal, one of a kind, and loving husband.

You can read all about his life and achievement, and they are many. But the thing that is probably least understood about Coach Wooden was his steadfast devotion to his wife Nellie. Nellie was John's childhood sweetheart. They met when he was 14 and were married six years later. They celebrated 52 years together before Nellie passed away of cancer on March 21, 1985.

Since her death, John Wooden has written a love letter to his beloved wife on the 21st of every month, placed in an envelope and added it to a stack of similar letters on the pillow she slept on during their life together.

In 2003, UCLA dedicated the basketball court in Pauley Pavilion in honor of John and Nell Wooden. Named the "Nell and John Wooden Court," Wooden asked for the change from the original proposal of the "John and Nell Wooden Court," insisting that his wife's name should come first.

Former player, Swen Nater wrote the following poem titled Yonder for John Wooden after being inspired by John's life-long devotion to Nellie.

Once I was afraid of dying.
Terrified of ever-lying.
Petrified of leaving family, home and friends.
Thoughts of absence from my dear ones,
Drew a melancholy tear once.
And a lonely, dreadful fear of when life ends.
But those days are long behind me;
Fear of leaving does not bind me.
And departure does not host a single care.
Peace does comfort as I ponder,
A reunion in the Yonder,
With my dearest who is waiting for me there.

Kim Sent You

The day is off to a great start! We found a small bakery called the Estes Park Pie Company that makes cinnamon rolls. The shop opens at 8:30 AM and we arrived shortly after 9:00 to pick up our freshly baked treats.

However, much to our surprise, they only had two cinnamon rolls left! I explained to Vallerie how sad all of our kids would be if we went home empty handed! My sob story must have worked as Vallerie volunteered to bake up eight rolls for us if we were willing to wait.

No problemo! I asked Vallerie if there was an up-charge for hot cinnamon rolls and she assured me that the price would be the same. The recipe Vallerie uses is a family favorite, passed down from her grandmother. 50 minutes later and we were the proud owners of eight warm cinnamon rolls! It was all I could do to get them home without eating one!

They looked delicious, they were warm and they smelled incredible. The only thing left was to put Vallerie's cinnamon rolls to the Pagel "taste test!" And they didn't disappoint! Everyone agreed that they were as good as Sharon's, which is saying something! A glass of cold milk and the morning culinary treat was complete!

If you're ever in Estes Park, stop by the Estes Park Pie Company and check out their cinnamon rolls. I hear their pies and cakes aren't bad either. But stop in early or you may be disappointed.

Oh, and say "hello" to Vallerie for me. And tell her that Kim sent you!

Blind Ambition

You need to watch this video! John Bramblitt lost his sight but gained his vision. Check out John's website which features some of his newer art and style.

People like John Bramblitt remind us that our attitude and outlook limits us far more than our circumstances. That creativity is part of what it means to be made in the image of God.

What limitations have you accepted as "normal?" What boundaries and barriers is God asking you to move past? And when you feel all hope is lost and the quest is too hard, remember John Bramblitt.

A Blessing!

One of our sons moved out last week. He's on a six month missions trip with Send International to a country in eastern Europe. He will be assisting a missionary couple with the construction of a camp in the mountains that will be used as an outreach to Muslim families and children. Pretty neat stuff!

Which son, you ask? Preston Smith, our "adopted son"! Preston came to live with us the day before Thanksgiving 2008. He originally came to Cedar Rapids as a volunteer with Eight Days of Hope in the fall of 2008. Preston enjoyed his time in Cedar Rapids so much, he decided to move here to volunteer with flood relief. We offered Preston a place to stay and the rest is history!

Preston refers to us as his second family, and to Sharon as his Iowa Mom! He introduces himself to Josh and Jon's friends as their "other brother!"

Last fall we enjoyed hosting Steve and Linda, Preston's parents, in our home for a week. It was a great time getting to know them. They have raised an awesome son!

This past week, Steve and Linda returned again. This time they came to help Preston pack up his room, clear out the garage, return tools, and prepare to leave. We are excited for Preston and the new adventure that awaits him.

But we also experienced a sense of sadness that only a parent of adult children can understand. I'm convinced that letting go is the hardest work a parent ever has to do. Our home is now a little quieter. There's no one else at the dinner table in the evening. His room is empty. This past week we walked with Steve and Linda as they readied their son and his stuff for departure. I'm sure they had a long, lonely trip back to West Virginia.

In November 2008 Preston moved to Iowa, knowing almost no one. Eighteen months later he flew out of Cedar Rapids, leaving an adopted  "Iowa family" and his mark on our community.  Thank you Preston for the blessing you have been to us and our entire church family.

A Growing Family

We enjoyed a tour of our new site this morning after Leadership Community. A lot of progress has been made the last few months! You can go here to see a slide show of our tour.

The building is awesome, but it only facilitates ministry. What we're building is not a "church." Our people are the church. We are constructing a building that facilitates ministry.

So please help me out by not referring to our new building as a "church." It will be an awesome space that will help our church family worship Christ, connect to community and work together to further our cause. Together, we are becoming a family of growing disciples!

Are You Listening?

Last Sunday President Barack Obama gave a commencement speech at Hampton University and took a swipe at iPods, iPads and Play Stations. I applaud the president for taking on our entertainment-saturated culture.

However he didn't stop there. He also took on the 24/7 news cycle and social media.

"And meanwhile, you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and Play Stations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it's putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy."

I find it ironic that our president is complaining about the 24/7 media environment that exposes us to all kinds of content. And worse yet, our president says that information becomes a distraction and diversion rather than a tool of empowerment.

It appears that our president has changed his view of social media since being elected. Here are the facts according to the "truth meter."

Here is what Fast Company has to say about Barack Obama and his social media strategy during the campaign.

I'm obviously not the only one aware of Obama's comfort-level with technology: he had 3 million online donors during the election and 2 million people were passionate enough to create profiles on my.barackobama.com. Barack Obama gets the Internet and social media the way that Kennedy got TV. You've heard the story of how radio listeners thought Nixon won the debates but televsion viewers saw it the other way around? Kennedy was built for TV and Obama is built for the Internet age.

Here is what the New York Times has to say about how Obama tapped into the power of social networks.

In February 2007, a friend called Marc Andreessen, a founder of Netscape and a board member of Facebook, and asked if he wanted to meet with a man with an idea that sounded preposterous on its face.

Always game for something new, Mr. Andreessen headed to the San Francisco airport late one night to hear the guy out. He wondered if social networking, with its tremendous communication capabilities and aggressive database development, might help him beat the overwhelming odds facing him.

“It was like a guy in a garage who was thinking of taking on the biggest names in the business,” Mr. Andreessen recalled. “What he was doing shouldn’t have been possible, but we see a lot of that out here and then something clicks. He was clearly supersmart and very entrepreneurial, a person who saw the world and the status quo as malleable.”

And as it turned out, President-elect Barack Obama was right.

Like a lot of Web innovators, the Obama campaign did not invent anything completely new. Instead, by bolting together social networking applications under the banner of a movement, they created an unforeseen force to raise money, organize locally, fight smear campaigns and get out the vote that helped them topple the Clinton machine and then John McCain and the Republicans.

You can read this report called The Social Pulpit - Barack Obama's Social Media Toolkit.

And finally, you really need to read this article, How Chris Hughes Helped Launch Facebook and the Barack Obama Campaign. Chris Hughes was one of the co-founders of Facebook and he developed the MyBarackObama.com website that "allowed Obama supporters to create groups, plan events, raise funds, download tools, and connect with one another -- not unlike a more focused, activist Facebook. MyBO also let the campaign reach its most passionate supporters cheaply and effectively. By the time the campaign was over, volunteers had created more than 2 million profiles on the site, planned 200,000 offline events, formed 35,000 groups, posted 400,000 blogs, and raised $30 million on 70,000 personal fund-raising pages."

Here is what Chris Hughes did for Barack and his campaign.

He helped develop the most robust set of Web-based social-networking tools ever used in a political campaign, enabling energized citizens to turn themselves into activists, long before a single human field staffer arrived to show them how.

"Technology has always been used as a net to capture people in a campaign or cause, but not to organize," says Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. "Chris saw what was possible before anyone else." Hughes built something the candidate said he wanted but didn't yet know was possible: a virtual mechanism for scaling and supporting community action. Then that community turned around and elected his boss president. "I still can't quite wrap my mind around it," Hughes says.

Our president is learning that taking your message directly to the people works both ways. President Obama would like us to believe that information is a distraction and diversion, that content can confound and obscure the truth, and that media needs to be tuned out and turned off.

But I think what is really happening is that our president is learning that in this new age of social media, information flows two ways, that content can't be easily spun and that media is now 24/7.

And he's also learning that dialog requires a two-way conversation. The American people have learned that they have a voice. Mr. President, the people are speaking. You would do well to listen.

Drive

You gotta love this presentation by Daniel Pink. It's worth watching just for the animation. Daniel Pink wrote the book, A Whole New Mind, which I enjoyed. And I have purchase his next book titled Drive.

Research indicates that there are three factors that contribute to better performance and satisfaction:

1. Autonomy
2. Mastery
3. Purpose

So what do you think? Does autonomy, mastery and purpose in your work motivate you? What is most important to you?

The Great Adventure

Today is my birthday and wedding anniversary, all rolled up in one! Days like this invite me to ponder and reflect - reflect on the past, where I'm going, God's goodness and sovereign leading.

The movie Up best captures this season of life for Sharon and myself. We both love this movie! Up is a metaphor for how Sharon and I want to live the rest of our lives - shedding those things from our past that hold us back, enjoying each day as a gift from God, and pursuing the great adventure He has for us!

The pivotal moment in the movie for me is when Carl stomps into his house, the house that he has been dragging behind him in his pursuit of Paradise Falls. His is mad at Russell. He is tired from his long journey. He reaches his destination only to find that he is all alone. Alone with his stuff. The quest has left him empty, tired and alone.

Then Carl discovers Ellie's photo album. He thumbs through it and learns that Ellie lived her adventure. Ellie's life was full and satisfying. Ellie never reached Paradise Falls but she lived her dream.

And then Carl reads these words from Ellie that transforms his life. Thanks for the Adventure ~ now go have a new one!

Carl throws a piece of furniture out the door of his house in anger and disgust. And in the process, he realizes that his "stuff" is what's holding him back from pursuing his new adventure. He begins to shed the extra weight, pitching furniture, photos, and memories out the door. The stuff Carl pitches are treasures from his past, but they won't be needed on his new adventure. In fact, to insistently hang on to the past is to lug around extra weight that holds us back from reaching our new future.

Sharon and I are so thankful for our past. We're thankful for God's goodness to us. But as our children grow, leave home, get married and begin their own lives, it's important that Sharon and I continue to grow and move forward. As much as we love to reminisce about the past, the past is over and we no longer live there. The past is meant to fuel our future.

So today, I'm thankful for God's faithfulness. I'm thankful that 33 years ago Sharon said "yes!" I'm thankful for four incredible sons and two awesome daughters-in-law.

But I'm also thankful that God has a new adventure in store for Sharon and I together. That the best is yet to come. That our adventure isn't just a goal to achieve, but a daily way of life to fully enjoy in the present. As Russell says: "Sometimes it's the boring stuff I remember the most!"

Today, I'm thankful for Sharon and our great adventure!

During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." Exodus 12:31-32

A Gentleman of the Game

Ernie Harwell,the 92 year old Hall of Fame Detroit Tigers baseball announcer, passed away on Tuesday, May 4 after a battle with cancer. Ernie was in a class all his own.

Harwell had a deep love for the game and faith in Jesus Christ. He trusted Christ in 1961 at a Billy Graham Crusade. "Whatever happens, I'm ready to face it," Harwell told The Associated Press on Sept. 4, 2009. "I have a great faith in God and Jesus."

Ernie Harwell kicked off each new baseball season with this quote from the Song of Solomon 2:11-12.
For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Ernie Harwell belonged to another generation. A generation that valued honesty, integrity and character. In a culture that creates and worships pop celebrities, Harwell was a reminder of another way of life - simpler and kinder.

This past week, baseball lost an icon. A one-of-a-kind man who lived his passion. Baseball lost one of the true gentlemen of the game.

Office 2010: The Movie

I'm really enjoying Office 2010! Much faster. Improved user interface and menus.

Happy Sunday!

You gotta love this video! On Easter Sunday, April 4 of this year, over 1300 people from Faith Church from Budapest, Hungary danced in the city's Hero's Square. What a way to celebrate Easter!

Here is some of the backstory. What do ya thing? How about Cedar Rapids doing something like this? Sort of like flash mob meets Jesus! 

Verse 1
That day will be remembered as the greatest day in history
The fate of the world changed in one glorious moment
When Life triumphed on Resurrection Sunday 
The hope of a people searching for life
The day will be brighter
The message of freedom rings in the sky
Spreading the fire
The flag of a nation ready to fly
Taking them higher
The heart of a land that rises to fight
Full of desire
When nothing is as you want it to be
Look up to heaven
Freedom was paid for on Calvary
The chain is broken
Making a way right to destiny
Borders are open
And Jesus has granted the victory
That Sunday mornin

Bridge
Joy in this life time, utterly free
More than the world gives, beyond what you see
For nations its time to rise their hope is in Jesus Christ
If the giants come, just hold on, the advantage is now on your side
Jesus, will take the final fight

Verse 2 
A light dawned that Sunday Morning it broke through the boundaries of time
Hearts start shining, calling to all mankind
Lets celebrate eternal life 
When nothing is as you want it to be
Look up to heaven
Freedom was paid for on Calvary
The chain is broken
Making a way right to destiny
Borders are open
And Jesus has granted the victory
That Sunday mornin

One Down, 47 to Go

Yesterday I went over to Mercy Fitness Center and had my follow up Active Metabolic Training assessment. I had my first assessment on December 14 of last year. They analyze your VO2 max, aerobic base and anaerobic threshold along with other basic measurements.

Based on my fitness goals, they developed a 12 week workout plan customized to my needs. The workouts require you to wear a heart rate monitor and to workout in various heart rate zones. The goal is to achieve maximum results in less time utilizing the knowledge to your metabolism rate.

I was skeptical about Active Metabolic Training as I thought it was just for those interested in performance training. I didn't realize that it's also for those who want to work on basic fitness and weight management. I qualified on both of those accounts. With the help and encouragement of Dr. John Brownell, I took the plunge last December in my pursuit of better health.

I was late in getting my reassessment scheduled, so I was curious about how that would effect my results. From December 14 thru March 9, I had worked out four times a week. I use the word workout generously. My workouts involved walking on my treadmill for 35-40 minutes at various speeds and inclines to get my heart rate into the specified zones. Not really hard stuff. But it did take a level of discipline to get all the workouts in.

The period of time included Christmas and New Years breaks along with a 12 day vacation! I planned out my weeks and found a way to get all 48 workouts into my schedule.

And the results? I was fairly pleased. My Body Mass Index decreased by 10%! I lost 7 pounds and feel healthier. I have more energy and motivation. I know my results would have even been even better if I had been assessed in March.

I'm now motivated to tackle another 12 week exercise program. I started yesterday. One workout down, 47 to go!

Help Desk

As you know, I enjoy trying out new technology. I'm always looking for a new or better way of getting something done. I think I may have stumbled upon a new, cutting-edge device. I think it's destined to be a huge hit! Watch the video and let me know what you think!

You Made Me Want To Be A Better Person

leg·a·cy: something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past.

I've been thinking about legacy. In Mens Fraternity this past year we developed a list called, Before I Die I Want To. We listed things in six categories - be, do, have, help, enjoy, and leave.

So, what do I want to leave? How much time do I have to work with? Certainly it's not my stuff that my family will want. As a matter of fact, we're in a pitch mode right now. We are shedding things so that the stuff of life doesn't hinder us or get in the way of the new things God has for us.

I like what James Kouzes and Barry Posner have to say in their book, A Leader's Legacy.

"By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered, we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter."

"When we move on, people do not remember us for what we do for ourselves. They remember us for what we do for them. Exemplary leaders are interested more in others’ success than in their own. Their greatest achievements are the triumphs of those they serve."

"What if all leaders started each day asking themselves, “In every interaction today, considering all the people I interact with, what one thing can I do to make them better?’ When the time comes for them to speak of your legacy, is there anything better to be remembered for than “You made me want to be a better person”?

"Our challenge is to stay focused on the difference we want to make, why we think it’s essential to be moving in that direction, and on the people who will come after us to inherit what we leave. If we stay focused on the difference and the people, the legacy will take care of itself. When we choose to lead every day, we choose to serve. Leading is not about what we gain from others but about what others gain from us"

"Legacies aren’t the result of wishful thinking. They’re the result of determined doing. The legacy you leave is the life you lead. We lead our lives daily. We leave our legacy daily. The people you see, the decisions you make, the actions you take – they are what tell your story. It’s the sum of everything you do that matters, not one large bequest at the end of you tenure."

I like that. Legacies are the result of determined doing. If I stay focused on the difference and people, my legacy will take care of itself. So tomorrow I have the opportunity to do good, to serve others and to write another chapter in my legacy story. What will I write? And at the end of the day, will anyone say, "You made me want to be a better person?"

Rolling Out The Red Carpet

 This being Admin Professionals Day, we decided to roll out the red carpet for our New Covenant staff admins! Just after we convinced them that Tye couldn't get our mini-bus started and that we would have to resort to Plan B, a limo pulled up at the entrance to transport them in style! They got a tour of Cedar Rapids and ended at their Siamville lunch destination. Click here to see a slideshow.

A special "thank you" to Peggy Eichenberger, Brenda Gadd, Judy Greeb, Gina Green, Terri Hungerford, Gina Kaufman, Mary Nelson, Jen Olsen, Sharon Pagel, Kris Paulson, Donna Smejkal and Tanja Struve. Thank you for serving our church family, for helping make New Covenant an enjoyable place to work, and for going the extra mile! You are the best!

You're Familiar With His Work?

I'm waiting for our plumber to arrive and just read this great post by Kerry Patterson. Kerry is the author of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High and records a monthly podcast.

His material is great stuff. But I especially enjoyed what he had to say today. You can read the entire article here. Spoiler alert - grandparents are crazy people. Read this post at your own risk!

Here's a paragraph from his post. Enjoy!

"When it comes to my own happiness, I do know a couple of things. First, happiness is not a constant state that one hunts down, tackles to the ground, and possesses. You never achieve happiness; you just experience happy moments. Second, we often assume receiving recognition for our labors will bring happiness. Not to say that it doesn’t, but sometimes, it’s surprising what kind of recognition truly matters."

So, how about you? What do you want on your tombstone?

We Are Family

I'm reading Joseph Hellerman's book, When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community. I'm reading the book because of my interest in the use of the family metaphor. I was also interested because Christianity Today listed it among the five top books on community.

Here is the way Hellerman begins the book.

"Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. People who remain connected with their brothers and sisters in the local church almost invariably grow in self-understanding, and they mature in their ability to relate in healthy ways to God and to their fellow human beings. Long-term interpersonal relationships are the crucible of genuine progress in the Christian life. People who stay also grow. People who leave do not grow."

In an age of hyper-individualism, I find Hellerman's analysis refreshing. There's something to be said about making relationships work. And did I mention that relationships take work? Just like our family of birth, we're stuck with one another. We might as well figure out how to make this relational thing work. At New Covenant, we call it becoming a "family of growing disciples."

Contrast this with the vision George Barna has for the follower of Christ, as outlined in his book, Revolution.

"Now its virtually impossible to craft a "typical" spiritual pattern, especially among people under the age of 40. Growing numbers of young adults, teenagers, and even adolescents are piecing together spiritual elements they deem worthwhile, constituting millions of personalized "church" models."

"Ultimately, we expect to see believers choosing from a proliferation of options, weaving together a set of favored alternatives into a unique tapestry that constitutes the personal "church" of the individual"

Personal church of the individual? This is a oxymoron. Collectively, together, we are the body of Christ, His bride. Or to use another metaphor, we are family!

On a group - individual continuum, place me toward the group side. My highest aim in life is not the pursuit of my personal goals and ambitions. Rather, I look for ways to serve my family, church and community for the glory of God, and for the good of others.

The family teaches me that the good of the whole is a worthy ambition. That relationships require sacrifice and service. That the world doesn't revolve around me and my wishes. And that people, even good people, will sooner or later disappoint and frustrate me.

The family also teaches me that some of lifes greatest joys can only be experienced with others. That meaning and satisfaction are found in the context of relationship. That together we can do more than any of us could do apart. That disappointment and trouble were never meant to be carried alone. And about the power of grace extended and grace received.

Given the option to choose between the Lone Ranger and Father Knows Best, I'll take Father Knows Best every time. Given the choice between the "church of the individual" or the church as family, count me in the family column!

I like the way Tim Keller describes this new tribal community, called out by God to be His family.

"The context for a gospel-centered life is never merely individual. The gospel creates a new community, a unique community. One of the immediate changes that the gospel makes is grammatical: we instead of I; our instead of my; us instead of me. This kind of new community is not an optional thing, an "extra" for the Christian; instead it's part of the overall purpose of God's kingdom."

"A new community is both the end of the gospel and also the means of spreading the gospel. God's promise in salvation is to create his "holy nation", a people that dwell with him forever. I will be your God and you will be my people." (Lev. 26:12, Jer. 30:22). So Christians, who are eternally united to Christ, are therefore eternally united to one another."

So, where are you? Are you a radical revolutionary, seeking out a portfolio of spiritual experiences in your quest for the personalized church of the individual? Or are you community connector, pursuing and serving God in the context of relationships? How do you understand the New Testament scriptures on the nature of the church?

Me? You know by now what I think ... we are family!

Welcome to NewCovenantBible.org

We launched our new website on Sunday. A few kudos are in order!

• Austin Spooner - implementation team leader, code writer, training, site architect and a lot of other things that I don't fully understand!
• Sandra Fancher - site design, usability testing and consultant
• Brett Mason - IT deacon and project leader
• Jeff Westrom - graphic design and consultant
• Kris Paulson - copy writer
• Andrew Male - graphic design, staff photos, video (including the embedded promo video)
• Peggy Eichenberger - loading pages, graphic design
• Brenda Gadd - editing
• Erin Bird - design consultant
• Voracity Solutions - the company that we used to design our site and to integrate it with our Arena church management software

My apologies if I missed someone or didn't attribute you correctly. A special "thank you" to our entire team. Having an effective web presence is becoming increasingly important as it's the first place many people turn when wanting to know more about us. Our first-time guests have often already checked our website over, watched a message and formed opinions about us before ever walking into one of our services!

Several cool features of our new site that you will want to check out:

• Our Mobile Site - We have a special mobile site. Check us out on your smart phone!
• ABF Finder - Now you can check out our Adult Bible Fellowships and select one or two that you want to check out. An email is sent to the ABF Community Leader so that we can follow up.
• Volunteer - Check out the Volunteer opportunities available and select one or two that you want to explore further. An email is sent to the ministry leader so that we can follow up.
• Online Giving - Manage your giving online. No more need to call the office to set up or manage your electronic giving.
• Online Registration - Register for camps, membership weekend, and other events online.
• Ministry Index - Don't overlook the cool, expandable Ministry Index on the top right.

Pretty exciting stuff. And functional too! Future phases include an online prayer module, business/ministry directory, classified directory, membership directory, small group directory/finder and more!

Let me know what you are looking for and what would be useful to you. Our website is a ministry tool to help equip us to become a family of growing disciples! It has a new look with some nice innovative features. All the for purpose of helping us accomplish our timeless mission of making more and better disciples in our generation. Welcome to NewCovenantBible.org!

Where Do People Find The Time?

Excellent talk by Clay Shirky, author and graduate professor at NYU. I just finished his latest book, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.

I love his concept of excess time or "cognitive surplus."

"Starting with the Second World War a whole series of things happened--rising GDP per capita, rising educational attainment, rising life expectancy and, critically, a rising number of people who were working five-day work weeks. For the first time, society forced onto an enormous number of its citizens the requirement to manage something they had never had to manage before--free time. And what did we do with that free time? Well, mostly we spent it watching TV."

And how much cognitive surplus do we have? More than you might think!

"So if you take Wikipedia as a kind of unit, all of Wikipedia, the whole project--every page, every edit, every talk page, every line of code, in every language that Wikipedia exists in--that represents something like the accumulation of 100 million hours of human thought. I worked this out with Martin Wattenberg at IBM; it's a back-of-the-envelope calculation, but it's the right order of magnitude, about 100 million hours of thought."

"And television watching? Two hundred billion hours, in the U.S. alone, every year. Put another way, now that we have a unit, that's 2,000 Wikipedia projects a year spent watching television. Or put still another way, in the U.S., we spend 100 million hours every weekend, just watching the ads. This is a pretty big surplus."

So, how are you spending and investing your time? Are you learning and participating and conversing and sharing and collaborating and growing? What are your goals for personal and professional development this year? What are you contributing at work and to those who are closest to you? Are you leaving the world a better place by your presence?

Where do people find the time? I find that I always have time for what's important to me. The world is waiting for our contribution. We have one solitary life. Let's make the most of every day!

Overcome Evil With Good

You've heard about Fred Phelps and Wesboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. But perhaps you haven't heard about Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania.
You're about to learn more about Albert Snyder in the weeks ahead as the Supreme Court has agreed to hear his case when it they reconvene on October 4.

On March 3, 2006 Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, 20, was killed in a Humvee crash in Al Anbar province, Iraq and was buried on March 10 in Westminster, Maryland. The Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church staged a protest outside the ceremony, including signs reading "Semper Fi, Semper Fags" and "God hates dead soldiers."

Then, on June 5, 2006,  Albert Snyder, Matthew Snyder's father, filed a defamation suit against Phelps and the Westboro Church in federal court, alleging church members violated the family's right to privacy and defamed Matthew Snyder on its website. The legal battle has wound itself through the court system and will be heard by the Supreme Court this fall.

Which brings us back to Albert Snyder, a father who tragically lost his 20 year old son while he was serving his country in Iraq. The latest story by the Associated Press details the fathers pain and agony.

Some nights Albert Snyder wakes up at 3 a.m. Other nights he doesn't sleep at all, tormented by thoughts of the hateful signs carried by a fundamentalist church outside his Marine son's funeral.

 "It's still very emotional," Snyder said in an interview at his attorney's office. "It's like I constantly relive this every day, and I just wonder sometimes, when this is all over, what I'm going to do with that void. Will the grieving process begin?"

This will be an interesting case of freedom of speech verses state protection. But regardless of the outcome, it's important to emphatically state that the kind of hatred the Phelps advocates has no place in the life of a follower of Christ. My heart goes out to Albert Snyder and the unimaginable pain he has had to endure.

I don't know how I would react if I were faced with a similar circumstance. I can't imagine loosing one of my sons. And I can't imagine the hatred that motives a person to hold up signs of condemnation at the funeral of an innocent soldier. There's some things in life I just don't understand.

It's times like this that I turn to the Scriptures for guidance and wisdom. Romans 12:14-15, 19-21 is just such a passage for this occassion:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Worth of A Man

We heard Dave Dravecky speak tonight at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet. Dave's story is one of endurance, encouragement and hope. You can read more about the Dravecky's and their ministry on their website.

Dave's message is about finding our value and meaning in who we are, not what we do. He shared this poem, called The Worth of A Man by Carla Muir.

I once believed that what I did
placed value on my worth.
And walking where great men have walked,
I saw my dream give birth.

But dreams don't always last through life;
in fact, they often die.
The day I watched my dream pass on-
all alone stood I.

And in the searching of my soul,
God gave to me new peace.
Today I'm living other dreams-
the kind that will not cease.

In Jesus' eyes I'm valued so
much greater than I see
My worth is not in what I do;
it's in Christ's death for me.

Tonight, Dave Dravecky inspired us to persevere through adversity in order to reach a dream. He encouraged us to make a difference with our lives. That who we are and who we are becoming is more important that what we do. That cancer can take a man's limb, but that it can never rob him of his worth.

Tonight, Dave Dravecky reminded us about the source of the worth of a man.

Search On!

Did You Learn Anything?

By now you've probably seen the new Tiger Woods Nike commercial. The voice you hear in the video is that of Earl Woods, Tiger's father who passed away in 2006. The commercial was timed to coincide with Tiger's return to golf, playing in the Masters tournament this week after a five month lay off.

This commercial is strange on many levels. First, Tiger's blank stare is very strange. Then we learn that Earl Woods wasn't even talking about Tiger. He was talking about his wife, Kultida Woods, Tiger's mother! The audio has been all edited together to give the impression that Earl is speaking about and to his son.

At times, as I've watched the life of Tiger Woods played out in public view, I've thought I was watching scenes from The Truman Show. The film chronicles the life of a man who discovers he is living in a constructed reality soap opera, televised 24/7 to billions across the globe.

I can't decide, am I watching The Tiger Show or The Truman Show? I can't tell them apart. Both feature men who are living a constructed reality soap opera. Both are televised 24/7. Both are watched by billions across the globe. Both feature lives that are lived from the outside in for all the public to see.

And just when we thought Tiger was going to reinvent himself - to focus on character, integrity and honesty -  this commercial shows up. And we're reminded all over again that Tiger is a brand. He's owned by Nike and other corporations. His lines are scripted and his image is carefully managed. He's an entertainer and all the world is his stage.

This week, Tiger is once again playing golf. He's playing in the famed Masters at Augusta after five months of introspection and therapy. I guess I had hoped for more. For more authenticity and less publicity. For more substance and less facade. Instead I'm left to wonder, Tiger, did you learn anything?

Satisfied

 

We had an awesome time of worship today at New Covenant! We used the video venue in the Activity Center during all three services this morning.

My word today is satisfied .Satisfied - paid or discharged in full, as a debt or obligation. 

My sin debt has been paid in full. Not in part, but in full! My obligation has been met, fully satisfied! My only debt is to live my life as an expression of gratitude to God for what He has done for me. I'm indebted to Him!

This Easter I'm thankful that my God is satisfied. Through the offering of His Son, God satisfied the righteous demands of His holiness. And because He is satisfied, I too am satisfied. I have all I need and more than I deserve.

Today I'm thankful for the cross and the empty tomb! Today, I'm satisfied.

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

Overwhelmed

Is your "To Do" list bigger than your "Done" list? Are you drowning in a sea of paperwork. Do you get overwhelmed just by thinking about all you have to do?

Over the years, I have struggled with anxiety. I've had to learn how to deal with my constant companion. But what I've learned is that anxiety doesn't have to define who I am, nor do I need to be controlled by it.

I've learned that it's ok to feel overwhelmed. Anxiety reminds me that I'm not God and that I need to live in daily dependence on Him. Feeling overwhelmed usually indicates that there is something that I'm not dealing with, a decision I need to make, or an issue that needs additional thought and clarity. And I've learned about the value of sharing my struggles with trusted friends.

By nature, I'm not an organized person. This alone has caused me stress and anxiety over the years. But I'm slowly learning! I've implemented a comprehensive filing system at home and work. Microsoft Money helps me organize our finances. And Outlook, my HTC Hero, Clear Context, and ActiveSync help me organize my calendar, contacts and tasks. And within the last three years I've implemented David Allen's Getting Things Done.

I can't begin to express how freeing it is to be in control of my commitments and schedule! I'm still working on this stuff, but the results are incredible. Capturing all my commitments, active projects and  "to dos" in one place reduces stress and helps me be more effective.

Here is what David Allen, author of Getting Things Done said today on his blog about why people let themselves get overwhelmed at work.

"People tend to both over-commit and to be inefficient. Few people know exactly how much work they actually have, and therefore must take everything on that they think about and that others ask them to do. Their integrity forces them to agree to take things on because, not being real clear how many projects they already have on their plate, some part of them thinks they actually MIGHT be able to do it.

And, most people are inefficient because they don’t force themselves to decide what things mean and what they are actually going to do about them when they first show up. So they are constantly rethinking the same things over and over and not making any progress in doing so–only adding to their stress.

And when they DO finally decide what to do, it’s usually because they have allowed the situation to get into “last-minute” mode, and they now have to go deal with things as a crisis, one at a time, instead of in an orderly, timely, manner"

I've come to the conclusion that we have all the time we need. At the end of His life, Jesus said "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."

So, how are you doing? Are you overwhelmed? Take some time by yourself this weekend to review your commitments, list your projects, and identify your "next step" actions. Don't procrastinate. Make the hard decisions on the front-end. Keep your word. Clarify what's important to you. And then just do it! You'll be surprise how much better you feel!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

In The Beginning

What cost $10 billion, took 25 years to build, spans two countries and is 17 miles long? Give up? The Large Hadron Collider! Put the emphasis on "large." This is big boy science! It's reported that this will be the most expensive scientific experiment in human history.

 The collider was funded by and built in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories.

And today scientists cheered the historic crash of two protons, which produced three times more energy than researchers had every created before. The protons were traveling at 99.999991% of the speed of light, speeding around the 17 mile course a whopping 11,000 times per second!

What does all this mean? I'm not sure. But here is what the scientific community believes this super collider will accomplish.

"This is a huge step toward unraveling Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 1 — what happened in the beginning."

"This is a Genesis machine. It'll help to recreate the most glorious event in the history of the universe."

"This is the Jurassic Park for particle physicists. Some of the particles they are making now or are about to make haven't been around for 14 billion years."

The consequences of finding those mysterious particles could "affect our conception of who we are in the universe."

A Genesis machine? Maybe. A colossal feat of human engineering? Absolutely. Will it help us learn how to live better and more meaningful lives in the universe? Doubtful.

So how should we respond to all of this? Where do we turn? Where do we go for answers? I think the scientists may be onto something. Let's go back to the beginning. In the beginning God ....

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17

Lunch Buddies

This past week I got to meet my new Lunch Buddy. His name is Deshawn and he's a 4th grader at Polk Elementary. Deshawn and I will have lunch together at least twice a month.  Twice is the minimum expectation, but I'm planning to meet with him three times a month.

I learned about the needs at Polk school several months ago from Peggy Sheetz. Peggy attends New Covenant and asked if there was any way our church could come alongside of her and the school to help out. Several of our staff met with Peggy, toured the school and learned about the special challenges her students face. Peggy is the senior staff at Polk, having taught there for over 20 years.

The biggest challenge is that over 80% of the students come from single-parent homes. Most are on the free and reduced lunch program. Many of the students are classified as homeless as they don't live at a permanent residence.

We learned that the greatest need is for caring adults to spend time with students. The Lunch Buddy, Math Buddy and Reading Buddy programs have more students who want to be involved than they have adults available to match them up with. But more importantly, I heard Peggy's passion and saw her heart for her students and her desire to make a difference.

I'm not sure yet exactly how New Covenant is going to get involved. All I know is that after listening to Peggy I had to personally do something. I chose the Lunch Buddy route which required me to go through an application/screening process with Big Brothers Big Sisters. After an interview and reference/back ground check, they matched me up with my Deshawn. Pretty painless.

Which brings me to telling you about my first lunch meeting with Deshawn. I arrived early to meet Kyla, the Big Brothers Big Sisters staff person who was our "match maker." As I waited for Kyla in the office, I got to meet Eric Christenson, the school Principal. Eric thanked me for coming and filled me in on Deshawn - a bright student who requested a Lunch Buddy who likes sports and would be someone he could talk to.

Kyla arrived and began my orientation. Memories of elementary school danced through my head as we headed down the hallway to the lunch room. Deshawn was dismissed from class early in order to meet me. We went through the lunch line, got our chicken sandwich, shoestring fries, apple and headed to an open class room for our formal introduction.

Kyla covered the required orientation training over lunch, snapped a photo of the two of us and then we were off to a nook in the hallway to finish our conversation. I brought a picture of my four boys along with me to show Deshawn. I learned about his family and that he just celebrated his Golden Birthday.

40 minutes after our first introduction, Deshawn and I were on our way to the office so I could look at the school calendar and then sign out. And the best part for me? Before I left Deshawn asked, "When will you come again?"

Our first lunch was in the books. We weren't buddies yet but we did eat lunch together! It was a good start. Deshawn and me, we're gonna be Lunch Buddies!