A Rich Legacy

As you may have heard, Leona Helmsley passed away last week at 87. You may remember her as the billionaire hotel baron who was nick-named The Queen of Mean during the 80's.

Leona was pompous in life and she has proved to be pompous in death as well. Her 14 page will was filed yesterday in Surrogate Court and it contained some surprises! It's estimated that the Helmsley estate is worth over $4 billion. And where will the money go?

$12 million is to be put in a trust for the care of her beloved 8-year-old white Maltese dog, Trouble. How much can it possibly cost to take care of a dog! Leona instructed that Trouble's remains be buried next to her remains in the Helmsley mausoleum.

And the mausoleum? Leona ordered that the mausoleum must be "washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year." She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County. The ornate granite mausoleum boasts 1,300 square feet, with a dozen Doric columns and stained glass windows recreating the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building, once the crown jewel of the Helmsley properties. It's reported that the mausoleum was built for $1.4 million!

The construction of the mausoleum is a story unto itself. Harry Helmsley, Leona's husband came to Sleepy Hollow last year after Leona engaged in an ugly battle with Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, where the real estate magnate was originally buried in 1997. The expansive family mausoleum there was memorably described as a "tomb with a view."

But the vista disappeared when a public mausoleum went up nearby three years ago. An irate Leona called the new construction "a disgrace," and resolved to relocate the remains of her husband. She purchased a piece of land in Sleepy Hollow to construct a new mausoleum and quickly alienated her husband's new, living neighbors. In typical take-no-prisoners style, a wooded section of the cemetery was stripped clean of trees in summer 2005.

The new construction lacked permits, and village officials quickly shut down the project."We tried to be amenable," Mr. Zegarelli said. "There are still procedures to go through, whether you're dead or alive - no offense, but it still has to be done."

The two sides worked out their differences - fines were paid, donations were made by the Helmsley group to repair some of the damage. And then last August, the mausoleum was approved for the reinterment. All this fuss over the remains of the dead.

And the living? The will left millions of dollars to two of her grandchildren. And the remaining two grandchildren received nothing, for "reasons that are known to them," she wrote.

It's been said that your legacy consists of the stories people tell about you once you are gone. Make no mistake about it, Leona Helmsley left a lot of stories and an unforgetable legacy. Unfortunately, the stories people tell will be stories shaped by ambition, ego and power.

It's good to remember that we all leave stories behind. Our legacy is being formed by the choices we make each day. What stories will people recall about my life? It's my desire to leave a legacy that will inspire those around me. I want to leave a legacy that is rich toward God and the people I love. I want to leave a legacy rich in good works.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Men's Steak Out

We had a beautiful evening for the Men's Steak Out and Tail Gate Party. The two grills were filled with red meat! And Ken Owens did a great job preparing the side dishes of potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, and grilled onions.

Emergency Landing provided the music. And Matt Thede wrapped up the evening by sharing about the impact Men's Fraternity has had on his life. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

I got to meet several men who came as guests. And four guys from Starting Point attended. It was a great evening of good food and good conversation.

New Beginnings

We moved Josh and Jon into their dorm rooms at the University of Northern Iowa on Friday. The car was pretty full of the important "stuff" they need for college living. Josh is rooming with David Hoobler and Jon with Ben Wohlers. You can click on the picture above to see a short slide show.

Both Josh and Jon are ready for this important step toward independence. It's hard to believe how quickly the past two years have gone by. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote this blog post called Seasons of Life.

And as I wrote two years ago, rather than grieve the loss of what I cannot hold on to forever, I choose to look forward to the future and to enjoy today. Its time. We're ready for this new season of life to begin.

Happiness Is

So you're between the ages of 13-24. What makes you happy? The Associated Press and MTV hired Knowledge Network Inc. to conduct a survey to find out the answer to that question. More than 100 questions were asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 on the nature of happiness among America's young people. And the results just might surprise you.

The most common response wasn't listening to music, spending time online, or shopping. Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer. And even better for parents, nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.

There were other surprises in the survey.

• Almost no one said "money" when asked what makes them happy.
• Being sexually active leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey.
• Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.
• Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents!

Once again, research confirms the ancient truth of the Scriptures. That true happiness is derived from a relationship with God and family. That the material world can't provide lasting satisfaction. And that parents are the primary shapers of their children's lives.

It may sound old fashioned and out of date, but once again we find that happiness is spending time with family. Dad and mom, have you spent quality time with your children today?

How happy are those who fear the Lord - all who follow his ways! Psalm 128:1

Our Times Are In His Hands

Jason, Josh, Jon and I just got back from a quick two-day trip to Minneapolis. We'd been planning to go to a Twins game this week before the I35W bridge collapsed. We spent Monday afternoon before the game walking along the bank of the Mississippi River.

We walked over the river on the Stone Arch Bridge that was built in 1883 and got a view of what is left of the I35W bridge. You can see part of the bridge jutting up into the air to the left of Josh's shoulder. It was quite an erie feeling looking at the rubble and remains, realizing that just days earlier at that very spot an eight-lane bridge spanned the Mississippi.

We enjoyed exploring downtown Minneapolis and along with coffee at Carabou Coffee. The Twins game was somewhat of a disappointment, getting shut-out by Paul Byrd and the Indians 4-0. We enjoyed talking to our Ramada Inn van driver. He had delivered someone to the northside of Minneapolis last Thursday afternoon. He was on his way back downtown at 5:45 PM on I35W and decided to take another route because the traffic was backed up. His spur-of-the-moment decision may have saved his life!

And of course, no trip would be complete without a game of miniature golf. We found a nice course in Bloomington. You can click on the picture above to see a slide-show of our trip.

I enjoyed getting an update from Sharon on our trip back to Cedar Rapids. She is in good spirits after completing what she says, was "the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life." Way to go Sharon! We are proud of you!

A Grand Hike

Sharon along with five other friends is now in Arizona preparing for their round-trip hike of the Grand Canyon tomorrow! They plan to go down on the South Kaibab Trail and return on the Bright Angel Trail. The inner gorge reaches temperatures over 100 degrees making the hike more difficult.

They plan to get started at 5:00 AM in order to beat the heat and to watch the sun rise over the canyon. They hope to make the 16 mile hike in eight hours.

I'm sure that Sharon and her fellow travelers will return with many photos and stories of adventure. But more importantly, their journey to Arizona has forged new friendships and demonstrated the power of a shared dream. Tomorrow is the day - the day of the Grand Hike!

Iowa Games Ultimate Champions

Josh and Jon and some of their friends competed in the Iowa Games Ultimate Frisbee tournament today. The Cobra Kai team got off to a tough start after they thought they beat the UNI team 7-5 because of the time cap. After the two teams shook hands and began to leave, the tournament official arrived and told them that they needed to continue to play out the game. Cobra Kai let the game slip out of their hands and lost a heart-breaker, 8-9! It was a tough way to begin the tournament.

They lost their next two games to two teams that went on to qualify for the medal round. Cobra Kai finished their pool play strong with two wins and qualified for the "We Almost Made It Consolation" bracket! They won the next two games, finishing 4-3 for the day and won the Consolation medal!

It was great day, in spite of the sun burn that I got. Got to remember to bring the sun block next year. You can see a slide show of the day by clicking on the picture above. Congratulation Cobra Kai. You are Iowa Games Ultimate Champions!

Winners

We had the season-ending Linn-Mar Baseball Banquet tonight at the high school. The dish-to-pass didn't disappoint and there was plenty of food to feed the 8th grade through varsity baseball teams!

At the end of the evening they handed out the awards. The season was a little disappointing regarding wins and losses. But we are proud of Jon and how he persevered through the difficulties, never complaining. He finished hitting .333 and led the team in stolen bases.

And this evening, Jon was rewarded for his hard work and positive attitude. He was voted to the Mississippi Valley Conference All-Academic team. And he was voted by his teammates as the Most Valuable Role Player. Coach Lechner said that "Jon is the nicest player he has ever coached."

Way to go Jon! You have been an inspiration to all who watched you play this year. Thanks for giving your best, working hard, and doing it all with a positive attitude. In the score that matters most, you are a winner in every way!

Birthday Boys

Today is Josh and Jon's 19th birthday. It's their last year as teenagers! That doesn't seem possible.

We celebrated by going to Olive Garden for dinner, one of their favorite restaurants. As is our custom, we put the birthday person on the "hot seat" and shared what appreciated about them.

And of course, the evening wouldn't be complete without a birthday dessert! A dessert for the birthday boys! Happy birthday Josh and Jon.

Looking Backward, Moving Forward

The extended Flage family gathered today in Waukon in northeast Iowa to help celebrate Gladys' 90th birthday. Family members traveled from Georgia, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa to be together for this special event. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the day.

God has been good to give Gladys 90 full years. It was an awesome time reconnecting and interacting with family.

The day was especially meaningful for myself and the entire Flage family as the party was held at Zalomona Presbyterian Church in Ludow, Iowa. This is the church that all six children attended growing up on the farm. It's the church that Sharon and I were married in, in 1977. It's the church where Sharon's father's funeral was held, and the place of his burial in the adjoining cemetery. And it's the place of rest for Frederick Flege, Sharon's great grandfather.

Our families are growing, expanding and changing. During this past year there have been two weddings, several graduations and some important birthdays! By God's grace, our lives continue to move forward. Life always moves forward, it never pauses or stops.

It's good to be reminded of our past and of God's faithfulness to us over the years. But the past is valuable only to the extent that helps us move into the future. Our lives are not meant to be a monument or memorial to the past, but a movement that inspires others to step into the future. Life is meant to be lived looking forward, not backward.

There are new opportunities to explore, new challenges to undertake and new promises to claim. There is a new generation watching and waiting for their turn to lead. What encouragement and gift will we give them for their journey?

On the way home in the car this evening I was talking to Josh and Jon about the day and some of my thoughts. Sharon stayed behind in Waukon to spend time with her family. I told the boys that if Sharon lives to be 90 and if I have passed away, to make sure that they throw her a great 90th birthday party. I explained that daughters are often the ones who take the lead in caring for their parents. And with four boys, they would need to step up and take initiative.

What they shared with me next floored me. Jon said, "Don't worry dad. Jason, Josh and I have made a pact to make sure that our families stay close. We will take care of mom." I was speechless as the tears streamed down my face. My boys have become men. They are ready to move into the future with faith and confidence. They are ready to take what they've been given and make their mark on the world.

Welcome to the Family

We had our 7th Annual Picnic and Baptism at Pleasant Creek State Park this past Wednesday evening. The weather was spectacular, it couldn't have been more perfect. We enjoyed an incredible spread of food, a time of worship lead by our Senior High, and then testimonies and baptisms. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

The picnic and baptism is a great picture of the church in its purest form. Families come together around the person of Christ to enjoy a time of food, fellowship, worship and public declaration of our faith. It's a wonderful image of what it means to be part of the family of God.

33 people made public declarations of their faith in Christ through baptism. It was so awesome to see dads baptising their children. But the most special thing for me Wednesday night was the privilege I had of baptising Josh and Jon. It doesn't get better than this.

I'm so proud of both of you and your desire to follow Christ. There's no greater joy than to know that your children are walking in the truth. Josh and Jon, welcome to the family!

Pura Vida

It seems as though everyone is talking about "pura vida". Garrison Keillor is the latest to write about it. "Pura Vida" literally translated means pure life. "Pura Vida" is the unofficial national motto of the country of Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans use the phrase to express "strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly and celebrating good fortune of magnitudes small and large alike."

So, were can a person go to experience this kind of life? Is strong community and the enjoyment of life only available to Costa Ricans? If you are to believe Garrison Keillor, pura vida is best defined by those who live in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles! Garrison, you are kidding me, right? Now, southern California is a beautiful part of the country with some spectacular natural resources. It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Los Angeles has a lot going for it, but I'm sorry, it's not the source of pura vida.

What is Garrison Keillor thinking about? Perhaps he was referring to Los Angeles violent crime rate that is twice the national average for murder, robbery and aggravated assult. Perhaps he is thinking about the fact that Los Angeles is ranked the most polluted city in the US according to a 2007 American Lung Association report. Or perhaps he is thinking about the cost of living in Los Angeles that is the third highest of any major US city. In case you're interested, the cost of living in Los Angeles is 75.0% higher than in Cedar Rapids.

And tell me this, if LA is such a great place, why is Kobe Bryant demanding to be traded from the Lakers? Why does he want out of Los Angeles?

If Los Angeles isn't the keeper of pura vida, where do we turn? Where do we go to find pure life? Is life found in a particular city or country?

Life in all its fullness is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the "way, the truth and the life." He is the one who came that we may "have life, and have it to the full." He is the one who reminds us that a "man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus is the giver of all life - life that is full and pure!

Following Jesus and being on mission with Him is the essence of real life. To follow Jesus is to live life to the fullest. People like John Sage have discovered the difference a relationship with Christ can make. At 36 years old, John Sage had accomplished it all. He was a millionaire entrepreneur with a devoted wife and two fine sons. But 100 hour work weeks at Microsoft left him empty and burned out.

A conversation with friend and missionary, Chris Dearnley, resulted in the two of them starting Pura Vida Coffee. The mission of Pura Vida is to create good by using capitalism to empower producers, motivate consumers, inspire business leaders, and ultimately serve the poor. To date, Pura Vida has distributed over $1.5 million, which helps provide clothes and food to street kids, job training, libraries, computer centers, and scholarships to children in Costa Rica and other coffee growing countries.

John Sage and others like him have learned that real life is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ and by being on mission with Him. Aligning our life around His purposes is the way to a life worth living. Jesus is the way to a full and engaged life - pura vida!

Let's Shape Up

American teens are heavier and more overweight than other teens throughout the world. Not a recognition to be proud of. Much has been written regarding the problem, and it's a serious one.

One-third of children and teens in the USA — about 25 million total — are overweight or obese, which puts them at risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems. "Never before has there been a generation in which so many kids are so heavy so early in life," says Dr. David Ludwig.

In September 2006, the prestigious Institute of Medicine cautioned that about 20% of children in the USA will be obese by 2010 if dramatic steps aren't taken. Dr. Ludwig, the director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, has done more than 40 research studies, including reports that show:

• If childhood obesity continues unabated, it could shorten the average life span of today's children by two to five years.
• Overweight teens eat about 400 more calories on a day when they consume fast food compared with a day when they don't.
• Highly processed foods, which are low in fiber, can cause weight gain because after eating these foods, children's blood sugar often rises quickly, then crashes. This stimulates hunger and overeating.

Dr. Ludwig has worked with over 5000 overweight children and their families. He has just published a new book titled, Ending the Food Fight: Guide Your Child to a Healthy Weight in a Fast Food/Fake Food World. The book offers a offers a proven 9-week program that can turn your children’s health around. The program includes a six-step plan:

• Working together as a family, make a “clean sweep” of your home, removing all the "fake" food, replacing it with "real" food.
• Introduce your children to nutrient-rich, low-glycemic real foods.
• Start replacing refined sugary cereals and processed breads with whole grains.
• Go for family walks. Teach your kids that walking 30 minutes a day at a moderate pace would burn over about 50,000 calories in a year or about 15 pounds of body weight.
• Learn “The Power of Ten.” Encourage your children to get active for 10 minutes at a time. They can walk, jump rope or play outdoors in three 10-minute blocks over the course of a day or two 15-minute blocks.
• Let your child participate in menu planning and food preparation. You’ll find that if your kid cooks it, he or she eats it.

Our societal trend toward childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes can be swayed. But it will take re-education and a change of eating and exercise habits. American, let's shape up!

Call Me Boring

The National Basketball Association playoff finals are going on right now. Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs are playing LaBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't watch NBA basketball but the finals are sometimes fun to follow.

I'm intrigued by all the media hype LaBron James has received and all the negative criticism that Tim Duncan and the Spurs have received. LaBron is new, exciting, confident, and brash. He has been anointed the next savior of the NBA. Wow! Pretty big shoes to fill.

Tim Duncan aka "The Big Fundamental," is described as old (he's 30!), dull and boring! Watching the Spurs play basketball has been likened to watching paint dry. And what has Tim and the Spurs done to deserve this kind of criticism? All they do is win basketball games and championships in a professional, team-oriented style of play. The Spurs have been recognized as the model NBA franchise that all others should seek to emulate.

Please spare me! Isn't this what professional sports is supposed to be all about? Isn't success measured by championships? I don't know about you, I don't mind being called boring as long as you also call me "Champion!"

The problem is that athletics have become more about entertainment and less about competition. Big egos, large super-star contracts, charismatic personalities, and unfulfilled expectations litter the sports landscape on the way to championship rings. In the end, it's almost always the team who quietly plays good defense, executes on offense and plays together well as a team who wins championships.

And what has Tim Duncan accomplished during his 10-year NBA career? Tim Duncan is a three-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. He has also won the NBA Most Valuable Player twice, and was voted into nine All-Star games, ten All-NBA teams, and ten All-Defensive teams. Many basketball experts consider him to be one of the greatest power forwards in history

In addition, as a college player, he was named ACC Male Athlete of the Year, won the John R. Wooden Award and was named Naismith College Player of the Year (all 1997). In his rookie year in the NBA (1998), he was voted Rookie of the Year and elected into the All-NBA Rookie Team. Duncan is one of only four players to receive All-NBA First Team honors in each of his first eight seasons (1998-2005), along with Hall of Famers Bob Pettit (10 seasons), Larry Bird (9 seasons), and Oscar Robertson (9 seasons), and is the only player in NBA history to receive All-NBA and All-Defensive honors in his first nine seasons (1998-2006). Duncan was also named by the Association for Professional Basketball Research as one of "100 Greatest Professional Basketball Players of The 20th Century", being the youngest player on that list.

Not a bad resume' for such a boring guy! You won't be reading about Tim Duncan being arrested for animal endangerment. You won't be reading a newly released book by Duncan criticizing his teammates and coaches. You won't be hearing his name associated with a steroid investigation. And you won't be seeing his mug shot on national news regarding felony charges related to weapon possession at a local strip club. How boring!

Tim Duncan is a classy, stand-up guy who quietly goes about his business and wins championships. He knows that winning is more about substance than style, team-work rather than individual accomplishment. In this age of super-star egos, Tim Duncan is a flat-out winner.

So go ahead, call Duncan boring if you must. But just remember, you also must call him Champion!

Cy-ber Victory!

After five weeks, more than 8 million votes and thousands of e-mails and internet message board threads, Cy emerged victorious in the battle of the mascots! 64 college mascots vied to be the Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth, a contest sponsored by CBS sportsline.com.

In a contest that captured the hearts and minds of college sports fans across the nation for more than six weeks, Cy the Cyclone emerged as 2007's Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth. On its way to the top, the violent windstorm overcame several mythical creatures and inanimate objects before finally taking on and defeating the Spartans and Razorbacks.

Check out the YouTube video above that gives an overview of Cy's road to victory. Way to go Cy and the entire Cyclone nation! You dominate!

Faithful Endeavor Relocation Journey

Our church family gathered together on Tuesday evening to listen to an update from the Relocation Leadership Team regarding our architectural master plan. It was an exciting meeting as we:

• Recalled our history and how we embraced faith to move from G Avenue to our present location in 1982


• Reviewed our design values and our desire that our new facility be welcoming, comfortable, functional, expandable and flexible


• Listened to Tom Smith from CDH Partners present the master plan and phase 1 design


• Heard a presentation from John Maurice regarding the total project cost and funding


• Reviewed the timeline regarding the relocation project


• Dreamed of what God could do through a people who are totally devoted to Him and what part each of us can play


• Had a time of Q and A with the Relocation Leadership Team, Tom Smith, Steve Emerson (our owners rep), and representatives from Rinderknecht Associates


• Had time to review the drawings and ask further questions in the lobby after the meeting was over

It was quite an evening! What's the next step? Our relocation journey is all about God and His glory. We need to pray for direction and discernment. We need to continue to give faithfully to the Embracing Faith stewardship campaign, and pray about what God would have us give toward the second campaign in January 2008. And lastly, we need to continue be involved in prayer, care and share. Leading people into a growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what we are all about.

We handed out a Faithful Endeavor Newsletter at the end of the meeting. You can read an online version by clicking here. Please be patient - it's a six page newsletter and it takes a while to download. You can also see a short slide show of the evening by clicking on the picture above.

Our new property has been purchased, our master plan has been designed and our Phase 1 drawings are prepared. We are ready to embark on the next step of our relocation journey!

Switch

Cedar Rapids is in the news! The National Institute on Media and the Family recently announced that its community and family-focused pilot program showed that a substantial number of kids turned off their televisions, engaged in more physical activity and ate more fruits and vegetables.

The eight-month pilot program called Switch was conducted with more than 600 children in five elementary schools in Cedar Rapids and two elementary schools in Lakeville, Minnesota during the 2005-2006 school year.

Switch is the first childhood obesity prevention project to incorporate the amount of screen time component as a factor for the overall health of children. The program purpose is to Switch what children Do, View and Chew. This MediaWise program seeks to give parents and communities the tools they need to address all three major contributing factors to childhood obesity: activity level, diet and screen time.

And why is this needed?

Kids today spend more time in front of a screen than any other activity except sleeping. On average, they clock close to 45 hours a week fixed to electronic screens. Not surprisingly, Institute research and other studies demonstrate a link between the amount of time kids spend in front of screens and their risk of becoming overweight or obese.

The study showed that after eight months of participating in the program, the children most at risk of being obese or overweight substantially improved their physical activity and eating habits. In fact, at the end of the program, the most obese children cut their screen time by 5 1/2 hours per week, and more than four out of 10 kids in Switch reported watching less television and spending less time playing video games.

"This study provides the most concrete evidence to date that excessive amounts of screen time vastly increase the risk of childhood obesity," said Dr. David Walsh, president and founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family. "Every parent needs to understand the link and take significant steps in turning off their child's television and computer."

I written in the past at Watch What Your Kids Watch and The Smart Thing To Do about the link between excessive media consumption and childhood obesity. This is a problem that's not going away soon and needs to be dealt with.

Kudos to MediaWise and the Cedar Rapids School District. This is a step in the right direction. But it's just a step. Healthy, life-style behavioral change needs to be continually reinforced by families, schools and the community.

It's time to turn off the television, pause the video gaming system, log off the computer, and get some exercise. What good can we do if we redeem even half of the 45 hours a week that the average child spends in front of a screen? It's time to make a switch.

Servant and Leader

I found an interesting article by Jim Bolt at FastCompany.com. Bolt's firm, Executive Development Associates, Inc., asked heads of executive/leadership development to identify leaders who had a reputation for being great at developing leadership talent. They interviewed 20 "role model" leaders from 16 companies.

The study reveals how top executives spot and develop leadership talent. But the part of the study that I found the most interesting is what causes rising stars to suddenly derail and crash.
The study asked the role-model leaders what derailment factors they look for in both High Potential Executives and Emerging Leaders. These were the most frequent responses:

• Ego - 53%
• Developed too quickly - 36%
• Self serving - 30%
• Repeated failure - 29%
• "One trick pony" - 23%

Two of the interviewee comments were especially interesting. Remember now, these comments were made by some of the top "role model" leaders who are adept at developing effective leaders.

"If they have strong results, but they sacrifice team members or the bigger picture, or are too self-serving, they would no longer be considered high potential."

"They might have expectations of the rate that they are going to move up. They think that they should be moving up very quickly and when they don't, they lose patience. They can become disillusioned."

Maybe Jesus knew something about leadership development after all. And maybe the business community is learning that an effective leader needs to know how to deal with their ego. And maybe the Scriptures have something to say about effective leadership. And maybe the words servant and leader belong in the same sentence after all.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Graduates

It's been a great graduation weekend! We had Josh and Jon's Graduation Open House yesterday from noon to 3:00. Sharon's sister, Ruth came early to help with the Open House. Steve and Jerri Dee and their nine children traveled from Wausaw to help us celebrate. Ryan and Natalie traveled from Oklahoma, and my dad, one of my sisters and her family and, two aunts and uncles all joined us for the Open House. A special thanks to all our friends and family who helped us celebrate yesterday!

And then, this afternoon we went to the U. S. Cellular Center for Linn-Mar's Commencement Ceremony. Neil and Carol (Sharon's sister and her husband) from Rockford, and Sharon's brother, Dave, joined us today for the graduation. We cheered on Josh and Jon as they walked across the platform to receive their diplomas. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the day.

Congratulations Josh and Jon for your many high school accomplishments. We are proud of you. But your best days are yet ahead! We are looking forward to how God will use your lives in the years to come.

It's Time

Josh wrapped up his vocal season at Linn-Mar with the Spring Vocal Concert last Monday. It was an awesome evening that included a family pot-luck, senior recognition and concert. David Hoobler received the outstanding senior musician award. Way to go David!

The 9th and 10th Grade Choirs, Concert Choir, Chorale, Men and Women's Choirs all performed along with several other ensembles. It was a great evening of music. A special thank you to Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Schmidt for a great year. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Our lives have been filled with a series of "lasts" during the month of May. We can now at the "last vocal concert" to our list! It's a little sad to think that next year we won't be going to marching band contests, winter or spring vocal concerts or track meets in the spring.

But there is a time and season for everything. And this is a season of lasts, and transitions, and new beginnings. Graduation is only a day away. It's time.