Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone enjoyed any trick-or-treating that they got to do.  For us, it was a relatively quick night because of the cold, but, our ninja, our samurai and our dragon had a great time anyway.

The dragon is going to get you!

Kristen looks way happier now
than she would be a little later as
we walked in the cold air

Gotta love the shoes

Quick catch up on Books...reading with Jaden

For one, I have been enjoying the fact that Jaden and I are spending evenings and quiet times together reading.  We do a couple chapters at a time and it is really good bonding time.  We have read a number of things, but of late, we have been reading this Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda.  Here are the ones we have read over the last month or so...

The Shifting Sands



City of the Rats


The Lake of Tears

Jude's Halloween Party at School

We had a fun time getting to go with Jude this afternoon to his school.  It was just Jude, Kristen and I.  It was neat to be able to give him undivided attention.  While he has been very excited about being a dragon for Halloween, I think he enjoyed seeing Scooby-Doo, in person, right outside of his classroom.

Another book

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Saw the movie, so I thought I would read the book...I liked the movie better...which is not the norm. It is a very quick read, which is great and I think there are great things in it, but the story is very simple and if you don't decide to read into it, it could have no impact at all and end up having an old-school, after school special type of feel.

If, however, you think about it with respect to your own legacy as well as how the choices you make impact lives around you...then it can be worthwhile and thought-provoking from that standpoint.

Steak Night Event

We had 118 men attend Steak Night at the church this year.  I acted as MC and did a reasonable job.  I will give myself a 6.  Lots to learn for me in terms of speaking slower, being more precise with instructions and being more planned in my deliver topics in general.  While I think the night was great, I felt like I had taken it down overall by a small amount by distracting things due to my errors.   Oh well...learn and move on.
One thing I will definitely keep in mind, and I have to figure this out with the other guys on the team...I didn't get to actually participate or really enjoy the event because of running it.  While I am OK with that, it makes me think I need to find something for the guys on the team that went through this with me to say thank you and, if possible, help them find a similar experience that they actually get to participate/enjoy so that they are not only serving.

Jaden and I are currently reading...

The Forests Of Silence by Emily Rodda

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed reading this with Jaden. He could easily read it by himself...but this seems to be a good kind of read to do during our together time.  There is something awesome about sharing a story together and having something to look forward to like this.  He is disappointed when we stop reading and is excited to sit down and go through more the next time we have time together.  A good use of our time for sure :)



View all my reviews

Recently read book

The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer by Jonathan McKee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Enjoyed reading this as it had some great practical ways that it is helping someone, such as myself, that has little or no experience in managing volunteers to think of things as I get started in my endeavor.

I think the way it was written was both good and bad. There were moments that the fact that you had multiple authors playing off each other helped things along and others that seemed forced and led to goofy exchanges.

Ultimately, the mark of a good book is are you keeping it for reference? Do you want to give this away to others to help them? Did you spend tons of time wanting to underline things?

I do have this as a reference...as it has some great material in the back with examples that I think are very useful.

I think I would pass this along to others, if they are newer to the game of managing volunteers.

I didn't spend a ton of time underlining...but, there were at least a couple of chapters that I wanted to go back to again.



View all my reviews

Authorized Fire - 1

Don't want to lose this as I really enjoyed giving this talk...
I was asked to give the talk to our Friday morning men's breakfast again, just a while back (8-27).  This particular passage of scripture had jumped out at me several months back and I decided to use it for my discussion.  The following constitutes the main points that I tried to get across...even if not done as well, concisely, or effectively as I would have liked.

To the left is the keepsake that I created.  It was the emphasis and main point of the discussion.  I didn't give it away until the very end...but, I think I will use it for each post for consistency and...I really like it and thought that I did a good job creating something that would help catch the essence of the discussion and people's attention.

So, where to start?  As per the image to the left, we are diving into Leviticus 10, BUT, we have to read the chapters leading up to it to really get the context for the event and the circumstances of Lev 10.

Back at the end of Exodus, the tabernacle was finally built.  This was an awesome and important achievement and was subsequently followed up by creating a group of people that would then be the "go-to" people for the tabernacle.  From the group of Levites, Aaron and his sons were set aside as a special group within a group to act as priests...to act as the intercessor between Israel and God.  What an awesome privilege!

We see that ordination and the "passing of the torch" from Moses to Aaron in the chapters of Leviticus leading up to 10.  It was both a time of celebration and of Atonement as the annual rites were being performed.
It was under that circumstance that Leviticus 10 takes place.  So, think of the following questions before moving on...
1.  How do you act when celebrating?
2.  How do you perform a job when you first receive it?
3.  Why did things happen the way they did in Lev 10?
I will follow up with my thoughts in the following posts....

Jacob is on 2 wheels!

So exciting!

Jacob's First Day of Kindergarten

It was a banner day for this young man as he strode into the world.  He had his bag, his ticket to ride the bus and a smile.  There was no stopping him!  All the family could do was try to grab a little of the sunshine as it headed out the door.




Mom grabbed the first picture...lucky for her.  Jacob was still in the mood and happy to mug for the camera with her.

Dad came next, and though Jacob was still a happy boy, the camera caught the waning interest in taking pictures as we waited for the bus to arrive.

Grandma, reluctant herself to pose for the camera, gets the final take with Jacob who is done with pictures and the bright sun that is causing no end of trouble for the photography team.  "All done!", he cries as his eyes began scanning for the bus' arrival.

The long awaited bus has arrived and away Jacob goes.  Yes, Mom is walking you to the bus today bud...but this is a momentous occasion, none the less.  A full day of school for the first time.  Will he actually be able to handle a day without a nap?