DLmail 3/25/2009 chasing chickens

I had to take a week off from DLmail last week. Just feeling overwhelmed and couldn't get everything done. I realize that I likely ruined the week for most, if not all of you, by not publishing one, and for that I am sorry. But hopefully I will redeem myself with this potentially award winning post. Fasten your seatbelts for this ride.

Discoveryland has seemed crazy lately. But amazing things have happened. The month of learning about Hope has been great. The kids have responded, most notably in 3rd grade last weekend after the lesson regarding heaven. Three changed and committed young lives. Awesome. In the 4th/5th Factory, Heather teamed with Nathan Rychener and rounded out our month by again involving the kids in the teaching, much the same as Rick Rogy did with the combined large group the week before. Look for more and more kid/teaching involvement in the future, it is a great method. Kevin and Monica were gone last weekend and they enlisted veteran Factory volunteers Brian and Karen Cooper. They are welcome back any time. Actually every time. All the time. I don't care. Zach was also in the house Saturday and rounded out our team very nicely. This coming weekend it will be the Stewarts, Tim and myself. It would sound better if I wrote the Stewarts, Coopers, Tim and myself. There is no small group info for you this weekend. We are going to be doing something totally different as the entire evening will find us moving from room to room for different activities. Should be interesting for adults and kids the same.

If you have been missing the mainstage series Cal has been doing titled Storm Shelter, you are missing some fantastic and basic truths of our faith. Check them out here.

On March 14th I dashed from Discoveryland to get to the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner. My dad (business of the year) and Stephanie Farris (Civic Achievement Award) were both being honored. They are shining examples of Christian business leaders. My dad, unprepared and surprised, kept it fittingly short (unless you think Steph is 6' 2"). Humble and gracious. Stephanie was asked to prepare a speech to finish off the evening and she hit it out of the park. Scriptures flowed as the honor was deflected to all those in the room. It was quite a night. For me, I don't know if honoring my dad, being humbled by Stephanie's kind words or winning a door prize (a basket of farm fresh brown eggs, compliments of Three Sisters Park) was the biggest moment. But those eggs took on special meaning to me this morning.

I sell insurance. I sit at a desk all day. Let me highlight my nutty surroundings. As I look at my desk I see highlighters. I have a bag of nuts (almonds) close by. There are some balls with Travelers written on them (I guess they are actually hacky sacks). Stacks of files containing client's private information. You get my drift, those are the most exciting things around me right now. Discovery Channel is unlikely to send a camera crew to film me at work. It just might not captivate audiences. Because my days are mostly mundane, boring, etc. I take advantage of the rare moments when excitement comes my way. So this morning when Jeff came into the office and said "I hear you have a chicken problem" I perked up (even though I wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about). On Monday I had noticed a chicken pecking the ground just down the block from my office. She was a beauty, big and brown. I am fairly used to unusual animals popping up in town. Last year Josh and I chased a fox around our neighborhood with a video camera. Two years ago the kids and I caught a beautiful parrot in my parents yard. I can't count how many possums/raccoons we have caught and relocated. Three years ago a deer ran into me while I was mowing the lawn (that was weird). Also three years ago I tried to catch a rooster in the backyard of my office. Gee, the casual observer would guess I lived in Arkansas. So...

Jeff is in charge of the chickens that produced my doorprize eggs at Three Sisters Park. Someone had called to complain about this chicken (not one of his) hanging around my office. Word got to him and he figured he could add it to his collection at the farm. Catching a chicken isn't all that easy. I knew that going in. So I got out my phone and took a video. Then, I accidentally took a second video (normal for me). It took us about 10 minutes of chasing, mostly around a vacant firetrap of a house. In the end, we made the capture. I received a call just a little while ago from my perplexed wife. "What does chasing chickens mean?" she asked. That caught me off guard. I said it means to chase a chicken. Next question, "Were you chasing an actual chicken down Rt. 29 this morning?" Uh, yes, who (or how many people) saw me? Pam was at the health club walking with friends when a guy mentioned to Pam that he saw me chasing a chicken down the road. Pam and her friends figured that had to be code for some other activity. It was actually non-code for that actual activity. There is something wrong with me. See for yourselves. (oh, and I just noticed that my phone video is rather creepy when transferred to this blog...need to be sure to have my regular camera next time I chase chickens)

Turning 40 isn't pretty

A little over a year ago I turned 40. On that day, I pretty much looked like a goof (see above, and I still have no clue who that kid is holding Pam's hand). I thought it was just me. Last week Tim Reist turned 40. How happy it made me when he too looked goofy on his day. I no longer feel so all alone.
Then there is Sammy, who turned 40 in January, and I just don't know how he was made to dress on his birthday.

DLmail 3/9/2009 springing forward

Discoveryland, March 7, 2009, a night that had everyone frazzled. It seemed crazy, but great things were happening, whether you knew it or not. We had a bunch of kids (and from what I hear the Sunday services were packed as well). A big weekend. Thanks to Zach, Kevin and Monica for serving with the 4th/5th. This DLmail contains a bunch of pics and a couple of videos of our combined teach/worship time with the 2nd/3rd graders.

Kevin Elder and Rick Rogy taught as a team on Saturday. A lot of last minute changes went into the teaching and as it turned out, Kevin ended up playing several roles himself. My personal favorite was the Red Hat Lady (below is a pic, taken telephoto, without a flash, so it is blurry, oh how I wish it were clear). Next week the teach time will address why Mr. Kevin is on stage as a woman about 50% of the time. Another interesting lesson as the kids learned about the incredible, often unimaginable powers of God. There was a bit of a cancer stack in the room as Pam had her little friend Lexi on her lap. Both are cancer patients currently in treatment. Lexi wondered out loud if God has enough power to heal them. Yes He does.

This weekend we continue learning about the virtue of Hope (believing that something good can come out of something bad). Your small group info can be found by clicking here. Our memory verse remains the same, Romans 8:28 "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Our Bible story is The Last Supper - Jesus' last supper with the disciples, Luke 22:7-23; John 13:33-38. The bottom line is - whatever happens, remember what Jesus did for you. For part two of Cal's mainstage message (Is there really a God, and can I really know him?), click here. I am expecting to see Monica, Tim and Caleb (?) this weekend. Be sure to devote plenty of prayer to your ministry this week.

Why do you have to look like such a dolt when you turn 40? To understand better why I ask this question, click here.

DLmail 3/5/2009 table for 36

This is about the third week in a row that I have been busy enough that I can't put a whole lot of effort into the DLmail, so sorry to disappoint all three of you, my readers.

We had somewhat low numbers last Saturday. Easy enough for the four of us to handle. Heather took care of the teaching responsibilities and even let me take one photo of her. I guess she is DEA. Pam is related to a guy who was with the DEA and he always covered his face when I tried to take pics of him, so I figure that is her excuse.

Our virtue for the month is Hope (believing that something good can come out of something bad). This weekend our lesson is Raising Lazarus. The small group information can be found by clicking here. Our Bible story is "Lazarus is raised from the dead" and is found in John 11:1-45. Our memory verse remains Romans 8:28 "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Our bottom line...whatever happens, remember how powerful God is. For Cal's mainstage message (Is there a God and can I really know Him?), click here. Study the Bible passage and devote some solid prayer to this weekend. Thanks.

A little shout out to fellow DL Factory (Sunday) leader Randy. He did what most medical providers do, made a housecall for Pam Sunday and really reassured her by working on that bloody nose. Randy joins Nwoods point first responder Stephanie Elder and DL momma Lisa Benson in the housecall medical provider ranks. It's nice to know the right people, especially when you get sick. Pam is still serving with the kids in 2nd/3rd, but that may soon be changing. Kind of getting to the point where she needs to be really careful about being around any illnesses. She had a great night with just the girls from her small group last Saturday. At long last her little cancer buddy Lexi made it to church. It was a great night and maybe one to end this season on. We'll see.

Finally, we went out to eat after church with some fellow Chillicothe families. As I looked around the table at our crowd, I counted 36 (maybe more, they kept moving). Crazy. Dan Garner took great care of our entire crew. Sadly, Dan's father passed away just a day and a half later, early Monday morning. Pray for Dan and his family if you know them and if you get the chance. His father knew the Lord and was prepared for this day.