Biggest fan

Today was the girls dance recital. We had a blast. There is a lot of work that goes into a 2 minute routine. 

We sit for hours to watch our little darlings perform. This afternoon when Hannah was done, we told her Rae was next and she lit up with excitement. Hannah is Raegans biggest fan and vice versa. 

I love seeing these girls cheer each other on. When Rae took the stage, Hannah was yelling her name to show support. When the dance was over, Hannah asked if she could give Rae the flowers. That made my heart melt. 

Hannah knew how good it felt to receive flowers after the performance and she wanted to bring that joy to her sister. (Of course we let Hannah give Rae the flowers with the disclaimer that daddy bought them - just kidding, chill out). 

My point: we all need someone cheering us on. No matter what we are doing or attempting, it makes us feel a lot better if we have someone believing in us and making sure we know it. 

Who do you believe in & how do you show it. Who believes in you & how do they show it?

PACE

Tonight at C3s leadership meeting we revealed a model called PACE. 

PACE is an acronym for:  

Prayer 

Accountability

Confession

Encouragement

We want to try our best to make sure people have a few others they get together with on a regular basis and PACE. 

This isn't something we are going to be able to create, but we can create environments for this to naturally happen. We will make every environment an opportunity to meet others and introduce people to others. 

If we can help everyone find 3 or so friends, they will stick around long enough to allow God to do something in their life. 

My point: everyone grows at their own PACE. Everyone does life at their own PACE. If we allow someone to hold us accountable by asking us the tough questions and then be brutally honest enough to answer without fear - imagine what could happen. Then if the other person was encouraging u by reminding u who u are and helping u replace lies with Truth then finishing up by praying - WOW. That is a formula for spiritual growth. 

PACE will result in better relationships with ur family, spouse, kids, coworkers & friends. It will help u grow and make better decisions. 

We are very excited about this. We know it may be difficult to implement but we know it'll be worth it. 

Who are u doing PACE with???

UP

This week we got UP fitness bands. Since wearing them for 3 days we are now able to see how many steps we take, how much deep sleep, light sleep and even how long it takes for us to fall asleep. 

It is very cool but the reason it helps make better / healthier choices is because we are now accountable and we get immediate feedback. Deni can see what I have done and I can see what she has done. 

It even allows u to be on teams for an additional challenge if u want that. A lot of times we make unwise or unhealthy choices because we think it won't hurt, no one will know or I will make it right later. With his little bracelet, we get instant feedback. 

This thing will even remind u (by a light vibration) that u have been sitting for 15 - 30 mins. If we are in the car or if I am at my desk checking emails, I am gently nudged to get up and move around. 

My point: we all like instant feedback. We like to see "likes" or comments on our posts, we like to see the number go down on the scale, we like to get a laugh at a joke - whatever feedback or affirmation looks like to u, we like it immediately. 

What if we were this intentional with our spiritual lives - c'mon somebody!!!

Starting point

About every 6 weeks I am totally re-energized. 

No matter how frustrated I get, how bad things go, how things get misperceived, how many people say they will do something then don't - none of that matters because every 6 weeks I am reminded why I do what I do. 

In an environment called "starting point",  Konan and I present the story of how we started, where we are now and where we feel like God is leading C3. 

I get fired up every time I hear our pastor tell the story of "what if..."  

What if there was a place people genuinely felt welcome. What if people wanted to take off the masks. What if they trusted us enough to invite their friends. What if they believed Gods promises. What if they truly wanted a personal relationship with Jesus. What if they loved other people. What if they lived with a different focus other than themselves or more money. What if...

C3 gets to meet amazing people every week. We are blessed with guests and a lot of those guests attend starting point to hear "the story". 

My point: getting to hear the reason we started this journey about 7 years ago keeps everything in perspective. Keeping that focus helps minimize the challenges of life.

If ur getting frustrated or burnt out, revisit the reason u started. What was your starting point???

Trophy

Some people work hard regardless. Some work harder if there is a cash prize and some are good with a trophy. 

I think the trophy is a little overrated. Not because I don't have any but because the ones I do have are in places that no one can see or would even care to see. 

Trophies seem to be like golf or fishing stories. No matter how awesome they are to you, no one else really seems to care. Even if they act like they care, they definitely don't carry the excitement you do. 

My point: The value of a trophy is in ur accomplishment. No one can ever take away what you achieved. No one will be as excited as you but you didn't earn it for anyone but yourself. I like looking at trophies to remember the accomplishment. 

I don't necessarily need a visual reminder but when looking at them, it forces you to relive the experience. Celebrate it again or learn from it and allow it to drive u to be better. 

If everyone gets a trophy, it loses its value - just sayin...

FYI this is the C3 softball trophy from a few years ago. C3 couldn't wait to get it and now can't wait to earn another one. I guess this one is feeling all alone in the electrical closet of the church. 

Just love em

We are transitioning a lot of amazing people to help in C3 kids. We spent some time writing job descriptions, talking about priorities, how to run more efficiently, making sure the training process is efficient and lookin at our communication. Not to say all that is not important but when it comes right down to it, the best thing we can do to have a lasting impact on these amazing kids - is simply love em. 

Our children's volunteers are the heroes of Sunday morning. Without them, no one would be able to pay attention in the adult service. Every person who makes a decision to change for the better is able to so so because the children are being kept safe and taught biblical principals in an age appropriate environment. If all our children were in the adult service, it would be crazy and impossible to control them let alone pay attention. 

My point: I talk to a lot of people who don't feel "qualified" to work in kids ministry but if all u can do is love em, that's enuf. 

When these kids are grown they probably won't remember all the creative ways we communicated but without a doubt they will remember the ways we communicate love. 

If all u can do is show love - that's enuf. 

Biking

Got up early to go for a 25 mile bike ride while it was sprinkling. After that the family went for a  bike ride in the sunshine. 

It was a great day. I love getting out and riding but the coolest part of my morning ride was who I got to ride with. I am getting to know a neighbor who lives down the street. Riding was a great way to spend about an and a half talking and getting to know each other better. 

The family bike ride was beneficial for many reasons. The whole family was together, we were doing something as a family, it was physical activity instead of sitting in front of a tv and it made memories. 

My point: it really doesn't matter what ur doing, what matters is enjoying the journey. Make intentional efforts to have conversations. Invite people u don't know well and use it as an opportunity to get to know them better. 

I want people to be able to trust me and spending time together really helps allow that to happen. 

Sign of happiness

Few things make me happier than these faces. 

Today @C3 we talked about passing things down to our children. If we don't deal with our insecurities we will no doubt pass them down. 

I have heard it said what we do in moderation, our kids will do in excess. This is very exciting when it comes to things like being generous, praying, helping others and all the good things but there is another side to this statement. What about worry, fear, pride, poor decisions...ouch. 

The greatest thing we can do for our children is to model what we want them to be. They will probably not remember the countless lectures we have spent hours preparing. They will not see all the thought that goes into a decision but what they will see if you. Everyday in every situation and circumstance - they will see you. 

My point: be what you want your children to be. Ask yourself "what do I want my children to be?" - then go be that. 

Today Hannah (7yrs) came to wake mommy up and snuggled up while she was still in bed. Hannah decided to toot (pass gas, break wind, fart...choose ur word). Hannah followed the noise with a statement: "in some cultures that is a sign of happiness". If that's true, this house is HAPPY!!!

What a better way to start the day. Happy Mother's Day! 

ACTS

Today was an opportunity to get a lot of people together to impact our city. 

One person had a vision to have multiple churches come together to serve the community under the name of love instead of a church name. 

Today there were over 450 people scattered all throughout Pickerington doing a number of different tasks. 

I had the privilege of helping a team assemble a playground. It was nothing but a bare spot in the beginning and the end result of a vision, a plan, a team and execution is a new playground that will be there to enjoy for many years to come. 

My point: sacrifice and service is not always easy but it is always a blessing. I will always be able to look at this playground and say I got to be part of an amazing team of people who sacrificed time and energy (not to mention some ruined clothing) to make this city a little better. 

I am grateful to be part of a great city and a great church. 

Mood swings

When I was training for the triathlon, I read a piece of advice that said "anytime ur mood changes - eat".

I think that's what most people do anyway but this had a very intentional reason.

During the triathlon u go thru so many mental phases. One minute ur crazy excited, the next ur exhausted and just want it to be over. U get fired up when the swim starts then scared that ur gonna drown. Ur happy when the biking is finally finished then overwhelmed when u realize u still have to do a full marathon. Ur cheering other people on while wishing it was u finishing instead of just making the turn to do ur next 13 miles.

The reason the advice was to eat anytime ur mood changes is because moods change so often and that's when u need to eat - often.

When ur doing the event the last thing u want to do is eat but its exactly what you need to do. U need calories and eating as often as ur mood changes is a great way to remember to eat. I had my watch set to eat every 15 minutes but I if I ate every time my mood changed I would wouldn't have to wait 15 minutes.

What if we lived by this principle but with one minor adjustment. What if we prayed or read the bible every time our mood changed.

My point: most of the time the last thing we want to do is the best thing we can do. When we are happy, read and pray to give God thanks. When we are sad, read and pray to get comfort and peace. When we are mad, read and pray for patience and clarity.

Every time ur mood changes - read or pray. Now that would lead to some serious LifeChange (not to mention we would probably lose some weight...)

Butt hurts

Today was the first day I got out on the bicycle. I went with a few other guys and we rode about an hour and a half. As we were riding we were discussing how our butts are going to feel tomorrow.

I don't need to wait until tomorrow, my butt hurts now.

This made me think about how at the end of last season, my butt didn't hurt at all cuz I biked a lot and my bottom got used to the seat.

No matter how long u bike, if u take an extended time off, u will probably hurt the first time u ride after a break.

Just like lifting weights. If u don't lift for awhile then lift again, u get sore. If u don't run for awhile then run, u get sore.

I guess it's like anything. If u don't do it for awhile, u can't pick up where u left off.

Just because I did a triathlon last year, there is no way I could do it today.

Just because I read the bible last year doesn't mean I still know it or can easily apply what it says.

My point: if u want to be something, u have to be consistent. If u want to do some thing well, u have to practice it.

What do u want to do well and what is it going to take to keep doing it well.

Moving parts

We are learning a lot of lessons as a growing church.

One lesson many others are beginning to learn with us is how many moving parts there are. Everything affects everything.

We have awesome volunteers and when u have a lot of people involved there will no doubt be things that won't go according to plan.

When one thing happens, sometimes it isn't a big deal but when one thing happens to many people - it becomes a big deal.

When people hear how one thing affects everything else, it motivates them to really own their part to ensure the experience is as great as it can be.

Our leadership lesson tonight was about doing the best u can with what u have. We discussed how we can even do better and got some great feedback.

My point: when we were smaller the glitches were easier to fix or cover up. As we grow, the missteps affect more people and are tougher to repair.

The best thing we can so is keep tying what we are doing to the LifeChange people are experiencing. We also need to make sure we are properly training and communicating. After that, people will be who they are.

Do what you can and be ready to make adjustments. The more moving parts you have, the more the machine can be affected.

Video Vine

I wasn't sure about the Vine app when it first came out. I signed up but only tried it once.

Since then I have seen it grow in popularity and have seen some hilarious videos.

It is amazing how funny people can be in 6 seconds. I thot twitter was crazy limiting a tweet to 140 characters and thot Vine was even crazier to limit someone to 6 seconds. I was crazy for thinking people couldn't utilize the very limited time.

I started thinking how it forces you to prepare more when u have limited time or space. Sometimes its easier to ramble for 30 minutes than to prepare a strategic 5 minute message.

Companies pay thousands, sometimes millions for 30 second commercials. In this day of multimedia, it is not difficult to find something to entertain us. When someone tells me to watch a video I always ask "how long is it?". If it is longer than about 3 minutes I usually don't want to "waste my time".

My point: time is valuable and it only proves if we are strategic with it, we can accomplish a lot. We don't need to say a lot, we need to say meaningful things.

I am a fan of vine because I can watch a lot in a little amount of time.

I remember reading a book called "say it in 30 seconds or less" - exactly

Reuben, Lil Bill & Billy Ray

Last week the biggest problem I had to solve was how to stay cool in the hot sun. I know, u feel sorry for me.

Well, it seems the Dominican Republic had a solution called a "cool tub". Not to be confused with a hot tub.

I met some interesting people in the cool tub. I don't know their names but I will can tell u what I called em. One guy looked just like Reuben Studdard from American idol so I called him Reuben. Another guy was from Poland and his friend was from the Ukraine so that's how I referred to them. The last guy had a striking resemblance to the cartoon character based on Bill Cosby called Lil Bill, so we called him Lil Bill.

We were all having a great time in our new cool tub community then Reuben realized everyone had a name except me. Since I don't resemble anyone famous so they were struggling, but then Reuben made the parallel to my facial hair "soul patch" and the facial hair of Billy Ray Cyrus. That is all it took, from then on, every time I saw my new cool tub friends, they called me "Billy Ray".

My point: people love community. It doesn't take long to connect with people and create memories but it does take an intentional effort. I will never see these people again but they will be forever in my memory. I don't even know their real names but I will always remember our cool tub community.

To create great memories, you don't have to share a cool tub of water full of who knows what - but u do have to share life.

To do: Nothing

Well we hit the ground in Miami today after 5 nights in the beautiful Dominican Republic.

I will remember many things about this trip but the theme that kept coming up was "nothing".

We woke up whenever we wanted and did whatever we wanted. If we wanted to do nothing, that's what we did. There was access to food pretty much anytime. Transportation would take u anywhere u wanted at just about any hour.

We made a plan that went something like this: wake up whenever and do nothing. Then go eat and go back to doing nothing. After that we will lay at the beach or pool while doing nothing. After hours of doing nothing, we were hungry again so we would eat at a diff restaurant then resume- yep, nothing. This continued until we decided to turn in for the night to resume doing nothing the next day.

My point: we live in a fast paced world but it was absolutely incredible to do nothing for so long. It took us 10 years to take this trip but hopefully it won't be another 10 before we can do nothing again.

Happy?

This sept will be my 10yr wedding anniversary. We are finally going to go on a vacation together. We are going to go to the Dominican Republic. I heard great things about it.

Each anniversary is a milestone but it really made me think about why people say "happy" anniversary.

People say "happy" whether they know if it is actually a celebration for the couple or not. Whether it is happy or not, I agree it should be celebrated because they chose to stay together.

Most people say it because they just don't know what else to say. Have u ever heard of anyone saying "crappy anniversary" or "not too bad anniversary"?

My point: we decide whether we have a happy anniversary or not. Staying together is a choice and happy is also a choice. My happiness does not depend on anyone else. Having an anniversary is a choice and making it happy is also a choice.

Of course I am talking about a marriage anniversary. There are definitely some anniversaries of very tough times that will not bring happy memories.

Happy is depends on me.

If nothing ever changes...

The word "change" stirs up a lot of emotions. I guess it all depends on the lens you are looking thru. Uncertainty, excitement, anxious, cautious, angry, sad, uneasy, indifferent and joy are just a few of the words people use to describe change.

C3 is going thru some changes. Come to think about it, C3 always seems to be in a season of change. The one thing that stays the same is the consistency of change.

People are affected by change and I have had to have some tough conversations, some uncomfortable ones and some pleasant ones.

I started saying this statement (be ready, it's pretty profound): "if nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes".

Did u get the full effect of it. Did it impact you deeply. Did it hit confuse you. Did it insult you. Did it make you think - yea, me too.

My point: if C3 is constantly changing, everything & everyone has to continue changing as we'll. I have learned to love it and hate it at the same time. I think others have too.

We don't get to rest because change causes you to adjust. We don't get to celebrate long because the next change is coming soon. We don't get to coast or set the cruise control because the speed is never the same.

Here's the truth: if nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes. If everything stays the same, then everything stays the same. But If everything changes, then everything changes.

Checklists, serving and smart mouths

Hannah made her checklist for tomorrow. It may look like she needs Gatorade for school and dance but to her it says "get ready".

I had the privilege of driving a C3 student home tonight to a neighbors house. He came to C3 tonight to help with childcare. He told me he loves serving.

I had a conversation with a school teacher and she was saying how you can tell if the father is in the home of her 3rd grade students. You can tell by the way they talk, the way they treat others and definitely in the way they show respect or disrespect to her as a teacher.

All these examples are of kids modeling what they see their parents do. My wife and I put everything into our calendars for each to see. I have to do lists and checklists everywhere. Hannah is modeling what she sees her parents do.

The student I drove home has two amazing parents at home who were serving as community group leaders tonight and that is why their son needed a ride home. They are both very active in our church and so are their other 2 children. This kid loves doing what he sees his parents do.

The last example of the kids behavior at school is sad. Instead of some of them having a positive example at home, some of them have a poor example or no example at all.

My point: parents can't u underestimate our role in our children's lives. They will do what they see us do not necessarily what we tell them to do. If we see qualities or traits in our children, chances are they see it in us. Whether its positive or negative, most of the responsibility is ours to carry.

What are your kids doing that drive you crazy - look in the mirror.

No sweat

There was a commercial that said "never let em see you sweat".

When I was in the Air Force my job was "emergency action controller". Basically I was trained by the United States military to stay calm in high stress situations.

The way we responded to situations set the tone for the entire base so it was very important for us to stay calm.

This is a good principle for our team as a church. When there is a situation, everyone is watching how we handle it. If there is a misspelled word, if someone sings the wrong words to the song, if a mic squeals, if a speaker blows, if a light burns out, if a kid takes off running while screaming, our reaction should always be the same - calm.

If we stay calm the people around us will feel like we have everything under control whether we really do or not.

My point: the perception everything is under control brings calm. When we overreact, others may freak out and make the situation even worse.

Overreacting is always a bad idea.

Teenagers, tattoo artist & bankers

Today @C3 I looked around the room and was amazed at what I saw.

Gauging success is easy in school but how do you determine success in the church world.

The C3 report card is scored on LifeChange. When someone takes a step beyond where they are we celebrate it. The ultimate goal is to give them the information to make a LifeChanging decision.

Today I was struck by the diversity I noticed when I looked around the room. I saw my 16yr old daughter and a lot of her friends, I saw a tattoo artist and a banker. If that isn't cool I don't know what is.

We say we want to be a church where you feel comfortable inviting your friends. Based on that criteria - success.

My point: we could easily point to the offering or the 1100+ people that showed up this weekend but we want to celebrate more than that. We celebrate small steps and major decisions. We celebrate teenagers inviting their friends, we celebrate our banker showing up in his sweater vest and we celebrate our people inviting the one who gave them a tattoo.

We are blown away at what is going on at C3 and we celebrate being part of it.

What other environment will you see teenagers, tattoo artists and bankers.

Go positive

I love throwing a good positive over a potential negative.

I kind of enjoy when a person is trying to be negative about someone and I don't go there. I will say things like: we don't know the whole story, you're definitely entitled to your opinion, that's not the same person I know, let's give em the benefit of the doubt or don't you think that's an unfair perspective.

Sometimes I will be more direct and tell them they are being negative or ask if they would be saying that if the other person were standing here.

The final tactic is to blow up the negative with a positive. I try to talk about something really good about the person just to get the negative person to either see a different side or just shut up.

My point: one of the easiest things to be is negative. One of the hardest things do is be positive around negative people. Training yourself ahead of time, knowing how you will respond to negativity is a great defense to negativity.

The next time someone goes negative - be positive. It will either make them mad or make them quiet. Either way, you're better off.

Honor

This is a great of woman. This great woman is mourning the loss of a great man who served our great country.

The viewing and the funeral were absolutely incredible. The outpouring of love and support to honor Tim's life was nothing short of amazing.

Tim was honored by the US military and his wife was presented with a gift she will always cherish. Tim was honored by friends and family by attending his funeral and showing his girls love. Tim was honored by people sharing memories of how his life made theirs better. Many many people honored Tim.

One great thing was Tim was around long enough to hear people honor him so he could appreciate it.

My point: we need to honor people when they are alive to hear it as well as when they are no longer with us. Life is way to short to wait until a "better time" to show love and honor to those who deserve it. Show honor as you can because you are not guaranteed another opportunity.

It's times like these that make you wonder what you will be remembered for and how will you be honored.

Our friend Tim Caudill died way before his time and we will miss him dearly.

See, I told you

I remember when we moved to Pickerington and we were taking a family walk in a neighborhood when a couple kids ride by and one yelled "O-H" to which we responded "I-O".

After we completed our part, the one who yelled OH turned to the other kid and said "see, I told you". He was proving to the other one that no matter where you yell it, someone will complete it.

It's great to take such pride in our state that you can always count on the pride being returned.

That's how it felt today at the C3 EGGstravaganza. We put it on as a gift to the community. Lots of people showed up as if to say - see, I told you.

When we started C3 our goal was to be a positive influence in this community. I think many families have started bringing people to this event to show them its possible to have fun for free and we don't try to convince anyone to attend our church. It's a gift.

We have done this event every year we have been a church. I love people expect this event. We have positively influenced this community and many people can trust us to say - see, I told you it wouldn't be weird.

My point: do things you are proud of. We are proud to be part of a great church in a great city in a great state.

When people look at you and say to someone else "see I told you" - what so they mean???

DR3AM

We had C3s version of an annual business meeting tonight. We had close to 130 people show up to celebrate 2012 and get excited about 2013.

We presented some incredible information about how great 2012 was and how much greater we believe 2013 is going to be.

We shared these 2012 stats:
-605 first time guests
-324 salvations/recommitments
-59 baptisms
-412 participated in 31 Comm Groups

We don't talk about these things to brag on anyone other than Jesus. As a church we are blessed to have an incredible team dedicated to accomplishing the vision of our pastor - Loving people to LifeChange.

We gave staffing updates and introduced our newest team member, this received a huge round of applause.

My point: a DR3AM requires action. Action requires a plan and a plan requires amazing people. C3 has been blessed with all the above.

We can't wait to say "no way" every time God does something amazing. Maybe we will get to the point where we say "of course He did" but for now we will stay in awe of what God continues to do.

We love Pickerington and I am living the DR3AM.

Why do you play?

Rae (5yrs old) and I were playing tic tac toe and this is the board and its her move. What's a 5yr old to do?

My little left handed princess grabbed her crayon and started to put her X in a spot and I paused her and asked her what are you doing?

Before she answered, I told her to look at the whole board. Hannah (7yrs old) started to tell her what to do and I stopped her. I said Rae, what's the goal? And she said looked at me with a "are u kidding me" look and said "to win".

My point: sometimes we get so caught up playing defense that we forget to play offense. Sometimes we view ourselves as the victim and overlook the fact we are victorious. Sometimes we play not to lose instead of to win.

Sometimes we need to step back and get a fresh perspective. Sometimes a pause before we move is all that's needed.

What's the goal? What are u trying to do. Who are you?

If the goal is to win, play offense. If the goal is to win - WIN!

Rae made the right move - she won

...he says he loves me a lot of times

I had the privilege of taking my 5yr old to daddy night at her preschool. It was a lot of build up and and it did not disappoint.

I scheduled something months prior to knowing about this event so I had to reschedule it. It involved about 13 other people but missing this daddy night wasn't an option.

We arrived to daddy night and I actually put it on my cal wrong and showed up 30 mins early. It turned out being great because we sat in the foyer and talked. Loved it.

Then it was time for the event. Rae introduced me and the teacher walked us thru a typical day. Rae was so proud to show me her world. We then made an airplane, iced a cookie, played in play dough then it was as picture time. We got a pic together and to end the night the kids all sang the daddy song. Priceless!!!

The highlight of the evening was when the teacher showed us the pic our child drew of us. They drew a pic of us and filled in the blank "he is special because _____________"

Rae wrote "he says he loves me a lot of times"

My point: I tell my kids I love them all the time. Right now Rae jokes and tells me "you always say that" - like she is tired of hearing it. I would rather she be tired of hearing it instead of wondering it because I never said it.

Who do you remember, and what do you remember them saying? What do you want to be remembered for saying? Go say it - a lot of times!

Happy birthday?

Today is another birthday. I am truly a blessed man.

I have no health issues to speak of, great job, beautiful home, reliable vehicles & an amazing family. What more could I ask for?

Hannah and Rae hand made me a card and Shayna brought me a polar pop and butterfinger bites - after she ran over a tree and wiped out a mailbox.

She was trying to be nice and surprise me and she was very successful. She burst into my office crying and told me she wrecked her car.

We dealt with the accident report and talked about how it could've been much worse. No one was hurt.

My point: All the consequences of this are inconveniences. It's gonna cost her money to get car repaired, insurance is going to go up, she has to go to court and they may suspend her license for a little bit. I will take inconvenience over injury any day.

While this feels like a cruddy thing to happen on ur birthday, I can't help thank God it wasn't worse.

My family is healthy and safe. Happy birthday to me.

Change

Change for the sake of change is crazy but change with intent is necessary.

Today was the first day of the new service times for C3. We needed to do something because of our limited children's space. We have room to grow in our adult environments so we focused on our true obstacle - kids space.

It took us awhile to drill down on the root of the problem we were trying to solve. It was so easy to think our only option was to add a fourth service time. Once we listed all the pros and cons we realized it wasn't the best solution.

We had a whiteboard session and exhausted all the possibilities then landed on what we decided was the win/win.

Our goal is to have more children attend the 4p service than were attending the 8:15a service. That's it!

My point: change is a constant. Change with a desires outcome is wise change. Change just for the sake of change is frustrating.

Based on today, we are on the right track. The 4p service has room to grow. I think it will prove to be worth the time invested in the decision process. We shall see...

hurry hurry hurry

If you want anything done right or well, it can't be done in a hurry. 

I have started saying "nothing good happens in a hurry". I may get a sarcastic comment here & there but the point is if it's worth doing, it is worth doing well. 

When we are rushed at home, our children respond to us differently. When we are rushed while driving, we put ourselves and others in danger. When we do projects while in a hurry, we typically don't get the best results. When we have to make decisions in a hurry, sometimes we haven't thought thru all the important details. 

My point: I know there are times when you don't have the luxury to take all the time needed to think thru everything. There are times that you have to make a decision or finish a project in a certain amount of time. There are times when you have to be somewhere at a predetermined time. All these things are true BUT for the love of all that is pure and good - plan for it. Always doing things last minute means you are a poor time manager. 

In a society where being busy is some sick badge of honor, people always seem to be in a hurry. Slow down, Hurry is horrible. If you are always in a hurry - it's your fault. 

I heard a guy say if you want to have a growing relationship with Jesus you have to ruthlessly remove hurry from your life. Let that sink in!

Nothing good happens in a hurry...

Brave

Hannah was asked if she wanted to do a certain part in her dance recital. It was a part that would've totally fit her personality but for some reason she said no.

Deni and I were blown away because normally she would've jumped at the opportunity. Then at cheering we noticed that she wasn't as "cheerful" as normal.

We asked her about it and after a few questions she explained she didn't want people to laugh or tease her for doing something different. This crushed us as parents because unfortunately we cannot guard our little girls heart from hurt.

We decided to talk to her about having courage and being brave. Being brave means trying even if ur afraid. We shared stories from our lives where we messed up big time and guess what - people laughed and made fun of us. We had a lot of laughs but I think Hannah understood people are going to laugh and make fun so she might as well have fun doing what she wants to do.

My point: fear keeps us from trying. Fear makes us more concerned about not being laughed at. Fear stops us from being ourselves. Fear makes us worry about what other people are going to think or say. Fear keeps us from being brave. Fear is a liar.

Hannah is brave and as parents we have to keep reminding her of that. Fear is supported by lies but being brave is rooted in courage.

That's what matters

Deni and I just witnessed one of the most precious things ever. Hannah (7) and Raegan (5) just said bed time prayers with each other.

Deni and I were making up Raegan's bed and I told them to get in Hannah's bed until we were done. I said go ahead and pray for each other. Hannah immediately started praying for Rae and it was the most precious thing u could hear.

Deni says bed time prayers with them and so do I and I have seen Shayna (16) kneeling by their beds praying for them before she goes to bed.

I am sure Hannah's prayers were a combination of all the prayers she has heard. It was great. Then it was Raegan's turn. She started with telling Hannah she didn't know how. Hannah told her to just talk to God. The 7yr old was teaching the 5yr old how to pray. Rae did her best and it was adorable. Rae decided she was done and squeezed her "prayer bear" to finish off the prayer time.

The girls had no idea that we were listening. I hugged my wife and we talked about how even tho life can get busy, stressful and chaotic - we are doing something right. We pray with our children and they are hearing us.

When they were done, we ran in there and encouraged their behavior and affirmed them.

My point: my job as a parent is to help my children have a personal relationship with their creator. Not to make sure they have the most toys, newest iPod, cutest clothes... I want them to know what truly matters - family #ThatsWhatMatters

I wish I would've recorded it but I am confident it will not be the last time I hear them pray for each other.

Holy healthy

So the wife and I decided to try juicing. So far we are 0 for 2 in the category of likely to drink that swill again.

Both drinks we had today were absolutely awful and we literally had to choke them down. This stuff takes a long time to prepare and then tastes awful - who wants in???

I can totally see why people don't do this stuff long term. We are going to do a 5 day plan so there is no doubt we will do it but not sure how pleasant its gonna be.

That is probably true of just about everything - if it takes work, time and isn't pleasant- we quit and never achieve the benefits.

Kinda like a relationship. It takes time, effort, finances and its not always pleasant but its worth the investment to receive the rewards.

My point: sticking with something is the only way to benefit from it. Whether its a relationship, workout or eating, the end reward is only going to be a result of not giving up.

I talk to many people who say "it didn't work" but I wonder how long they tried.

What do u need to try again and stick with it longer...

Date night

It was really good to have a date night. A lot of people did a lot of planning to make this night possible.

Many people invested time in the details. Everything from gift bags, cookies, meals, room set up, games (which we won one), speaking schedules and many many more.

The goal was to provide couples with an event to grow closer to each other as we learned Biblical truths and got to hear incredible wisdom from amazing people.

With all the people it took to make the event happen, there were more heroes on the home front. We had to coordinate someone to watch our kids and our dogs. Big sister helped in a transition until miss Becke showed up after not feeling well all week.

My point: I'm blessed. I had a great date night with my beautiful bride and I am so incredibly thankful for everyone who made it possible.

Looking forward to a great event next year.

Squeaker

A "squeaker" is someone who whines or complains. They are annoying but don't know it.

Any toy with a squeaker is very annoying. You never buy ur own kid a toy with a squeaker. A squeaky toy is bought by people who don't have to be around it when it's being played with.

If u buy ur pet a squeaky toy you regret it after about 37 seconds. That's about as long as u can put up with a squeaky toy. After that ur ready to rip the squeaker right out of it and give it back.

This is true of a person who whines and complains - a squeaker. They are the only ones who are not annoyed because they don't realize they are squeaking. Squeakers are so wrapped up in themselves that they don't know it's hard to be around.

Squeaking (complaining) is a very selfish narrow view. They only look at the situation thru their lens. They are so selfish they don't understand how anyone can disagree with their view.

My point: squeakers are exhausting. Squeakers can take up a lot of ur time. If we focus on doing what we know is right, what we are called to do, we don't have to be bothered by squeakers.

If all we do is try to stop the squeaking - that is all we will ever do. Don't worry about the squeakers, do what ur called to do.

Clarity

What do u do when the things that normally bring clarity - don't?

Mon we were driving to Sandusky and my wipers were frozen so they weren't making the windshield any more clear. The thing that normally brings clarity wasn't working.

We were going to Sandusky for a retreat. Normally those type things help bring relaxation and clarity. I say normally because this time it didn't seem to "work".

I realized it wasn't the event or the lack of interruption or the quality family time that brought clarity. It is the connection to God that brings peace and clarity.

My point: the events create time to take a break from the normal day to day busy routine and that break allows me to reconnect to The Vine.

It's not a place, a thing or song that brings clarity - It's God. Those things may help u get in a place to hear from God but we can't make it about the things when it is clearly about The One.

How do u stay attached???

Super Sunday

So another Super Bowl has come and gone. It was a good enough game but not sure there is gonna be one great thing about the game that I will remember for years to come.

What I will remember are the super people that I spent time with on this day. We had 3 super full services at C3 this morning. Then lunch with super friends and family. Then a meeting with super partners in ministry then finally the game with more super friends.

My point: life is about relationships and the rest is just details. If ur gonna have relationships u may as well make them super.

I am a blessed man to have such super people in my life.

Go bucks!

own it

Last week Konan asked me to email him something and I forgot. I could've given a bunch of reasons why I didn't do it but quite honestly, who cares. He didn't need to know the reason it wasn't emailed, he  wanted to know if it was done.

Today, I went to a store to pick up something that has been ordered for over a week now and it wasn't ready. My initial thought was to make mean faces, start throwing stuff, scream while spinning violently and crashing into things but then I thought, what good would it do. I decided to patiently wait and the girl working came to me and apologized for it not being ready. Her explanation was "sir, I am so sorry you are having to wait, I was supposed to do it and I didn't. It was totally my fault. I will get it done right away".

I am glad I didn't overreact. I was prepared to wait but after her explanation and the way she owned it, I would've waited even longer.

My point: excuses are a lame attempt to make you look better than you are. Excuses are something you want everyone to accept from you but you don't want to hear them from someone else. If you said you were going to do something and you didn't, just own it. If you said you wouldn't and you did, own it.

I respect people more if they just own it instead of trying to make it look like they have a really great reason they didn't follow up.

I know there are times I let people down. I know there are times I drop the ball, wet the bed or whatever other phrase you want to use for not doing something. The one thing I will try to do is own it. If I did or didn't do it - own it.

Remember who you are

Today at C3, Konan gave a great message titled "remember who you are". He showed the lion king clip where Mufasa was talking to Simba and reminded him who he is.

It was a great reminder that we all allow our view of self to get clouded and distorted by lies. The one who delivers those lies can come in many shapes and sizes but the source is the enemy.

We were never meant to believe the crap that people tell us. We are to believe the truth. The truth is we were put on this planet for a reason. The truth is we are all capable of greatness. The truth is there are people who would rather see us fail than succeed. The truth is we are loved. The truth is we are valuable.

My point: it is 100% up to us to choose what we believe about ourselves. You must identify the lies you chose to believe and replace those lies with truth. If you are not sure or too far down the road of negative self beliefs to know the real truth, you need someone to come alongside of you to speak truth to you.

The greatest form of deception is self deception.

A community group is a GREAT way to have people speak truth into ur life. Get in one...

Mastering conflict

The foundation of any relationship is trust. According to many leadership books one of the next most important things is mastering conflict.

Every relationship will have some sort of conflict at one time or another. How u respond to it will determine how deep the relationship can get. If u won't engage, it'll remain surface. If u engage to "win" or hurt the other person, it won't grow.

Mastering conflict means that u recognize it and work to resolution and do ur best find the "win win". If there doesn't seem to be a solution that everyone can agree on then u have to make the tough call for the good of the goal.

We had a person in a church service that had children being very loud and distracting. I was receiving texts and people trying to get my attention to deal with it.

I quietly and kindly asked her to bring the children out into the foyer so I could talk to her and explain our childcare options. I wanted to let her know we video and record the audio of our services so there are multiple reasons we ask children to go to their designated environments. This person decided they would just leave instead of cooperating. I guess there was no win win to them so I had to do what was best for everyone.

My point: sometimes you have to make a tough decision. Sometimes people get offended or hurt. Conflict will happen but we can't avoid it. We must master it.

One of my favorite communicators said "as a church, we will sacrifice one for all but never all for one".

Think about that statement. If the noisy children weren't asked to come out where they wouldn't distract others, we would've sacrificed all for one.

I hated to be the one to have to talk to them but I believe it was the best thing for the other couple hundred people who were in that service and who did cooperate by taking their kids to the age appropriate environments.

FYI: we publicly ask at the beginning of every service for families to take kids to their rooms. This family ignored that request...

Finally

Our new student pastor Tony is staying with us until he finds a house to buy. We are really enjoying him being here - but we have different reasons.

My younger girls love clinging to his legs and being pulled across the floor. They like being chased and they enjoy being his weights when he does a triceps workout.

Shayna likes having her friends over to talk about how they can have an impact in their schools for Jesus. She also enjoys dreaming about what the student ministry will become at C3.

I, on the other hand, like having some testosterone up in this joint. Tony appreciates the finer things in life. By the finer things, I mean my stupid humor, laughing at my old jokes, remembering stories from when I was a youth pastor and he takes naps while watching football.

My point: We knew it was going to be an adjustment to have someone stay with us but this is a very pleasant adjustment. He is only staying with us until he finds a house of his own but when he finally finds one I hope he is ready for lots of company.

C3 finally has a student pastor and I FINALLY have some testosterone in this house to attempt to level out the estrogen.

Even if its only temporary, it's nice.

Do what you came to do

The other day when I was at the gym I noticed this woman on her phone for a very long time.

I have returned an occasional text while working out but for the most part I try to do what I came to do.

I started thinking about when people are places physically but they really aren't there mentally.

My family has been caught up in texting or emailing at dinner so we implemented a no toys or phones at the dinner table. We hold each other accountable to it.

Then I started wondering how many people go to church and enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation but leave the exact same way as they came. They are in he building but they are not in His presence.

My point: do what you came to do. If ur at the gym, workout. If ur at the dinner table, eat. If ur playing a game with ur kids, play the game. If ur at church, worship the God you came to learn about.

If u go to the gym but don't workout, you won't see change. If you go to church and don't learn or worship...

As advertised

I love a good commercial that has nothing to do with what it is advertising. The Old Spice man "on a horse", the cavemen that for some reason are tied to Geico and now the dollarshaveclub.com

It is an instant classic. It has nothing to do with razors but it is so stinkin funny that I want to watch it over and over. I have already emailed it out and watched it with 3 different people multiple times.

It made me think about people I interact with. What do I remember about them. Is what they "advertise" what I remember.

Do they claim to be a person of integrity and loyalty only to gossip about u as soon as u turn ur back? Do they claim to be a good friend only to gripe when u ask for a favor? Do they claim to be generous only to be the one doing the asking...

My point: as funny as these commercials are, I sometimes forget what they are advertising. As much as people advertise how great they are - their actions may make u forget what they are claiming to be.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all stop advertising one thing and then living another.

It would be awesome if everything (and everyone) was as advertised.

Mobbed

Just watched the show called mobbed and couldn't help getting a little teary eyed.

This show is so good on so many levels. It is reality based, its a surprise, its based on doing good, it's a clear vision, its team work and among many other things, its execution of the plan.

There is something about seeing a person surprised and brought to tears that makes me get glossy eyed too. Yep, call me a sap (or any other word u choose) but I kinda like it.

One of the best parts of this show is it proves how a clear vision and a plan with people who work hard and cooperate can accomplish something great in a short amount of time.

My point: a team with a plan is dangerous.

Mobbed = tears

Teamwork makes the dream work

Conflict: the company line

The C3 way of dealing with conflict is to run at it. We have a company line that we share with those who call C3 their home. It is "you need to go and talk to the person and if you don't feel comfortable I will go with you".

When someone is complaining - we give the company line. When someone is gossiping - we give the company line. When someone starts a Facebook fire - yep, company line.

Conflict, when dealt with properly, can be incredibly productive. It can help things get better, it can teach us better communication skills and it can help us grow and look more like Jesus.

My point: We believe the enemy of unity is not conflict but unresolved, ignored, un dealt with or mishandled conflict.

If we don't deal with it immediately, it has a better chance of growing and getting out if control.

Come on, say it with me: you need to go and talk to the person and if you don't feel comfortable I will go with you
#CompanyLine

Sidestep negativity

As a staff we are reading the cliff notes of 7 habits of highly successful people. One of the phrases that stuck with me was "be the kind of person who generates positive energy and sidesteps negative energy."

That got me thinking about people I like being around. I like being around them because they generate positive energy. Then I started thinking about how people perceive me. Do they perceive me as positive energy or am I someone they want to sidestep?

I once heard that the greatest form of deception is "self deception". That pretty much means you have no clue how you really are because you refuse to see yourself how you really are. One way to know if you are generating positive energy is if people like being around you dread it or are you flat out being sidestepped?

My point: sidestepping negative energy means not feeding it. Don't engage in it and don't definitely don't encourage it. If people get side stepped enough, it may cause them to take a good honest look in the mirror. If not overcome it with positivity.

Encourage and edify because beautiful things happen in your life when you distance yourself from all the negative things.