SOMETHING GOOD IS BREWING!!

     Let me begin this blog by saying I am not referring to drinking coffee or making coffee. During this pandemic, I have had a lot of ideas brewing in my head, in this creative brain God has given me. Since I no longer worked as a children's pastor since January 2018 at Christian Church at Holbrook, I have been on a soul searching campaign of myself. What I have discovered is how good God is, how He has always been there for me and how following Him is the best decision I have ever made. Since January 2018, which for the record is the last 27 1/2 months, I've worked at 6 jobs. Chick Fil-A Port Jefferson, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Chick Fil-A Commack, a machine shop, a personal aide to a handicapped college student and most recently Home Depot. During this time I have learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about faith, trust and hope. I have also learned who I can and can't trust. The one thing I have held onto is the calling on my life. During my soul searching, I asked God repeatedly "What is the calling on my life, God?" I seriously did very little ministry whatsoever. Maybe a few Christian School Chapels, a few outreaches with other churches was pretty much it. I was truthfully happy for the break but I really missed being in front of kids and families. At one point I had not used my ventriloquist puppet Grandpa Lou for well over 9 months! I was seriously thinking that maybe God had other plans for me besides kids ministry. Maybe ministry to the homeless? Maybe being an Associate Pastor? I realize 100% that my calling is truly ministry to kids and families! It was about a year ago or so I wrote a blog about a ministry God placed on my heart. I would call myself "The Puppet Guy" and travel to other churches. Let me now fast forward to this very moment because I can write and write about what God is doing.

     With this pandemic taking place, I have been truthfully keeping busy working 2 jobs. I am grateful that I am working. As many of you know, I have also been making Kids Church 2020 videos each week and I'm having a blast making them. There are other ideas I have brewing or, as this blog is titled "Something good is brewing." They are writing a book, working on comedy videos and launching a podcast. I'm sure you are all thinking "How in the world is this crazy guy going to do all this?" Well, it's not all at once, but here are my ideas!

WRITING A BOOK

     I'm sure you can tell that I love to write! For the past 5 months, I've been working on an idea for a book. My goal is to have it published by the spring of 2021. What is the book about? Well, you will just have to wait and see friends!! I am excited about working on it!

COMEDY VIDEOS

     One area I have been experimenting with and I would love to try it one day is Stand Up Comedy. It's a lot harder than you think. I have been told I am a funny guy (not funny looking) and want to implement my puppet characters with my comedy. I already posted one video "A Public Service Announcement: Social Distancing with Grandpa Lou." I do have other ideas for videos I will be posting in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned!

A CHILDREN'S MINISTRY PODCAST

     If you know me, you know I love to teach about kids ministry. I used to teach workshops at the New Jersey Christian Ministries Convention every October for well over 13 years, as well as other churches and ministries. My heart and passion has always been to train people to do what I love to do...Ministry to children. Since I am not able to go to churches, the second best thing is to have the churches and children's ministry leaders and workers come to me! What can be better than launching a podcast? I am doing a lot of research on this because I want it to be as professional as possible. My hope is to launch it by late June 2020. Again, stay tuned!

Please keep me in prayer with all this new ideas brewing. I appreciate you all so much!

BE SAFE EVERYONE!!