REINVENTING THE WHEEL

     I always wondered what the phrase "reinventing the wheel" meant. After the automobile was invented, did some genius decide that a round wheel was a bad idea? Did he actually believe that a triangle wheel or a square wheel was a better idea? We all know that a round wheel on a car, bicycle or truck has and always will be a great idea. I have never seen a car on the LIE with triangle wheels! Since late 2021 I have thought a lot about my own life and how I need to "reinvent the wheel" when it comes to me personally. Let me explain!

     When I had Covid-19 last December I had a lot of time to think and pray. I did a lot of that since daytime TV is truthfully for the birds! I thought a lot about my future and what I want to accomplish in the next few years and beyond. I realize that God gave me a gift and that is to reach and teach children as well as write. I questioned God and wondered "Maybe my years as a children's pastor and ventriloquist were over. Maybe it's time to begin 'reinventing' myself?" I had thoughts about maybe planting a church, working for a homeless ministry or maybe doing what my first love was...becoming a missionary. I knew that in February I would be turning 58. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider 58 as being an old man or someone who is useless. I honestly feel mentally I am a young guy but physically with back issues some days I feel more like I'm 78! I took the time to pray real hard and ask God what exactly He was calling me to do. I really didn't think he wanted me to continue to work with children and thought maybe a had a career as a children's author. "Kids would rather have a hip, cool and groovy guy teaching them, not some gray haired dude who talks to puppets!" I seriously tried very hard to "reinvent myself" during the month of January. When my back issues got worse, I thought it was a sign from God. Boy was I wrong. 

     I have been an "idea machine" ever since I was in 3rd grade. That is when I discovered I had a gift for writing! I loved being creative and my favorite class in High School was Creative writing. In college I wrote for our schools newspaper. When I discovered in college I had a gift of doing puppets (truthfully the last ministry I ever thought I would ever do) I thought it would be for a short time, I found out a few years later it would be the calling on my life. Ideas always flooded my mind when I was a pastor. While in my own head I was tying to reinvent myself during January and February this past year, God was putting more ideas in my head. I started writing a christian play and began developing that. I got an idea for a new chicken puppet who was very nervous.I named him Chester. He will come out of an egg basket and I bought a few Styrofoam eggs I am presently painting and creating that he will be overly protective of. I also got an idea for a sock puppet who is a groovy hippie guy. As I put the sock on my hand I plan on putting together this puppet as I talk to the audience. He has nuclear green hair and fake eyes. He was extremely cheap to make! I learned one thing these past few months. It was not time to reinvent the wheel in my life, it was time reinvest in me. I had to do the very things God gifted me to do. I had to do what makes me happy and use my talents for God. I am not saying I am going to be a Terry Fator or Jeff Dunham as a ventriloquist. I am not planning on being the next Stephen King or James Patterson as an author. I am planning on being me and seeing where God takes it. It's time to reinvest in me. I believe 2022 is going to be a special year and I look forward to sharing with you in the coming months what is taking place!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!            

 

BE A SPONGE!!

      Be a sponge!! No, not that silly cartoon character Sponge Bob! I'm referring to the attitude we should have when it comes to wanting to learn and desiring to acquire more knowledge. We need to soak up knowledge and allow others to teach us. In other words,be teachable and be open to learning! Be a sponge!

     The sponge comes from the ocean. I always thought that was funny since a sponge is known to soak up water. We use sponges every day. They sit on our kitchen sinks, we use them on dishes and to clean counters. They are at the end of mops that we use to clean tile or wood floors. Millions of sponges have been used since the beginning of time. A sponge is known to soak up lots of water. When a sponge sits and rests on your sink for quite a while, guess what? It gets very hard. You really can't use it when it's dry and hard. It's useless! When you run it under water for a bit it is once again ready to use. 

     I look at this when it comes to our lives. If there is one thing I have learned in the past 35 years it has to be "To be a sponge!" I learned the hard way that I didn't know it all. I discovered as a 23 year old I needed to learn from others and stop acting like I knew it all. I thought I knew it all when it came to running a children's ministry. I discovered I was wrong. Even as a potential pastor I thought I had it all together until one day a dear pastor sent me a letter before I started my ministry career. Pastor John Arntsen was a mentor to me and he wrote in his letter to me "You need to be teachable." Since that point I always looked up to pastors and ministry leaders who had experience. I always wanted to know how I did after I spoke or did a program.I really wanted constructive criticism. I wanted to be a sponge and soak up knowledge from others who had experience. In 1992 I befriended a church custodian named Bill McCrone. I always loved talking to Bill. I love "old school" comedy and Bill and I always would crack jokes about the Honeymooners or Abbott and Costello. We became very close. After my father died in 1995, Bill became a second father to me. Whenever I needed advice about something in my house whether it was about plumbing, our boiler, our grill or something minor, I always asked Bill about it. As I listened to Bill, I was a sponge. I was soaking up the knowledge he had. Yes, there were times he didn't have an answer. But when he did I soaked it up! Bill died in 2018 and I was not able to attend his funeral because I was in the ER with kidney stones!

     I always cringe whenever I'm at work or at church especially when I try to train or give advice to someone younger than me. When they say "I know how to do that!" or "I know!" is the response I get. I want to say to them "NO, YOU DON'T!" The kids of today need t be seeking out the generation that has gray hair or no hair at all, They need to "Be a sponge" and soak up their knowledge and be teachable. I realize the kids of today don't like the "Old School" way but truthfully if it worked for the "gray haired gang" it will certainly work for them! I have learned a lot in the past 10 years about kids ministry, writing,relationships, my relationship with the Lord, the bible prayer, work related things and life in general. I have learned what it means to "Be a sponge." I am certainly not perfect but I can say one thing, I learn something new every single day. So in conclusion friends..."BE A SPONGE." You won't regret it!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!!        

MOUNT EVEREST

 Lately I have been thinking about Mt. Everest. Trust me when I say I am not about to attempt to climb it. That would be a huge mistake! I have never seen Mt. Everest in person but I am in awe when I look at pictures of it. It is approximately well over 29,000 feet and is on the border of 2 countries. Nepal and China. Through the years, many people have tried to climb it, According to my friend Mr. Google on the internet, well over 4,000 people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest. 200 people have failed. It has been said that many of the bodies remain to serve as a grave reminder for those who follow.  

     We all know that it is certainly NOT a requirement of life to climb Mount Everest. People around the world do it for the thrill of saying they did it. In my honest opinion, I think people who try to climb this huge mountain are insane. To put your life in danger for no apparent reason is crazy! I realize people do it for the adrenaline rush. If you think about it, we all face a Mount Everest in life. Maybe it's a financial crisis or maybe a health issue. Maybe it's a situation at work. It could be a family crisis that you are facing. When climbers are on the bottom of Mount Everest, I'm sure they are in awe and wonder "How in the world am I ever going to climb this huge mountain?" Mountain climbers train for years and are sure they are in great physical strength. When they begin the climb, they take it one step at a time! So how about all of us who face mountains in front of them in life? Are we prepared? Do we know what we need to do? I believe we need to face these mountains the same way a mountain climber faces his ascent to the top of Mount Everest.We do need to take it one step at a time! We also need to be in great shape mentally and emotionally. In my humble opinion, we can only face this mountain when we are in a relationship with Jesus. I hope and pray you are and I pray you reach the top of your mountain with no mishaps or problems. I pray you find victory in every obstacle you face!      

SEE YOU NEXT TIME