MY GOALS FOR 2025!!

     Last year I wrote a blog stating that I had one specific goal for 2024. It was to flex my creative muscle. I wanted to use my creative gifts through my writing and my videos. Last year I was able to begin the process of writing a book as well as a screenplay. Both these projects will take years to complete but I do love the challenge of working on them! I was also able to create a few new puppet characters. One I was able to use throughout the year, Red Heartly, obviously a heart puppet who comes out of a black bag. The other was Pete the Talking Pizza who I was hoping to debut last fall but that had to be put on hold. For 2025, I would like to share with you five personal goals I have set which I hope to accomplish for this coming year.

1. ADJUST TO LIFE IN SOUTH CAROLINA

     As I am writing this, I have only lived in South Carolina for 22 days. I realize it is going to take some time to adjust. The mentality and the culture is very different "down here" than up north. I used to have issues with door dashers at my job in NY. Here in South Carolina, they have actually said "Thank you" to me when I hand them their delivery! Also, living in the "Bible Belt" I have seen a difference in the Christian lifestyle. It seems the majority here do go to church. I am really not sure how much they are committed in their faith. I will have to find out for myself. I have also noticed how many young teens here are very respectful to us older folks. Men are called "Sir" and ladies are called "Ma'am." Very polite! My attitude is to take it one day at a time and for all of you wondering, I refuse to say "Y'all" or "I'm fixin' to go!" I'll have my "New Yawk" accent until I die!

2. GROW IN THE LORD

     This is my goal every year! Every single day I strive to do my best and grow in the Lord. I have grown to realize that whenever I face a trial or discouragement, it is not happening for me to be harassed or to become angry, it is happening so that I will trust in the Lord as well as to grow in my faith. In trying to move, I did face some obstacles both with moving my items as well as personally. Through it all I continued to put my trust in God! I would much rather be striving to grow in God than to sit at a bar all alone drinking myself to death!

3. DEVELOP NEW FRIENDSHIPS

     I always joke with Laure and tell her "I don't have any friends" which is obviously not true. Here in South Carolina, I only know a few people including Laure's daughter and son in law, the people I work with and a few at a church I have attended. That's it! I do appreciate the friendships I continue to have with those in New York and around the country. I do miss them! I would love to develop new friendships here, of course with people close to my age. I certainly hope they would accept a 60-year-old guy who loves God, loves kids and "talks to his hand!"

4. TO SEE BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS HEALED

       This has been yet another goal I have had for many years. I do not want to get into specifics of the who, what, where, why and how. All I will say is that it has been my prayer that several damaged relationships would get healed. I realize these things take time but after many years of striving for this, I would love to see this happen! I pray that on December 31, 2025, I would love to write a blog entitled "IT HAS HAPPENED!" Stay tuned!

5. GET BACK INTO FULL TIME MINISTRY 

     I loved being a children's pastor for 22 years! I loved my time being an assistant pastor at Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship for a little over 2 years. I love thinking of new ideas and coming up with new sermons. Ministry has been in my blood for many years. It is truly who I am. Working at Chick Fil-A is a job to me. Being in full time ministry is what I desire to do full time. Right now, I have an application in at a church here in Columbia, SC as a Children's Ministry Director position. The position is part time, but I figured I need to start somewhere. I have been praying about what God's will is in all this. Is it for me to start in this church? Another church? Is it for me to start my own ministry? I realize although there are many churches here, they do not know me or what my gifts are. Certainly not like the Christian schools in NY who had me visit their chapels several times. I know God is in control and He knows what is best for me. All I can do is pray and follow His will for my life!  

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS! I PRAY 2025 IS AN AMAZING YEAR FOR EVERYONE!!

 

THAT CHRISTMAS MAGIC

 

     "That Christmas Magic" may very well sound like a Hallmark Channel movie. A girl returns home for the holidays. She is very successful and somewhat happy. She runs into an "Old Flame" but wants nothing to do with him. Due to circumstances, they keep "running into each other", they have a misunderstanding, they work things out, fall in love again and at the end of the movie they walk arm in arm with the snow falling and Christmas lights all around and they both say, "Isn't Christmas so magical?" He, maybe I should write a Hallmark movie? No way, I'm not interested!  

     So, what has Christmas become to our world? Santa Claus? Fun cartoons of a reindeer with a shiny nose or a snowman who, when you put a magic hat on his head he says, "Happy Birthday?" Or how about shopping, shopping and more shopping. We spend money some of us don't have hoping the gifts we give will be a blessing to family and friends. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Christmas had two meanings to me. the first was going to church. We were Catholic and my mom made sure we would all go to Mass on Christmas Eve. The was before our traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner with many fish entree's, spaghetti and more food you could feed an army with. As a kid, that Mass seemed like it was 4 hours long, but it was really maybe one or so. During that Mass I would daydream about what Santa was bringing me and also my creative mind would go wild wondering how cool it would be to swing from light to light like Tarzan in the church. I was 7 years old so whatever the Priest was saying I had little interest. Maybe if he brought out a puppet i would probably remember what he was saying! I knew as a kid that Christmas was really celebrating the birth of Jesus but what always confused me was the second meaning. So, which meaning was I supposed to celebrate. Jesus Birth? That Christmas Magic? All that fun stuff?

     The second meaning of Christmas in our family was simple. We got ready for Santa to come to our home and deliver presents to Paula, Dave and Mike. I always wondered how this heavy-set man would fit in our chimney. Paula and Mike would have to wake me up. I was not a morning person until I had kids! Up until adulthood I was not easy to wake up. When I got married and started having babies, I had to change quickly! We would wait on the steps until Dad said it was okay to come down. We opened our stockings then opened our gifts. When we lived in New Jersey the first nine years of my life, we always had a real tree that was decorated with ornaments and lights! As a kid, I always felt that December 25 was a magical day. Yet, I never understood why we had to have 2 meanings to this special day. 

     Please understand I am not saying we should not have fun and be totally serious and "spiritual and be a "wet blanket" or "stick in the mud." It is a fun time, and it should be! I actually miss hanging icicle lights on my house and putting up decorations as well as a Christmas tree with ornaments, lights, decorations and garland. Since I have been blogging, it seems as though every December I always blog about this topic mainly because it really bothers me. It saddens me that for so many years, man has decided to make Christmas a financial opportunity instead of what it really is...The birth of Jesus Christ! I know many theologians will debate with us and tell us Jesus real birthday was in the spring and not on December 25th. In Roman history, they wanted Jesus' birthday to coincide with the beginning of the winter solstice thus creating the day of December 25. Man has pushed aside the true meaning of Christmas by adding other "things." Now all you hear about is how great it is to have the "Christmas Magic" or how magical the Christmas holiday really is. How "all your dreams come true" if you believe in Santa or whatever they think is "magical." I'm sorry, but the only thing that is truly "magical" (if you even want to use that word) is knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior and following Him every single day! In my humble opinion, that is the ONLY thing that is truly "That Christmas Magic." Sorry Hallmark Channel, nice try but keep showing all your Christmas movies that are all similar and all end the same way! JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! I do hope you all do have fun! If you have children or Grandchildren, I truly hope you enjoy time with your family. Just don't forget what Christmas is REALLY all about!!  Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!        

REMEMBERING ANN DISANZA

     Romans 13:7 tell us to give honor where honor is due. Last Friday I learned that someone who I truly honor and respect went home to be with our Lord....Ann DiSanza! I have a lot of respect for Ann for one simple reason. Ann was one of many people who were instrumental in getting my start in children's ministry. It makes me sad to realize the 4 people who were all instrumental for my start are all in heaven. Pastor Greco, Judy, Art and now Ann. 

     I first met Ann in December 1986. Pastor Sal Greco approached me because he heard through the grapevine that I had been involved with puppet ministry at my college. He introduced me to Ann who had just finished teaching a children's ministry class and had just started a puppet ministry in our church, Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle. We agreed to meet after the new year and Ann encouraged me to get involved with this new puppet ministry in our church. I went to the very first practice and 4 of us rehearsed a play for a program to be done at Children's Church on the last Sunday in January. The theme of the play was the Super Bowl and ironically it was the same Sunday the New York Giants, my favorite team would play in their very first Super Bowl. The other members of this puppet team were Mike (Ann's husband), Art and Frank. Mike had a very high voice and played the announcer who was interviewing "Broadway Bob." I played the part of "Broadway Bob." That's all I can remember from this play. The goal for our puppet team was to do a program once a month in our Children's Church, usually the final Sunday of the month. Ann invited me over to her home to discuss our strategy and think of new ideas to reach the kids in Children's Church and beyond. I was soon discovering because of her that this was my newfound calling in my life. One of the ideas Ann implemented was to do a skit every month called "Faithman." It was a comic strip found in a magazine put out by Gospel Bill, also known as Wille George ministries called "Honeycomb.". Ann had her husband Mike play the part of Faithman and her son Michael played the part of Billy, the little boy who always fell into temptation. A lady in our church Bernadette played "Negatron" who was actually the devil. When Billy resisted temptation, he would turn into Faithman! Mike was perfect for this part because he had A LOT of energy, and he didn't have a shy bone in his body. He went home to be with the Lord about 11 years ago. Ann and I tried to come up with scripts along with puppet scripts and we tried to stick with the lesson the children's church teachers were teaching that Sunday. Ann told me about a puppet that was hidden away in a closet up on the "Third Floor" of the church. I fixed him up, changed his appearance and called him "Barney Bagel" well before anyone knew of that purple dinosaur! I will say he was a God-awful looking puppet, but it was my start in ventriloquism. Well actually not really. My lips moved! I would eventually do ventriloquism years later.

     Ann dropped a bombshell on me. It seemed as though this was my life's pattern when it came to ministry. She was asked by the church to be the new Sunday School Superintendent, and she asked me to take over the puppet ministry! Not again! This happened to me at Bible College, remember? I accepted and I was excited about the new challenge. Mike would no longer be involved, and Frank was busy with his job and family, so it was only Art and me. I called this ministry "The Good New Gospel Theater" and through the years we gained Jan, Jason, Dolores and Debbie. This ministry grew and within a year we were traveling to other churches doing programs. 

     It was now March 1987, and God was continuing to show me what His will was for my life. The church paid for Ann and I to attend a Willie George Ministries Christian education seminar in Port Jefferson, NY. I had never heard of Willie George or his ministry as "Gospel Bill." He had a Christian kids TV program he wrote and produced. As he taught various workshops, I hung on every single word he said I was getting very excited about the many potential things we could do at SGT and so was Ann. We both sat in a pew at the church that hosted the seminar at the conclusion and dreamed about what amazing things for the Lord we could do to reach kids. I have shared this before, but on my way home from that seminar, that is where God spoke to me about becoming a children's pastor. I remember where I was driving heading west on 347! Amazing!

     As time marched on I continued to implement new ideas in our programs. Some worked and some were downright horrible, but I was learning. Ann asked me to play a character for the Children's Sunday School department called "Freddie the Farmer" and the theme was all about "Gowing in the Lord!" I came running into the sanctuary each week wearing a straw hat, a flannel shirt yelling "Hee Haww!" I shared with the kids all about the importance of how taking care of my crops by watering them was just like taking good care of my Christian life by reading the Bible and praying. It was my first time ever playing a costume character. Not bad for a shy kid who would blush all the time!

     Ann & I always talked about doing something for the church for Halloween. That year it was on a Saturday, and we got a late start on planning this. We did decide we needed to form a committee so in the summer of 1988 we assembled a committee of people to help plan it. At our first meeting at Ann's house, I discovered I was the only male there! As we discussed possibilities for this Halloween event, it seemed as though my vision for this was much different than what the ladies wanted. These ladies believed we should make this a "Christian event" that targeted "Church Kids." My idea was to try to reach the community by way of fun activities, then at the very end present the gospel to them. Of course, I had nothing against reaching "Church kids" but I was outnumbered, and we settled on calling our event "Praise Fest '88." and we did this same event in 1989. Some of these ladies were even opposed to doing anything on Halloween at all. They didn't want that name mentioned at all. My idea would later become something we would call "Fall Fun Fest" which our church hosted for over 20 years when i was the Children's Pastor.

     Ann's husband Mike was a New York City Police Officer, and I always enjoyed whenever he shared one of his testimonies in church on a Wednesday night. After Mike retired, he went into Full time ministry with Cops for Christ, and he wrote a book called "A Cop for Christ." As his ministry was taking off, he moved his family to Florida. The only time I really got to see Mike and Ann after they moved was whenever they attended our church Missions Convention in the spring. I always made it a point to sit with them during one of our luncheons. We always reminisced about the crazy ideas we had in the past but also thanked God for using us in spite of us. I would always tease Mike and ask him if he would squeeze back into his old Faithman costume one more time! One of my favorite quotes from Mike was always when he would talk about Christians who had no life to them. He would say "It's like they were baptized in lemon juice!" That was so Mike!

     Mike and Ann fostered many children and also adopted some children. They ran a bible study in their home for many years and saw many come to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. In fact, I taught a bible study and discovered that one of the couples in our study group got saved because of Mike and Ann's ministry. I had not seen Ann since I left SGT, but we would message each other on occasion. She was always very encouraging to me and during some of my difficult times she told me I could call her anytime. That always meant a lot to me. Ann will be missed, and I know she touched a lot of lives for Jesus! We know she is now worshipping her savior in heaven!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!                   

 

LIFE BEGINS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

 

 

     Well, it has officially been 6 days since I left New York at 3:50 am in a snowstorm to travel down to Columbia, South Carolina. It is a very strange feeling knowing you are no longer going "home" to New York. My heart will always be there, but my life is now in South Carolina. Wow, it sounds weird even typing that and reading that also. I spent 51 of my 60 years as a New Yorker. My first 9 years were as a New Jersey kid or as my grandfather used to call it a "New Joisey" kid. I'm trying to get used to people "fixing" to go places or saying "Y'all." I'm going to work very hard to get people to say "Hey, how ya doin'?" like a true New Yorker would. I'm trying to get used to the slower pace, but I do welcome it. 

     Today was my first workday as a Team Member at Chick Fil-A Harbison. It went extremely well. Getting used to the South Carolina culture and this "new life" is going to take some time. What has fascinated me in my few days here is how friendly people are. I had a man strike up a conversation with me at a gas pump. Even today a few people noticed I was the new guy at Chick Fil-A and asked where I was from. That doesn't happen much in New York. My own boss and I had a nice conversation right after I finished work. So, my life is beginning in South Carolina, and I can't wait to begin blogging about my adventures here. Stay tuned!!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!  

TAKING INVENTORY

      In less than one week, I will be moving to the Columbia, SC area! This is a huge step in my life but it's a brand-new opportunity for me. I am very excited and nervous at the same time, but I know God is with me and He will direct me. I am so looking forward to the change, but I will definitely miss my friends and my family very much!

     Since I decided to make this huge change in my life, I knew I had to prepare and get ready for the move. In the house I was living in, I had a lot of my personal and ministry items stored in the garage. I took one day off from work to go through all my things I had stored. I went through every box one by one as well as every item. I went through clothes, picture frames, pictures, magic tricks, object lessons, puppets, books and kitchen utensils just to name a few. I made three piles...keep, throw away or not sure/ donate. I had stuff all over the driveway and as I went through each box, I had to make a decision as to what to do with that item. Should I keep it, throw it away or donate it? Hard decisions! Some of the things I went through I definitely had no use for it. What would I do with a VHS tape from 1992, or slide pictures? How about copies of photographs from Fall Fun Fest 2002? There were pictures of kids I have no idea who they are. There were books written about Puppet Ministry from 1972. The author was wearing a polyester suit. Not exactly up to date! 

     I threw away a lot of things, I kept what I needed, and I tried very hard to condense what I own. I didn't want all my belongings to take over the garage. I have moved several times in my life. In fact, this is my seventh time since 2013. Each time I moved it was very memorable. I had to take inventory of everything I owned, and I had to be sure it was necessary for me to pack it and send it to a new location. Taking inventory was not easy, but necessary.

     This makes me think about life. How many times do we take inventory in our lives? Do we check on how many times we do an "act of service?" Do we take a deep look at where our relationship is with God? Do we take inventory on our prayer life or how much time we spend reading the bible? Do we take inventory on the importance of going to church? What about how much time we spend watching TV or the many hours we waste on social media? We need to take a long hard look at these things and "take inventory" with our own lives. The time is now for all of us to get rid of those things that are hindering us and to take more time to reflect on what can help us. Taking inventory on our own lives will help us and it will give us a better focus on the positives in life as we remove the negatives. Life is too short! It's time to make necessary changes. Let's all take a moment to take inventory and make those necessary changes!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND!!        

WHAT DO YOU SAY????

 

     My parents taught me a lot in life. I have to say one thing they instilled in my brother; sister and I is to appreciate anything and everything that is given to us. It could be receiving a present, getting a check in the mail from a relative or Grandma or Grandpa handing you a $5 bill before they drive home to New Jersey. I can still hear my mom or dad's voice in my head saying, "What do you say?" I am so so glad they instilled in me an appreciation for anything AND everything!

     Of course, we all know the answer to that question is "Thank you!" How many of us really say that? I have noticed that the group referred to as "Millennials" rarely will say "Thank you." I'm not saying all of them but there is a good majority who do not. I have seen this occur when you open a door for someone, when I hand a tray of food to a guest at work or when you are on the road, and you let a car go ahead of you as you let them pull out of a shopping center (sometimes they wave "thank you" but many times they ignore you and drive away). Whenever someone does any kind of "Act of Kindness", we should always immediately respond with a "Thank You!" I remember once being in a Deli at breakfast time. It was very busy. A gentleman in front of me dropped his wallet by accident and started walking away with his bag of food to the door. I yelled over to him "Sir, you dropped your wallet!" Instead of saying "Thank you" he quickly grabbed his lost wallet out of my hand and walked away. I wasn't expecting a reward obviously, but I did think it would have been nice for him to thank me! Another time when I started working for Chick Fil-A in Port Jefferson, and older lady walked up to the counter and said "Give me a refill of lemonade!" I took her cup and as I did the refill of her lemonade, she yells over to me in a nasty tone "I said Diet Lemonade!!" I wasn't about to correct her, so I got a new cup, filled it with ice and refilled it with Diet (New Yorkers pronounce it "Doyet") Lemonade. She never said, "Thank you" and walked away from the front counter glaring and snarling at me like I was her new enemy. I think she wanted a fight! Sorry, I don't fight old ladies in fact I don't fight anybody! These are two examples of when people don't appreciate or go out of their way to thank you for an act of service or kindness.   

     The Thanksgiving holiday should be a day to give thanks to God. My feeling is it should be something we should say to God every single day and not just on the last Thursday in November. I always think about the families right here in America who can't afford a turkey pr even a decent meal the other 364 days of the year. I think about the restaurants and families who throw away food which is such a huge waste. I think about that homeless man or woman who is rummaging through garbage cans trying to find something to eat because they are starving. I thank God that every day of my life, I have always had a meal. I thank God that I have a nice bed to sleep in. I thank God I have a job, a car and a roof over my head. So many times, we forget to say "Thank you" because we truthfully expect everything. In America, we are spoiled! This Thanksgiving, as we sit around our tables with turkey and veggies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes...okay, I'll stop! It's making me hungry! We need to say thank you to God for all He has provided for us. It says in Psalm 118:1 - Give thanks to the Lord for he is good: his love endures forever. 

So, what do we say?????

I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving, but I also hope you do take that time to thank God for all he has done for you!       

HAPPY THANKSGIVING A WEEK EARLY AND GOD BLESS!!

LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED WORKING AT CHICK FIL-A

 

     No, don't worry! I am not leaving Chick Fil-A! Of course, I would love to down the road work full time at a church either as a Children's Pastor, Assistant Pastor or Lead Pastor. Maybe some time real soon? Since October 2015 I have been an employee of Chick Fil-A. I have certainly learned a whole lot! When I walked into the Port Jefferson restaurant's Grand Opening on October 7, 2015, I had no idea what I was walking into. Being in full time ministry and working in a church office, I never had to deal with working with the general public (except my stint at driving a limo full time!). Working at Chick Fil-A has taught me so much about life, dealing with people and dealing with life situations. In this blog, I am going to list the many things I have learned.

1. Hard work pays off - When you give 100% at your job, not only is it a thrill to be noticed it's a great feeling when you see our guests are happy!

2. A soft answer turns away wrath - Just like the bible verse in Proverbs 15:1, when someone is being difficult or complaining to you about being upset that their order is wrong, they could never get angry if you answer nicely. I have learned to smile and try to understand what the problem is.

3. You have to lead by example - I work with young kids. Some are in high school. They need a role model, and they need to see me, the adult working hard. I have to lead by example because I know they are watching me. If I don't, they will be lazy and never know what hard work is.

4. Guests appreciate it when you "go the extra mile!"  - Good customer service is showing that you care. Guests want to know you are taking good care of them. When you carry their tray, refresh a beverage, clean up garbage around them or even just share a smile with them or talk to them, it means the world to people. That doesn't happen at McDonalds!

5. Guests want to experience something positive in their lives - Working during the pandemic was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I believe people sat in line at the drive thru for quite some time during that time because they wanted to experience something positive. They wanted to be treated well after having to be quarantined. Even wearing a mask, guests wanted to see a smile even though it was a smile with our eyes.

6. Don't let people get to you! -  I always remember that analogy with a duck and water. When you pour water on the back of a duck, the water rolls right off. It's the same thing when guests make rude comments that can be hurtful or insulting. You have to just let it roll right off you and not let it affect you at all. It's a hard lesson to learn but an important one! 

7. Chick Fil-A is not a church - I will never forget walking in the dining room past 2 young guys. One of them blurted out some profanity. The other one looked at his friend in sheer horror and said, "You can't curse in this restaurant! It's a holy place!" I laughed to myself, but I knew that comment was innocent and, in all honesty how many people feel. Chick Fil-A was founded in 1967 but a Christian man, Truett Cathy who wanted to implement in his restaurant many Christian principles. Chick Fil-A sells chicken to the general public but although there are some Christians like me who work there, it is certainly NOT a church. 

8. You need patience with those who don't speak English - Every single day I have to deal with many Door Dash and Uber drivers who don't speak English, and they also can't read English. Even working at the register or being on headset I also deal with many who either speak broken English or no English at all. It can be difficult to be patient, and you sometimes wish they could speak our native language, but many don't. That's why you need to have patience with them. Trust me when I say it is very hard, but it is necessary especially working in a restaurant.

7. I have experienced serving every walk of life - In my 9 years, I have served every walk of life. From the family who has young children to the World War 2 veteran, I have seen it all. Even being on register, you can have the following walk up to your register...From an older lady to a biker to a young teen boy in a basketball uniform to a Jamaican lady with a thick accent to a Hispanic family where only the kids speak English to a middle school aged girl to a construction worker to a cross-dressing male, I have seen it all. In all honesty, this has given me a burden for people and has changed my outlook on ministry. It's amazing to see how diverse our world really is!

I am still learning and growing, and I will continue to learn and grow as long as I am alive. It doesn't matter if it's at Chick Fil-A, in a church office or working any other job. I enjoy my time at Chick Fil-A and I would recommend to any young ministry or Bible College student one piece of advice. Before you accept any ministry position, you should work at job that deals with the general public. It will give you experience dealing with all types of people, but it will also give you a burden for people. Thank you, Chick Fil-A for giving me and continuing to give me this opportunity!

HAVE A GREATWEEKEND EVERYONE!!     

     

  

THE SERENITY PRAYER

     The above prayer is known as the Serenity Prayer. It was written in the 1930's and authored by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr. I can't honestly say that I pray this prayer, but lately I have been thinking a lot about it. When you read it over slowly, you can understand why many people pray this prayer The first line says, "GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE." There are things and situations we cannot change. It is totally out of our hands. But I have found the best thing we can do is put it in God's hands. Now I am not one of those Christians who says, "Let Go and Let God." Of course, we have to do our part which is to put our faith and trust in Him! The next line is "THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN." We do need to ask God to give us that courage that we need. We certainly do not want to "take matters into our own hands." That would not be good. Those things that we need to change in my opinion starts with us. Many times, we need to change!  The last line in the prayer is "AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE." We have to know when to accept the things we can't change but to know when we can change things. It has to be God leading us. There is no other way. I am facing a situation I cannot change. I wish I could. I have come to a place where I simply put it in God's hands and say "Lord, I give this to you! You need to do a miracle in this situation. You are the only one who can. I put my trust in you!" Just some food for thought on this fall Wednesday!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!    

 

LAUGH, CRY, DREAM!

     Several years ago, in a pastoral staff meeting, all the pastors were asked 3 questions

1. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
2. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
3. WHAT DO YOU DREAM ABOUT?

     Just to verify, when we were asked "what do we dream about", we didn't answer "Well, I once had this dream that I was being chased through an open field by a coalition of cheetah's so I decided I could fly so I jumped up and flew in the air like Superman and I avoided those hungry cheetahs!" No! No! No! We all have hopes and dreams. What are your dreams in life? What do you dream about happening?

     All three of these questions make you think. What is that one thing that makes you cry? What is that one thing that makes you laugh? And finally, what are your hopes and dreams? Here are mine! I'm sure yours might be different than mine because we are all different. Here we go!

WHAT MAKES DAVE LAUGH?

     I'm sure if you really know me, you know I have a crazy sense of humor. What makes me laugh is simple. I love classic comedy. Comedy that is clean! I often think I should have grown up in the 1950's era when comedy was clean and not "racy" like it is today. My favorite TV show of all time is "The Honeymooners"' I probably have watched all 39 episodes 100,000 times and know many of the lines. Growing up I used to stay up late and watch it on WPIX channel 11 at 11:30 p.m. on weeknights. It was on right after The Odd Couple and before Star Trek. I still laugh even after I've seen it many times. I sometimes use lines from the show at work. I also love watching Abbott and Costello as well as the 3 Stooges, especially with Curly. I laugh at deadpan and sarcastic humor, and I've been told I am the King of Sarcasm, especially at work. I also like to make people laugh with my remarks as well as with my ventriloquist figures. The bible even tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a merry heart does good, like medicine." Laughing is good for us and it's something I love to do. Not only doing it but also making others laugh!

WHAT MAKES DAVE CRY? 

     My heart breaks when I think about the millions and billions of babies who have lost their lives due to being aborted. When I hear "A woman has a right to choose" or "It's not really a baby" I get angry, but I also want to cry when I think that a life was destroyed. Man made a decision in 1973 to legalize abortion. That gave every couple who didn't want the responsibility of having a child to have that child murdered. Plain and simple! That's a crime and many people will need to answer to God about that! I cry when I think that those babies had no say in their future. They never got to see the light of day, learn how to speak or walk. They will never get to go to kindergarten and play Little League baseball. All because people are selfish! Yes, we have a right to choose but many of these women chose to sleep with a man! I know some would argue with me about rape victims or the mother of a child losing their life. Please understand, I realize those situations are extremely awful and traumatic. I would not wish that on anyone. Remember, I am a children's pastor. I love kids. I think a lot about the life of a child. Seeing any child get aborted makes me cry, plain and simple. 

WHAT DOES DAVE DREAM ABOUT?  

     There are several things I dream about, but I'll give you a few. I have always wanted to purchase a home. I have lived in parsonages working at a church, in apartments and I have rented rooms in houses I, of course did not own. I have always dreamed of being a homeowner and I hope one day that happens!

Secondly, in all the years I have worked in children's ministry, I have always dreamed of writing, producing and directing my own kid's Christian TV show just for kids. It would be a TV show for kids that would be similar to the old kids TV shows Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo and Soupy Sales all meshed into one. The goal is simple. It would be entertaining but it would minister to kids on their level. It would feature puppet characters, costume characters, special effects, drama and a lot of fun stuff. I hope before I die, I can make this a reality! 

     So that is my list. What makes you laugh or cry? What do you dream about? I would love to hear your answers!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!! 

   
 

IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IN LIFE

 

     I woke up one morning with this thought. What is the only thing that matters in my life? There could be several answers to that question! I could say it's my girlfriend Laure. She knows I love her but there is more to it than her. I could say it's my kids which is nice but there is more to it than them. My ministry does matter both as a pastor and as a child evangelist. Those things do matter but that's not the right answer. My job is important, but I have had several jobs through the years. True, they have all helped me pay my bills and put food on my table but that's not the right answer. I have many close friends through the years. Some I have known since my youth group and coffeehouse days when I was a teen. I have friends from bible college as well as from church, from past jobs and from being in full time ministry. They are all special to me but truthfully, they are not the only thing that matters in my life. 

     

     I have met several people through the years who have very unusual priorities when it comes to what matters to them in life. Some people live their lives for a professional sports team, and they believe that is all that matters. They go to every game, which is fine, but all they care about is how their team is doing. Some believe their career is all that matters or making "6 figures." The more money you make, the happier you will be. Not necessarily! That is all that matters to them. Others will say it is family. Don't get me wrong, family is so important. I have seen dysfunctional families and dysfunction at its finest unfortunately, especially when I was on staff at a large church. Families need each other and need to stay close. Fighting with each other is no longer an option. Life is too short. I appreciate my mom, sister brother, their spouses and my nephews. I appreciate my kids. I am grateful that in my immediate family we get along wonderfully. But I also know they are not the only thing that matters in my life.

     My answer to this is very simple yet what I consider amazing. The answer is the only thing that matters in my life is pleasing God! In the bible, Colossians 1:9,10 says it all

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

This verse says it all. Our goal every single day should be to please God. We need to please him in our workplace, our homes, in our conversations and in everything we do. For me, that is truly all that matters to me in my life. That is what I shoot for every day. Yes, sometimes I fail, but it is a goal to shoot for every day! "Living a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing him in every way!" That's what life is all about!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!

  

FUMBLES IN LIFE

     It's football season! Whether you like College or Professional football, for the next 5 months every Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Thursday night, football will be televised. It's amazing to me how much this sport has grown, how people go nuts over fantasy football and how much money people make and lose betting on games. It is a violent sport and unfortunately, some players have been injured severely throughout the years the game has been played. I feel bad for the Miami Dolphins quarterback who suffered a concussion in game number two. I can't believe that when the sport was first invented, players wore leather helmets with no faceguards and had thin shoulder pads. That's crazy!  

     My blog today is all about fumbles in life which are mistakes that we make by way of bad decisions, judgement or sometimes errors on our part that we do unfortunately. In football, whenever a player loses the football, they call it a fumble. Almost every game that you watch, you get to see this happen. There were two very famous fumbles in NFL history. One of them involved my favorite team, the New York Giants. My brother-in-law, David loved that game. I didn't! It was November 19, 1978. The Giants were at home playing the dreaded Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants were leading 17-12 with a little under 2 minutes left in the game. The Eagles were trying very hard to score, but the Giants intercepted a pass. We all thought the game was over. I actually got up, told my Dad I was going to hang out with some friends, maybe play some football and be home before dinner. While I was out disaster struck for the Giants. All they had to do was run two plays, just have the quarterback kneel down twice and they would win. Pisarcik kneels down on the first play. The second play would change the fate of both teams for many years. The Giants buffoon Offensive Coordinator decides to call a play, a handoff. It was supposed to be Joe Pisarcik, their quarterback handing off to running back Larry Csonka. Instead, Joe Pisarcik collides with Csonka, he fumbles and Herman Edwards who plays for the Eagles picks up the ball and runs 26 yards for the touchdown. Eagles win and Giants lose. I still get mad at that game even to this day! When I got home, my father told me "The Giants lost!" I thought he was kidding because my dad was a kidder like me. He was serious and it was all over the news. I can't imagine being at that game, but I also think about the fans who left early to "beat the traffic." Giants' fans call it "The Fumble" while Eagles fans call it "The Miracle at the Meadowlands." The very next day the Giants fired their Offensive Coordinator and at the end of the season the entire coaching staff was fired. One player fumbles the football, and this causes coaches to lose their jobs as well as some players.

     The second famous fumble occurred in January 1988. It was the Cleveland Browns visiting the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver. It was the AFC Championship Game, and the winner would go to Super Bowl 22 and face the Washington Redskins. Cleveland was deep in Denver territory trailing by a touchdown. The Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar handed the ball off to running back Ernest Byner. Byner was heading towards the end zone to tie the game, and all he had to do was beat two defenders. Unfortunately, Byner got hit and fumbled the ball. Denver would recover the fumble and win the game. The Cleveland Browns have never made it to the Super Bowl...ever! 

     Sports Psychologists have always told players never to think about what they did wrong or to "dwell on it." I often wonder how Ralph Branca felt for several years after he gave up a game winning home run to Bobby Thompson in 1951 that sent the New York Baseball Giants to the World Series. Or how about Bill Buckner, who let a ground ball go through his legs in game 6 of the 1986 World Series. How do you think he felt? The Mets would win the game and then win game 7 to win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Or how about Scott Norwood missing a game winning field goal that would have made the Buffalo Bills World Champions in Super Bowl 25. Instead, The New York Giants would win the game 20-19. I realize these are not "fumbles: in these games, but they were crucial mistakes.  

     I realize I am giving you sports analogies about fumbling. I also realize none of us are professional athletes. At least I don't think any of you are. Let's think about how many times we have "fumbled" in life. I confess. I have "fumbled" several times at my job, in ministry, with my family, in relationships, when I drive my car and from words I have used. Here is another confession. It's going to happen again several times throughout the rest of my life in all the areas I have mentioned. A fumble per se in life is a huge mistake we might make. If you are like me, I'm sure you will admit that you have learned from your mistakes. Fumbles and mistakes are all a part of our lives. Nobody in their right mind ever says, "I'm going to mess up today and show everyone how incompetent I am! Let them see that I am a complete failure!" No, I don't think so! 

     Throughout my life I have learned from my fumbles and mistakes. Whether it occurs at church, at home, in my marriage, at work or in everyday life, I have learned a lot from those mistakes. When I have made mistakes with what I say to others or just doing a boneheaded thing, I have learned from it. It was never easy, and it certainly was difficult owning up to it. I have learned not to make excuses, not to let it "eat at me" and certainly not to blame others. When we fumble in life, WE fumble in life. I'm sure in that Giants game I mentioned, Larry Csonka could have blamed his quarterback, Joe Pisarcik. Bill Buckner could have blamed his manager for leaving him in the game with a sore ankle or even the field conditions at Shea Stadium. Ernest Byner could have said, "That ball was too slippery. I didn't have a good grip on it." Fumbles in life happen all the time. The key is for all of us to learn from them. That's how we grow! It's never too late! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!!

      

 

WORDS

 

     According to my dear friend Mr. Google, the average number of words a woman uses a day is 5,000. For men, it's 2,000. Wow, that's a difference of 3.000 words! No. I'm not trying to start World War 3 so please don't write a nasty comment on Facebook. Please keep on reading!! I will admit I do know some men who talk a lot as well as women who are very quiet and shy. I was very shy and rarely spoke when I was a kid. It's amazing that I grew up to become a Pastor. I got paid to talk! Today, I hear words all day at my job. Some in English, some in Spanish and some in languages I have no idea what language they are speaking. Russian? French Creole? Urdu? Pig Latin?  On days when I'm walking along the Sunken Meadow State Park Boardwalk, I sometimes feel like I'm in another country. So many different languages! Words are used all day long. They are a part of life, and they are important to everyone.

     Think of it this way also. In the span of 30 seconds, I could walk into my job and give my boss a lot of praise and thank him for everything, then five minutes later I could turn around and curse him out and tell him some very rude and crude things. Of course I would never do that! I can't even remember the last time I used any type of profanity whatsoever. It's just not me! The words that we use can give praise, but they can also hurt others. James 3:5,6 tells us

   Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Verse seven talks about how you can tame all types of animals, birds and reptiles. However, you cannot tame the tongue. Think about that? Birds, dogs and many animals have been tamed by man. But one thing you cannot tame is your tongue. I find that fascinating! Laure owns a pet yellow naped amazon, a parrot named Cracker. Cracker is a very tame bird because Laure works very hard to make sure she is tame. She holds her, pets her and talks to her. This bird is comfortable with her because she has been taught to be tame. If Laure neglected to do this, Cracker would not let Laure hold her and I'm sure if I walked by, Cracker would try to bite my nose off. Cracker can be tamed, but our tongues cannot be tamed. I have also owned birds, and my first bird was a cockatiel. I held this bird a lot as well and she was very tame. I thought she was a he when I bought her, so I gave her an amazing name after my favorite TV show the Honeymooners...Norton! As a kid going to the circus on occasion, I was always fascinated with lion tamers. I always thought those men and women standing in a cage with a lion holding a whip was either really cool or Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! Think about all the hours that goes into training and taming that ferocious lion to be obedient and not try to rip off the head of that lion tamer.  

     When it comes to words, I also know that we can also misunderstand people or be misunderstood. I know sometimes dealing with the general public, a guest may say something to me, being sarcastic, that I might take the wrong way. I might get offended when their intent was not to hurt me but to just be joking around. There are certain cultures that may speak loudly and somewhat obnoxious in their behavior. I have learned at those times to be "thick skinned" and not let it bother me. I also know that people may misinterpret or misunderstand me. We all know that nobody is perfect. We are all a work in progress!  

     Many of you know and I'm sure you can tell I love to write. It has been a hobby of mine since I'm in 3rd grade. Someday I would love to publish two books. One is a children's book I'm working on as well as a "grownup's" book that I'm also working on! Writing this blog for 6 years has been a great therapy for me. I love words and I love how I can put them down on this blog. I'm sure there might be a few of you who might not like or agree with my writing style and that's okay. Typing my blog on my laptop or at times at the Centereach Library has been very therapeutic for me. I have been able to write about experiences I have had as well as whatever is on my mind. My creative mind is always going and always thinking.

     Social media is also an outlet people use to express their words. When it came out in the mid 2000's, nobody realized the damage it could do to people's lives. Cyber Bullying is now a serious issue in all levels of school up to and including college. You can also include the workplace in that! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all media outlets that were intended to be uplifting, fun and encouraging. To some people it's the opposite. How many times have we heard on the news about a young person being bullied by a fellow classmate because of a post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Some of the results of this are suicide, murder or even serious injuries. Why? Because of degrading and hurtful comments made to them on social media. Words can hurt! This breaks my heart how cruel people can be. 

     My challenge to all of us is simple. Let's build each other up with our words and not tear each other down with hurtful words. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us:

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.       

With all that is going on in this world with politics, Israel, Woke and our culture, we all need to be edified and lifted up verbally. We need to choose our words wisely, especially towards each other. I have tried for well over 51 years of my life in New York to not have that "New York Attitude" that is, in my opinion, obnoxious and rude. I want the words that come out of my mouth from the pulpit, at work, with friends and while I'm in the public eye to be edifying. Let that be your goal also! Don't allow your words that come out of your mouth be damaging to people. Let the words that come out of your mouth be edifying and uplifting to others!

     

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK EVERYONE!!

     

THE POTTER & THE CLAY

 

     I have always been fascinated by the technique of making bowls and pottery out of clay. How the potter grabs a wad of clay, makes it wet, turns on his pottery wheel and starts forming whatever he wants to create on that wheel is so cool. It could be a bowl, a plate of a cup. They know exactly what they need to do to create a masterpiece. Although I might be a creative guy, I am not very talented with art. My drawings are mostly stick figures and my paintings will certainly never be displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When I was a kid, my mom did display my artwork on the refrigerator but mostly because she knew it made me feel good! There was this one kid in high school who was an amazing artist. He was very strange and truthfully obsessed with John Lennon. he had long hair and looked like a guitarist in a rock band. I took a class in high school on filmmaking and during our class he would always be drawing something. He didn't like it if you looked at what he was drawing but, in our class, I used to sneak behind him and stare at his drawing of John Lennon. This was right after John Lennon died. He was a very talented guy and, of course, if he knew you were standing behind him staring, he always gave anyone a dirty look as if to say, "Please go away, I'm busy."  

     Whenever I would watch someone on a potter's wheel, I was always amazed how these creative geniuses knew how to create something from a lump of clay. Think about it? They would start the potter's wheel which always reminded me of a record player turntable, put some water on it, grab a wad of clay, pour water on top of the clay and then with their hands they would place them in a circle around the clay and begin forming the clay into, let's say a bowl. They would take their thumbs, press down with both thumbs in the middle of the clay to create the inside of a bowl. They had to be gentle! They might even add more water to make sure the clay does not dry up. They also have to make sure the clay is centered on the potter's wheel or the bowl they were making would become lopsided. One very important thing! When they are forming this bowl out of clay with their hands, they need to "smooth out" the sides to make sure there are no air pockets. This is important when they put their bowl in the pottery kiln which is blazing hot. They don't want their new creation to have any holes in it or fall apart in the kiln. Once it's hot and becoming hard, they want to be sure it is a useful bowl and not a waste of their time! 

     The next step is simple. Once the bowl is shaped and formed; you place the clay bowl in a pottery kiln. This kiln looks like an "old school" washing machine. The temperature is turned up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. Wow, that's hot! You carefully place the clay bowl in the pottery kiln and leave it in there for 16 - 24 hours depending on what you are making and the size of your bowl. I'm sure sitting and waiting for your creation can be very frustrating, but look at the end result?

     This whole process reminds me of life. We are that lump of clay. A lump of clay is motionless and has no life. When we enter this world of ours, we, as the clay are tossed on the potter's wheel that is just spinning and spinning around in circles. We have no purpose or meaning. At least we don't realize we do at that particular time. We are trying to figure out which way is up, and which way is down. The potter comes and pours water on us because he has a job. He needs to form us and shape us. He begins by wrapping his fingers around us and he has one goal. To form us and shape us into something spectacular. While that potter's wheel spins, he is forming us and shaping us with his hands. All those sharp edges are being smoothed out in our lives. All that sin, those bad habits and those bad attitudes are being shaped and formed into something good. No, not perfect but good. Sometimes the potter is there at that wheel for quite some time. He never gives up on that clay. As long as it takes him, he is working hard to form it and shape it into an amazing creation. I guess we can all figure out that the potter is Jesus. He never gives up on us, His clay. The hard part is always the last part. Going through the fire! In pottery it is a kiln but for us it's the fires of life. The fire of family issues, finances, health, personal issues, bad habits and struggles. Those are the "fiery issues" that we face. The potter allows us to go through those hard times because we are being "refined". That of course is the process of when things are being removed. That hot temperature in the kiln is what causes the pottery bowl to look amazing. The fire we go through is what causes us to come out looking excellent. 

     It makes me think of the story in the bible of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter three. These three godly men refused to bow to a man-made idol and because they broke the law, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that they be thrown into the Fiery Furnace. That was their punishment. He even demanded that the furnace be turned up seven times hotter! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego never hesitated, and they stood up for what they believe in. As they were in the fiery furnace, not one thing happened to them. They were never burned or injured. Their hair was never singed nor was there any smell of smoke on them. In fact, as the King went to check on these three "radicals", he noticed a "Fourth Man" with them in the fire that appeared to be the Son of God. Just as a pottery bowl is placed in the kiln and comes out looking amazing after time, so we come out looking amazing going through the "fires of life." Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also came out of their "fire" with no injuries or setbacks whatsoever. I'm sure King Nebuchadnezzar believed when he looked into the fiery furnace, he would see 3 men utterly destroyed. Instead, he saw a fourth person, the Son of God with them in the fire. That "fourth man" was Jesus!

     Friends, God wants to form us and shape us. It's never fun. It's never easy. This whole process of making a bowl out of clay takes time. From the pottery wheel starting, the clay being tossed on the wheel, the hands of the potter forming this bowl, the placement of the clay bowl in the kiln and then having to wait up to 24 hours to see the finished product...WOW! That is what we call a process! I think of a verse in the bible in Isaiah 64:8 -Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.     

     

     Let "The Potter" do his work in you. His ways are certainly much better than our ways!!

Let's remember! The clay starts out as an ugly wad of clay. If you put that in a kiln, it would come out all ugly and not worth looking at. "The Potter" wants to do His work! Let Him! After all, He certainly knows what He is doing much better than we do!!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND EVERYONE!

  

40 YEARS: PART TWO

 

     So, to continue this story, it was now October 1984, and we had one show under our belts. We didn't travel every weekend but every so often we would go to various churches to minister to kids and families. The very next time we did go out, I woke up early that Sunday morning and took a quick shower. I noticed by my dorm room door there was a note and a set of keys. The note said "Dear Dave, I had to work security last night and I'm very tired. Here are the keys for the van with directions how to get to the church. See you later." It was signed by the director! So being the responsible assistant director I did my duty and took the lead. Our team loaded the van with our puppets, puppet stage and sound system and headed to the church we were ministering at. Being in charge of our team not only meant I had to drive the van, but it also meant I had to talk in front of people. Little people. Kids! I had to do the introductions. I didn't like that, but I was the leader, and I had to. I don't know what I said during our introductions or what I said when I introduced each skit. All I know is I made a fool out of myself. In the back of my mind, I kept saying, "this is only for one semester." Sure Dave!

     For several weeks I went through the same routine. There were keys and a note left by my dorm room door every Sunday when we had an outreach. It was apparent to me that our director was not really interested in doing this ministry or maybe going through some things. When I did confront him, he confided in my that there were things going on in his life. He did say to me, "I can see you are a great leader, and you care about people. I knew you could lead this team! You are doing a fantastic job!" I was flattered but again, I was not looking at this as "My Future Career." I will admit we did have fun as a team. The van we drove looked a lot like the Partridge Family Bus from that old classic TV show. During that semester, my fellow team members were calling me Keith Partridge since I drove the van. My friend Dean looked a lot like Ruben Kincaid, so we called him Ruben. We sang the Partridge Family theme song as we drove to our outreaches. I also remember the great times we had fellowshipping around the table during meals. After one outreach at Margy's church, we had an amazing dinner at her parents' house. After another outreach all the guys hung out at Ron's house and watched a football game together.

     I might not remember every single outreach, but I do remember a few. One outreach was at a church of a guy I met when I was a freshman. He was our school team's soccer goalie, and his name was Kevin. I also remember we are at one particular church around Halloween time. This very creepy man went up in front of the kids to announce a Halloween party the church was hosting. After his announcement, we all kind of looked at each other and said, "That was weird!" Around Thanksgiving time, we did our final show of the semester. It was on a Sunday night. This time the director of our team attended this event. He did the introductions and told me I would be introduced last. I was oblivious as to why. When it was my turn and I stuck my head up behind the puppet stage, he announced, "And now I would like to introduce the director of our team, Dave Harff!" I'm sure the look on my face was priceless. Me? The Director? He later told me that I deserved all the credit in "holding down the fort" and I deserved that recognition. That really blessed me!

     The semester was over and when I returned to college for the spring semester, I was approached once again by Sandy. This time her words were much different than they were the previous September. "How would you like to lead the puppet team this semester?" The Director of our team only attended our college for one semester and there was a need. My initial reaction was, "No! Not again! I don't know how to lead a puppet team!" I agreed and Sandy helped me out. Sandy on occasion would travel to churches herself as she was a child evangelist and a ventriloquist. She had an old style "vent figure" she used. She asked me one time to travel with her to a church as she needed a puppeteer to help her do a few songs. I will admit it was a lot of fun. I also thought her vent figure was cool. Little did I know that 16 years later I would be doing ventriloquism! It was 1985 and Sandy and I recruited our team. We only had a few people return from the fall 1984 team. I will have to say looking back we certainly had a "ragtag" team of individuals. We had every race, color and creed along with very tall people and very short people. We did a few shows that semester including traveling to my church, Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle. The dynamics of this team were very different, and I did learn a lot about leadership as well as how to be effective doing puppets. The Director wrote a nice letter of apology to me about his lack of responsibility and for "dumping the ministry" on me. Truthfully, I am eternally grateful that he did. It was God's way of showing me what He was calling me to do.

     1985 was not a good year for me. In fact, I honestly hate even writing about it. I certainly will never blog about it, trust me. The rest of that year was not good. I made some very bad decisions in my life. It came to a point where I became very ill and had to leave college during the second week of school and I had to return home. I would later discover 5 years later it was my Celiacs Disease acting up, but I believe it was God removing me from a toxic environment. The Good Lord was leading me back home. Doing puppet ministry or any kind of ministry was the last thing on my mind. Between September 1986 through March 1986, I needed to heal. I focused on getting better physically as well as spiritually. In March 1986, I attended a TNT (Twenties and Thirties) Sunday school class. It was up on the third floor and because no one had a key for the classroom, we met in a hallway. Rich, who would later become a good friend to me taught the class about missions. My heart was stirred that day. That night at an evening service I rededicated my life to the Lord! All during that week, I was feeling the urge to get involved in mission somehow. I sent away for information from a mission's organization called Operation Mobilization (or OM). The Lord was leading me to go to England that summer! One day soon, I will write a blog about that experience! After raising support, reading a lot of books I was required to read and a lot of prayer, I left for training in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 2, 1986, two weeks after I would graduate Bible College. I was in England for 3 months ministering to Muslims, Hindu's and Sikhs. Of course, I found myself ministering to kids but again, I still had no clue it was what God was calling me to do. Our team had the amazing opportunity to into schools and share. The principal told us "Talk to the students about whatever you want!" You would never hear that in America! For whatever reason, I was always the guy doing "Fun kid songs" and as we walked the streets of the city we were ministering in, Bradford England, many kids recognized me and my team members. 

     When I returned from England all excited about serving God as a missionary, God had other plans. I took a job working at my church as a custodian working the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift. I hated it, but it was a job. I wanted to get back involved in church ministry, so I asked our youth pastor if I could volunteer. He was excited and said yes. I was always told that if you want to move up in any ministry position, you always start in youth ministry. I did it for maybe 6 months including helping at a Winter Retreat but to be honest, it wasn't my "thing." In January 1987, I wanted to possibly teach a youth group Sunday school class. I asked the Sunday School Superintendent if I could teach the youth and she said, "Well actually, we don't have a need there. We do have a need with the 4-year-olds!" "The 4-year-olds? Me?" I agreed and signed up as a teacher. I had no training and was not told I would be trained. That bothered me and years later, I reinforced that. Let's just say I was not great but did my best. I had to remind myself these kids were 4 not 14. 

     Soon after that, one of our Pastors, Pastor Greco heard through the grapevine that I was a puppeteer in college. He wanted to know if I would "help out" at a newly formed "Puppet Ministry." He said to me, "Maybe you can share your expertise!" Expertise? I don't think so. After much thought and prayer, I told him I would be glad to "help out." Famous last words! I met with the director, a lady by the name of Ann DiSanza who was very excited about me joining the team. There were only a few puppeteers involved and we were asked to do a play for the Children's Church. It was the very Sunday the Giants were playing the Broncos in Super Bowl 21, so we did a show Ann had found that had a Super Bowl theme. All the puppets we used were made by team members, but we were happy to be able to put on a show for the kids. It's so hard to believe that any 5-year- old at that show is now 42 years old! The following two months were very crucial in my life. In February, Ann was being asked to take over as the Sunday school Superintendent, so she approached me about "taking over the ministry!" NOT AGAIN! That's how God works. I agreed and our team did shows once a month in Children's Church. Oh and by the way, my career as a youth worker ended. The youth pastor understood. We served together on staff at my church for 5 years! 

     That spring, Pastor Greco as well as the Sunday School Superintendent, Judy asked if I would be willing to be a "costume character" for Sunday school. It was a curriculum about growing in the Lord and what happens when you plant seeds. They needed someone to be a farmer character called "Freddie the Farmer." I agreed and truthfully, I had so much fun doing it. Of course, walking through the lobby of the church on Sundays and throughout the week, many kids would yell "Mommy, that's Freddie the Farmer!" I jokingly told them he was my twin brother!

     That summer we called our puppet team "The Good News Gospel Theater" and I began writing many new puppet scripts. I also was able to inherit the very puppets I used at college. I won't bore you with the rest of the story but let's just say I have been in children's ministry for 40 years. In those 40 years I have had the privilege of being a children's pastor for 25 years. I am now a child evangelist as well and a ventriloquist. I have well over 16 "figures" that I use. It has always been my dream to one day write, direct and produce my own Christian kids show that features puppets and costume characters. I am thinking of starting it out on YouTube. We shall see. Thank you for reading and allowing me to reminisce about something incredible that took place in my life 40 years ago. 1984-1987! My humble beginnings! 

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!