Lessons From My Front Lawn

The past three or four years, I’ve paid a company to treat our lawn to prevent the weeds, to prevent fleas and ticks, and to help it stay green and healthy.  There’s no question that it paid off.  Up until the spring, my grass was coming in great and green.

That all changed this summer when we decided not to use the company to treat our lawn and we were faced with one of the hotter and drier summers that we’ve had in a while.  As the summer wore on, our front lawn went from a plush green carpet to a spotty brown and green, weed infested disaster thanks to the lack of treatment and the stresses of the summer heat.  Honestly, I want to throw up every time I pull up our driveway.  It just makes me sick to see what our lawn has become in just one summer.

Now, I realize that a green front lawn isn’t the answer to true happiness and contentment, but I think it speaks to something that is true for our own lives.  Just like water and fertilizer help to keep our lawns healthy, keeping our spiritual lawn green and healthy requires water, nutrition, and weed prevention.  We need to study God’s word (the Bible), and we need to spend time with God.  We also need to  live life in community – the kind of community that can be found by attending and getting involved at a local church along with the kind of community that can be found by getting involved in a small group.  These spiritual treatments are essential to keeping our spiritual lives healthy.

Getting back to my lawn, we finally called the lawn company that we used before, and they explained that our grass can be restored.  The weeds can be eradicated, and the effects of summer stress can be overcome.  It will take some time and special attention, but there is hope for my front lawn.

So, this brings me to my question.  How is your spiritual front lawn?  Is it healthy or does it need some work?  If your spiritual lawn is brown and weed infested, there is hope for restoration and renewal.

In Your Face – Date Night!

It’s amazing how our kids can be so helpful in keeping us on track with things that are important.  Last night, my son reminded my wife and I that Monday night is date night.

Leanne and I have tried hard to leave Monday night open to go out on a date.  Last week, we went to the Philadelphia Premium Outlets to window shop and enjoy a hot beverage at Starbucks (which is another story).  Other Monday night dates from the past have included things like:  playing tennis, going for a walk or bike ride, eating ice cream out, and catching a movie.

Somehow on the heals of a great but busy weekend and a crazy Monday, we forgot this week.  As dinner was wrapping up, we were talking about attending to some home projects following dinner clean-up.  This is when Isaac chimed in, “Isn’t Monday night your date night?”  Out of the mouth of our 10-year-old came a timely reminder of the importance of keeping our weekly commitment.  So we adjusted our plans and took a walk down to the local ice cream place for a tasty treat and some great conversation.

How do your kids help you stay on track?

What do you do to stay connected with your spouse?

What are some of your date ideas?

In Your Face – Don’t Give Up Meeting Together

A few weeks ago, I found myself in quite a tough spot.  Many things around me seemed to be collapsing in on me, and I felt all alone.  This seems kind of strange for a guy who has tooted the “GroupLife horn” for so long, but it’s true.  At a time when I needed a shoulder to lean on the most, I was generally isolated from the kind of relationships which would know that life was crazy for me at that moment, which would care enough to ask me how I was really doing, which would carry me through when I just couldn’t muster the energy to continue.

That’s when a friend of mine, Adam, jumped across the “ocean” to join me on my island.  Through our conversation, he could tell I was hurting.  He simply asked, “Are you in a group right now?  Do you have someone to lean on?  Who’s got your back?”

Right in my face!  Here I was the guy who was supposed to ask people this question.  After all, I know how important it is to be in some type of small group.  I had been leading groups and leading in group ministry for years.  But…with no great excuse…when Adam asked me these questions, all I could say is, “No.  I’m not in a group right now.  I feel alone.  And I’m not sure if anyone has my back right now.”

Thankfully, Adam didn’t leave it at that.  He invited me to join him with a group of guys that meets every week.  He said I’d be more than welcome to check it out and join them.  So…I did!  That’s right.  A few Wednesday nights ago, I drove over to a local diner and met with a crazy group of guys, who made me laugh, who listened to me, who made me think.  These guys obviously don’t have it all together, but they’re trying to do their best to live life in a way that honors God.  And they realize the importance of meeting together.

That night, Adam shared a passage from Hebrews 10 about the importance of meeting together.  I’m not sure if that was meant just for me or if it was for the whole group, but it was just what I needed.  I’ll be checking out this group again, and I’m looking forward to being in community again.  Community that will spur me on.  Community that will lift me up.  And community that will take me off of my island.

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The Phillie Phanatic is Coming to Church This Sunday!

Decide to Abandon Retirement as the Reward for Your Life

They showed this video at CCV yesterday as we were challenged to “Be courageous or start dying!”

[vodpod id=Video.3023969&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

I recently finished reading The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision president, Richard Stearns.  The timing for reading this book is quite interesting as my wife and I get ready for our trip this summer to Kenya for short-term missions working with CMF International and Hope Partnership in the Mathare North slums of Nairobi.  Stearns definitely challenges the reasons for going on such a trip and for our church to be involved with such a ministry.

This book is a must read for all American Christians and American church leaders.  Stearns, who left a lucrative and successful career of corporate leadership to take the president position of World Vision, presents a challenge to American Christians and churches that they may be missing a major part of what God expects of us.  He provides an honest reflection of his own continuing struggle to grab hold of his responsibility to take care of the poor, the orphans, and the widows as commanded in the gospel.

After sharing the details of his own transition to World Vision, Stearns lays out the facts of the poverty found around the globe.  He discusses the facts related to sickness (including HIV Aids, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases), hunger, and deaths found in the poorest sections of the world.  He discusses the growing disparity between the rich and the poor of the world.  And he unveils the Biblical call to respond to these injustices.

He leaves the reader with the challenge to step up and fill the “Hole in our Gospel” by finding ways to do our part in offering our time, talents, and resources to live out the gospel in our own lives and to share it with others in tangible ways.

I’m excited, because I see what our church is doing in Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico, as we come along side missionaries and communities to establish long-term relationships and to have long-term impact.  I’m excited to see where God will be leading me personally as I continue to process the challenges of this book, this trip, and the gospel message.

Stay tuned…I’ll try to process some of this out loud here.  Until then, consider picking up a copy of this book and reading it for yourself.  Let me know what you think.

Engineering: Pennsylvania Enacts Continuing Ed Requirements

I know.  I know.  I haven’t really posted a lot (or at all) related to my engineering background.  But I thought it might be a good idea to pass along some information to any Professional Engineers licensed in Pennsylvania.  Last week, legislation was enacted requiring PA engineering license holders to complete continuing education activities in order to maintain license status.  The information below was included in this month’s Compass newsletter, a publication of the Valley Forge Chapter of PSPE (Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers).  (Yes, I’m a member.)

New Continuing Education

Requirements Legislation Enacted

HB 975 signed by Governor Rendell into Act 25 of 2010

Answers to the questions surrounding exactly how mandatory continuing education will work for

Pennsylvania licensed professional engineers, geologist and land surveyors got a whole lot clearer this

week as new legislation (House Bill 975) was enacted to clarify most of the particulars. The Senate passed

House Bill 975 unanimously on May 4th. The bill was not amended in the Senate, so it went directly to

Governor Rendell for his signature.

PSPE spearheaded the effort to pass a bill which gives professional engineers more flexibility in meeting

the CE requirements than was available under the previous law. The new law is modeled after the

National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) model rules for continuing

education. As a result, the language in the law is quite specific as it is based more on model regulations

rather than model legislation.

The following is a recap of the most important details of the law:

• Licensees shall comply with the CE requirements during the 2009-2011 biennial renewal cycle. That

means licensees will be asked to meet the requirements during the current cycle and may have their

license renewal denied in September of 2011 if they have not met the requirements.

• Each licensee needs to obtain 24 PDH units during the current and future biennial (every 2 years)

licensing periods.

• A PDH (Professional Development Hour) is defined as 50 minutes of instruction or presentation relevant

to professional practice.

• The CE requirements can be met by attending educational courses, participating in distance educational

courses, teaching, authoring published works or obtaining patents.

• There is no requirement that courses be preapproved by the State Registration Board, but the Board will

have final authority to determine if a particular course is relevant or not.

• The rule of thumb is that courses must “maintain, improve or develop the professional’s skills or

knowledge”.

• Courses in ethics and the law are acceptable subject matter for CE credit.

• Courses in practice building or office management are not acceptable subjects for CE credit.

• Up to 12 PDH units may be carried forward from one licensure cycle to the next.

• The Board may grant exemptions from meeting the CE requirements for reasons such as active military

duty, physical disability, illness or other extenuating circumstances.

• Newly licensed individuals are exempt from the CE requirement for the licensure period immediately

following initial licensure and registration.

While the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and

Geologists has ultimate authority over what is considered acceptable education or activities, the new law

places most of the responsibility upon the licensee. Within the parameters established in the statute, you

will determine what courses or activities relate to your professional practice.

PSPE recommends that you read the newly enacted section of the law which will be posted here shortly:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/CL/Public/cl_view_action2.cfm?sess_yr=2010&sess_ind=0&cl_t

yp=GA&cl_nbr=

PSPE will continue to provide our members with updates on any new developments relative to the CE

requirements, but feel free to contact us if you have questions. Remember, all PSPE members are

currently eligible for 4 free PDHs from the National Society of Professional Engineers; click here to

review available courses: http://www.nspe.org/resources/newpages/fourfreePDHs.html

For more information from the PSPE website, click here.

RESPECT

Last night while on our date, Leanne and I were talking about the importance of having people of positive influence in our lives and in the lives of our kids.  As we talked about this, we were reminded of all kinds of people who have had an impact on us as a couple and as parents – people like: Terry and Maria Hanna, Bill and BJ Krewson, Tim and Jill Reber, and Andy and Denise Dovel.

As part of this discussion, I was reminded about something I wrote for our “Supernanny” Parenting Group that I think also applies:

There are many people in my life who I respect for all kinds of reasons.  I respect my parents and my wife’s parents.  I respect by boss.  I respect those in the church who are in leadership.  I respect my teachers.  I respect the political leaders throughout our country.  One person who I respect is Ray Rivera.  Ray was one of my youth leaders at the church where I grew up in New Jersey.  I looked at him as an authority figure, as a spiritual guide, and as a family friend.  Ray and his wife Joann always had time for me if I needed someone to talk with.  While I knew that he wasn’t perfect, I saw him making good decisions and leading with integrity and with a servant’s heart.

It’s wonderful that we have people in our lives like Ray Rivera – people who deserve respect not just because of their positions of authority but also because of their actions.

Who are the people in your lives who have this kind of influence?  Who are the people in your kids’ lives who have this kind of influence?

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

I just read the first chapter of new book by David Platt, and the first word that comes to mind is “uncomfortable.”  In this chapter titled, Someone Worth Losing Everything For, Platt introduces the premise for his book that the American church is way off target when it comes to the gospel message that Jesus shares in Luke 9.  Platt lays the foundation to challenge the very things we have come to know and expect in our own American lives.  We are beyond rich.  We are beyond comfortable.  We are far from living the sacrificial lives that Jesus discussed and modeled in his public ministry and in his ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

Radical looks like an interesting read, and I will be interested to see how Platt addresses spreading the gospel message in America where people are constantly distracted by the pursuit of the American Dream.

If you’re interested you can download and read chapter one here, and you can learn more about the Radical book at www.RadicalTheBook.com

You can also request a free copy of a companion pamphlet, The Radical Question, by going to www.WaterBrookMultnomah.com/RadicalQuestion