Field of Changed Dreams?

Blogging continues to be a huge place for community.  I am blown away by the friends I’ve met through Jon Stolpe Stretched and other blogs.  One of my blogging friends is Arny Sanchez.  Arny writes a blog called The Analogous Truth where he relates current culture to life and faith.  I’ve enjoyed following Arny as he’s related things like Star Wars and The Lord of The Rings to my world.  Today, I have the honor and privilege of sharing Arny with you as he related my favorite movie to a real life challenge.

Oh and by the way, today marks the 500th post at Jon Stolpe Stretched.  What a great way to celebrate!

(If you’re interested in becoming a guest blogger at Jon Stolpe Stretched, drop me a line in the comment section.  I’m always looking for opportunities to share.)

One of the best sports movies of all time has to be Field of Dreams – Jon’s favorite movie of all time as a matter of fact.

There is just something special about a guy chasing a dream that everyone thinks he is crazy for, and he is willing to sacrifice it all.

But, what if you had to give up that dream, or change it drastically?  For the sake of another.

One of my favorite characters from the movie is The Mysterious Ghost of Dr. “Moonlight” Graham…

The scene:

Graham played baseball when he was young but only got to play one game in the Major League and never batted.  Ray, (Kevin Costner) finds out Graham had passed away and never pursued his true dream again.  Even the ghost of Graham tells Ray that he is too old to be chasing young dreams.

Well, on the ride back, Ray picks up a hitchhiker with a bag with baseball gear in it….he looks like a really young kid.  They ask him his name and he says, “Graham, Archie Graham”.  So cool, right?!

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God”

– God (Psalm 46:10)

That’s all I’ve got today.

How about you?  What’s your word for the day?

Ice Breaker – When Was The Last Time You Cried

This ice breaker thing is catching on.  I’m moving the question for this week up a couple of days to save Friday for a special post that I can’t wait to share.  I’ve been tossing this week’s question around for the past several days.  A friend of mine appears to be in his last days here on earth as his battle with brain cancer has taken a dramatic turn for the worse.  As I think about my friend, I’m reminded of a trip we took together to the Willow Creek Group Life Conference several years ago.  This was really the first time that I spent significant time with my friend as we hung out with several other small group leaders from our church for a few days.  I specifically remember sitting next my friend on the airplane as we flew home to the Philadelphia area.  As we sat together, my friend opened up as he shared his story.  I’m not sure if I actually asked him today’s ice breaker question, but I knew that our conversation had taken a jump to a whole new level of transparency as my friend began to cry as he described his family growing up.  I will never forget the tears streaming down his face.  I know there was pain in his conversation, but I clearly could see that there was also freedom in sharing and releasing the emotion that went with this discussion.

And so I ask this week’s ice breaker question.  As a reminder, Ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak.  I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn.  Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy.  Thanks!

Question:  When was the last time you cried (I mean really cried) and why?

My Answer:  Here you go….

I don’t cry very often.  Just ask my wife.  Occasionally, I’ll tear up when I see something moving on TV or in a movie.  I’ve even teared up at Hannah’s recent cross-country meets as her teammates and the members of the opposing teams gather to cheer on the last boy as he approaches the finishes line well behind the pack.

When I think about the last time I really cried, I journey back to a time about a year ago.  Actually, it’s been more than a year ago.  Last September, my wonderful wife had to go to the hospital.  Without going into a lot of detail, I remember doing everything I could to hold it together as I waited by her side in the hospital while we waited for things to be worked out with the medical staff.  I even remember holding it together despite being stunned as I rode back home in the car with my dad after we left my wife at the hospital.  Once we got home and I crawled up to our bedroom in the early morning hours, it wasn’t long until my tears began to flow.  As my tears flowed, I was desperate for an answer from God.  Why was this happening?  What was next?  How would I move forward?  I like to have everything in order and under control, and the events of that evening chattered much of my world.

A lot has happened since then.  My wife has experienced amazing healing.  Our family has been mended together more fully.  And we’ve had many, many happy moments and memories since this time of desperation.

So there you have it, my answer to the question.  Now it’s your turn….

(Oh, one more thing.  Could you please pray for my friend and his family?  Thanks!)

Important Puzzle Pieces

Do you ever feel like you don’t belong?  Do you sometimes feel like you don’t fit in?  Or do you think that nobody will realize if you’re missing?  I think it’s natural to wrestle with these thoughts from time to time.  I think I especially struggled with these thoughts in junior high and possibly high school.  But I’m sure these thoughts have come and go from time to time since then.

Our church started a series on Sunday called The Body.  I’m excited for this series.  I think it will provide a reminder to all of us at our church that we’re all important.  We all matter.  And we all play an important role in the body.

This past summer, our family went camping with a few other families.  During the weekend outdoor chapel service, the chaplain shared an exercise that helped to illustrate this.  As campers arrived at the amphitheater, they were given a puzzle piece.  No body knew anything about their puzzle piece.  They didn’t know how it fit together to make a bigger, complete picture.  After the chaplain shared a few words, he called up everyone to a table to put together their pieces.  As the campers brought their pieces together and began working together, they began to create a beautiful picture.  The picture wasn’t complete until each and every piece had been added to the whole.  If someone had withheld their piece, the picture would have a big hole in it.  If someone didn’t put their piece in the right place, the puzzle wouldn’t work.

This simple puzzle exercise provided a great tool for reminding us all that we all matter, we belong, and we fit in – just right – to make the whole picture complete.  We are each an important piece of the whole!

Where do you fit in?  How has God gifted you in a way that makes the body more complete and beautiful?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  Romans 12:1-8

Ice Breaker – What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up

Last Friday, I threw out an ice breaker question, and I loved the response.  So I thought I’d try again.  Ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak.  As I stated last week, I love to hear what other people have to say and how they think.  So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question.  I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn.  Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy.  Thanks!

Question:  When you were younger (or maybe you’re still younger), what did you want to be when you grew up?  How did it work out for you?

My Answer:  Here you go….

What little boy doesn’t want to be a firefighter.  I think I wanted to be a fireman up until 1st or 2nd grade.  This never panned out; however, I did go through a pretty good stint as a pyrotechnics engineer – I mean pyromaniac.  In fact, I almost burnt the New Jersey Pine Barrens down during a junior high camping trip to Bass River State Park.

I switched over to wanting to be an actor when I was in 3rd or 4th grade.  My parents took me to see Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Fiddler on the Roof, so these provided some inspiration.  But I really took on the acting bug when I had the chance to play one of the leading roles in our church’s production of The Music Machine.  I have seen lots of pictures of my debut performance, but I think a video would be pretty hysterical.  Speaking of videos, I had the honor of being the lead reporter in a video featuring our junior high youth group.  The video was called Jerusalem Today, and it brought out some of the funniest outtakes I’ve seen.  Needless to say, my acting career never really took off.

During high school, I thought for sure that I wanted to be a pharmacist.  I loved chemistry, and it sounded like pharmacists made a lot of money.  Honestly, I’m not sure what swayed me from this path.  Perhaps, it was the knowledge that I would have to go to college for an extra year or two to fulfill this dream.  I’m not sure, but I’m not a pharmacist.

As it turns out, I went to school for engineering.  I became a project engineer and project manager in the building automation industry when I graduated college.  Somewhere along the way, I realized that I wanted a more direct role in managing and helping people succeed, so I pursued my MBA.  Now I work as an operations manager in the building automation industry.  I love what I do (most days)!

So there you have it, my answer to the question.  Now it’s your turn….

Marathon? I’m Thinking About It

If you’ve been following along for a couple of months, you may have realized that I’ve been running lately.  In September, I ran the first ever Perk Trail Half Marathon – A Race To Remember (by myself).  The past couple of months, I’ve had the privilege of running with a couple of friends as they’ve pumped out a couple of their longer training runs in preparation for their marathons.  One of my good friends just ran his first marathon last weekend, The Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA.  And another friend is getting ready to run his first marathon in a week or so, The St. Louis Marathon.  Running with these guys has made me realize that another marathon may not be so far off for me.  I’ve run over 17 miles and still felt great (or as good as can be expected after running 17 miles).  So why not consider a marathon myself?  That’s a great question.  So…I started looking around for a marathon to run either in late fall or early spring or maybe both.

I could run the first ever Bucks County Marathon on November 20th.  This one looks attractive, because it’s relatively close to home, it’s a certified course, and it’s all trail.  I’m just not sure I want to pay the entry fee to be part of this inaugural race.  Also, I’ve already run a marathon in Pennsylvania.  If I’m every going to run one in each state, I don’t want to waste my marathon effort running a second marathon in the same state.

I could run the Rehoboth Beach Marathon on December 10th.  This would be in Delaware, so it would be a different state than my previous two marathons.  It looks like a well established race on a certified course.  It’s a possibility.

I could run the Ocean Drive Marathon in New Jersey.  This March 25th race starts in Cape May, NJ and ends in See Isle, NJ.  This point to point race could be pretty scenic as it runs 26 miles up the Jersey coast.  I have to wonder what this winds are like on this course.  This could definitely be a possibility for the spring.

As I was doing my research, I came across a unique marathon possibility.  The Thanksgiving Marathon on November 24th takes place in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City, New York.  The race isn’t certified, but I don’t think that matters to me.  The race doesn’t have any aid stations, but I could carry my own water and food.  The race doesn’t come with any fancy T-shirts or running expo.  But the race is FREE!  You just sign-up, show-up, and run.  For finishers of this race which takes place Thanksgiving morning, a 12 inch engraved fork is your reward along with the satisfaction of knowing you earned the calories that you will consume for this year’s Thanksgiving Day meal.  I haven’t signed up yet, but I’m definitely thinking that this may be the one.

What do you think?  Anyone interested in joining me?  Are there any other marathons that I should consider?

Goals like this are great for keeping us focused and moving forward.  But it doesn’t have to be a marathon or hiking up Mt. Everest or swimming across the Gulf of Mexico.  I’ve been inspired by many who are pursuing their own C25K goal (Coach To 5K).  Whatever it is, set a goal.  Go after it.  You can do it!

So what’s one of your goals?  What are you doing to pursue it?

Borrowed Beauty

Later this year, I will hit a milestone birthday – the big 4-0!  Honestly, I don’t think I’ve thought about it too much.  Although maybe I’m giving myself too much credit.  After all, my blog post today is starting with this thought.

At any rate, something happened last night that made me feel old.  Many of you know my daughter, Hannah, or have an idea of who she is thanks to my blog.  Next month, she will turn 14.  This is part of my aging process.  It seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital in her car seat and sweater outfit that Grammy made for her.  Well, she’s not a baby any more.  My Sweetie is turning into quite a beautiful and caring young lady.

Yesterday as part of her Columbus Day holiday, she went Halloween costume shopping with Leanne at our local Goodwill store.  She came home with this beautiful red evening gown that she purchased for $20 with her own money.  After dinner last night, she tried in on for me.  Wow!  How did we go from a baby sweater to a flowing red gown so fast?  As I hugged Hannah and commented on her beauty, I asked her not to grow up so fast.  She smiled as if to say, “I can’t help it, and I’m proud of who I’m becoming.”

I’m proud of her as well.  As Leanne and I were talking about Hannah later last night, Leanne reminded me that Hannah is really on loan from God.  God gave us Hannah and Isaac to nurture and support for a little while, but they were never fully ours from the beginning.  They belong to God.  I’m so thankful for the chance to borrow these two amazing kids.  And yes, I will cherish each moment and day I get to spend with them.

How do you look at your kids?

What’s something you are borrowing that will one day need to be returned?

ServeFest – Norristown Community House

Saturday morning after witnessing the Phillies‘ dismal performance on Friday night, I had a chance to lift by spirits by spending time with my family and the Bowersox family at the Norristown Community House.  Our church was sponsoring a huge day of serving in our area, and we hooked up with the Norristown Community House thanks to a Grove City College connection with the Peter and Becky Bowersox, who are in charge of the House.

So what is the Norristown Community House?  Good question.  You can go to their website to get more details, but I’ll give you my take.  The House is located in the heart of Norristown, PA which is the county seat of Montgomery County.  Norristown is one of the poorest communities in the county.  The residents of the House are young adults – primarily college students – who attend local colleges.  By choosing to live in the House, they are agreeing to become part of a community where discipleship, serving, and reaching out to the community are expected.  Peter and Becky (shown above with their 3 kids) act as their resident directors and guides.  They make sure the House is running smoothly, and they meet with the young adults on a regular basis to participate in the discipleship process.

It really turned out to be a great morning as we helped them clean out a garage attic that was filled with lots of trash, some relics, and a few treasures.  By clearing out this space which obviously hadn’t been cleaned out in years, we helped to make storage space for the residents of the house.  We discovered an old salon style hair dryer, Vietnam War veteran documents, old clothes and suitcases, a box full of vinyl records, license plates, and lots of dust!  Our kids enjoyed sorting through everything as we removed it from the attic.

This clean-up project was a great way to introduce our family to the Norristown Community House.  I think we’ll be back to help out on some other projects and to rub shoulders with the young adults and the Bowersox family.  Thanks, Becky and Peter for the opportunity to help out – and for getting my mind off the commencement of the Phillies’ golfing season.

How have you served in your community?  What things have you done with your family to serve others? 

Crossing Lines Across The Blog World

I have gotten away from posting on the weekend.  I’ve learned to cherish this time as a time to spend with my family and a time to take a break.  I thought I’d interrupt that break – just briefly – to give a quick shout out to a blogging friend of mine, Pastor Matt.  Today, Matt featured my blog in his weekend highlights post.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me.  Shout outs like this give our blogging communities a chance to expand and to grow not just in numbers but in depth as new readers begin to contribute to the conversations that go on daily thanks to so many great bloggers.  So as I say thank you to Pastor Matt, go check out his blog.  He has some great stuff to share.

Thanks, Matt!

What blogs to you regularly read that deserve a shout out?

Ice Breaker – Lunch Time Meet-Ups

I love ice breaker questions.  These are questions used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak.  I love to hear what other people have to say and how they think.  So for today, I’m throwing out a simple ice breaker question.  I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn.  Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy.  Thanks!

Question:  If you could have lunch or coffee with three people you don’t know, who would they be?

My Answer:  Hmmm…. (that’s me thinking).

1.  I’d love to meet Bono.  Not only am I a huge U2 fan, I’m intrigued by Bono’s call to action in ending poverty and injustice.  I think he would have some amazing things to share.

2.  I’d go with Barack Obama.  If you must know, I didn’t vote for him.  I’ve always leaned conservatively right (just ask my brother).  Despite this, I think it would be very interesting to have some one-on-one time with Mr. Obama.  I’d be curious to learn how he and his family keep first things first while living in the spotlight.  I’d like to know how he manages his stress.

3.  Lunch with Michael Jordan would be a treat.  I grew up cheering for him.  My bedroom was plastered in Michael Jordan posters.  I loved watching his videos (like Come Fly With Me).  I don’t get the impression that he’s made the best decisions outside of basketball, but I think it would be interesting to talk about his regrets along with his high points.  I’d also like to talk to him about his faith.  I have no idea where he stands.

So there you have it, my three lunch time meet-ups.  Now it’s your turn….