I Remember When…I Learned to Ride a Bicycle

I’m toying with an idea for a new series called “I Remember When….”  The thought behind the series is to recall memories from my past and to possibly provide a little reflection on these memories.  I think it can be a blessing to recall things from our past.  It’s fun, but it also provides perspective on how we got to where we are now.  I used to roll my eyes when my dad would start a conversation with,  “I remember….”  But now, I see how remembering things from our past can be a great exercise.  I don’t have a major expectation for this series, but I’m guessing that the memories will vary between brief and light memories to more in-depth perspectives from my past.  I’d love to hear what you think along the way.  (For now, I’m looking at running the series on a weekly basis.)

I remember when I learned to ride a bicycle.  I was four years old.  My family lived on Illini Drive in Carol Stream, Illinois.  There weren’t any sidewalks right around our house.  So I practiced on our driveway with a smaller bike.  I could touch the ground easily with my feet.  Instead of putting on training wheels, I just wobbled back and forth from one foot to the other as I pretended and practiced “riding” this little green bike up and down our driveway.

My parents must have realized that this bike was too small for me and that I need a bigger bike with training wheels.  So they picked up a bigger bike with training wheels.  I’m not sure where they got the bike – if it was new or used.  It didn’t really matter.  It was harder for me to touch the ground with my feet, and my legs more naturally reached the pedals of this “new” bike.  As soon as I got the bike with the training wheels, I tried to ride it.  I honestly can’t remember riding it for long with the training wheels.

I remember asking my dad to take the training wheels off.  My memory is that this happened the first day I had the new bike, but I’d have to confirm this with my parents.  My dad took his tools out and removed the training wheels upon my request.  With the extra wheels removed, I took off across the front lawn – two wheels on the ground, feet on the pedals, and faster than a speeding bullet (at least that’s how I remember it).

The bicycle gave me a huge sense of freedom.  As I grew, I graduated to a bigger bike (red with a black banana seat).  This was my dare-devil bike.  The handle bars and my stomach became fast friends as they often met each other at the bottom of a big jump.  This bike was notorious for chewing up my pants as they would get caught in the chain.  Then I went through a couple of ten speed bikes.  These bikes increased my level of freedom.  I was able to go further and faster.  I used these bikes to travel to and from various jobs, school, and friends houses that were further away.  Now, I have a hybrid bike.  It’s perfect for riding along the trail near my house.  All this started when I started riding a bike at four years old.  I remember that!

Do you remember when you learned to ride a bicycle?  How old were you and do you remember your first bike?  Do you have any crazy bicycle stories to share?

Another Family Milestone – Our Daughter Heads to High School

Today marks a huge milestone in our family.  Hannah, our daughter and oldest child, starts high school.  How did that happen?

Are we as parents ready for this?  I’m not sure.

Is Hannah ready?  That’s another story.  She’s definitely ready!

She’s been practicing with the cross-country team for several weeks.  And she ran her first couple of scrimmage meets this past week.

She had already moved up to the high school youth group at church.  This move-up made her eligible to participate in the missions trip to Guatemala a month ago.  It was in Guatemala where it was made clear that she is ready for this transition.  She mixed in with the rest of the upperclassmen.  She knew as much or more Spanish than anyone else on the trip, and she was able to stand on the same level spiritually with the other kids on the trip.

There was a moment on the trip that will forever be etched in my memory.  In this moment, Hannah stood on her own as a caring, compassionate young woman.  When we finished building the house, our group held a dedication service with the family.  At this service, we gave the family the keys to the house.  We gave them a Bible signed by our team.  And we prayed with them.  At one point, Hannah pulled out her notebook.  I didn’t know this was coming (and I’m not sure if anyone else knew either).  Hannah had written out several words to share with the family.  I’m not sure what these words were since my Spanish is pretty weak, but I could tell the family was impressed and touched by what Hannah shared with them.

Photo by Kaleigh Rank:  The moment that will be etched in my memory forever.

And so, we arrive at today – her first day of high school.  I have such confidence and hope in Hannah’s future.  I know she’ll have her ups and downs.  But I’m a proud parent.  I’m thankful for this day!  I can’t wait to see what happens in Hannah’s next four years.

Do you remember your first year in high school?    How about your first day?  What do you remember about being a freshman?

More Than Words

It seems like God is hitting me over the head with a message recently.  Following Christ and sharing His love is so much more than words – knowing words, memorizing words, and studying words.

While I think it’s important to read, study, and understand the Bible, I think it’s so much more important to put these teachings into action – into following Christ with our hands and feet.  This message has been hammered home in a few different but obvious mediums.

First, I was catching up on my blog reading on Saturday morning when I came across this video in a blog post by Ryan Tate at Discipulus.  In the video, Francis Chan shares some simple but obvious thoughts about discipleship – what it is and what it is not.

Next, I was finishing up Love Does by Bob Goff on Sunday morning (I shared about this book on my blog yesterday).  Towards the end of the book, Bob offers his thoughts on Bible study:

What’s up with equating “Bible study” with knowing God anyway?  Wouldn’t it be a horrible thing if we studies the ones we loved instead of bonding in deeper ways by doing things with them?  I’d never want to get married to a girl no matter how much I studied her.  I’d rather take her sailing or fishing or eat cotton candy with her on a Ferris wheel.  I don’t think knowing what her name means in Greek is going to help me love her more.  In fact, they have a name for guys who just study things about a person they like but don’t do anything about it – they’re called bachelors.

So I started getting together with the same guys each week and instead of calling it a Bible study, we call it a “Bible doing.”  We’ve been at it for fifteen years now, and I’ve found there’s a big difference between the two.  At our Bible doing, we read what God has to say and then focus all of our attention on what we are going to do about it.  Just agreeing isn’t enough.  I can’t think of a single time where Jesus asked His friends to just agree with Him.

Finally, I was in church on Sunday morning when our guest pastor, Paul Williams, asked the question in his sermon – “What if we loved our neighbor as ourselves?”  In Paul’s sermon, he used the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to point out that anyone and everyone is our neighbor.  Then he used the story of the Rich Young Man (Matthew 19:16-30) to remind us that we’re to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and part of this is learning to love ourselves.  Finally, Paul turned to Matthew 22:15-40.  In this passage, the Pharisees and Sadducees are having a conversation with Jesus.  (These men were known to have the Bible (The Old Testament) memorized knowing every single law that was supposed to be followed.  At the end of this passage, Jesus answers questions thrown out with a famous passage, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  It’s that simple.  It doesn’t matter how much we know about the Bible if we’re not loving God and loving others with all we’ve got.

Bam!  Bam!  Bam!

Three times nailed over the head in a matter of 24 hours.  Do you think God was trying to tell me something?

The truth is I grew up in a pastor’s family.  I was known as the Bible geek in my freshman English class for knowing all the answers to the Bible questions.  I’ve even prided myself on the knowledge I’ve gained and retained along the way.  Knowledge is okay (and is important for maintaining a sound doctrine and for reminding us of Biblical truths and standards), but action is even more important.  James states it well:

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  James 2:17

I get so tired of all the political back and forth at this time of the year.  One side is trying to find the candidate who is the most Christian.  The other side is trying to find a government who will fix everything and create programs for our neighbors.  Wouldn’t it be a different world if Christians actually stepped up and loved their neighbors with action and not just words.  I think this is a challenge for all of us – including me.  And that’s how I’m being stretched right now!  I want my faith to be more than words.

How about you?  How are you loving your neighbor?  Is your faith and love for others based on words or based on action?

Book Review: Love Does by Bob Goff

A couple of months ago, I gave away Love Does to a lucky reader on my blog.  I hadn’t read the book at that point, but I had heard some good things.  Now that I finished the book for myself, I can see why Love Does deserves all the attention.

Love Does is a collection of stories from the ordinary life of author, lawyer, and big thinker, Bob Goff.  In Love Does, Bob takes readers into an extraordinary world by matching up things that we might consider ordinary with thoughts and actions that go beyond normal.  I love this!  It’s part of my goal for my own blog – to see God’s love through the ins and outs and ups and downs of daily life.  I think Bob does a wonderful job seeing God’s love in the things that happen in and around is life.

Love Does inspires readers to quit studying and talking about love.  It inspires readers to put love into action.  Love becomes an action word – a verb – when we open our eyes to see love lived out in every opportunity and moment.  Bob challenges readers to put down the books about love and to stop all the theoretical talk about what love means.  He challenges readers to go out an put love into action.

Bob’s stories are meant to be shared, are meant to inspire, are meant to encourage action.  Love Does is a book that I will come back to from time to time for reminders and inspiration.  And I recommend Love Does to anyone who desires to discover an incredible life in an ordinary world.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ice Breaker – Jobs

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question.  The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community.  I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments.  While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week’s question is inspired by the upcoming Labor Day holiday.  Whether you earn money or not, we all have a “job”.  Maybe it’s keeping the house in order, caring for the kids, or going to school.  This week’s question is all about your job.

Question:  What’s your job?  (Pretty simple.)

My Answer:  I’m an operations manager for Siemens Industry, Inc.  Our company designs and installs building automation systems in buildings around the Greater Philadelphia area.  I’ve worked for Siemens for 16 1/2 years.  My past positions have included project engineer and project manager.  I’ve been an operations manager for ~5 years.  I love what I get to do on a daily basis.  My primary responsibility is to manage and lead a team of engineers, technicians, installers, and support staff in an effort to satisfy and blow away the expectations of our customers and to be profitable for our shareholders.  I especially pride myself on leading with integrity and helping my team members succeed in their projects and careers.  I’m so thankful for my job.

There you have it – my answer.  Now, it’s your turn.  Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment.  I look forward to reading your response!

Always Be Prepared – Lessons From A Smoke Alarm (Part 2)

Yesterday, I explained how a smoke detector alarm in my home reminded me of some valuable truths related to my preparation for sharing the reason for my hope (I Peter 3:15,16).  Today’s post is a follow up to my story as well as an addition to my preparation list.

After getting up at 3:45AM to the sound of the first alarm, going to the grocery store at 4AM to purchase 9 volt batteries, and replacing the batteries in all the smoke detectors in our house, the smoke alarm was still going off periodically.  Needless to say, I was beside myself.  What else could I do to resolve this annoying and disruptive noise that was filling our house at random times.

I did some research, and I discovered that it’s recommended that the smoke detectors are cleaned with compressed air or a vacuum.  Apparently, dust can get into the detector over time and cause false alarms.  Leanne and Isaac attempted to vacuum out the detector in question once everyone was awake, but the alarm still continued.  Ugh!

Finally, reading further in the instructions, it says that the detector may need to be replaced.  So at lunch yesterday, I ran over to the local hardware store and picked up a copy of smoke detectors that were compatible with our system.  When I arrived home after work, Isaac and I replaced the detector.  And I’m happy to report that we haven’t had an alarm since!

And so I’ve learned a couple more things about being prepared to give an answer for my hope:

• Research.  Besides reading the Bible (which should be the starting point and foundation for sharing your faith), there are other resources out there that might be helpful.  A couple that come to mind are Out of the Saltshaker and into the Earth (Evangelism as a Way of Life) by Rebecca Pippert, The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman, and Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels.  Research also includes understanding the interests, beliefs, and perspectives of others.  There are plenty of books, blogs, and websites that can help with this task.
• Replace defective parts.  As you grow and learn, replace the things in your life that don’t work in representing Christ well.  When we become Christians, we become new creations.  The old is gone.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come^: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

What other tips to you have for being prepared to share our hope?  What have you had to research lately?  What resources do you recommend to help others prepare to share their faith?  What is something you’ve had to replace in your life recently?

Always Be Prepared – Lessons From A Smoke Alarm

I’ve been awake since 3:45 this morning.  I get up early each morning, but not this early normally.  I was in a pretty deep sleep when the smoke detectors in our house went into alarm.  They are all hooked together, so if one goes off, they all go into alarm.  I instantly hopped out of bed.  Was there a fire in my house?  I knew I needed to check things out.  I walked through the house, but I couldn’t find any smoke or fire (which is obviously good).  The alarm stopped, and I returned to bed.

Within a few minutes, I was back out of bed as the alarm went off again.  As I guessed, the battery in one of the detectors must have been losing its power.  Typically when this happens, the detector sends out a beep every minute or two.  However, in some cases, it will simply send the whole house into alarm.

With this in mind, I began to search the house for a fresh 9-Volt battery.  I looked in our battery bin.  Nothing.  I thought for a minute about where else I might have another newer battery.  The only place I could come up with was Isaac’s model rocket launcher.  I found the controller and pulled the battery.  When I took it to the detector I thought was the culprit, I discovered that the battery from Isaac’s rocket launcher was also low on power.

So what else could I do?  You guessed it.  I grabbed my wallet and car keys, threw on my shoes, and drove to our local grocery store to pick up 9-Volt batteries – at four in the morning!  When I returned home at 4:20AM, I began replacing all the smoke detector batteries in the house.  I purchased enough batteries for the whole house along with having a few spares.  Next time, I’ll be sure to replace the smoke detector batteries on a regular basis (like they recommend), and I’ll be sure to be prepared with a few extra 9-Volt batteries in the house.

As I was driving to and from the grocery store at 4ish in the morning, I couldn’t help but think how this early morning wake-up call was a good reminder the follow the teaching found in I Peter 3.  In this chapter, Peter proclaims that we should always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we profess.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  

I Peter 3:15,16

Being prepared to give an answer to everyone regarding the hope I have seems pretty challenging, but I think there’s a few simple things we can do to help us prepare for this opportunity.  Here are a few of my ideas:

• Remember God’s Word.  We don’t all have to be Bible scholars, but it helps to know what the Bible says.  In God’s Word, there is truth and hope that we can share with others.
• Recharge and refresh your spiritual battery.  On a daily basis, spend time with God.  On a weekly basis, spend time with other believers at your local church.  Once or twice a year, get away for a spiritual retreat.  This could be yourself, on a missions trip, or at a conference.  Each of these activities when regularly exercised will help to keep you charged up and ready to share the hope you have with others.
• Relax.  Yes, giving an answer for the hope we possess is an important responsibility, and it’s easy to become intimidated when an opportunity to share our faith arises.  But I think that God will help us when we take the time to prepare and recharge.  Sharing your faith isn’t just about words, it’s just as much about living it out through your actions on a daily basis.

And yet again, I learn from the lessons of my life.  In some strange way, I’m thankful for a smoke detector alarm that woke me up in the early hours of the morning.  And next time, I’ll be better prepared!

When was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night to something alarming?  What other suggestions do you have for being better prepared to give a reason for your hope?

Where Is Your Xenacoj?

The last couple of weeks have been filled with posts recounting my trip to Guatemala where I served with a team of students and leaders in the town of Xenacoj.  I certainly don’t mean to bore you with details of my trip.  Writing about this trip has simply been a way for me to hang onto the things I saw, heard, and learned during this life changing adventure.  I’ll continue to post about this adventure from time to time, but I’ll spread it out from here on (at least for the time being).

Before I turn to other STRETCH topics, I thought it would be good to share some pictures of the people we served while we were in Xenacoj.  The people of Xenacoj are beautiful people.  They live a much simpler life than we do here in the United States.  They know how to pace themselves.  They don’t ever seem to be in a hurry.  They smile.  They say hello (our Buenos Dias!).

We came to share the love of Christ with the people of this small town in Guatemala.  I believe we did that, but we gained so much more.  We gained a new appreciation for life and for what is important in life.  We discovered that sharing Christ with others isn’t about speaking the same language.  It’s so much more about living it out in action and about humbly offering oneself to help, to pray, and to be present.

It’s been more than two weeks since our team returned home.  The students on our trip are getting ready for a new school year.  The leaders have settled back into their normal home and work routines.  How has this trip changed our lives?  I often ponder this question to myself.  I don’t want the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and memories of this trip to be a waste.  I want to use them in my own life to be a catalyst for continued transformation.

One direction that my thoughts often go back to is a simple question:  Where is my Xenacoj?  Where is God calling me?  How am I serving those around me?  How am I keeping my ears, my mind, and my heart open to God’s voice?  I have certainly been inspired to return to overseas missions in some form – maybe even to Xenacoj someday.  But I also realize that Xenacoj is right around me.  God has strategically placed me and my family in Schwenksville, PA – at Christ’s Church of the Valley – at Siemens – in the Perkiomen Valley School District – for a reason.  This is my Xenacoj!

Where is your Xenacoj?  Where is God calling you to serve?  How are you answering that calling?

Repost: The Gift of Camping

Last night, we returned from another year of Family Camping.  After 11 years, this is still one of the weekends we all look to each year.  The post below was from our trip one year ago.  This year, we went to Hickory Run State Park.  The people were the same.  We shared many of the same stories from the past, and we made plenty of new stories as well.  Our chapel service was a little different this year.  But generally things were similar.  Just add another year to the tally.  Our kids didn’t want to leave when we pulled out of the campsite after dinner last night – we must be doing something good.  We can’t wait for next year!

This past weekend, we celebrated the 1oth anniversary of a great family camping tradition. We’ve been camping with the same four families since the beginning. It’s been amazing to watch our kids grow up together. Isaac was two and potty training on our first rainy camping trip to Locust Lake State Park. Now, Isaac’s eleven, and he’s becoming a wonderful young man. The story is similar for all the other kids as well. It’s truly been a gift to experience the richness of these friendships year after year. I look forward to many, many more family camping trips to come.

Nine out of the ten years, we have camped in a Pennsylvania State Park. Pennsylvania is the only state that has an established chaplaincy program in its state parks. Most years, we have worshiped together at the camp’s Sunday worship service. This year was no different as we walked down to the outdoor amphitheater following a delicious camp breakfast. I love my church, but there is something refreshing about getting outdoors and stripping away the music and lights and air conditioning.

At the service, Chaplain Jason shared from the passage in Romans. Jason’s message provided some great reminders:

¹ 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. ² 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.

³ 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. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ 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; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ 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

1. I have gifts. I should be sharing these gifts.

2. My gifts are different from other people’s gifts. We all have different gifts.

3. Everyone’s gifts are important to completing the work of the body.

4. I’m not gifted in everything. Saying no sometimes is okay.

I’m sure there were some other great points, but these are the ones that struck me.

What fun family traditions do you have?

How are you using the gifts that God has given you?

Ice Breaker – Memory Moment Songs

Happy Friday!

Friday’s mean it’s time for the Stretched Ice Breaker.  Each week, I ask a question that is meant to “break the ice” and help The Stretched Community get to know one another just a little bit better.  Once the question is on the table so to speak, I’ll answer it in the post.  Then it’s your turn to answer the question in the comments.  Ready or not, here it comes!

Question (it’s not actually in question form this week):  Share a song that takes you back to a memory moment.  While you’re at it, share a little bit about the memory.

My Answer:  Lot’s of songs take me back to memories of getting to know my wife.  For example, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton will always take me back to our first dance.  In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel brings me back to the same evening when everyone cleared the dance floor to watch Leanne and I dance together.  And The Best Thing In Life by Big Tent Revival takes me back to the first band we saw together at Creation 1997.

Recently, I was introduced to a new band who is apparently popular – Mumford & Sons.  Roll Away Your Stone off their Sigh No More album takes me back to the streets of Xenacoj, Guatemala.  Our Casas por Cristo team leader, Josh Crabbs, drove around in a beat up Mazda pick-up truck.  I had the privilege of driving with him to and from the job site everyday during our house build project.  At the end of the day, Josh would plug his iPod into the car radio and introduce me to new songs and artists as he relaxed after a hard days work.  Once of the songs he played was Roll Away Your Stone.  I remember riding through Xenacoj with the windows down, the music blaring, and the emotions riding high.  Thanks Josh and students for opening me up to a whole new brand of music!

There you have it.  Now it’s your turn.  Share your answers in the comments.  I can’t wait to read your responses!