Tyler has learned to play peekaboo with a blanket. He was on Deb's lap last night and it made me smile! I thought you might like it too.
Keep Smilin'
Dan
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Dominoes!
As a kid I used to love to set up domino trains and knock them down - I ain't got nothing on this guy - Enjoy! Dan
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Astronaut Gets Special Wake up Call
On July 4, 2006 Mike Fossum was a rookie astronaut making his first shuttle flight. At 2:38 p.m. EDT, Space Shuttle Discovery and the crew of STS-121 was off and running in a blast of sound and fury. “Oh boy ... oh my goodness ... what a kick in the pants that is,” Fossum says. After reaching an altitude of 50 miles – and it doesn’t take long to get there – Fossum and the other rookies on the flight were “officially” deemed flown astronauts. At 8 ½ minutes into the flight, Discovery was in its initial orbit and rocketing through space at a speed of 17,500 mph. The shuttle docked with the International Space Station, it was up to lead spacewalker Sellers and Fossum to get to work. Their three spacewalks totaled approximately 21 hours. Asked if he could possibly begin to describe the view, Fossum says simply, “I’ll try.” “It was just almost overwhelming to see the Earth, to see the curve of the Earth,” Fossum continues. “My full vision, from one side to the other, was almost unencumbered by this large bubble helmet that we’re in. The view is so much clearer (than from inside the Shuttle). The colors ... the vibrant colors ... the layers in the atmosphere on that thin band of atmosphere that you can see on the horizon ... I could’ve sat out there for hours just watching the Earth come by.”
On the fifth day of the flight it’s hard to tell if Mike Fossum was already awake - probably so. Rookie astronauts almost always wake up early. There’s too much to see, too much to do. He had a space walk that day and the view out his window? Spectacular!Still, for years, it’s been a NASA tradition that its explorers receive unique wakeup calls. The all-Navy crew of Apollo 12 was awakened to a bugle and boatswain’s pipe on its November 1969 journey to the Moon. There have been more than a few college fight songs and pieces of classical music. This was Mike’s wake up call.
Thanks to WorshipTogether.com for the original article and the link to the NASA video clip. Let’s all worship the God of Wonders today.
God Bless
Dan
On the fifth day of the flight it’s hard to tell if Mike Fossum was already awake - probably so. Rookie astronauts almost always wake up early. There’s too much to see, too much to do. He had a space walk that day and the view out his window? Spectacular!Still, for years, it’s been a NASA tradition that its explorers receive unique wakeup calls. The all-Navy crew of Apollo 12 was awakened to a bugle and boatswain’s pipe on its November 1969 journey to the Moon. There have been more than a few college fight songs and pieces of classical music. This was Mike’s wake up call.
Thanks to WorshipTogether.com for the original article and the link to the NASA video clip. Let’s all worship the God of Wonders today.
God Bless
Dan
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Noah takes a photo of himself everyday for 6 years.
I just watched one of the most fascinating videos. Noah Kalina is a photographer in New York. He has been taking a picture of himself everyday since January 11, 2000. The video cuts these together over some great music and it ends by saying this – “Everyday, Jan 11 2000 – July 31 2006, 2356 days, a work in progress.”
We are all indeed a work in progress. Each one of us is in the process of being molded and changed into the people we will become. God is in charge weather we admit it or not – the question is will we choose to embrace what he brings into our lives or fight it. Will we seek to be molded into the person he designed us to be or will we try to figure it out on our own.
One of the podcasts I listen to is the Bald Worship Leader podcast by a guy named Phil Ayres. Recently he challenged his listeners to take a closer look at the parable of the talents. Reread it in Matthew 25 when you get a chance. The point come down to what are you doing with what you’ve been given. We’ve all been trusted with different stuff: relationships, finances, skills and more. There are only three possibilities for those things: they are deteriorating, they are maintaining or they are increasing. The only option the Father rewards is increasing. If we are not caring for and increasing what he has given to us we are ultimately failing.
The awesome thing about this is that we do not need to rely on our own strength or ingenuity to make the increases happen. Philippians 2:13 says “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” It is God’s Spirit which is, as Romans says, transforming us by the “renewing of our mind.” So where does this leave us. Do we simply sit here and allow ourselves to “become” – will we magically turn into super Christian? No Way!
In Phil. 2:12 Paul says “as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” It is only when we do our part that the Spirit come along side and does His. Not when the boss is looking over our shoulder but when he is out of town, when he is off for the afternoon are we diligently working to increase what he has entrusted us with!
God hit me between the eyes with this in the area of my skills as a worship leader. I must be working to increase what he has given me and not be content to show up and maintain what is there. Musically am I honing my craft, congregationally am I stretching where we are? I have been entrusted now with a congregation of worshippers – I am responsible to increase their “skills” and the richness of their experience as well. I am not alone, God will help but I do have a responsibility to grow what has been given to me.
Father,
I pray that when you return I will hear the words I long for “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Give me your strength to make it happen.
Amen
Keep reading!
Dan
I just watched one of the most fascinating videos. Noah Kalina is a photographer in New York. He has been taking a picture of himself everyday since January 11, 2000. The video cuts these together over some great music and it ends by saying this – “Everyday, Jan 11 2000 – July 31 2006, 2356 days, a work in progress.”
We are all indeed a work in progress. Each one of us is in the process of being molded and changed into the people we will become. God is in charge weather we admit it or not – the question is will we choose to embrace what he brings into our lives or fight it. Will we seek to be molded into the person he designed us to be or will we try to figure it out on our own.
One of the podcasts I listen to is the Bald Worship Leader podcast by a guy named Phil Ayres. Recently he challenged his listeners to take a closer look at the parable of the talents. Reread it in Matthew 25 when you get a chance. The point come down to what are you doing with what you’ve been given. We’ve all been trusted with different stuff: relationships, finances, skills and more. There are only three possibilities for those things: they are deteriorating, they are maintaining or they are increasing. The only option the Father rewards is increasing. If we are not caring for and increasing what he has given to us we are ultimately failing.
The awesome thing about this is that we do not need to rely on our own strength or ingenuity to make the increases happen. Philippians 2:13 says “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” It is God’s Spirit which is, as Romans says, transforming us by the “renewing of our mind.” So where does this leave us. Do we simply sit here and allow ourselves to “become” – will we magically turn into super Christian? No Way!
In Phil. 2:12 Paul says “as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” It is only when we do our part that the Spirit come along side and does His. Not when the boss is looking over our shoulder but when he is out of town, when he is off for the afternoon are we diligently working to increase what he has entrusted us with!
God hit me between the eyes with this in the area of my skills as a worship leader. I must be working to increase what he has given me and not be content to show up and maintain what is there. Musically am I honing my craft, congregationally am I stretching where we are? I have been entrusted now with a congregation of worshippers – I am responsible to increase their “skills” and the richness of their experience as well. I am not alone, God will help but I do have a responsibility to grow what has been given to me.
Father,
I pray that when you return I will hear the words I long for “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Give me your strength to make it happen.
Amen
Keep reading!
Dan
Thursday, August 31, 2006
All Tired Out!
When I look back and see that I last posted here in June I'm amazed. It has been one busy summer - just look how exhausted Tyler is! Mom and Kim are both recovering well from the accident, I did a fair share of traveling for work and now it's almost time for school to start. We went camping last weekend and will be gone over Labor Day as well. It's been a great time and ultimately a great summer. This post was really just an excuse to post a cute picture of my boy. (a dad can be proud can't he)One thing I'll be writing more about soon is the worship journey God has me on right now. I was asked to take over the leadership and planning for our worship team at church. It has been great to be in that role again - God has been teaching me some cool stuff that I want to flesh out into a post soon.
Keep Reading,
God Bless
Dan
Monday, June 19, 2006
The Body at Work
Our family had a shock this weekend. My Mom and my niece and nephew were in a very serious car accident. (If you want to know details you can go to the update page I set up for them here but this post isn't really about that.) One of the things that has been so incredible to see over the last five days is the Body of Christ at work. We each have been given different gifts and talents and mine tend to be fairly public. I teach, I sing, I lead worship and people see me using my gifts. That doesn't mean that my gifts are more important than the next persons they are just more public. But this weekend it was the quiet gifts that we rarely see that made the difference. In the stress and confusion of the weekend simple things like someone bringing a bag of Taco Bell tacos up to the hospital meant so much. The hundreds of people praying has worked miracles. The folks who watched our kids for us so we could be where we needed to be. The people who chipped in and helped finish the Bible school projects my wife has been working on and the list can go on and on.
It is in the little things that Body of Christ can be truly seen at work. Jesus taught about the "cup of cold water given in my name" and loving your neighbor not hermeneutics and worship techniques or church grow methods. He knew that if we spend our time on building true relationships with those around us, both believers and unbelievers, so many of the other things would take care of them selves. We reach our world by loving it not by preaching to it. The body is healed by care not criticism.
In the midst of this our pastor is preaching on stewardship. Steward ship is being faithful in the little things. When this happens we will be trusted with much. I've heard it put this way as well, "When you watch the pennies the dollars take care of themselves."
Watch your pennies, mind the little things, do the good that is right before you today.
May your life be faithful - Dan
It is in the little things that Body of Christ can be truly seen at work. Jesus taught about the "cup of cold water given in my name" and loving your neighbor not hermeneutics and worship techniques or church grow methods. He knew that if we spend our time on building true relationships with those around us, both believers and unbelievers, so many of the other things would take care of them selves. We reach our world by loving it not by preaching to it. The body is healed by care not criticism.
In the midst of this our pastor is preaching on stewardship. Steward ship is being faithful in the little things. When this happens we will be trusted with much. I've heard it put this way as well, "When you watch the pennies the dollars take care of themselves."
Watch your pennies, mind the little things, do the good that is right before you today.
May your life be faithful - Dan
Friday, February 24, 2006
Moby
It's official, we are insane! Yes the 2nd grader, the kindergartener, the preschooler and the infant were not enough. The Wilson's decided they needed to add a dog as well. Moby came to live with us last week. She is an English Springer Spaniel and is about a year old. We adopted here though the English Springer Rescue Society. She lived with a family that loved her a lot but didn't have enough time for all her energy. Well I'm not sure about time but the girls definitely have enough energy for her. She has been a great addition and we're having a ball.
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