Archives for April 2010

You Are Valuable

I am a person that internalizes everything. I'm always thinking, analyzing things. I pick up on a lot of things and build huge stories around them. Often this serves me well, but it also makes my full of doubt. I am constantly aware of others. I am picking up on their moods and how they look at me, talk around me, and act around me. I think these things through for a long time after the fact. Days later I am likely to be thinking through conversations and trying to figure out if what I said could have been done better or if I misunderstood things. This often leads to a lot of self … [Read more...]

15 years later

Fifteen years ago today I was home sick with the chicken pox. I was 16, a junior in high school, and feeling much better. The previous week had been miserable. I had chicken pox EVERYWHERE. They were in my throat. I think they were in my stomach too. The itching wasn't even partly soothed by oatmeal and milk baths. I was allowed the scratch my head and I did violently. I hope I never lose my hair because I am certain it is horrible under there. I was feeling much better though and had been trying to get to the City all morning. My dad was home working on the second floor edition with a … [Read more...]

A real life story of depression

Last week I wrote about the prevalence of depression in the students I work with and know of and how I want to try something different to help them. I am asking advice as I go forward because I know that the answers are bigger than I can imagine. I received this email and have obtained permission to publish it hear anonymously. I have stripped a couple of pieces out to keep anonymity, and I think later this week I will share some personal experiences I have with depression. This is the story of a real person, and I believe something that should guide me and others like me who seek to make a … [Read more...]

What we all have in common but feel we bear alone

We are continuing the series on "Am I Happy?" in youth and I was talking with one of my students after. She was telling me how in the schools they have groups for quitting smoking (which I've facilitated), drugs, alcohol, bullying and plenty of other things like that. What they don't have is a group for students who are suffering from depression. I know the schools offer services for this but I also know the counselors are overwhelmed and unable to help most of the students that need someone. As I was talking with this young lady I began to see the need for something that doesn't exist in … [Read more...]

Life is Funny when you have kids

I don't often participate in the "life is funny" carnival, (read I have never but really should), but I have to share this little story and while it was happening I kept thinking of the "life is funny" carnival. Most kids like to play house or school. Admittedly my kids often play this game. They tend to entertain themselves and listening in usually provides more than a few chuckles. They argue about who the mom is and who is going to marry whom. My oldest is giving the others homework all the time. They also find ways of making the game more interesting for the oldest boy who is always … [Read more...]

Playing hooky with my kids

This past weekend I was blessed to be able to spend time with my wife without the kids. They stayed most of the weekend with some friends and the last several hours before we got home with my parents. We had a great time with the retreat but missed our kids. Today we decided to keep out kids home instead of sending them to school. We had a picnic at the park with them and then let them play for a couple of hours. My oldest is growing up quickly. She can play on every piece of equipment without any help. She knows how to swing, do the monkey bars, climb pretty much anything. All of that … [Read more...]

Close Encounters of the Married Kind

Believe it or not this post is not exactly a red-warning sex post. It is actually about my last weekend and a marriage seminar I attended with my wife. We attended an Assemblies of God Marriage Encounter this past weekend. Now some people might suddenly assume that Mrs_theGeek and I have been having problems. Of course this is true but not in a significant sense of the word. We are married and we are human, this means we have different opinions and occasionally even get grumpy. When you add ministry into it there is a lot of stress so we might even ... fight. Seriously though, we have a … [Read more...]

Went to church and a hockey game broke out

I know it's an old joke, but we had our first real fight at church tonight. It has come close more than once. A couple of weeks ago I had to break something up before it happened. Tonight I was brought in after the damage was done. One of my adult leaders was outside when it happened and got it broken up pretty quickly but it really ticked me off. I stayed calm with the boys, but I feel like it was the steely calm that I am prone to get which people who know me will identify as extreme anger. I talked with both mothers and with the students involved and those that were around. I think it … [Read more...]

This little piece of paper will help you get to Heaven

I am not a huge fan of Gospel tracts. I don't feel that they really work most of the time, but I don't think that is exactly the fault of the concept. I am talking through witnessing with my Young Adult's class. I am giving them a series of challenges each week and then we are talking about how those challenges went. What was effective, what wasn't, and why? I am more interested is teaching a lifestyle of living the Gospel. A life of prayer for the lost and action on that prayer. This week the challenge revolves around Gospel tracts. Everyone was given 3 sets of two different tracts. … [Read more...]

I admit I asked Jon to write a guest post for me ages ago. I’ve written a few for him but he has been too busy with writing his amazing book, which I will be reviewing soon with a very special give away.

Anyways, he is finally giving me the guest post, along with like 130 other people.

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard”
30. Their accountability group comes to wait outside the audition door for them = + 2 points

To add up your score with over 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.

Archives for April 2010

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