I don't know exactly how others determine what subject matter to blog about. As I have started to learn this process a bit, I've come to notice that my blogs seem to resonate better with people (i.e. comments or follow up emails to me) if they aren't pre-planned. In other words, if I'm deciding today that I'm going to write about my opinion on what's wrong in Syria for next week's blog, then it becomes more of a editorial-newsy thing than a blog. To me, a blog is more recent, more relevant, and usually a little more opinionated. It's more "off the cuff."
Like many people, I have a lot of ideas. And thus, I think I have a lot of blog ideas.
The problem is that recently I've been thinking about what a wide-ranging difference my blogs have, and I'm not sure that everyone wants to read every blog. I've had people email me or comment about my Mexico safety blog that probably don't care a lot about my pee developments. And I know there are plenty of people that care and are indeed praying for my pee developments, and they aren't so interested in my opinion on what's happening on the world stage.
So I'm going to do it. I'm going to create another blog. I'm going to keep "Jottings of a Dream Realist" as my "professional" blog. For those that know me, "professional" is clearly a loose term, but it applies more to the subject matters I'll be continuing to write about; commentary about broader issues that are outside my personal life here in Duluth, MN.
Therefore, I will be adding a new "personal life" blog that will be about all the topics surrounding life as a husband, father, sports fan, Duluth (soon to be Hermantown!) resident, etc. I'll keep my opinions on the NBA and NHL playoffs to this blog.....plenty to write about, but I'll keep it in its appropriate place. It's certainly not a world-changing topic.
What do I call this blog? I'm not sure. I may pose the question on Facebook to see if anyone has any ideas.
Have an idea for a name? Let me know!
Peace and Q's.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
7 Drops
I've been getting prayer for a long time from a pastor/friend of mine at our church named Sammy. Sammy is from Ireland, and he and his wife came to Duluth a few years ago after feeling called into full time ministry. He has been praying for me and my injury since I first came out of surgery back in October.
Since recovering to the point of being able to go out in public and be "semi-functional," I've been getting together with Sammy for prayer on a weekly basis when I'm in Duluth. Each time he (and sometimes others) have prayed over me at church, I've made it a habit to walk into the bathroom, stand at the urinal, and see what happens. This is part of what I love about the our friends at the Vineyard Church. We don't just pray and hope things will get better.....we pray....... and then go give it a shot!
So I'd been getting prayer, going to the bathroom, and standing at the urinal for weeks and weeks. Each time has been the same:
Stand there.
Try to relax, and......
Nothing.
Well, a few weeks ago I was getting prayer as I always do. And I have to say, God is really using Sammy, because when he prays over me, I feel the power of God and the Holy Spirit at work. It's hard to describe to people, but the best way to say it is that there is this powerful "presence" I feel when Sammy prays over me. It's not that other folks aren't wonderful and don't pray really well, but it just somehow feels different when he's praying....I don't have a better way to describe it. It just feels real, humble, and like a genuinely authentic request to our creator to heal my body.
Thus, Sammy prays over me again, and I say, "alright, off I go to try it again."
And I stand at the urinal. And forgive me if this is graphic, but I check to make sure I'm not already "leaking" pee, which I'm not.
And I stand there.
And I try to relax, and.......
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.......and, done.
Whoa! Seven drops just came out!
A miracle? I'm not sure.....but I'll tell you from the bottom of my heart that this had never happened before I got prayer that day!
Since then, I've continued to have small "pee sessions" like this. I am so thankful. And, oh by the way, the burning continues in a significant way, to the point of feeling real pain sometimes. Gotta love the pain...and the gain!
Thanks God! And thank you for your prayer, Sammy. And thank you for your prayer, EVERYONE!
God bless you all. I'll try to blog again sooner rather than later. I apologize for being slow the last few weeks.....it's been an exhausting spring. But more about that later.
Seven drops. My healing continues!
Since recovering to the point of being able to go out in public and be "semi-functional," I've been getting together with Sammy for prayer on a weekly basis when I'm in Duluth. Each time he (and sometimes others) have prayed over me at church, I've made it a habit to walk into the bathroom, stand at the urinal, and see what happens. This is part of what I love about the our friends at the Vineyard Church. We don't just pray and hope things will get better.....we pray....... and then go give it a shot!
So I'd been getting prayer, going to the bathroom, and standing at the urinal for weeks and weeks. Each time has been the same:
Stand there.
Try to relax, and......
Nothing.
Well, a few weeks ago I was getting prayer as I always do. And I have to say, God is really using Sammy, because when he prays over me, I feel the power of God and the Holy Spirit at work. It's hard to describe to people, but the best way to say it is that there is this powerful "presence" I feel when Sammy prays over me. It's not that other folks aren't wonderful and don't pray really well, but it just somehow feels different when he's praying....I don't have a better way to describe it. It just feels real, humble, and like a genuinely authentic request to our creator to heal my body.
Thus, Sammy prays over me again, and I say, "alright, off I go to try it again."
And I stand at the urinal. And forgive me if this is graphic, but I check to make sure I'm not already "leaking" pee, which I'm not.
And I stand there.
And I try to relax, and.......
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.......and, done.
Whoa! Seven drops just came out!
A miracle? I'm not sure.....but I'll tell you from the bottom of my heart that this had never happened before I got prayer that day!
Since then, I've continued to have small "pee sessions" like this. I am so thankful. And, oh by the way, the burning continues in a significant way, to the point of feeling real pain sometimes. Gotta love the pain...and the gain!
Thanks God! And thank you for your prayer, Sammy. And thank you for your prayer, EVERYONE!
God bless you all. I'll try to blog again sooner rather than later. I apologize for being slow the last few weeks.....it's been an exhausting spring. But more about that later.
Seven drops. My healing continues!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Too wiped to write a normal blog.
I've intended to blog almost every day for the past week, yet am just getting to it on Easter. It's not that I feel I've been lazy or had nothing to say. In fact, quite the contrary. I've had about three different topics roll around in my head that I'd like to blog about. The problem is that I've been rather sick over the last week, and I've been too wiped out at night to write out my thoughts.
Last Saturday, I had just come off a long week, and we were going to a children's even for our kids. Just as we were getting ready to go......guess what?
Attack of the bowel issues.
Why, oh why does this stuff keep happening? Well, we keep trying to track down all the symptoms and reasons for it. It's certainly tied to fatigue, and it's certainly tied to stomach aches. And I know that prior to my injury, I could sense that if my stomach wasn't right, I really needed to get the the bathroom.....like now.
Nowdays, if I sense my stomach isn't right, I need to get to the bathroom.....like....too late.
Thus, the constant battle, prayer, and analysis continues. Also, the last week has been filled with aches, and fevers that come and go (and come again). We've had sniffles, sore joints and muscles, snot running down our noses, coughs, chills, dizzy spells, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, what if I go to the bathroom, I can't find one, and.....my bladder explodes.
I apologize, but I think Bob Wiley sums up how I and my family have been feeling even better than I do, so take a look at this video clip to find out. By the way, please excuse the tourette syndrome examples, and feel free to mute your volume, as there are a few off-color words...and if that might offend you, please don't watch the clip!
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Nonetheless, I look forward to feeling better in the next week and blogging about topics that are near and dear to my heart. When Bob Wiley is summing it up better than me, I know I'm not feeling too well.
Happy Easter, and I do hope you all feel well enough to celebrate our risen savior today! Take at least a few moments to pause and reflect on the most significant event in the history of our earth; Jesus Christ, fully human, dying an agonizing death on the cross for all of us, and then rising from the dead in victory!
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for freedom from the chains of this world.
Amen.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Honey, did you pack the gun?
I'd just come back home from one of my frequent trips abroad, and as usual, there were plenty of emails and phone calls to catch up on from being gone. As I was combing through them, a few stuck out to me, so I addressed them first.
The first phone call I needed to return was from a person that was very interested in serving in a Latin American country that shall remain nameless. I'll just tell you that this country is south of the USA and north of Argentina. Anyway, the person's primary discussion point is the danger that exists in the country they feel called to serve.
The discussion ensued like this:
Person: "We've seen the travel warnings, and we really feel called to serve in ______, but what I really need to know is this: what are your plans for when they attack you?"
Me: "For when they attack us?"
Person: "Yes. What's your contingency plan for that?"
Me: "For when they attack us."
Person: "Yes."
Me: "For when who attacks us?"
Person: "The locals. We know there's a lot of Americans being attacked down there. That's why there are travel warnings telling us not to go. Are we going to be armed? I know a lot of American people and companies that travel around in armored vehicles."
Me: "Ah, yes. For when they attack us. You're wondering if our christian mission team is going to be armed for when the locals attack us. The short answer is no, we're not armed, but I think this could lead to a much larger discussion."
After working through the logical reasons we're not armed, including the fact that none of PPM's thousands of people serving with us have ever been harmed, and that our friendships and parnerships with the local communities actually put us in a position where the local community is looking out for us rather than trying to attack us, the person was satisfied with why we are not packing heat on our mission trips.
This is just one of many examples we come across of people driven by a real fear of the unknown and it certainly ties to a lack of overall experience in knowing and understanding people from other parts of the world. That's the part of it that I have no problem with at all, because that's what we feel called to do at PPM: Be the bridge between cultures. Break down barriers. Cut through the perception until we reach reality.
Here's the problem I have with questions and scenarios such as this:
Exactly where did we get the idea that power through physical strength and potential for violence is part of God's plan for loving people into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?
If we agree that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and He is the ultimate example of how to live a life dedicated to our creator, then he's the ultimate example of how to live our lives.
In example after example of dealing with people, Christ simply pointed out truth and loved.... and if people didn't listen, then he moved on. And the crowds and the followers multiplied like crazy. It wasn't because he forced his will on people or protected himself with weapons. Quite the contrary. In fact, as many of us know, the night he was betrayed, Peter cut off a man's ear in defense of Jesus, and Jesus reprimanded Peter and put the man's ear back on his head (John 18:11).
All this to say, the question of "will we be armed when the locals attack us" presents a much larger opportunity for discussion to me. I believe that many of us are programmed in our own minds to operate out of self-preservation, which is ultimately fear. But that's another blog for another day.
We have over a thousand of people serving all over Central America and the Caribbean this month. Please keep them in your prayers as they boldly go and serve where God has called them.
(follow our current teams here: http://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/journals.cfm)
And remember, all our mission teams are weapon free.
The first phone call I needed to return was from a person that was very interested in serving in a Latin American country that shall remain nameless. I'll just tell you that this country is south of the USA and north of Argentina. Anyway, the person's primary discussion point is the danger that exists in the country they feel called to serve.
The discussion ensued like this:
Person: "We've seen the travel warnings, and we really feel called to serve in ______, but what I really need to know is this: what are your plans for when they attack you?"
Me: "For when they attack us?"
Person: "Yes. What's your contingency plan for that?"
Me: "For when they attack us."
Person: "Yes."
Me: "For when who attacks us?"
Person: "The locals. We know there's a lot of Americans being attacked down there. That's why there are travel warnings telling us not to go. Are we going to be armed? I know a lot of American people and companies that travel around in armored vehicles."
Me: "Ah, yes. For when they attack us. You're wondering if our christian mission team is going to be armed for when the locals attack us. The short answer is no, we're not armed, but I think this could lead to a much larger discussion."
After working through the logical reasons we're not armed, including the fact that none of PPM's thousands of people serving with us have ever been harmed, and that our friendships and parnerships with the local communities actually put us in a position where the local community is looking out for us rather than trying to attack us, the person was satisfied with why we are not packing heat on our mission trips.
This is just one of many examples we come across of people driven by a real fear of the unknown and it certainly ties to a lack of overall experience in knowing and understanding people from other parts of the world. That's the part of it that I have no problem with at all, because that's what we feel called to do at PPM: Be the bridge between cultures. Break down barriers. Cut through the perception until we reach reality.
Here's the problem I have with questions and scenarios such as this:
Exactly where did we get the idea that power through physical strength and potential for violence is part of God's plan for loving people into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?
If we agree that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and He is the ultimate example of how to live a life dedicated to our creator, then he's the ultimate example of how to live our lives.
In example after example of dealing with people, Christ simply pointed out truth and loved.... and if people didn't listen, then he moved on. And the crowds and the followers multiplied like crazy. It wasn't because he forced his will on people or protected himself with weapons. Quite the contrary. In fact, as many of us know, the night he was betrayed, Peter cut off a man's ear in defense of Jesus, and Jesus reprimanded Peter and put the man's ear back on his head (John 18:11).
All this to say, the question of "will we be armed when the locals attack us" presents a much larger opportunity for discussion to me. I believe that many of us are programmed in our own minds to operate out of self-preservation, which is ultimately fear. But that's another blog for another day.
We have over a thousand of people serving all over Central America and the Caribbean this month. Please keep them in your prayers as they boldly go and serve where God has called them.
(follow our current teams here: http://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/journals.cfm)
And remember, all our mission teams are weapon free.
 |
| PPM'ers in Haiti with bricks, not guns |
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Poopin' My Pants
We had arrived home less than 48 hours earlier, and Gina and I were all set for our first few relaxing moments of time together. The past two weeks we'd been in Mexico as a family, and there's nothing I love more than spending time with my wife and children, but there's no "we time" for Gina and I when we're traveling as a family. That's part we give up when going on family vacation.
Our plane landed in Minneapolis just before midnight on Thursday night, so we ended up getting home to Duluth just a shade before 4 AM on Friday. After a few fitful hours of sleep and the sun shining through our windows, Gina and I were up and at 'em semi early on Friday. While Gina went to work cleaning, doing laundry, putting travel items away, and managing overtired children, I went to work for the better part of a full day. I love to get into work, reconnect with folks, and find out what needs immediate attention right when I get home from traveling. If I don't, it nags at my mind until it gets done. Once I know what's going on, then I'm free to rest a bit physically and mentally.
So Friday rolls by like a regular work day, and Saturday we spend most of the day sluggishly getting a few things done at home. Gina is due to volunteer in the nursery at church, and our older two kids (slightly to our surprise) are voluntarily excited to go to church with her on Saturday night as well. I stay home with our youngest, as we're both in the middle of long naps that afternoon/evening.
Gina and the kids get home, and we find out that one of their Grandma's is going to have them and our niece over for a sleepover on Saturday night! Woohoo! Elijah always goes to bed at a decent time, so Gina and I can see what's on the horizon: a couple of hours to ourselves to do whatever we feel like doing! Ah, so nice.
I put Elijah to sleep as Gina is picking up the house, and when we're all set to finally relax, it's only 10 PM (I had to catch a bit of playoff college hockey before our "we" time).
Anyway, we decide to watch a movie from OnDemand on our TV. We choose a movie called "Crazy, Stupid Love," and just as we're beginning, I feel it.
Gas pains. Right in my abdomen. Pretty strong.
So I go to the bathroom to see what I can push out......nothing.
Back to the movie. After about 20 minutes, gas pains again. This time I go to the bathroom and poop a little. Enough to make the gas pains a bit better.
Back to the movie. Feeling better at this point, we decide to get a snack and soda for the last half of the movie. After eating my snack, I feel like I might have to go visit the bathroom again......I poop a fair amount.
Now I'm sitting on the toilet, and I'm not sure I'm done, so I just stay there. Yep, more slight gas pains, more poop.
And some more poop.
And more poop.
Now I'm starting to wonder "how much poop is left inside me? I can't keep going like this forever."
Wrong. More poop. Sheesh. Am I made out of poop, or what?
At this point, I'm actually feeling pretty good mentally, because just before the movie started, I was telling Gina that it seems like my nerves are acting up a bit more in the bowel/bladder area, and though it takes extra monitoring (and extra pads so I don't pee my pants too much), the extra activity always seems like a good sign....so overall, I'm glad to have made it to the bathroom without having any accidents.
Whew, finally done pooping.
Back out to the living room. Gina has fallen asleep waiting for me. By now it's almost 1 AM. As she sits up to continue the movie and I'm telling her how great it is that I knew I had to poop and got to the bathroom before having any problems, I feel the back of my pants.
Crap. There it is. Literally. In my pants.
Looks (and feels) like I wasn't done.
For those of you who have never pooped your pants as an adult, let me tell you that it's not a real "fun" feeling. The only time I think it could be good is if you were sitting on hard floor for a very long time and could really use a little extra padding down there to sit on.
Otherwise, it's not great, let me tell you. You have to go the bathroom (again), clean yourself up, and take a shower....and then analyze what just happened, and try to trace why it happened and how to prevent it.
Fatigue certainly seems to set it off, and we're trying to figure out the rest of it. I visit the doctor again on Tuesday, so we'll have plenty to talk about.
Just remember, even if you didn't think you had a great weekend, ask yourself this question:
"Did I poop my pants this weekend?"
If you indeed did not poop your pants, be sure to count that as a check in the "good things" column.
Happy Weekend!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Mexico Travel Warning
Be careful if you are planning on going to Mexico in the near future....you might fall in love and never want to return home.
I just spent the last two weeks in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico with my family. Yes, we did stop for a few days in the tourism-infested city of Cancun. Then we moved on to one of our a favorite corners on planet earth...a little town called Chuburna, which is located just north of the beautiful colonial city of Merida (http://internationalliving.com/2011/06/the-top-10-colonial-cities-in-mexico/).
I'm certainly aware of all the US government-issued travel warnings regarding Mexico (and many other countries in the world) that are designed to warn US citizens to the highest degree possible of all the crime and other issues that occur abroad. The problem with this is that we don't live in the safest country in the world, either. Crime exists in the US as well. Ever turned on the TV and watched the news?
If we really want to compare apples to apples, let's check out the most recent statistics available and go from there. Nationmaster.com does an excellent job of compiling all kinds of world statistics. I went to their site and compared the USA vs. Mexico in every measurable capacity, including crime. There are many different ways to look at it, but at the end of the day, the US has 7 times the recorded crime that Mexico has. One could certainly make the argument that more crime is reported in the US than in Mexico, but the US has also only 2.8 times more people than Mexico....follow the link and do your own research: http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Mexico/United-States/Crime
Personally, I feel a little more secure and watched out for in Mexico than I do in the United States. That's why I'm not afraid to bring my wife and three young children there, and I have no hesitation in recommending that others go there as well. There is indeed a chance that any of us could be harmed in any corner of the world, including Mexico. My experience is that I've been hurt more in my own back yard (see my other blog posts) than I have in other countries of the world.
My life's mission is to be the bridge between cultures, and to serve and love them as Jesus Christ served and loved the world. Just as the apostle Paul went to all parts their known world 2,000 years ago, so are we called to go into all parts of the world (Matthew 28:19). Every person in every corner of the world is loved just the same and just as much as all of us here in the United States. I think sometimes we conveniently forget this simple truth, and we ignore other parts of the world because we don't want anything to get in the way of our busy, planned, and supposedly safe lives here at home.
We're fortunate in so many ways to be born in the United States, and I recognize that as I travel the world. And yet, if you visit any other country and invest time in building relationships with people, you'll see that we have so much to learn from others. I have the opportunity to do this for my life and career, and I feel blessed beyond measure. If you've been to other parts of the world and had the chance to build authentic, meaningful relationships, I know you understand what I'm saying. If you haven't, I ask you to give it a shot and overcome the inconvenience, fear, or other obstacle that is standing in your way from going into other parts of the world. I haven't met a single person that regrets traveling to another culture, whether it's simply personal travel or serving on a mission trip.
Let's get out there and start learning, sharing, and serving. There's no better way to live. And most importantly, it's a direct order from our creator.
I just spent the last two weeks in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico with my family. Yes, we did stop for a few days in the tourism-infested city of Cancun. Then we moved on to one of our a favorite corners on planet earth...a little town called Chuburna, which is located just north of the beautiful colonial city of Merida (http://internationalliving.com/2011/06/the-top-10-colonial-cities-in-mexico/).
 |
| Myself and Elijah enjoying our morning beverages in Cancun |
If we really want to compare apples to apples, let's check out the most recent statistics available and go from there. Nationmaster.com does an excellent job of compiling all kinds of world statistics. I went to their site and compared the USA vs. Mexico in every measurable capacity, including crime. There are many different ways to look at it, but at the end of the day, the US has 7 times the recorded crime that Mexico has. One could certainly make the argument that more crime is reported in the US than in Mexico, but the US has also only 2.8 times more people than Mexico....follow the link and do your own research: http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Mexico/United-States/Crime
Personally, I feel a little more secure and watched out for in Mexico than I do in the United States. That's why I'm not afraid to bring my wife and three young children there, and I have no hesitation in recommending that others go there as well. There is indeed a chance that any of us could be harmed in any corner of the world, including Mexico. My experience is that I've been hurt more in my own back yard (see my other blog posts) than I have in other countries of the world.
 |
| Luis, our neighbor and friend in Chuburna, Mexico |
My life's mission is to be the bridge between cultures, and to serve and love them as Jesus Christ served and loved the world. Just as the apostle Paul went to all parts their known world 2,000 years ago, so are we called to go into all parts of the world (Matthew 28:19). Every person in every corner of the world is loved just the same and just as much as all of us here in the United States. I think sometimes we conveniently forget this simple truth, and we ignore other parts of the world because we don't want anything to get in the way of our busy, planned, and supposedly safe lives here at home.
We're fortunate in so many ways to be born in the United States, and I recognize that as I travel the world. And yet, if you visit any other country and invest time in building relationships with people, you'll see that we have so much to learn from others. I have the opportunity to do this for my life and career, and I feel blessed beyond measure. If you've been to other parts of the world and had the chance to build authentic, meaningful relationships, I know you understand what I'm saying. If you haven't, I ask you to give it a shot and overcome the inconvenience, fear, or other obstacle that is standing in your way from going into other parts of the world. I haven't met a single person that regrets traveling to another culture, whether it's simply personal travel or serving on a mission trip.
Let's get out there and start learning, sharing, and serving. There's no better way to live. And most importantly, it's a direct order from our creator.
Monday, February 20, 2012
My Killer Workout
Hey everyone,
It's been quite a while since I last posted on my physical progress. Overall, I'm slowly but surely getting better on a muscular/endurance level. Strangely, I've been more sore the last couple of weeks when I wake up in the morning. As it was getting better and better after the New Year, I just assumed it would continue to improve to the point that I was no longer even noticing back pain.
Wrong.
These past couple of weeks I've been waking up in the morning feeling similarly stiff and sore to late November/early December. That being said, I've been working out a bit in the morning since getting home from Africa. Maybe that has something to do with it. It doesn't seem like there would be a direct translation to a few minutes on the elyptical, but maybe there is.
Speaking of the elyptical......wow, am I out of shape. Before my injury, I was in decent shape (for me). I could hop on the elyptical and knock out 30 minutes on a pretty high level without thinking twice. I'd fit it into my morning workout, and move along to some other weight-based exercises.
After getting home from Africa, I hopped onto the elyptical for 3 minutes and I was absolutely winded, and my legs were wobbling. That's right, THREE MINUTES. No, I didn't miss a zero there. But oh, it must be on a high level, you think. Yeah. How about level none? Is that a pretty high level? You know, the level where you don't even plug the machine in at all. Just hop on without any resistance at all....that level. Yep, that's me....and I was totally out of breath after that one set of 180 seconds.
In the last two weeks, I've worked up to 5 minutes with less winding. And yep, still on zero. Wow, does it take the body a lot of time to recover.
Thankfully, I am slowly getting better...almost literally one step at a time.
From a nerve standpoint, I'm not seeing much improvement right now.....ever since my last blog post about it, I haven't had a noticeable difference. I still get good nerve sensation now and again, which is great, but I'm not peeing freely yet, so to speak.
Anyway, that's my new killer 3 minute work out.
Thanks again for your prayer, and I'll update you soon!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Mandela's Impact on South Africa and the World
Everyone's heard of Nelson Mandela, right?
I certainly had before my trip last week to South Africa, and I knew he led their country to freedom through the apartheid era of South African history.
While this is indeed true, I really had no idea what a significant and literal impact Nelson Mandela had on all of South Africa and the people that live there.
Since I was traveling half way around the world to learn about Africa, life, and what God is up to there, I figured I should probably learn a thing or two about South Africa's most iconic figure, Nelson Mandela.
As a youngster growing up in the 1980's, I knew that apartheid was something that was happening in South Africa, and it wasn't good. There was a guy named Nelson Mandela, and he became famous when apartheid ended.
After spending a week between Johannesburg and Cape Town, I now understand this:
Nelson Mandela single-handedly kept South Africa out of civil war, and he saved the lives of thousands upon thousands of South Africans that would have been killed if he had given the go-ahead to use physical force in the resistance effort during the apartheid era.
Not only that, but he set the precedent that I could visibly see and understand from South Africans of all ethnicities that they have chosen peace and reconcilation instead of violence and hatred.
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in South Africa, simply for (peacefully) opposing apartheid rule in South Africa. As the world began to take notice of the cruel, authoritarian rule that was being imposed on South African blacks and coloureds (their terms for Africans and mixed race minorities), more and more people were thrown into prison simply for disagreeing with the government.
South Africa had become a pressure cooker in the 1980's, as many countries had imposed sanctions on South Africa for continuing to legally people differently based on the color of their skin. Blacks and coloureds couldn't hold jobs above a certain level. They weren't allowed a quality education. So on and so forth. The white minority, only holding 10% of the population, had decided that everyone else in South Africa was inferior, and they had decided that they need to impose apartheid rule to continue controlling the country.
As the world took notice and people wanted to riot, Nelson Mandela sat in prison. And as the son of a tribal representative and mediator, he knew that communication, patience, and love would eventually win out. So he sat in his cell and told the 40 million black and coloured South Africans that they needed to protest peacefully. And to wait.
Many wanted to take up arms and fight. A bloodbath would have ensued, and maybe the black and coloureds would have won, but it would have cost thousands of lives. The whites controlled the government and the military, so there's no saying for certain who would have won that battle. What we do know is that South Africa would have become a war zone.
Instead, Nelson Mandela kept the peace while sitting in prison for 27 years. And when apartheid finally fell, there was cheering and shouts of joy, not bullets flying through the air.
During my visit to Robben Island (Mandela's island prison off the coast of Cape Town), I learned that not only did Mandela save thousands of lives at the time.......he made an indelible impact on the outlook of South Africans today.
I've had the opportunity to travel to many countries, and never in my life have a seen and heard so many people speak of their choice to move forward in peace and reconciliation with their brothers and sisters. Person after person, when I asked them about what they learned from the apartheid era, told me that they learned to choose peace and reconciliation.....that they will get over the past, and they will heal. They choose peace. They choose love.
Nelson Mandela didn't just prevent a war in South Africa. He created a legacy of peace and understanding that will carry the South African people forward as a beautiful example to the world. His impact will last for the rest of our history on this planet.
Thank you, Nelson Mandela.
I certainly had before my trip last week to South Africa, and I knew he led their country to freedom through the apartheid era of South African history.
While this is indeed true, I really had no idea what a significant and literal impact Nelson Mandela had on all of South Africa and the people that live there.
Since I was traveling half way around the world to learn about Africa, life, and what God is up to there, I figured I should probably learn a thing or two about South Africa's most iconic figure, Nelson Mandela.
As a youngster growing up in the 1980's, I knew that apartheid was something that was happening in South Africa, and it wasn't good. There was a guy named Nelson Mandela, and he became famous when apartheid ended.
After spending a week between Johannesburg and Cape Town, I now understand this:
Nelson Mandela single-handedly kept South Africa out of civil war, and he saved the lives of thousands upon thousands of South Africans that would have been killed if he had given the go-ahead to use physical force in the resistance effort during the apartheid era.
Not only that, but he set the precedent that I could visibly see and understand from South Africans of all ethnicities that they have chosen peace and reconcilation instead of violence and hatred.
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| Outside Cape Town, where PPM will be serving |
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in South Africa, simply for (peacefully) opposing apartheid rule in South Africa. As the world began to take notice of the cruel, authoritarian rule that was being imposed on South African blacks and coloureds (their terms for Africans and mixed race minorities), more and more people were thrown into prison simply for disagreeing with the government.
South Africa had become a pressure cooker in the 1980's, as many countries had imposed sanctions on South Africa for continuing to legally people differently based on the color of their skin. Blacks and coloureds couldn't hold jobs above a certain level. They weren't allowed a quality education. So on and so forth. The white minority, only holding 10% of the population, had decided that everyone else in South Africa was inferior, and they had decided that they need to impose apartheid rule to continue controlling the country.
As the world took notice and people wanted to riot, Nelson Mandela sat in prison. And as the son of a tribal representative and mediator, he knew that communication, patience, and love would eventually win out. So he sat in his cell and told the 40 million black and coloured South Africans that they needed to protest peacefully. And to wait.
Many wanted to take up arms and fight. A bloodbath would have ensued, and maybe the black and coloureds would have won, but it would have cost thousands of lives. The whites controlled the government and the military, so there's no saying for certain who would have won that battle. What we do know is that South Africa would have become a war zone.
 |
| Nelson Mandela's prison cell (2 meters x 3 meters) |
Instead, Nelson Mandela kept the peace while sitting in prison for 27 years. And when apartheid finally fell, there was cheering and shouts of joy, not bullets flying through the air.
During my visit to Robben Island (Mandela's island prison off the coast of Cape Town), I learned that not only did Mandela save thousands of lives at the time.......he made an indelible impact on the outlook of South Africans today.
I've had the opportunity to travel to many countries, and never in my life have a seen and heard so many people speak of their choice to move forward in peace and reconciliation with their brothers and sisters. Person after person, when I asked them about what they learned from the apartheid era, told me that they learned to choose peace and reconciliation.....that they will get over the past, and they will heal. They choose peace. They choose love.
Nelson Mandela didn't just prevent a war in South Africa. He created a legacy of peace and understanding that will carry the South African people forward as a beautiful example to the world. His impact will last for the rest of our history on this planet.
Thank you, Nelson Mandela.
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| View of Cape Town from Robben Island |
Monday, January 30, 2012
South Africa
The past week has been a busy one....this is the first time
since my injury that I’ve left the state of Minnesota. And it wasn’t just a hop to another city in
another state. It was a hop over a big
pond and a couple of continents.
I arrived in Cape Town, South Africa with my friend and
co-worker, Christopher Fry, about a week ago.
We’d felt God calling PPM to serve in Africa with increasing strength in
recent years, and landed on January, 2012 as the time to get things
rolling. Christopher directs our
marketing, but he had mentioned to me years ago that he’d always been very
interested in serving in Africa. As PPM
has continued to grow significantly, we knew in our hearts it was just a matter
of time before we began to serve and partner with the church in Africa.
After an 8 hour flight to Amsterdam and an 11 hour flight to Cape Town, our feet
were finally on African soil. Since PPM
always serves in partnership and under the authority of the local church, we
always need to meet the leadership of the church where they are at…….
…….and they weren’t at Cape Town. They were in Johannesburg.
So we went to sleep immediately after arriving in Cape Town, got up the next morning, and flew to Johannesburg, South Africa. There we met a handful of people in leadership in the church, including the General Secretary of the Southern Africa Baptist Union, the Mission Director for the Southern Africa Baptist Union, and one of the founders of a multi-continent ministry called Luke 10 Transformation. After a wonderful day of meeting and seeing Johannesburg, we flew back to Cape Town.
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| Rev Angelo and Rev Abraham |
In Cape Town we met with the first pastor PPM will be
partnering with (and receiving a mission team from Briarwood Church in Texas)
in South Africa, a gentleman named Patrick Crowster. Patrick and his wife lead a church called Belhar Baptist in the
Belhar community of Cape Town. Belhar has
about 50,000 inhabitants and 90% unemployment.
The community suffers from not just a lack of jobs and opportunity, but
from many other issues that often come hand-in-hand with a lack of
employment. Vandalism, theft, and drug
use continue to rise in this community.
Lack of education for most people continues to hold them down as adults,
and it breeds to some a degree a spirit of contentment with having little to
hope for in life.
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| Belhar Church |
 |
| Community of Belhar, next to church |
As a response to this spirit in the community, Patrick and
his wife began to research what jobs were most readily available and needing to
hire within South Africa. The greatest
need for more employees was in the medical field, most specifically Nursing
Assistants. Thus, Patrick and his wife
spent significant time working through the approval and certification process
in South Africa, and they now are able to offer a nearly free education (and
degree) for adults in the Belhar area who are interested in employment as a
Nursing Assistant. The response from the
community has been overwhelming, and they are now training dozens of people
from the Belhar community to become Nursing Assistants. The job market for this position is excellent;
98% of the hundreds that have come through this training have been hired within
6 months of receiving the degree.
Belhar Baptist is also significantly involved with a
orphanage on the outskirts of Cape Town, has a youth music ministry, and is
continually reaching into Belhar to show them God’s love in a practical way.
This is just one of the pastors and situations we’ve come across
already in South Africa. We’re thrilled
to partner with Pastor Patrick Crowster and his community in Belhar, South
Africa. We’ve been praying for a
location to begin, and this is it. Yet,
we also know this is just the beginning of what God is up to through PPM on
this beautiful continent.
 |
| Christopher and I on Table Mountain |
 |
| Self pic, Table Mountain |
I’ll be writing more in my next blog about apartheid and the
opportunity to spend time with a gentleman that, at first blush, has impacted
me with his wisdom and experience more than almost anyone I have ever met…..but I’ll
save that for next time.
PPM Africa begins now.
Please pray for us, and at the same time, let’s enjoy the ride.
God is really, really good.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Burning, Leaking, Celebrating
About a week ago I was in my office at work and on the phone. I had recently begun to feel an odd "coming and going" sensation in my bladder that I can best describe as the feeling of someone firmly pushing on the inside of my abdomen with a dead porcupine. The pressure on my bladder felt prickly and strong for about 10 seconds, and then would go away.
This sensation was happening with more and more frequency during one specific phone call, and it got to the point where I was really sure my bladder was full and I needed to go pee. As I finally got off the phone and started walking towards the bathroom, I felt the unmistakable tickle of something dripping down my leg. Then again, everything is mistakable when you have nerve damage....so I didn't really trust the sensation of pee on my leg.
Then I looked down.
It appeared as though someone has spilled a full glass of water in my lap. Yep, I peed my pants. Big time.
I burst into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet, and a couple of additional ounces of pee trickled out involuntary. It just came out. You know, like a normal person. Only I had no say over making it stop...or start again. It just did what it pleases......like my entire bladder system has its own personality.
But, WOW! I peed without having to push like crazy to force it out!
So I cleaned myself up as best I could, walked back to the office and told Erin (our Duluth office manager) "sorry, this is gross but great......look at my pants. I peed in them! I peed my pants! Pee came out on its own! High five! Also, I did wash my hands."
........................................................
The past week has been filled with some significant breakthroughs from a nerve/pee perspective. Since that day last week, the "burning pressure with needles" sensation has become more intense and more frequent. Through my own analysis, I've discovered that sometimes the sensation means I have to pee, and other times not. There's not a ton of rhyme or reason to it. That being said, at least a few times in each of the last few days I've sat down on the toilet, waited, and then a few dribbles of pee come out.
I am so thankful. It burns a lot (pins, needles, and fire in your genitals...enough said.). It's a little inconvenient because I have to constantly check to see if I'm leaking and/or filling up a pad. And it means those nerves are starting to wake up.
Thank you for your prayer. Thank you, Lord. I love my life.
Friday, January 13, 2012
PPM Haiti: 2 Years Later
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I had just come home from work when the phone rang. It was my mother. "Matt, did you see on the news about the earthquake in Haiti?"
I turned on CNN and was gripped by footage of the chaos unfolding in Port au Prince as night was falling. Many of us remember exactly where we were when news of the earthquake hit the airwaves.
PPM (prayingpelicanmissions.org) had recently hired Jim Noreen, our new Haiti Operations Manager, and was already planning to go to Haiti as an organization that same year.
In times of unpredictable chaos, tragedy, and destruction, it's difficult to know one's place. We heard of many churches, organizations, companies, and individuals that simply responded by hopping the next flight to Haiti and showing up. Some were equipped and trained in disaster relief. Others simply had a heart to help.
We (PPM) chose to back off on our early spring travel plans and wait until the initial disaster relief was over. PPM is not (yet) a relief organization. We are a ministry that partners with the local church and community to serve under the authority of those that know their country and people better than we ever will. So we waited until April to begin our physical effort and partnerships. When we first arrived, it looked to us as though the earthquake could have happened just a few days prior. Collapsed buildings were everywhere. The National Palace looked like it had been struck by a meteor. Rubble clogged the streets.
In the months after the earthquake, we made a pledge as an organization to match dollar for dollar any donations that were designated to help post-earthquake Haiti (up to $10,000). Around $9,000 came in specifically for that purpose, and we designated the same amount to give to Haiti.
That same summer, we began to receive mission teams that wanted to serve in post-earthquake Haiti. The needs were so tremendous that it was very difficult to determine where to begin. Again, we counted on our relationships with pastors and community leaders to help guide us in deciding where to put time, effort, and finances that could in some way be a legitimate help to those that needed it the most.
PPM wound up working with teams that summer and fall in two specific areas:
1) Building a small school in a town called Mariani, located half way in between Port au Prince and the earthquake's epicenter. The nearest school that was still open for these children after the earthquake was nearly 5 miles away....a distance they would need to walk. Most of these children would end up not going to school at all.
2) Rebuild homes for a few families in the church that had lost a number of family members and their homes in the earthquake.
I'm pleased to tell you that with the money PPM received and matched we not only completed the school in time for kids to begin classes that fall, but we continue today to work on a number of Christian outreach and humanitarian projects in the Port au Prince area and beyond.
Here's just a sample of our ongoing projects:
I had just come home from work when the phone rang. It was my mother. "Matt, did you see on the news about the earthquake in Haiti?"
I turned on CNN and was gripped by footage of the chaos unfolding in Port au Prince as night was falling. Many of us remember exactly where we were when news of the earthquake hit the airwaves.
PPM (prayingpelicanmissions.org) had recently hired Jim Noreen, our new Haiti Operations Manager, and was already planning to go to Haiti as an organization that same year.
In times of unpredictable chaos, tragedy, and destruction, it's difficult to know one's place. We heard of many churches, organizations, companies, and individuals that simply responded by hopping the next flight to Haiti and showing up. Some were equipped and trained in disaster relief. Others simply had a heart to help.
We (PPM) chose to back off on our early spring travel plans and wait until the initial disaster relief was over. PPM is not (yet) a relief organization. We are a ministry that partners with the local church and community to serve under the authority of those that know their country and people better than we ever will. So we waited until April to begin our physical effort and partnerships. When we first arrived, it looked to us as though the earthquake could have happened just a few days prior. Collapsed buildings were everywhere. The National Palace looked like it had been struck by a meteor. Rubble clogged the streets.
In the months after the earthquake, we made a pledge as an organization to match dollar for dollar any donations that were designated to help post-earthquake Haiti (up to $10,000). Around $9,000 came in specifically for that purpose, and we designated the same amount to give to Haiti.
That same summer, we began to receive mission teams that wanted to serve in post-earthquake Haiti. The needs were so tremendous that it was very difficult to determine where to begin. Again, we counted on our relationships with pastors and community leaders to help guide us in deciding where to put time, effort, and finances that could in some way be a legitimate help to those that needed it the most.
PPM wound up working with teams that summer and fall in two specific areas:
1) Building a small school in a town called Mariani, located half way in between Port au Prince and the earthquake's epicenter. The nearest school that was still open for these children after the earthquake was nearly 5 miles away....a distance they would need to walk. Most of these children would end up not going to school at all.
2) Rebuild homes for a few families in the church that had lost a number of family members and their homes in the earthquake.
I'm pleased to tell you that with the money PPM received and matched we not only completed the school in time for kids to begin classes that fall, but we continue today to work on a number of Christian outreach and humanitarian projects in the Port au Prince area and beyond.
Here's just a sample of our ongoing projects:
- Building a church on top of the school that is already functional
- Completing a number of additional homes that have been built in the Port au Prince area
- Partnering with a few churches in the states to help feed children at an orphanage that were literally trying to survive on one serving of cornmeal per day
- Laying plans to help build a church in far reaching community north of Port au Prince
- PPM now has full time missionaries living in Haiti, working with mission teams, and taking on leadership at orphanages
- We're in the initial stages of taking on the operations of Haiti Christian Orphanage, a home for about 40 orphaned boys ( haitichristianorphanage.org )
We're working hard to make a difference in Haiti. I want to thank all of you that have prayed for or given to Haiti in the past two years. I've seen a number of articles recently about how little has changed in Haiti since the earthquake. While it's true that Haiti still faces many economic challenges, I'd like you to know two this:
Haiti is indeed in better shape now than it was 24 months ago, and it's due to a collective effort by Haitians and the world to make a difference.
The beauty of the Haitian people is like no other culture I've experienced before. Haiti may not be rich in the world's eyes, but they have a spirit of pure love and joy that I have no doubt is pleasing to God.
We continue to serve the people of Haiti, learn from the people of Haiti, and love the people of Haiti.
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| Mariani School - Functionally Completed |
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| School in Session! |
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| Starting to Build the Church on Top! |
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| Home Built for Deacon David's Family...... |
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| Deacon David's Family! |
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Ambush.
I was laying on my back. Eyes closed. Deep, controlled breathing from the depth of my diaphragm. I had just completed a set of daily hamstring stretches that are intended to help a nerve-damaged area on my legs.
And then I felt it.
A slight tingle on the tip of my nose, as if someone was gently dragging a single strand of hair over my face.
The next time I breathed in, instead of the peaceful feeling of fresh oxygen entering my lungs, I was abruptly pulled out of my coma-like state by tasting a full breath of putrid air. What is that smell? Is it poop? Is it rotting fish?
No, it's worse.
It's 150 pounds of skin, hair, teeth, and gas. It's George Pfingsten, and he's picking a fight.
As his nostrils flare, puffing more rotten air at my now open eyes, I realize that I could easily fit a bratwurst up each of those wide-open holes. I reach up towards his giant skull and place both my hands in his mouth, palms facing out. His lips are like massive, fuzzy slices of Christmas ham, and by grabbing them I gain slight control of his ox-like cranium.
Then, the sounds begin. If you've ever seen Jurassic Park, picture the T-Rex screaming at the people in the tour vehicle. Now pretend the T-Rex is 10 inches from your face. The sheer volume and intensity of the yell/growl/scream will have you covering your ears and running for the door.
The problem is, when I want to cover my ears, it means I lose my only defense: my grip on his lips.
So I turn my head sideways to preserve hearing in one ear and to avoid the wet stench of his poopy fish breath. My heart races. Adrenaline courses through both of our bodies. Now George is climbing over me, as English Mastiffs do. They are the world's largest dog breed, and they are renowned for literally standing over people. George is making his classic mastiff move.
With teeth flaring and limbs moving to climb on top of me, I give a two-handed shove to his torso. It has the effect of trying to mosh with a sumo wrestler. George doesn't even notice my shove.
Now he's standing completely over me, facing down at his victim with teeth and breath flaring. Once again, my only defense is to cover my head with my arms. As I fold both arms over my head, I feel his mammoth jaws engulf my arms. Yes, both forearms in his mouth at the same time. A panic starts to come over me. Is this the end? Is this the way I'm going to go? Crushed my a mastiff that just came from eating a bucket of crud and sardines?
Suddenly, he releases my arms just a little. But then he catches them again.....and he begins to nibble on my forearms. And he's pinching my skin with his little front teeth. It's as though George decided he wanted to rapidly eat some corn on the cob, and my arms are the ears of corn. Nibble, nibble, nibble, nibble. I feel like a three course meal.
Just as I'm trying to pull my arms away, I feel the familiar sensation of human skin on my forehead.
Oh no. It's his partner in crime. Elijah Pfingsten.
Elijah is staring down at his now-being-tortured dad with a menacing grin. Placing both hands on my forehead, he starts to push down with all his weight on the palms of his hands, repeatedly. This is Elijah's trademark move. It's as though he's performing CPR on my forehead.
Just then, a knock at the door. George leaps out of the room to see who it is. Elijah completely ignores me and crawls for the stairs. I half-roll, half-dive into the bathroom. I close the door, lock it, and sit up against the door.
I close my eyes. Deep, controlled breathing from the depth of my diaphragm. My stretching session is complete.
And I live to see another day.
And then I felt it.
A slight tingle on the tip of my nose, as if someone was gently dragging a single strand of hair over my face.
The next time I breathed in, instead of the peaceful feeling of fresh oxygen entering my lungs, I was abruptly pulled out of my coma-like state by tasting a full breath of putrid air. What is that smell? Is it poop? Is it rotting fish?
No, it's worse.
It's 150 pounds of skin, hair, teeth, and gas. It's George Pfingsten, and he's picking a fight.
As his nostrils flare, puffing more rotten air at my now open eyes, I realize that I could easily fit a bratwurst up each of those wide-open holes. I reach up towards his giant skull and place both my hands in his mouth, palms facing out. His lips are like massive, fuzzy slices of Christmas ham, and by grabbing them I gain slight control of his ox-like cranium.
Then, the sounds begin. If you've ever seen Jurassic Park, picture the T-Rex screaming at the people in the tour vehicle. Now pretend the T-Rex is 10 inches from your face. The sheer volume and intensity of the yell/growl/scream will have you covering your ears and running for the door.
The problem is, when I want to cover my ears, it means I lose my only defense: my grip on his lips.
So I turn my head sideways to preserve hearing in one ear and to avoid the wet stench of his poopy fish breath. My heart races. Adrenaline courses through both of our bodies. Now George is climbing over me, as English Mastiffs do. They are the world's largest dog breed, and they are renowned for literally standing over people. George is making his classic mastiff move.
With teeth flaring and limbs moving to climb on top of me, I give a two-handed shove to his torso. It has the effect of trying to mosh with a sumo wrestler. George doesn't even notice my shove.
Now he's standing completely over me, facing down at his victim with teeth and breath flaring. Once again, my only defense is to cover my head with my arms. As I fold both arms over my head, I feel his mammoth jaws engulf my arms. Yes, both forearms in his mouth at the same time. A panic starts to come over me. Is this the end? Is this the way I'm going to go? Crushed my a mastiff that just came from eating a bucket of crud and sardines?
Suddenly, he releases my arms just a little. But then he catches them again.....and he begins to nibble on my forearms. And he's pinching my skin with his little front teeth. It's as though George decided he wanted to rapidly eat some corn on the cob, and my arms are the ears of corn. Nibble, nibble, nibble, nibble. I feel like a three course meal.
Just as I'm trying to pull my arms away, I feel the familiar sensation of human skin on my forehead.
Oh no. It's his partner in crime. Elijah Pfingsten.
Elijah is staring down at his now-being-tortured dad with a menacing grin. Placing both hands on my forehead, he starts to push down with all his weight on the palms of his hands, repeatedly. This is Elijah's trademark move. It's as though he's performing CPR on my forehead.
Just then, a knock at the door. George leaps out of the room to see who it is. Elijah completely ignores me and crawls for the stairs. I half-roll, half-dive into the bathroom. I close the door, lock it, and sit up against the door.
And I live to see another day.
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| Partners in crime, pretending nothing ever happened. |
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012: The Year of Extra Wrinkles.
I used to laugh and roll my eyes at all the over-the-top "New Year's Resolution" commercials on TV. I'd give the same response to the friend, neighbor, or family member that would earnestly ask me "so what's your New Year's resolution?"
"My New Year's Resolution is not to have any more New Year's Resolutions." I would say sarcastically.
Then I got married. I can't remember what year it was, probably the early 2000's, but I remember thinking to myself at this time of year, "holy crap, if I'm dead-honest with myself, I'm a real screw up. I'm selfish, self-motivated, and self-centered. Even when I pretend I'm looking out for others, I'm really only looking out for myself. Maybe I actually should commit to making a change in the next year.....not like a commitment to lose weight or take a vacation, but a real change within me. Something about who I am right now that needs some work. God, what do you want me to work on in the next year?"
And thus began my tradition of intentional reflection and self-evaluation at the end of each year.
Here they are for 2012 (for all the world to see!):
1) Actually listen to my wife. I have the terrible habit of saying "yeah yeah yeah" when she's talking to me, and I don't even know what I'm agreeing to with her. Also, maybe some of you men out there have noticed as well....our wives drop hints about things all the time. It could be about going on a date, getting a project done at home, walking the dogs, etc. As we've been married for over 10 years now, I certainly understand when she's dropping the hint....and yet, it's all to easy to just ignore it. This year, I'm going to actually listen to my wife.
2) I'm going to actively engage my children in activities every day. This one is so easy to put off because we're tired or have "better" things to do. Credit goes to my wife on this one. She said recently (paraphrasing), "all I do around here is clean up, fix meals, and do laundry. Isaiah is already 5. I'm done putting him off because I have to fold clothes. I'm going to hang out with my kids and enjoy them while I'm home. This is a very special time of life for them, and before we know it, it's going to be gone. I'm not going to waste it anymore." I couldn't agree more with this assessment. Far too often I let the kids play by themselves so I can get another thing done. In the end it's not vacuuming that the kids and I are going to remember. We're going to remember quality time together, actively engaging each other. Gina and I are both going to invest in this in 2012.
I hope and pray that 2012 is a wonderful year for you. I'm excited to listen to my wife and engage my kids.
And if my clothes have a few extra wrinkles, you'll know I'm keeping my commitment.
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