PEOPLE EVERYWHERE NEED PEOPLE

There was a very innocuous song way back in the 70's that had that line in it. My older brother and I would laugh and say that phrase because of a friend of ours who couldn't say it just right....he had trouble with the 'le' of people and it would always come out 'peopo'. He had this sort of Porky Pig way of talking with the 'peopo evwy weao need peopo' thing going on....thus we were hooked on a goofy line from a song because our friend couldn't say 'people' just right!! He'd say it. We'd bust up. Our laughing would egg him on.......warped!!!!

OK, we shouldn't have laughed at our buddy!!! But, man was he funny!!

Now, some decades removed, I'm thinking about how brutally true that phrase is. People everywhere are looking for meaningful relationships. Decent relationships. Friendships. People are lonely as they are surrounded by humanity.

Never in my life have I been more aware of that than right now! Getting people hooked up with each other in a wholesome, healthy, and meaningful way is a giant part of what church is all about. We as humans, have at the very core of us, an innate desire to be connected with others. We draw support and encouragement, laughter and hope from each other.

People are more important than programs, but if you have the right programs that get people connected correctly is huge. And I'm looking forward to getting that accomplished, because the goofy phrase has it right....

'Peopo everywhere need peopo.....!"

MTC!
Mark

COLORS

I love the colors of Fall!

My daughter and I went over to Wenatchee for a couple of days and the colors of the leaves were stunningly vibrant! What a beautiful time of year. What was totally interesting was that in some places it appeared as if the sun was shining on a hillside, but in actuality it was the vivid colors. Man, were they ever loud for being so silent!

The whole trip made me think of the seasons of life. We get older. Our children grow up. And in all of it, hopefully, we have produced over time, some familial traditions and seasonal 'givens' that have great value, that our children will carry on with their children. Seasons have a way of doing that.

As seasons change, God's creation is gearing up for the next season; getting ready; preparing itself. I'm kind of doing the same thing: planning, preparing, getting ready...but the bottom line is that the colors of the season I am in are absolutely beautiful. They are just as gorgeous as previous ones. It's a great season.

I'm lovin' the colors!


MTC!

Mark

We Have Lift Off!

Sunday was so cool!

For the past year we have been planning, preparing, building a team, buying stuff, and a ton of other things that are connected with starting/planting a church. Sunday was our first public meeting.

We sent out mailers and people invited their friends and neighbors. We had 100 people show up! What an answer to prayer!! God is so totally awesome. The people were terrifically warm and encouraging. They laughed at my corny humor and they were some of the nicest people you will ever meet! How cool it is!!

I can't wait to see who is new this week!!!!

MTC!
Mark

Blast from the Past!

Wednesday night was a great time!

26 years have passed since I saw some of these great people!!

I had the great opportunity to hook up with some friends at the church I grew up in. What a fun experience it was to re-connect with friends in my peer group and those people who were adults when I was a little kid. Time has not changed who they have always bee: outstanding! They might be a bit more grey, some have lost weight, and others haven't changed a bit.

Truly, I am grateful for people in life, who remain true to themselves and don't shift and change with the times. They aren't stuck in a time warp, they have progressed with progress, but inside, they remain the true blue friends that I spent 16 years with.

This is an admirable goal to set: to change the little things that need changing in our lives, but to remain the same wonderful person we are so that after 26 years, we can carry on conversations with old friends and feel like nothing has changed!

MTC!
Mark

Embrace the moment!

I've been trying something new as of late. I'm not very proficient at it yet. I still slide very quickly back into the predominant way of thinking that has been molded and shaped over time and situations. I find this new way of functioning challenging and exciting at the same time!

What I am attempting to do is to take every unique moment that pops up in my day and embrace it for what it is! That demands that I try to define what 'it' actually is. What I am coming to realize is that by doing so, my day is actually much more powerful. Much more enjoyable. Filled with much more potential.

I am attempting to embrace each turn of the day as an embraceable moment of reality that should be used to enrich my life and someone else's.

Two days ago I had to run an errand to the paint store. I view paint stores like my wife views hunting equipment.....why do they exist? It goes without saying that I was not looking forward to this little trip.

Then I reminded myself that this is a turn in my day that I need to embrace. I need to look forward to what this moment has to afford and take it and make something great out of it.

It happened!

There were people in the store requiring that I wait in line. In front of me was a young mom with a two year old girl and a baby in the car seat tote thingymajig! My first impulse was to do my normal mental shuffle and calculate how much time I'm going to waste by waiting for the clerks to answer a billion questions and then finally help, but I didn't go there. She came to me!

Yep, that two year old came around the corner of the aisle with two paint rollers up to her eyes and looked up at her mom and said, "smile!". There was my moment! I rolled up the paper I had in my hand and looked at her and said "cheeze!". We were buds from that moment on.

For the next 15 minutes we made animal sound noises with our rolled up papers and had a ball! What I didn't realize is that there was a line of men behind me and as the little girl and I began to make 'piggy' noises, I was startled when I heard one guy say, "I could never do that!".

Here's the kicker: when the mom left with her baby, two year old, and clerk carrying the paint, the two year old came back to me and wanted to play some more. Her mom came rushing to the door wondering where her daughter was and then saw her with me. She laughed and called her by name and off they went.

What a great embraceable moment! I made a new little friend. I didn't get bummed out about having to wait in line in a store that I would rather not be in, and besides, it gave me a chance to really hone my barnyard sounds!! The pig is really coming along!!!!

MTC!
Mark

Membership Matters!

Saturday was a big day!

My wife and our oldest daughter headed to an all day swim meet. I took our younger daughter to her soccer game. We then headed to run a few errands after the game and then off to sight in a rifle she will use in a couple of weeks for the annual elk hunt!

Now, I thought I had my ducks in a row. I had emailed the range master and he gave the hours that the range would be open. We headed out to the range and wouldn't you know it, I had not asked the correct question. I asked what time and he gave me the times, he didn't tell me you had to be a member. Never came up.

Bummer deal.

So we headed to another gun range nearby hoping that we would find a sympathetic soul to help us. We found a gentleman who was more than gracious and was happy to help get the gun sighted in. What a great guy! Thanks for your help Clete!

As we left, I was grateful for our newly made friend and it also made me think about how membership matters. Being a member of certain things is critical for life to work well: family, small group of close friends, work force, and many more. Membership offers community and benefits that are unavailable to those outside its boundaries.

I found that out on Saturday at the locked gate!

It might be wise to check into the membership dues at the gun club!!

MTC!
Mark

Three Fences, One Workbench, And Four Houses

I took a trip down memory lane last evening.

After three fences, one workbench and four houses later, I decided it was high time to go through the organizer bins I have neglected for 17 years! Yep......17 years.

Last night, I took control! I bull rushed those bins with their nightmarish clutter and junk and I did battle! Not only did I fight off the enemy of disorganization and mess, but I actually won! Now there are four bins with drawers that make sense.

No longer does one slide out drawer contain anything from rubber stoppers to push pins or rusty nails or bent screws. Nope, we are lookin' good! Some drawers even have the labels from the box that was housing the 3 1/2 galvanized screws! Wow!!

Here's the point. I spent probably two hours to sort, pick through, throw out, clean up an area that I had just flat out neglected over the course of 17 years. Was the disarray ruining my life or my family? Of course not, however, it did bug me sometimes to look at the mess and after .00075 seconds I would flush that thought and move on with my day.

Going through the 100 plus slide out drawers was actually quite fun. I had the Red Sox and Indians game on and I actually found myself having a great time! It wasn't all about getting a much needed job done, but rather all of the great memories connected with some of the nails, screws, electrical outlet covers, wiring, that made the time really cool.

There were the outlet wall covers so that our daughters wouldn't put their fingers into the wall plug in (or did Karen buy those so that I wouldn't do that???). There are the 'child-proof' drawer thingymajigs. There are the many sized and multiple threaded screws from when my father-in-law built (he let me supervise!!!!) the custom work bench for our basement in Iowa.
The galvanized nails from our very first fence. And then the tons of 'extra' bolts, nuts, washers, doohickies, from stuff I have put together over the years. I never have figured out why all the leftover parts????

After getting the stuff sorted and tossing the junk that should have been tossed the day I last touched it makes for a much more tidy and efficient workbench. It's nicer to look at and I know where I can find everything. The drawers actually work when I pull them out!! The clutter and junk is gone!

Clearing up the clutter makes for a better environment. Clearing up the clutter on my workbench is really no different than life. Life gets cluttered and sometimes we need to take some time and focus on getting it cleaned and cleared up so that it all works better!

MTC!
Mark

It's What You Make It

When you live in the Pacific Northwest, you learn very quickly to deal with cool, wet, and sometimes downright nasty weather. I'm a native of this state, but having lived for six years in Northern California, I must say, I fell in love with the weather and look of Sacramento! I never would have believed that I would love hot weather......100+ was great!

That was then, this is now.

I heard one guy say that we had summer this year on a Thursday. He was probably correct. Summer never hit and now we are heavy into the Fall. Even though it's cool and wet and cloudy, it's what you make it that counts.

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, we decided to take the dog for a walk in the pouring down rain. We took the umbrellas, the dog, put on the ski jackets, and off we went. Didn't see another soul walking outside. Had the sidewalk and the park and the street all to ourselves. We had a great time! The coffee was stupendous, the dog was thrilled, and it was one of those times when everything that happened in that hour was great.


I have to give all the credit to my wife and youngest daughter for the great time. I didn't want to go because it was raining!!!

It's what you make it.

MTC! (maketodaycount)

Mark

A dog, a frog, some logs, and a bog

We have a dog.

Our dog doesn't like frogs.

Our dog lives near a bog and a bunch of logs.

Our dog has lots of tree frogs in his yard.

Beau the dog hates the frogs.

How do I know he hates the frogs?

Whenever he gets near them, he gags!

OK, so, I am not even close to Dr. Seuss, but our dog gags at frogs. What a comedy!
He will go up to them sniff them and then gag! It is really funny to watch. He even
gagged when grandma put an earth worm up to his face. The dog needs help!

He doesn't eat them. He doesn't put them in his mouth. He just gets curious and
puts his nose down where they are and viola! Let the gags begin.

The gagging dog trick is not dissimilar we humans. We all have certain
things that we like and certain things that make us, well, queasy. It might be an environment,
or a certain food or a type of people. But that is what makes life great, isn't it? Nobody is
exactly the same. I have likes that you might dislike and vice versa. All we have to do is go into
any convenience store and look at all the choices of sodas. I know there had to be somebody somewhere at sometime that had great insight and said: "We only need two sodas in our store!"

Back to the dog.

The funny thing is that with our dog, it's not his fault he gets freaked out with the frogs. It's not the frog's problem; it's just hangin' in the cool moist grass or on the leaf of the shrub. I'm glad Beau is Beau. I'm glad the frog is the frog. I'm glad you are you and I'm glad I am me!!

MTC!
Mark

The Power of Pull

Ever watch how they make taffy? The pulling and pulling and pulling and pulling.....

If they didn't pull it, they would just have a blob of sticky, tacky, goopy un-taffy!

It would not reach it's completed state without the pulling. 'Pulling together' with people has the same outcome as when they make taffy: the pulling creates something.

Working together; team; pulling together......

We launch in less than two weeks! What a blast. One year ago, DCC did not exist. Now there is a group faithful, committed, phenomenal people who are pumped about October 21. We have been pulling together for one year.

The Toddler team is tight!
The Nursery team is charming!
The Elementary team is stoked!
The Lighting team is shining brightly.
The Sound team is rockin!
The Guest Services team are smilin and providin'!
The team R.O.D.I.E.S. are dominating!

When people pull together, that which does not exist can exist. Ownership takes place. Enrollment happens. Life gets bigger and better. Possibility thinking pervades the minds
of those in the pulling process!

When you pull for me and me for you......that's power!

Not just physical strength, but emotional and spiritual.......life stuff.

I need to find someone today that I can 'pull' for; someone who needs a smile; someone who
needs to be encouraged or helped or loved. Who can you help pull together with today?

The power of pull.

MTC!
Mark

Fake It 'Til You Make It!

If you are talented enough you can fake out most people! But you can't fake out everbody! And there is always one person you can never 'shake and bake' around: you!

Faking is acceptable when you are making music with your friends and you blow through the changes totally aware that you just don't know the voicings! Faking is acceptable when you are playing a game of HORSE and you lob up some junk all the while talking smack to your opponents. Faking is acceptable when I touch a power tool or paint brush!!

Marion Jones tried to fake it and basically lied about it up until now.

The three time Olympic Champion has admitted to using steroids. (I just got that cortisone shot in my shoulder, does that mean I need to admit to something here???? OK. My massive bulk and incredible speed is because I have used steroids in my shoulder! Haven't set any records and one dude told me that he gained 10 pounds after he got the shot! Great, maybe I will set a record!!!)

It bums me out that Jones faked and lied her way around the reality of what she did. I was always amazed by her abilities. Now, I wonder what her true abilities actually were at the time she won all those medals.

Being true to oneself is an axiom that the great coach John Wooden instilled within his players. His encouragement to hundreds of tremendously talented athletes through the years was to challenge yourself to reach your potential and then be ok with that. Work diligently and tirelessly to be your best and if your opponent beats you, it means that they were the better team or player that day.

Life is great when we work hard to be a better person and to achieve those things that we think are just out of reach, all the while being true to ourselves. Life get's crazy when we fake it hoping to make it!

Be true to yourself and in the process learn to like yourself. You are an amazing person with tremendous abilities and talents. Grow them. Nurture them. Learn to be ok with them.


MTC!
Mark

Twisted mister

I thought I had purchased the correct sprinkler. When I turned on the back lawn sprinklers I had one goofed up sprinkler head that I need to change out. It needs to oscillate and it is static. Doesn't change. Just sits in one location. It needs to twist side to side. I have to dig out that twisted mister and make a change.

Made me think.

There are some other things I need to change. Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you needed to change, but you really didn't know how to change?

I need to encourage our girls soccer players with a better tone of voice. That's a change I need to make. It's like digging up the sprinkler: you have to dig deep and change it out.

This is now a personal contest between me and myself. As I watch and encourage the girls in their game, I will be having one of my own against myself. Sounds like I need therapy!!!!

Changing out sprinkler heads is not that difficult. Changing out parts of me that need the work, I hope won't be any more difficult, but I have a hunch that it will be a much longer process!!


MTC!
Mark

Parenting: assembly required

If you have seen the news at least once in the last week you've heard about the issues with Brittany Spears and her difficulties being a decent mom. I actually feel really sorry for her and I truly wish she finds help. I feel bad for her kids. The whole deal is a real mess.

It once again drives home the point that you can be old enough to make kids, but it is entirely a different subject when it comes to being old enough and mature enough to raise kids. Mix in our crazy fast paced, 'my kids need everything' society and parenting can become a dicey proposition at best.

The great news is that there are great parents all around. They are doing the best they can with limited resources and their kids are fantastic! Others, well, could use a tune up!

Having two daughters of my own, it really is funny how you think you have everything figured out when all of a sudden the kids bring to light things I really never even considered. That's when I'm reminded of the fact that I'm still learning as a parent. That's when I figure out that I'm still putting the pieces together on this whole parenting thing while at the same time trying to raise great kids. I'm trying to do the best I can. Trying not to make mistakes. I'm totally blessed with outstanding children. I really don't deserve them. I think God had pity on me!

So, to all you parents out there: be strong, stay the course, don't cave in, do the right thing, and carry extra tissue in your pocket!!!! Your kids need you to set a strong example of character and integrity before them! You can do it!!

MTC!
Mark

Building Upon Memories

October 1.

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for October. I would nearly crawl out of my skin in anticipation of October rolling around. It meant one thing: hunting season!

I was nine years old the first time I went hunting with my dad. I'll never forget it. We saw tons of deer. No shooters, just lots and lots of animals. God could have walked up to me and I wouldn't have been surprised; I thought I was in heaven!

Fast forward 34 years to last October. I was able to take my daughter elk hunting for her very first time. She loved it! I loved it! My dad was along, he loved it! Two of my brothers were along and they loved it and look forward when their kids are old enough to start tagging along.

Over the years we have always taken some time, now it is reduced to only a day, to do that which we love to do: be together out in the woods laughing, enjoying being together, remembering the times before, and if we are blessed in such a way- get a shot or two off.

My daughter is totally excited about going again and being with grandpa and her dad and uncles. We talked about it again yesterday. She passed her hunter safety course this summer and she can't wait to go!

The thing that sticks out most in my mind is not the animals we were able to harvest, but the time spent with my dad and brothers. Our lives and commitments do not allow us to take a ton of time to do that which could turn into a hardcore habit, but we make the time at least for one night and a day per year every October to build upon memories!

Things have changed alot in 34 years, but I get excited even more now because my daughter is a part of the crew!

Build upon your memories. Find what is good and make it better. Start some new memories!

MTC!
Mark