Nolt Family Musings

Back in Nebraska... again:)

2012-01-18T10:18:00.001-06:00

The last several weeks have seen a slew of miles added to our van. We went to Ohio for Christmas. Suzanne's Grandpa Hill passed away last week, and the funeral was Tuesday. We made a "quick" trip to Shipshewana, IN about 11hours and 30 minutes drive. We were gone 43.5 hours and on the road 23 hours.
It was well worth it though! It was good to be with family, the funeral service was meaningful, we had great hosts overnight, the girls traveled great, roads and traffic were good (except for the 2 hours that Suzanne drove in snow on Indiana Toll to Chicago), and it is good to be home again. Lots to do so this is the end of this p...

For real

2012-01-05T10:41:00.000-06:00

This photo is not photoshopped. It is for real. On the way home from Ohio to Nebraska, we stopped in Illinois at this over the road restuarant.
It was good to get out of the van and eat, and play, and hug each other:) We left at 5:30am (EST) and got back to Nebraska at 8:47pm (CST). The girls traveled well, even Gloria! It was good to be in Ohio with family, thanks for having us. And it is good to be back here. Now to get working, again.

A funny thing happened

2011-12-15T10:08:00.002-06:00

The other day, I was in my office. And I heard Suzanne say, "Gloria, what are you doing up here?!"

*picture not tied to incident*

Background: Suzanne had put Gloria downstairs with her sisters; instructing them to watch her for a couple minutes. Evidently she didn't feel like they were paying enough attention to her. So, she crawled across the basement floor to the steps. Then, climbed the steps to the top and played by the patio door until Suzanne found her. The sisters were in trouble!

And then everybody had a good laugh:)

Camel-Angels

2011-12-12T11:34:00.000-06:00

It was great to have my parents here for over a week. They are back to Ohio again. One evening we drove through a snow storm to see a camel,

and a bunch of other stuff:) The girls didn't want to get too close to this big guy! This is the second year that we have gone. If you haven't been there, check it out! The Singing Christmas Tree.

Last night, our church put on our own simple production. We performed An evening at the Inn. It went really well; a great opportunity for people to fellowship and eat and take in a great presentation. The actors all did a great job, other than Joseph, who completely went blank and forgot his lines. Well done everybody.

These are good ways to connect our lives with the eternal story of Jesus coming to earth as a baby. God surprises us in amazing ways; ways we don't expect, through people we aren't looking at, and he calls us to faithfulness.

Be Faithful!

One big breath

2011-11-28T08:38:00.001-06:00

(Please take this in the best bit of love.) One crew gone and another on the way!

It was so good to have Christa, Emily, and Sarah here since Thanksgiving! There was lots of rollerblading, a bunch of energy expended, and lots of conversations. Thank you for your sacrifice of time, driving, and sleep:) I think Gloria was more fussy than normal in the Afternoon, because after having finally accepted Christa... Christa was gone!

And now they will give a high five to my parents as they pass on the road. We are expecting them here this evening. May everyone have safety as they travel. I have a feeling the activities will be slightly different:) Less rollerblading, maybe more crafts.

We sure appreciate peoples willingness to cover @1,000 miles to see us.

Welcome Home

2011-11-18T09:43:00.001-06:00

What life-giving words! Can you believe it?
This picture greeted me as I logged into my computer. The greater greeting was the hugs and kisses at the door. It is so good to be home with our loved ones.

Yet, many are not able to experience this for various reasons: imprisonment, war, work, death, hospitalization, nursing homes, abductions, choice. And some have no loved ones. That should not be. Where is the church? The body of Christ? To be loved in this life, and to be loved into the next life. Join Jesus.

Nebraska!

2011-11-16T16:11:00.001-06:00

I am home again. It is snowing, gently.

Life; precious

2011-11-09T11:28:00.001-06:00

Life is so precious!

Yesterday was Suzanne and Courtney's birthdays. My life is enriched by their love, creativity, and humor:)
After a tiring party with 11 girls, I took some rest by participating in a CPR class. I am struck by the simplicity and delicacy of life that can be boiled down to getting breathes and blood flow.
My grandma Nolt died today. May she, and all who love her, rest in Christ's peace.
Friday is Veteran's Day. We remember the loss of life, and those who have lost loved ones.
Celebrate life today!

Slow reading

2011-11-03T09:43:00.000-05:00

You may notice to the right ---->
of what you are currently reading, is a list of books that I am reading for personal enrichment, someday:) Yeah! The list hasn't changed in a little while. But that's okay! I've been reading a lot of other stuff too. The Mennonite, Mennonite Weekly Review, Leader, Equipping, Scattered Seeds, and a bunch of blog posts.
I am over half way through The Pastor: A Memoir. A good book on calling, and following, and leading, and getting out of the way. All things that are helpful for me to experience.

Well, keep reading, and writing, and loving, and growing.

Be (dis)content

2011-11-02T11:51:00.002-05:00

Have you lost your way? Is a sippy cup your only source of nourishment? Wondering what a cornstalk would taste like? Why are these children smiling?
Are you satisfied in all situations? Do you have a peace that goes beyond your circumstances?
Contentment is a tough goal. It can be a moving target at times. You get more and then just a little more would be great.
Have you gotten good at what you do? Have you hit your groove? Maybe it's time to be discontent again. How about "holy discontent"? It can be a disturbing, yet energizing force in our lives. It has moved me beyond complacency. It has lead to us being in Nebraska, pastoring, growing in the image of Christ.
It has stirred the hope and imagination of oppressed people. It has questioned what is and lead to what should be. It has the power to move the followers of Christ to take on the heart and mind of Christ. It has challenged the church to be the flesh and blood; the body of Christ in this hurting world.

Discontent

Teach your children well

2011-10-25T11:59:00.001-05:00

Did you know that you as a parent are the number 1 influence on your children? There are patterns of behavior that we live in that we learned from our parents (and they learned from their parents, etc).
A couple years ago in a class, we looked at our genograms (family trees), and looked for patterns of behavior. It was unsettling for some to find negative traits carried through multiple generations.
And there is hope here to! If there wasn't I wouldn't be a pastor. Positive traits and experiences can also be passed on from generation to generation. If we are aware and willing, we can reshape our families and bring glory to God! You're not trapped. There is a way forward.

A post about not posting

2011-10-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

A silly thing really. How many times have you called someone to tell them that you haven't called them in a while. Or wrote a letter just to tell them you haven't written in a while. Or bought a billboard to let everybody know that you haven't put anything on a billboard in a while.
Well... I haven't posted in a while. If you haven't prayed for me yet today, here is your reminder:)

Looking back, moving forward

2011-09-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

I am so appreciative of my upbringing; Christian parents, Christian relatives, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Church, Christian Schools (5-12th grade), Christian College, Pastors, Teachers, Elders, Friends. These have all shaped and influenced who I have become.

In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul lists his credentials or reasons for boasting. Then he says, "I consider them garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..."

No offence meant to those who have poured your lives into mine, but garbage, compared to the righteousness that comes through Christ! Is it possible that as we find our identity in Christ, that we begin to separate ourselves from our past (even if it was a good past), and look only to the present and future hope of the Kingdom of God?

Pastor Dave's Doodles: Being With God in Silence

2011-09-14T17:08:00.002-05:00

A time of silence

Follow the link below to experience what I have experienced similar to my friend Dave. I believe each of us, who claim a relationship with God, needs to practice a similar discipline. If you disagree, then leave a comment on how you communion with God.

Pastor Dave's Doodles: Being With God in Silence: Yesterday I spent my spiritual retreat day in silence at St. Benedict Center in Schuyler. Silence is an amazing thing - mostly scary and unc...

On the road again

2011-09-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

We had some visitors at our house for a little over a week. It was good to have my parents here! There was lots of playing, crafts, and catching up. The time goes fast and it is over before everyone is ready. Grandma and Grandpa walked the girls to school and then hopped in the truck to rumble down the road. Blessings as you travel and may you read this from home soon.

Friday, August 19, 11:07pm

2011-08-19T11:44:00.001-05:00

I am sitting here at my desk. Reminded that I wanted to post something the last several days. Anything.

Storming the Castle

Wild horses can't be tamed

A moment of rest

Classy ladies

Moods to color a rainbow

Swimming with some women

Resting with the best

There you go. Is there anything better than memories of summer?

Pastor Dave's Doodles: EXAMEN Your Day

2011-08-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

This post is a link to a great Pastor friend of mines blog. He says what he needs to say in a clear, simple form. So, if you want to try another Spiritual discipline that can help you know God and be known by God, follow the link:
Pastor Dave's Doodles: EXAMEN Your Day: "One of the things I believe I have been hearing from God on this Sabbatical is my need to really get centered on Him and to see Him in ALL ..."

Taxing

2011-08-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

I guess the math was too much for me. You'll notice my last post involved a lot of numbers and it was @17 days ago. We are still here, and it's still good!
The girls head to school on Monday, August 15th. It's hard to believe that it is that soon.
We have been in a heat wave and high humidity for the last several weeks here. The temp and humidity have both been fighting for 100. The pool in town is getting good use. It closes this Saturday for the season.
Suzanne and I had our first date in a while last Saturday. Dinner and a movie:) We volunteered to do concessions at the Movie Theatre in Geneva. It was a great time! Suzanne collected money and did math in her head. I managed a big popcorn machine and scooped bags of popcorn. Then for our service we received a free bag of popcorn, a drink, and a free movie. We "chose" Mr Poppers Penguins. A delightful evening. (Gloria was with us, and the other three were with Matt and Elizabeth T-M.)
How are you? What have you been up to? Leave a comment, or I'll assume you haven't done nothin' :)

Back in NE!

2011-07-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

We are home again, in beautiful NE! 19 days, over 2500 miles, 6 different beds, 5 unpackings and repackings, 9 states, 6 pairs of clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, 6 travelers, 3 suitcases, 1 van, 1 horse, 1 pony, 1 mule, 2 tries to get out of Pittsburgh, 3 tries to get from Missouri to Nebraska, and uncountable good connections where ever we were!
Tired! Invigorated! It's good to be home, we are going to miss all of you that we saw and left.

Convention reflect

2011-07-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Convention was a great time for our family. We got to stay in the Omni William Penn Hotel, which has hosted a number of celebrities and presidents over the years. It was good to be together as a family; eating, walking, playing, resting, laughing, tickling, and caring for one another. Convention was also an enjoyable time of making new friends, refreshing prior friendships, and dreaming about the church (Salem, Central Plains Conference, MCUSA, and Christ's wider body).
We are back at my parents house now and enjoying extended family time. It feels like it has been awhile since we have had this concentrated relaxed time.
Looking forward to seeing our Nebraska family again very soon!

Wonderful camping weekend

2011-07-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend of camping with Suzanne's family, except for a few mishaps which will not be mentioned here.
Our first morning, my friend and marathon enthusiast, Todd Lehman wanted to go on a short run. We did. 9+ miles of running and a mile or two of walking. Yeah, you know how it goes, you're not planning to go running and then you do. and well, it's only 3 miles to the covered bridge via rough trails. Then, it would be boring to return the same way, so you take another trail, and it's 2.3 miles to the fire tower. Then, our memory fails on where the "shorter" route back to camp starts, vs the 5.3 miles return trip. after a couple loops and returning to the fire tower we do finally find the trail and get back to camp. Surprisingly, I am only a "little" stiff.
The next day, we take all kids and adults (except for two) under 41 on the same trail hike to the covered bridge. 6 miles round trip. The kids did awesome.
A little swimming, mountain biking, and floating down the river on tubes rounds out the weekend.
We are tired, back at my parents, and repacking for Pittsburgh beginning... tomorrow.

Time takes longer

2011-06-30T11:03:00.000-05:00

That has been another revelation in our short stay so far. We had to get used to the long distances to larger towns and services in Shickley, NE. But notice I said long distances, not longer drives. It just takes longer here in Ohio, due to traffic, curves, hills, stop signs, etc.
Shopping - I like going into a store in Nebraska, finding what I want and going to the register to check out. In Ohio, we wait in line to find what we want, and wait in line to get to the register.
Parade - We went to Orrville to a parade last night. It took 30 minutes from the start of the parade till it finally got to us. Then, the parade was nearly 90 minutes long. Lots of candy. It was fun.
Camping - We are going camping about 36 miles away. It will take over an hour to get there. Does that make sense?! I like Nebraska. 36 miles = 36 minutes.
Ohio is not so bad, I really not complaining. But we'll take Nebraska's time. It doesn't take as long. :)

Where did Monday go?

2011-06-28T10:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we are here, in Ohio, and it is Tuesday. I remember leaving on Sunday. But where is Monday? It seems to have passed.
Wonderful trip. Everything went smoothly. A few extra stops with Gloria along. So, 5+ hours on Sunday, and @ 15 on Monday. Aha! That's where Monday went. We were on the road. Arrived at Suzanne's parents around 11pm Monday night. The girls traveled angelicly! Either that or I was in a fog:)
A couple things stuck out to me while driving. There are woods in Ohio! And big trees together. I saw few to no pivots during our whole trip. The fields have character; terraces, winding loops, gentle hills, etc. The corn is about a foot high. Nebraska was waist high or better. Chicago traffic sits still, for a long time. And this was on I-80. So we got off on an exit and drove through town. It was beautiful to see the artwork on bridges and buildings, and to see some of the old buildings.
Blessings

Happy first day of summer

2011-06-21T23:21:00.001-05:00

Courtney had a ballgame this evening, and it was 65 degrees, cloudy, and windy! I had my winter coat on, zipped up, and spent most of the game in the van! It has been 80-90 up until today. Weather...

New secret to making it financially

2011-06-07T11:14:00.001-05:00

http://lifehacker.com/5809285/the-most-basic-personal-finance-truth

Really that's it. Spend less than you make invest and give away the rest:) One thing that Suzanne and I decided even before we got married was to spend much less than we made, so that we could give consistently and not worry about money. We are tempted often to spend what we make, but continue to remind ourselves and each other of our goals. So we give up some things so we can enjoy other things. And we write it down. That's a budget or spending plan. Without it how do we know when we are overspending? How do we know if we are putting enough aside to cover a new used car, or a trip, or those bills that come due yearly?
An early great example: During our first year of marriage, we lived on my meager teaching salary, and saved half her income and paid off her college debt with the other half. When Alyssa was born, we were debt free, we had 10% saved for a down payment on a house, and Suzanne quit her job to stay at home.
An early bad example: A couple years later we bought a house that extended us very tightly (stressful), then did 12 months same as cash to waterproof the basement (more stressful). We learned from both of these mistakes. We plan to have 20%+ down payment for our next (whenever) house, while we contentedly enjoy renting. Wait to spend money till it is in the bank. Continue to live without "necessities" like cable tv. Become content with less and teach our children the power of enough. And trust God (not our savings and wise money usage). It could be all gone tomorrow, or God could tell us to give it all away. What's left then? God!

Quality vs Quantity

2011-06-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

How about quality and quantity? Can we separate the two? Sometimes we can't do both, but I have found that the goal must be both. I took off Monday and spent the day with the girls. We went shopping in Hastings, swimsuit shopping! Does a man enjoy shopping for swimsuits with 5 females? Not really, but it was quantity time. But that isn't enough. I needed to be more than present. I needed to be a participant.
So, I gave my opinion. I complemented their choices. We held hands, we hugged, we gave high fives, we ate Subway, and we enjoyed time (quality and quantity) together.
This is a picture of the church. We, the local body of Christ, need to spend quality and quantity time together. Sometimes we will be doing things we wouldn't have chosen, and we grow in love, faith, patience, deference, and the body of Christ is built up to a unity of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, until we arrive at maturity, attaining the full measure of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13)

Great Mr. Rytych

2011-05-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

How about longevity and commitment!
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Monday_Golden_Apple_Award_Winner_121963219.html
(Bonus: You can find Courtney and Alyssa in a couple of the clips!)

51 years teaching at the same school! Find what you enjoy doing and do it. And if you don't know what you enjoy, then enjoy doing what you find.
Click on the links below to hear what Solomon and Paul had to say about our work.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Colossians 3:23-24

New post

2011-05-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

This is a new post. It wasn't here before. Now it is. However, when the next post arrives it won't be a new post anymore. At that time, you can disregard the title, because it won't be true. This process happens at a high rate on blogs, technology, children growing up, reproduction, decay, time passing, well... generally everywhere. What is new is suddenly old, and what is old may be new again, but in a different (location, package, time, etc.). But you all were smart enough to already know this, because you have experienced this countless times before this specific new-oldness. Thanks for reading

Book review: The Pastor as Spiritual Guide

2011-05-02T15:45:00.000-05:00

The Pastor as Spiritual Guide written by Howard Rice. This review is going to be high points; what hit me. Not a comprehensive review.

"The leadership provided by ordained pastors is for the purpose of guiding the congregation in fulfilling its own mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ." (pg 20) Shepherd the flock and a healthy flock reproduces itself.

"But the principal tool of pastors is not a particular skill or technique; it is our very being. The principal tool for the work of pastoral ministry is on's own faith." (pg 35) How's my faith? Will the faith of our people rise above our own faith> glass ceiling!

"Whether born into faith or recently arrived converts, Christians cannot take their faith journey for granted without danger to the soul. If we are not growing in our faith, we may discover that faith has grown dim, that God has become distant and unreal." (pg 45) Faith is alive; or dead. And if alive, then it must be fed and cared for. And if dead... well, no good.

"Openness to God necessitates distancing ourselves from a culture that expresses its desperate need for control through compulsive activity. Much of life's frantic pace arises from the unceasing effort to keep up the pretense of control." (pg 50) Yow! That is a good explanation of our busyness. If we don't make space for God, then we miss God. The answer isn't more control, because that means more busyness.

Keys to create space for God: (pg 50-56) Prayer, reading scripture, meditation, feasting and fasting, serving others, worship, holy reading, sabbath rest. Get acquainted with these spiritual disciplines, and put them into practice.

How can worship encourage spiritual growth? (pg 96-99) We accept God, We open our lives to God, We worship in order to be transformed. Is that why we show up for worship? Is that why we setup worship the way we do? For me, it starts with personal worship that prepares me for corporate worship, which feeds and encourages personal worship... It's a vicious cycle!

Chapter 9 connected with me the most. I won't quote the entire chapter here, maybe somewhere else:) "The Pastor as person: Keeping our souls alive". In short, Pastors need to practice what they preach, and preach what they practice. Integrity - doing what we tell others to do. Authenticity - telling others to do what we know we should do, then we have to do it to stay Integrated!

Friday of Holy Week

2011-04-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

John 18-19:42
Good Friday? What is good about Good Friday? Jesus was arrested, betrayed, deserted, denied, roughed up, publicly disgraced, slapped in the face, bound, kept awake all night, rights violated, due process violated, repeatedly questioned, lied about, misrepresented, misunderstood, sentenced to die, flogged nearly to his death, crown of thorns pressed into his head, mocked, belittled, forced to stand for hours, handed over to be crucified, forced to carry his cross through the streets, crucified, nails driven through hands and feet, mourned by his mother and closest friends, had a spear thrust through his side after he died, wrapped in grave clothes and placed in a tomb...
Good? Good for me, and you, and all humanity. But still, not good, unless you know about resurrection!!!!! Which hardly anybody expected. It seems even his disciples weren't expecting him to rise again. Scripture shows us that they were trying to figure out what just happened, even 3 days later (or more). When receiving the news that Jesus was alive, many couldn't quite bring themselves to believe! Grace!!!

Thursday of Holy Week

2011-04-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

John 13:1-35
Maundy Thursday - Commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples.
Jesus was eating a Jewish passover meal. A celebration of remembrance of what God had done in redeeming the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. And I believe it was also a fervent call for God to act again on their behalf, and redeem the people to freedom from the Romans.
And Jesus surprises them all by washing their feet! Everybody present is thrown off by this. They don't know what to do! It is recorded that Peter objects, but everybody else is silent.
How do we wash each others feet today? Some are uncomfortable with feet. Is hospitality equivalent to washing feet? And what is hospitality? It can be:
-talking to your neighbor
-borrowing things, and lending things out
-hosting a block party, or attending a barbecue
-sitting on the porch (yours or theirs)
-having a meal together
-giving or receiving a ride
This stuff can be messy, like feet...

Wednesday of Holy Week

2011-04-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

John 13:21-32
Denial, rejection, betrayal. These are the worst that we do in friendship. And when it is done to us, we are devastated, most times we are blindsided. We don't see it coming. Truthfully, if we saw it coming, we would separate ourselves from the friendship first. Or if they mean the world to us, we would confront them to try to salvage the relationship.
Here we find Jesus knowing that Judas (the one who keeps the money, pays the bills, and even leans up against Jesus sharing a meal, one of the closest 12 friends and followers) will betray him to death! Yet, Jesus keeps him in close fellowship. Jesus shares food, conversation, friendship, and his life with this Judas.
And I believe that it truly hurt Jesus to know this! And yet he stayed engaged. This is love!

Tuesday of Holy Week

2011-04-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

John 12:20-36
Jesus is in Jerusalem at a feast, and he knows his time here on earth with his disciples is about to end. Some Greeks (non-Jews?) came requesting to see Jesus. I am wondering if Jesus is in hiding. The request is given to Jesus, and Jesus begins to talk about being glorified. Well that to me involves Jesus being seen. But Jesus instead seems to be portraying the idea that he is going to die. Instead of doing something great and wonderful in the full view of all, to be seen, Jesus instead is going to "just die". And this is for his glory, and for his Father's glory?!
My mind says, "Who will get the glory if Jesus dies? The one who kills him?" Jesus seems to be saying that the glory will go to Jesus, God, those who die with him. Now, I wouldn't have come up with that... and neither did the disciples. And just for good measure, so that Jesus will be glorified, Jesus goes and hides himself from them...
One time somebody told me that following Jesus is just about common sense. I didn't buy it. It's about a Spiritual sense, only revealed by God through the Spirit.

Monday of Holy Week

2011-04-18T16:56:00.000-05:00

John 12:1-11
Ominous, six days before the passover. Having just raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus' enemies want to kill him. Well actually, both "hims". They want to kill Jesus to remove the threat to their political/religious compromise with the Romans. They also want to kill Lazarus, for being raised back to life! It's not Lazarus' fault, but he is the evidence that Jesus can conquer death, and he is the reason that many Jews were believing in Jesus.
Then, there is Judas. Isn't there always a Judas? Am I not often Judas? "Look at the waste! We could have used the money for the poor!" Some times I'm the thief; the one who is dipping into the bag; the one who wants to steal from Jesus' glory, something for myself. I deserve it, don't I? Time marches on. Only a couple more days with Jesus, then he will be gone...

Wanted: Dead or Alive

2011-04-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Imagine finding this picture on a telephone pole in your town. You catch your breath, your heart skips a beat; especially if it's true!
What do you do know? Disappear? Get outta Dodge!

What if it's not true? How do you clear your name? Would people believe you? Would they put their reputations on the line to clear your name?

The truth is that guy is wanted! God wants him! The only other question is: Would God prefer him dead or alive? Romans 6:11 or Galatians 2:20

Pie

2011-04-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

What else can I say? Ahhhhh:)

Wow! One of us is wrapped around the others finger...

1, 2, 3, 4

2011-04-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

Someone who has 4 girls got us 4 shirts for our 4 girls and here are 4 pictures to prove it. 4 sure they are the cutest, great 4tune!

So, we've been having fun...

2011-04-05T17:03:00.002-05:00

While Suzanne's parents were here, we put Grandpa to hard labor, and he produced this! With some little helpers:) And it works great (there is much sleeping). Thanks for visiting!

Visitors are coming...

2011-03-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

Reminds me of a song that goes something like this:
The ~~animals~~ visitors are coming two by two...

We'll have some maternal parents, followed by some spiritual parents, concluding with some paternal parents:)
In case that is still too confusing, there are three pairs of mixed gender parties, coming on different days...

Suffice it to say, we all are looking forward to the visits and the fun times of reconnecting in the next several weeks. Blessings to you and your parents (of all varieties).

I love this picture!

2011-03-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

I laugh, and literally cry, every time I look at this picture. Seriously, I am laughing out loud and wiping tears from my eyes right now, as I type this! There I go, laughing again, and again...

Enough Said

Everybody is home now

2011-03-08T11:16:00.001-06:00

Suzanne and Gloria came home on Sunday afternoon. They are both doing great, and I love having them here at home!
Some of you desire more details, so I wanted to share some Doctor fun. Those who prefer less detail, well you know how to go somewhere else. So, having a vbac meant we were Doctoring about an hour away. Here is the run down of how we met all 4 doctors at the clinic and the mid-wife:
Dr. 1 - our chosen doctor revealed to us that she is expecting a couple days after us. She delivered a week earlier than we do, so she is no longer available.
Dr. 2 - we met him 2 days before birth, however he was gone for the weekend starting on Friday.
Dr. 3 - never met him (Suzanne did a day after birth) was on call for the weekend, but evidently the weekend doesn't start till Saturday, unless your gone for the weekend.
Dr. 4 - doesn't do vbacs, and he's the only doctor available as we drive to delivery.
Midwife 1 - met her at the clinic just before going to the hospital, she worked with us expecting Gloria to come in an hour or so. Well, lots of work Suzanne's part but no progress on Gloria's part, and it became clear that Gloria wasn't coming out the expected way.
Back to Dr. 4 - we met him in the O.R. just before we met Gloria.
Nice to know them all now:) But really nice to know Gloria!

It's a girl!

2011-03-04T18:45:00.002-06:00

Gloria Rose Nolt was born March 4th at 12:37pm.
She is 9# 12oz and 22in. There is much rejoicing!

Any day now...

2011-03-03T20:09:00.001-06:00

Waiting. By Monday we should be celebrating a beautiful little bundle of energy. As one of the childrens songs says, "first they had to wait..."
And so we wait. Patiently.

Membership video

2011-02-22T11:56:00.000-06:00

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted, so here are two posts in one day!! For family and friends who were miles away when we became members of Salem Mennonite Church, I offer you this 10 minute video.

Membership has it's privileges

2011-02-22T10:55:00.000-06:00

What do you think? Free Coffee? Everlasting Life? How about everything in between? What makes it worthwhile to become a member?

A number of years ago, American Express used the slogan, "Membership has it's privileges". And many other companies and individuals have used this phrase. So, what are the privileges of membership in a church?

You may list things like:

Free rental of the church facilities

Free or preferred rates for burial in the cemetery

Permission to take communion at some churches

Permission to serve on committees, hold positions, or teach Sunday School at some churches

(Sounds like fun, yeah! Some of you might prefer not to be members, because then you have an excuse to not to have to serve.)

Of course, being a member doesn't save you or give you a higher standing in heaven or more jewels in your heavenly crown. But, I would like to suggest that maybe, just maybe, being a member can assist in saving you. When you commit your life, time, talents, gifts, to a group of people and their benefit, you are changed due to the influence of your associations. Did I say "commit"? Really?! Yes, membership isn't something frivolous, it is a commitment of mutual benefit. I place myself in your care for accountability, encouragement, and support. And I commit to hold you in love for accountability, encouragement, and support.

For God's glory and to bring the Kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven!

Not so much in trouble

2011-02-09T10:22:00.000-06:00

I see the last time I posted, I might have been in trouble. We are good again:)
Do you ever feel inadequate?
Do you ever feel unqualified?
Well, that is good. Welcome to my world. You, and I, have lots of company. Walk on in faith and the adequacy and qualification that only comes through Christ.

I'm in trouble...

2011-01-19T14:52:00.000-06:00

We got our snow last week, yeah! Nobody likes me for that:) I shouldn't have said anything more:(

On Sunday at church, I told a couple people how much fun the girls and I had snowboarding in the ditch beside our house. Then I said, "the grass is showing through, it would be nice to have a couple inches to cover it up." People went from smiling and saying, "ah so cute to snowboard into your ditch", to frowns and saying, "hey, watch what you're saying." It seems Pastors have a direct pipeline to God. We can get what we want.
Actually, the truth is, we all have the same access to God, because of Jesus. Pastor, saint, and sinner can all talk to God and be changed.
Well, today it's snowing again. I'm in trouble. It's my fault. I better get out of town for the next several days, if the snow doesn't stop me:)

Snow is finally here

2011-01-12T08:39:00.000-06:00

For those of you familiar with Nebraska weather, here are some numbers.
Average winter precipitation: @10inches
Last winter precipitation: @30 inches
This winter (prior to last Saturday): @1.5inches
Well we've got it now! Over the weekend we were pleased (some of us) to receive about 6-8 inches of snow. Light, white, fluffy stuff. Then, of course it began to blow and now we have drifts in the yard, drifts on the roads, drifts in the church parking lot. And cold... the last two mornings it has been at least 5 below zero.
We are thankful (truly thankful) for a warm house. The girls and I have been out playing in it; off and on as we can stand it. May you be warm and safe and loved.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:05:00.000-06:00

As I lamented last year, the ball only drops in Eastern time zone; not Central. So, to ring in the new year with health, fellowship, and a negative calorie deficit we went for a two mile run at 11:15pm. This is my fourth annual (Hesston ks, Kidron oh, Shickley ne, Shickley ne) and second annual in Shickley. We doubled our numbers from 2 to 4:) Below you see the before and after temperatures (although the town sign said 4), and to the left and right... you'll see the crew striking a pose. Thanks to Wes, Don, and Jeremy! And may you all have health, time, and the presence of God in 2011!

Weather and pics

2010-12-30T23:20:00.000-06:00

We had some great times with family over Christmas. We played outside a lot. Here is a picture from some soccer on Thursday before Christmas. It was quite chilly about 20 degrees and cloudy and windy.

Suzanne bought me a Huskers shirt for Christmas! So, you can see a rivalry coming with Nebraska joining the big ten next year.

We had a boys versus girls gingerbread house competition, which came out as a tie.

7 kids in the house, need a good game of marshmallow dodgeball!

And of course some "calm" games of cards - Super Uno - and Scum.

We went bowling in Edgar, NE. First time for the Hershbergers. Everybody had a great time and did good!

This is only 5 days after the first soccer picture. The Hershbergers are on their way back to Ohio. The sun finally comes out, the temperature goes up to 50 something. The girls and I played some ball at lunch. Notice the short sleeves and flipflops.

And today? We are headed to single digits into Friday, New Years Eve. Going for an annual run, and it's going to be about 4 degrees, 20 mph winds, and 100% chance of precipitation. Blessings to all!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T09:47:00.001-06:00

Peace, hope, love, joy!

Double in 3, 2, 1...

2010-12-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

The population of our house is going to double in about an hour. We are ready for the ~~slaughter~~ onslaught:) The three girls who normally live here all got sick on Wednesday morning, and seemed out of it all day. Now the house is scrubbed, disinfected, and laundried in preparation for Suzanne's Sister and family. For the next several days, there will be an extra 6 of us here. Lots of hugs and love and energy and hot drinks and games and Christmas cheer.
Merry Christmas to you and your kin,
The Nolts

Do you know how to be a sibling?

2010-12-21T13:45:00.001-06:00

Tonight, we are taking our girls to the hospital where we will be delivering our next baby girl and having them take a siblings class. They will learn how to hold and take good (safe) care of a baby sibling. We will also get a tour of the hospital. We are all really looking forward to this!
As you pastors may know, nothing escapes spiritual application... How do we take care of new brothers and sisters in Christ? Do they need special care? Do older siblings need to be taught how to take care of the new "babies"?
In honor of Kevin Wilder - Discipleship!

Do you have time for Christmas?

2010-12-10T10:28:00.000-06:00

Suzanne and I have made the comment that it would be nice to have at least a ~~foot~~ dusting of snow. Most people around here would prefer the dryness that we have had so far:) There is something about snow that feels like Christmas. Here is the funny thing. Those who don't want snow are probably more right in their ideas. It is doubtful that there was much snow on that first Christmas Advent.
Oh well! The real questions should be whether we have time for Christmas. And what really is Christmas, anyway? Is it a holiday in December? Is it a day off from work? Is it a time to get together with family and eat a ton of food and exchange presents? Is it a time to give money to charities (like MCC or the Heifer project or Crisis pregnancy centers) instead of buying that latest gizmo for our loved one? Is it a time for singing carols? Is it a time to exercise that family tradition?
Actually all the above can help us celebrate Christmas. But they can also stress us out and keep us from observing the Christ, the Messiah, come to earth, God with us.
Take a moment. Take another one. Can you spare another one?

Its gonna be a...

2010-11-29T21:20:00.000-06:00

Just in case you hadn't heard. Early next year, we'll have 4.

Rain

2010-11-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

Last night we got some rain! It was beautiful to watch. We have been quite dry this harvest season, for instance here are the rain falls for the last two months:
09/15/10 0.24
09/21/10 0.25
09/24/10 0.59
09/25/10 0.10
10/25/10 0.25
Then, it rained last night. I haven't seen how much yet. It continues to drizzle this morning.

I was up on the roof last night cleaning out the gutters from all the leaves. I put them in a bucket on a rope, then dropped the bucket down to Courtney. She put them in a bag... most of the time:) I think the last three buckets ended up on the ground, due to the wind and Courtney "accidently" spilling it... then "accidently" throwing the dumped pile into the air. Which then blew into our neighbors yard:) Sorry, Gary and Deb:)
Enjoying these memories!

AVDS HC

2010-11-02T14:29:00.001-05:00

This weekend we were in Hesston, KS for the Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series. This years conference was 3-D Jesus; trying to embrace the whole Jesus, rather than just the parts that we like or resonate with. The speakers did a great job of teaching and challenging for growth. The Sunday morning service at Hesston Mennonite Church was a great summary of the weekend by Megan Good. (Go to HMC's media page on their site and scroll down to sermon videos. You may need to hit previous till you find the October 31 service.) The service challenged us to action and created spaces for us to encounter Jesus and be transformed. Here is another article with good summation. Way to go Rachel from Shickley!

One thing I found important to take away, which I will state in a couple different ways:
Balance moral challenge and spiritual transformation.
Balance the horizontal and vertical pieces of the cross.
Balance relationship with others and relationship with Jesus.
Balance ethical learning and opportunities to encounter Jesus.

Here is a friend of mine's blog on another session at AVDS:
Pastor Dave's Doodles: Good Quote: "I attended the AVDS Conference in Hesston, Kansas this weekend. I heard this quote: 'You can't really know or experience God's forgiveness u..."

12:45pm inclusio (Ask Michelle Hershberger what an inclusio is)

2010-10-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

12:45pm 30 minutes into a 45 minute drive I heard a noise. Flat tire on van. 15 minutes later we are driving on a donut to complete our trip. Thankful for safety. Good doctors visit. 45 minute return trip becomes 60 on donut. Thankful to arrive home. Jump in car to go 10 minutes to pick up Emberlynn. Got her and return trip turns into infinity. Never made it home. Belt pulley disintegrated. Called Suzanne who is walking to pick up Courtney and Alyssa from school. Tell her that she will need to find another vehicle if she still wants to take Alyssa to piano 25 minutes away. And could she come pick up Emberlynn and I, 2 minutes from home. Her first call finds a willing friend and car. My first call finds a willing friend and a tow. Now I am at home. Suzanne is trying to not break down our third car for the day. The funny thing is... I have been laughing a lot since 12:45pm.

Weather

2010-10-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you out-of-state, the weather here in Nebraska has been absolutely amazing the last several weeks. It has been dry and mild. The farmers have had either a great harvest, or have had a great start, well ahead of last year. We continue to pray for safety as they harvest, and success as they reap, store, dry, sell, transport; and prepare the land for next year.

What's the order?

2010-09-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Per his usual stellar self, Pastor Dave Miller from Bellwood Mennonite Church in Milford, NE scores a touchdown, or plants a seed, or loves us like a father, or calls us to respond. I wish I could have written it myself. Click the link below, it's not what you may be thinking:)
And Go Huskers!

Pastor Dave's Doodles: The four "F" words: "Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I mean. Suppose an alien were to visit Milford (or any Midwest town). Suppose this vis..."

Pursuing wealth

2010-09-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's sermon was a hard one for me. And it was hard for those who heard it. When we allow God's Word to evaluate our hearts we find:
hardness, deceit, misplaced love, wrong motives, self-righteousness, mediocrity, sin, treachery, selfishness,... and that's just my list:(
We should do this more often.
As I was reading the following article this morning, it reminded me of the sermon and how so much of entertainment pulls our hearts to wrong desires, and to be discontent.
http://www.daveramsey.com/newsletters/online/edition/personal-finance-newsletter-092710?ectid=cnl1010.final_11#bighouse
One of the dangers of a "wholesome" cable channel like HGTV, is that it's really just one big commercial all day long. A constant diet of home improvements, house hunters, redecorating, etc. breeds discontent with what we have; it calls us to finer living, when our hearts should be called to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness" (see 1 Timothy 6:11)

Pain

2010-09-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago I was doing an exercise called a "Sumo Deadlift High Pull" (Disclaimer: That is not me in the video). Evidently my form was poor and I was trying to muscle up the weight with my lower back, instead of letting the momentum of my hips snap the weight to my chin. Now I have a sore lower back.
Nothing that restricts movement, but I know it's there and it hurts a little. I have found relief in keeping the muscles warmed up, and gently stretching all the connected muscles (calves, hamstrings, glutes, trapezoid, rhomboids, latisimus dorsi, etc.) I also have noticed more relief when I sit and move with a neutral alignment.

Why am I telling you this? I'm really not a complainer, and I don't want your sympathy, and I shy away from sharing what I do for exercise. What this is really about is an analogy for our lives. Sometimes we try to muscle up the good works and get things down on our own power. Sometimes we are even successful at it. But it will catch us, when we are tired or lazy and it is going to hurt. When it does, the cure is to step back, rest, take a lighter load while we work on the details of the movement. Then we practice supporting movements (Spiritual practices) that realign the framework and move us back into a healthy state where we can run the race, carry the load, and throw off the sin that so easily entangles us. Finally, when we once again encounter the movement that set us back, we trust Jesus to complete the work that he began in us to completion. This is Jesus' movement; we join him in carrying the momentum that he has already begun.

Addition, and there was much rejoicing:)

2010-09-02T20:57:00.000-05:00

Suzanne, and 3 little girls, left a couple hours ago and drove to Salina, KS. When she returned there were 6...
Hmm...
This doubling of the girls will last from now until Monday sometime. It's gonna be a hoot!

The unclothed:) anabaptist

2010-09-02T14:38:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith. It was a thought-provoking read. Here are some links to give you an idea what the book is about. If you are:
-Mennonite
-attending a Mennonite church
-avoiding Mennonites
-attracted to the core of following Jesus but don't like religion or church
-wondering about God

THEN - this book just might resonate with you.
I found it challenging and encouraging as one who is or was all of the above at some point. Stuart Murray does a good job of identifying what they have found to be the helpful things in Anabaptism, while being honestly critical of lessons to learn or things to avoid. This is a book I will need to read again.

Fruity...

2010-08-13T17:28:00.000-05:00

Anybody feeling fruity out there?

Read the article from the link above. I know I have thought as the author did, that I was supposed to work at being fruitful. I was supposed to push out my own fruit. I know that fruit is produced as we become more like Jesus; as we grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus, as we are transformed by our prayers, reading, confession, reflection, action, worship, etc.
I would still suggest that we can monitor, evaluate, and prune the fruit that we produce. These actions remind us that we can't produce fruit on our own, and that we must stay on the vine.
God bless with water, sun, and nutrients!

An Overview of Mennonite History

2010-08-02T17:35:00.001-05:00

I was recently made aware of a new book on Mennonite History. You may be asking why you should be interested in reading Mennonite History. Well you might find out you are a Mennonite and you didn't know it! For those of you who know you are or were a Mennonite, it may be the book you need to read this week.
It is written in an accessible and nonacademic style, this revised edition updates the story and incorporates new historical research and discoveries.
Check it out at http://store.mpn.net/productdetails.cfm?PC=1431
You will find that you can read the introduction, preface, and epilogue at the link above as well.

The Lord's Prayer

2010-07-29T14:03:00.000-05:00

This Sunday, I will be finishing the 5th of 5 sermons on the Lord's Prayer. I broke it into verse 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and focused on one verse with supporting other passages each week. Up to this point, I have used the lectionary scriptures as the basis for each week's sermon. This has been a fulfilling study for me. I have also appreciated the comments from others of the deeper meaning they have found in praying and learning about the Lord's prayer.

Most common responses:

Importance of praying on the whole churches behalf, not just my own requests, and yet, on the other hand, the significance of changing the pronouns to first person reminding us our individual responsibility.
Importance of not just repeating prayers and expecting magic to happen, but also recognizing that repeating traditional prayers can shape or re-energize our spontaneous prayers.
This prayer is such a simple prayer that can be understood at our first reading, however, in depth study of this prayer continues to reveal fresh learning about the heart of God and our relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

Blessings, and keep praying!

Pastor Dave's Doodles: God-focused Worship

2010-07-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Here is an excellent post from a thinker, theologian, awesome musician, fellow Mennonite Pastor, friend, funny guy, and supper guest this evening... Think about it.

Pastor Dave's Doodles: God-focused Worship: "Does our worship service lead people to an encounter with Christ and the Holy Spirit? Think about why we do what we do in worship. Do we wo..."

The Lord's prayer

2010-07-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I began a series on Matthew 6:9-13, The Lord's Prayer. Each week I plan to focus on one verse. Last week was verse 9. Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. These are the main points I hoped to bring out:
-Our, we, us used instead of My, I, me. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and of Christ and because of Christ.
-Father denotes an intimate family relationship. For those who have a loving relationship with their fathers, it is instructive to relate to God with the same openness and trust. For those who don't have a loving relationship with their fathers, God becomes to them what they have never had.
-Heaven is beyond this world. God's presence and power are everywhere and with us. Remembering that God is in Heaven, reminds us that God is limited by our earthly existence. God can break into our reality and bring healing and hope.
-Hallowed means holy and glorified. This phrase is actually the first request. We are asking that God's name will be held high and shown to be holy, by our lives. We are asking for God's power to make our faithfulness bear fruit. When we live righteously in God's power we lift God's name and reputation up and bring God glory.

May it be so in my life. I am unable to live this out in my own power. How about you?

Are we there yet?

2010-06-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

Ah, the ultimate question of travel with children!
Come to think of it, it is an excellent question for our spiritual lives too.
A couple more questions for your spiritual journey:

How will I know when I get there?
Where is there?
Do I know where I am going?
Do I have a destination in mind?
Have I prepared for the journey?
Did I forget to pack something?
Do I know where to get directions?
Do I trust the directions?
Am I willing to ask for and follow directions?
Have I started the journey?

Home, by the numbers

2010-06-03T09:39:00.000-05:00

We were gone for 11 days; 10 nights; slept in 5 beds in 4 states (Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan); drove through 8 states (Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska); put about 2,500 miles on the van; filled the van with gas 4 times; got 24 mpg on 10% ethanol 89 octane gas, got 26 mpg on no ethanol 87 octane gas; ate too many fast foods; each of us consumed on average 4/5 of a quart of soft serve ice cream in 48 hours; saw dozens of wonderful family and friends, some of whom we haven't seen for 11 months; only checked email once a day; girls watched strawberry shortcake ferry berry video at least 6 times; numerous other videos viewed; biked @7 miles through 2 tunnels on the old Pennsylvania turnpike (pike2bike) with @35 Nolt cousins, of which over half were less than teenagers; had lots of conversations; shared hugs and handshakes; preached one sermon (meditation); Suzanne spent 1 day of shopping with her sister, 2 mornings of connection with a great friend; 44+ hours on the road; 1 big suitcase for 5 peoples clothes; 1 little suitcase for 5 peoples shoes; 2 more broken pairs of flip-flops; 2 rain storms while driving, and hours of sunshine; and memories...

Wind

2010-04-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

It is windier in Nebraska than Kansas. Really? Could this be true? If there have been any surprises for us here, it may be that. It is nearly always windy. When it is calm, you keep thinking that your forgetting something:)
Today we have sustained winds from 25-30mph, and gusts up to 45mph.
But I'm not complaining. I'm just saying.
Have you ever wondered what God is up to? Yeah. Have you ever asked God? Yeah. Has God ever told you? Yes and no sometimes.
Sounds kinda like John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
It isn't always an immediate clear answer, but it can be perceived...
If you are listening.
If you are asking.
If you can step back and take a big view.
If you put out a windsock.
If you walk out in it.

God, sustain the wind of your Spirit in us. Gust in us, and through us, bringing your healing and hope.

Retreat

2010-04-12T15:17:00.000-05:00

Suzanne and I went on a retreat this past Friday through Sunday. According to the Definitions from Webster for Retreat we find this:

1 a : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable b : the usually forced withdrawal of troops from an enemy or from an advanced position
2 : a place of privacy or safety : refuge
3 : a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director

So, which one was it?
Well I do not find my work dangerous or disagreeable, but sometimes it is difficult.
While not a forced withdrawal, it could be seen as a necessary time to pull back.
The St. Benedict monastery was a place of privacy, safety, and refuge.
And for sure, we were a group gathered for prayer, meditation, study, and instruction.
Suzanne and I enjoyed the time together, catching up, reaquanting with other pastors and spouses, with each other, and with ourselves.
My challenge to you, take a moment or a day or a longer time of retreat. The work will wait for you, and it may be good for you and those around you.

March 25 Anniversary

2010-03-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

Anybody confused by the March 14 anniversary? I hope so! Suzanne and I also celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary last Thursday. I spent the day in Lincoln visiting two dear brothers in the hospital. They are both home now.
I got home @ 5pm just about the time the rest of the family got home. Suzanne and I celebrated our anniversary with a candle lit dinner of Salmon with lemon and onion and a special sauce on a bed of rice with some very festive vegetables. The food was delicious and the conversation was delightful. We reminisced of the times and places of the last 10 years. We are in love, and we still like each other too!
At the other end of the table, three little girls giggled with glee, while eating leftover spaghetti and green beans. It doesn't get any better than that!
:)

March 14 anniversary

2010-03-30T08:26:00.000-05:00

Salem Interview.
1 year and 16 days ago, Suzanne and I took a little drive North on 135, 35, and 81. After a couple hours of driving we followed the signs West on a little dirt road called V. Little did we know that it wasn't a dirt road, but it was what the locals call a gravel road. Little did we know the people that lived on that road who today are close friends. At the corner of 9 and V we pulled into a country church, took a deep breath, said a little prayer, and smiled at the beauty of the location.
Very soon we met some very nice people who greeted us warmly with handshakes and smiles. We worked hard to remember their names. We spent some time getting acquainted. We felt at ease. We ate Lasagna and chatted some more. By the time the meeting was over, we felt like we had new friends.
As we said goodbye and hopped into our vehicle, we followed a little green Honda at speeds nearing death on a gravel road. We arrived at the green Honda speedster's house and met his lovely wife. They took us into town to show us around. We toured the parsonage, and then went on a walk.
This was only the beginning of a new love story, as we said goodbye and headed South back to Hesston with visions of what could be dancing in our heads. To be continued...

Hello

2010-03-13T16:26:00.002-06:00

Hi!
The Lent, pre easter season has been extremely busy. Can you tell?
Come Lord Jesus

Here comes Lent

2010-02-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

Actually, here comes Easter. Easter is literally seven weeks away. As I reminisce Easter past in my lifetime, I can only pull up a couple significant memories.
The first one I remember is roughly middle school. I had a new set of clothes on. Girls in my age group, whom I was beginning to notice, were also wearing new dresses. Everybody was looking new and fresh. The sun was shining, the grass was green, and there were beautiful pink blossoms growing. I made a connection between Easter and new things.
A special tradition that my mom gave me was a box of peeps:) I remember Easters with yellow peeps. Even in college and after being married and having children, my mom still got me yellow peeps. There is something special about white marshmallow, yellow sugar, and rabbit shapes from mom. I made a connection between Easter and gifts of love.
Easter 2007, we headed for Berlin Mennonite Church, and lunch with Bruce and Jocelyn Hamsher. It was the last kick in the pants that we needed to faithfully follow the call on our lives to leave Ohio, head for Hesston, and wind up in beautiful Nebraska. Suzanne was convicted to let God and I out of the box that she had placed us both in. I was convicted of my lack of faith in stepping out to follow God's leading. I lost my last excuse. I made a connection between Easter and giving up ones life to gain another.
Pre Easter 2009, I was given the opportunity to speak in chapel at Hesston College. I spoke on Lent. I didnt' know anything about lent. So, I learned about lent, and I realized that it was an ancient practice of early Christians. A way to revive and retell the story of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. The idea of lent is that we suffer (give up things), die (surrender ourselves to Jesus' lordship), and rise again (become transformed into the image of Christ). I made a connection between Easter and God.
How quickly we consider plain, the extravagance of Jesus' life, death, resurrection. It happens every year. We celebrate it at Easter... for 1-2 hours.
Here's the deal. By beginning Ash Wednesday, to purpose to forget the resurrection, we can fully experience the pain, suffering, death, and hopelessness of the end of Jesus' life. And then, and then, only then can we fully appreciate and celebrate the resurrection! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls are growing up

2010-02-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

It is amazing to watch the girls grow up. Let me be honest and say that they are far from being perfect, and there are times that we parents are sorry for our responses to their imperfect actions and attitudes. But I am also so proud of them. They are a joy to spend time with. They have some wacky senses of comedic timing. They say some profound things sometimes. They behave well when we are busy talking with other adults. They have a zest for life, music, dancing, imagination, family interaction, animals, and friends.
God bless their little lives.

One body many members

2010-01-21T11:37:00.000-06:00

Yet it is still one body. A couple weeks ago I was gone Friday and Saturday and then I preached on Sunday morning. I asked the congregation if they missed me, or even knew if I was gone. Alyssa said she missed me:) Very few missed me, and so I said that I was glad that very few even knew that I was gone. I think it should be that way. The body of the Christ, the church, continues to be the hands and feet, ministering to others whether the paid pastor is present or absent. There is one person whose absence should negatively affect the body; the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Yet, Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 12 that each member must function with the gifts they are given. If they don't then the body suffers for lack of that essential sense or function. A great mystery. In the body of Christ guided by the Holy Spirit God is glorified.
There is false unity if diversity is not respected.
There is disruptive diversity if unity is not sought.
There is productive diversity in the presence of unity.
There is witnessing unity in the exercise of diversity.
Lord help us!

Facebook rant:)

2010-01-12T13:12:00.000-06:00

Okay, facebook, you tricked me into it! I am back on again. I stayed away from you for over a month, but you went deep. You coerced two friends into friending me on facebook. What could I do? I want to be their friend on your site, because I want to be their friend in real life. You may have got me to sign back in again, but I have learned discipline in how to resist your time sucking vacuum. I will control you! I will not be mastered by any code!!!

Hopey New Year

2010-01-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! What is a new year, other than a flip of the calendar? And if your calendar is on the computer, it doesn't really flip, it is continuous. It just flows on without a big change.
What are we really getting excited about? I was struck by the lack of a ball drop at midnight here in CST. I watched the 11pm ball drop in New York City. There were people going crazy, yelling, screaming, dancing, and kissing. Everybody was elated!
Yet, it was only 11pm here. I couldn't get into it. Suzanne went to bed, and I stayed up waiting for the 12am ball drop and my 12:15am run.
Pretty soon it became clear to me that there wasn't going to be a ball drop. What was I staying up for now. Next year maybe we'll go running at 11:15pm and be in bed by midnight:)
Here are the reflections that I had. Everybody is going crazy about a moment in time that we have arbitrarily set as 12:00am on January 1st. Seriously, we invented this moment! Nothing magical or special happens at that moment, yet people prepare and celebrate that moment as miraculous! What is it? My conclusion, and correct me if your's is different, is that there is hope in the future, hope in a new beginning, hope in the possibilities, hope in the good intentions we have for ourselves, hope in the goodness of others intentions, hope that the world just might get better.
And it's all based on a moment that we have predetermined. So, here's my idea. If we can become hopeful, based on a moment that we've determined, why don't we create more of these moments? Why don't we take or make these moments monthly, or weekly, or daily, or even 3 times a day?
As a follower of Jesus, in relationship with God, I can determine each morning to be a moment of reflection on the past, and determine in the present, that the future has possibilities. I can see what needs improved or changed, and make a "resolution" to allow God to change me. I can allow God to change my view of the upcoming situations. I can allow God to change my perception of others. What do you think? Am I off of my rocker?!
Happy New Moment!

Third annual New Years run

2010-01-01T00:57:00.000-06:00

I just got back from my third annual New Years run. We began at 12:15am and ran 2 miles. Starting at Shickley Lumber Yard, south to Centennial, North to 74, and back south to Centennial, and finish going north to the Lumber Yard. My great friend Wes Hochstetler accompanied me.
This annual run began on our first week in Hesston, Kansas 2 years ago. We (Suzanne and I) joined Todd and Julie Lehman, Dennis and Jen LeFevre, Margaret Weibe and her sister and brother-in-law, and a couple other crazies.
Last year Todd Lehman and I found ourselves in Ohio at the same time so we ran in Kidron, Ohio.
This year it was time to start the tradition here in Shickley, Nebraska.
Three years, three states. Good memories and a great way to start off the New Year.
May you find God near, loving, and way more than you can ask or imagine in 2010.
God bless you!

Weather - Blizzard

2009-12-26T12:49:00.000-06:00

http://www.1011now.com/weather
Blizzard. We went to some friends house for lunch Christmas day. About 24 hours later we got home:)
The drifts around their house are 2, 4, 6, and even 8 feet high. And you can walk on talk of them. We barely made it into the farm driveway across the road from their house. Today they are busy with tractors making their livestock slightly more comfortable.
We decided to come home, we got onto the road and about 30 feet later we were stuck in a drift. With the help of a shovel we brought along, someone behind us who was gonna get stuck with their little car, and a person coming toward us who decided to just go back home, we shoveled and pushed the van through.
We are home now. Looks like no church tomorrow. No power at the church, ice under the drifting snow in the parking lot, the roads blow shut right after being opened. Blizzard

Facebook?

2009-12-23T16:19:00.000-06:00

I am wondering what could possibly be happening on facebook. For some reason, I have taken a break from facebook for the past 2 weeks. Cold turkey. The reason? I didn't want to press the "Continue to next step" on the new privacy announcement.
I almost did it today:)

A little snow a little rain

2009-12-23T16:13:00.000-06:00

We spent Monday and Tuesday in Omaha, NE on a family getaway. It was a very fulfilling time!
I enjoyed taking a break from work (email, phone calls, study, etc.) and instead focusing on being together.
Suzanne enjoyed having me fully present.
The girls enjoyed 24/7 attention from their loving parents.
We went to CoCo Key, an indoor water resort. We stayed in the Holiday Inn attached. We swam, floated, tubed, soaked, climbed, tagged, shot, gamed, and lounged... and came back exhausted. For those of you from Hesston, you'll remember how much our girls grew to love water. We've missed it a bit here. We went to the water park and the hotel pool both days, and logged nearly 9 hours of water time. I think we were literally water logged:)
How often do we get to Lincoln? Not often, so we stopped at Home Depot, the Mall, and Walmart on the way back. I spent about an hour of driving time feeling like it was too much energy to even talk. The girls didn't seem to have any problem with energy. However, they slept beautifully last night.
After arriving home on Tuesday evening, the drizzle continued and became slick roads and some snow coverage Wednesday morning. They are calling for 6-12 inches by Friday and some blizzard like conditions.

A little bit of snow

2009-12-09T10:51:00.003-06:00

We got a bunch of snow since Sunday afternoon. We've enjoyed playing in it, building tunnels, shoveling it, sledding on it, and snow boarding. Today the temperature is about 5, with wind chill below zero, so we are staying in so far. I went out this morning and took a couple pictures of the drifts from last nights wind.

The girls have been off school Tuesday and Wednesday. And they are getting at each other a bit. I think it's time for them to go back to school:)

How about some pics?

November happenings

2009-12-07T14:31:00.001-06:00

Nice weather, family visit, and imagination:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045482&id=1435934516&l=771f296805

Comfort Zone - Take a risk

2009-11-30T10:12:00.001-06:00

Step out. Try something different. Take a risk.

When God invites us to be a part of the work that God is doing, it usually involves a step of faith and taking a risk. But here is a thought that recently struck me with more force than I will be able to communicate. Is it really a risk to follow the movement of a God who is good? Is it more of a risk to lean on our limited understanding? As good as we intend to be, we will never match the pure goodness of our God.

Comfort Zone - Try something different

2009-11-30T10:11:00.000-06:00

Step out. Try something different. Take a risk.

With advent season our order of service has changed. I need intentional change at times to help me think more intentionally about God and I. This break in routine helps offset us to consider different ways that God may be working. Use this holiday time of year to seek God in fresh ways.

Comfort Zone - Step out

2009-11-30T10:00:00.003-06:00

Step out. Try something different. Take a risk.

On Sunday, I did something that was a challenge for me. I am a reader. I love to read and learn. Sermon preparation often involves reading and thinking. The transition from study to delivery can sometimes be short. The delivery can sound like reading. This week I didn't write a manuscript of the sermon. Instead, I wrote an outline. Then I delivered the message 90% away from the pulpit. It felt more intimate. I hope that the message was closer to home for people, and that they took it with them to perform.

Board

2009-11-17T17:48:00.004-06:00

Two examples of what may appear on my board in my office. Which one do you think was more painful to erase?

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

From the mouth of babes...

Fountain of Youth

2009-11-17T14:18:00.002-06:00

We had the youth of our church over Sunday night to get to know them better, have some input, and enjoy food and fellowship. (We missed a few of you) It was a really good time, at least we think so. I think I found the fountain of youth, and it was flowing through our basement. Spend some time with some younger people today. After an hour or so, you will feel young again:)

Pray that God will bless our youth, and their parents today.

November 15

2009-11-15T15:35:00.003-06:00

It is amazing that we are half way through November. We just moved here a couple weeks ago, at the end of July:) Well here are some pictures of what we have been up to in October. You will probably notice a theme.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043325&id=1435934516&l=a1f0b7e711

Good Hesston Weekend

2009-11-02T11:26:00.002-06:00

We spent the weekend in Hesston, KS. We attended the Hesston College Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series weekend. It was a good conference. The topic was Learning the Bible in Lifegiving ways. For those of you who have heard of Bib. Lit. at Hesston. It was Bib. Lit. in a weekend. Marion, Michele, and Ted did a great job of presenting the Inductive Bible Study Method, the whole Bible story from Genesis to Jesus, and Hermeneutics (How we approach/interpret the Bible) in a very short period of time. There was much to learn, and understand.

We also enjoyed seeing friends from Hesston Church and Hesston College and the Hesston Community; a place that we recently called home. The time went too fast, but was well worth the drive down. We look forward to seeing what next years topic is.

Good thing I put a stop to that

2009-10-23T13:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! I just went two full weeks without even thinking about updating this page. Am I out of my mind? Actually, I had a little out of body experience earlier this week. I had a sudden temperature and flu symptoms on Monday afternoon. I don't remember a whole lot till Tuesday afternoon. One thing I do remember though are some really weird (matrix-like) dreams. I'm going to call them hallucinations:)

A fever has been passed around our family a bit. I think we're all on the mend. I hope you all are staying well.

Huskers football

2009-10-08T22:58:00.003-05:00

Awesome! I think they are back in it.12:59 in the 4th second touchdown to go up 13-12 over Mizzou. It wasn't looking so good going into half time. With :02 left in the first half they were down 0-2. Then 2 seconds later they were down 0-8.

What is really exciting is that I am watching the game! I am (becoming) a Huskers fan. Unfortunately, most of the games are on espn instead of a local channel. We only get local channels. I was listening to the first half of the game streamed audio on the Huskers website. Then all the sudden I got a bright idea and discovered that I can watch the game streamed live on espn360.com. Just a moment... YEah!!!! Interception by the Huskers and they are at first and goal! WEEEEEEE! Shhhhhh.... I don't want to wake anybody up. They are all sleeping:)

Tomorrow night we get to cheer....Touchdown HUSKERS!!! with 10:34 left in the fourth they are up 20-12. Sorry, what was I saying. Oh yeah, we get to cheer on the Shickley Longhorns in football Friday night. Go big Green!

Snow soon?

2009-10-08T16:48:00.004-05:00

It looks like it may snow here soon. Here is our upcoming weather:

For those of you with more mature eyes or larger resolution screens, you may need to click on the image to see it larger.

It has been going well here. Days and weeks are busy. I have been here just over 2 months. Where does the time go? Still trying to figure everything and everybody out. God bless you till we meet again.

Museum Day

2009-09-25T09:40:00.002-05:00

http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html

Just so you know. Free admission across the USA.

Book list

2009-09-21T12:04:00.004-05:00

As you can see the list of books that I want to read is growing. One part of being a pastor is growing so that there is reserve to share. It is important:

to stretch myself through experiences.

to enrich myself through reading quality material.

to soak myself in hearing good sermons from godly preachers.

to humble myself in God's presence daily.

I am sure there are many more important things. These are the things that are currently pulling on me. May God pull you to himself and fill you.

Hard sermon

2009-09-21T11:53:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday's sermon preparation was probably the hardest one I've had yet. The sermon just wouldn't come together. I ended up with about twice the material than I needed. I let it sit for a day, and then after the Husker's tough last minute loss, I returned to it.

I hacked the sermon to pieces, and rearranged different sections and went to bed still feeling very unsure of it. As I slept the spirit continued to work. I woke up in the morning with the new end of the sermon spinning in my head.

Even 5 minutes prior to the sermon I still had misgivings about the sermon. Someone must have been praying. I missed a lot of things that I had prepared and added a couple things that came to me in the moment, and the sermon went okay. Praise God! There were a lot of heartfelt comments and learnings that people shared with me after the service.

The Spirit of God is still at work in the congregation... and in me. :)

To God be the glory, Amen.