Ok, I have been way too serious in my blogs so far, so I found some things to think about!
1) If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
2) Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
3) Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
4) Have you ever noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
5) Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
6) If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
7) How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
8) There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
On that note, stay quick!!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Turkey Dinner
Today was a good day. My incredible wife made a turkey dinner for tonight. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite meals, and Kim usually allows me to enjoy this meal more than one time at Thanksgiving. This dinner serves as another reminder that I have been blessed with an incredible wife who I thank God for bringing into my life.
I have always enjoyed Kim's gifts and skills in the kitchen, She has the gift to look at a recipe and decide whether it has the potential to taste good. Many of these concoctions are also healthy. In today's world of instant gratification, she is willing to put hours into preparing a meal like tonight's meal because she cares so much for our family and for giving us time to eat together around the table. And it's not just the cooking. Much time goes into the planning for consistently putting prepared meals on the table. To give some of you that are ignorant to the kitchen a better appreciation, take this turkey dinner as an example. First, Kim had to plan what day she would have this meal because the turkey needs to thaw for DAYS before it can be placed within the oven. (Placing a frozen turkey in an oven will guarantee you a quick trip to Little Caesar's for a $5 pizza.) Then, Kim has to coordinate the other courses so that the potatoes, stuffing and turkey would all finish cooking at approximately the same time. When I was single, Stouffer's, Hamburger Helper and Marie Callendar were gourmet to me. I am definitely spoiled!
A couple reminders have arisen lately to not again not take my beautiful cook for granted. The first came in watching Kim grade a project she gave to her Foods classes over Christmas break. The students were to prepare a five-course meal for friends or family where they prepared three of the five courses. She asked the students to have photos taken and to have feedback given from the guests about the food and the experience. Judging from the feedback, I think many students gained a greater appreciation for everything that goes into putting a meal like this together. Some students really took to the project and put together some impressive creations. In fact, Kim took one of these main dishes (Italian dish with penne, spaghetti sauce, sausage, cream cheese and cheese) and served it to our family last night. Very delicious!
The other reminder came in a conversation of one of the things I love about Young Life camps. When meals are served at the camps, they are served family style with the campers sitting around round tables with their Young Life leaders. The leaders intentionally incorporate conversation into the mealtime. Many campers are coming from homes where they have never had this experience that I took so for granted when I was growing up.
Far too many people undervalue the social impact that comes with eating. We were made to break bread together. When I think about times in my life where I felt alone in this world, many of those times occurred when I was eating by myself. When I was single, I rarely sat at a table to eat, and having the television turned on was a definite must to shut out the quiet. And you would never catch me at a "sit-down" restaurant by myself.
Kim and I value this time to sit together at the dinner table, and Kim makes it possible so many times each week. Thank you, beautiful, for all the work that you do to help our family grow closer together!
I have always enjoyed Kim's gifts and skills in the kitchen, She has the gift to look at a recipe and decide whether it has the potential to taste good. Many of these concoctions are also healthy. In today's world of instant gratification, she is willing to put hours into preparing a meal like tonight's meal because she cares so much for our family and for giving us time to eat together around the table. And it's not just the cooking. Much time goes into the planning for consistently putting prepared meals on the table. To give some of you that are ignorant to the kitchen a better appreciation, take this turkey dinner as an example. First, Kim had to plan what day she would have this meal because the turkey needs to thaw for DAYS before it can be placed within the oven. (Placing a frozen turkey in an oven will guarantee you a quick trip to Little Caesar's for a $5 pizza.) Then, Kim has to coordinate the other courses so that the potatoes, stuffing and turkey would all finish cooking at approximately the same time. When I was single, Stouffer's, Hamburger Helper and Marie Callendar were gourmet to me. I am definitely spoiled!
A couple reminders have arisen lately to not again not take my beautiful cook for granted. The first came in watching Kim grade a project she gave to her Foods classes over Christmas break. The students were to prepare a five-course meal for friends or family where they prepared three of the five courses. She asked the students to have photos taken and to have feedback given from the guests about the food and the experience. Judging from the feedback, I think many students gained a greater appreciation for everything that goes into putting a meal like this together. Some students really took to the project and put together some impressive creations. In fact, Kim took one of these main dishes (Italian dish with penne, spaghetti sauce, sausage, cream cheese and cheese) and served it to our family last night. Very delicious!
The other reminder came in a conversation of one of the things I love about Young Life camps. When meals are served at the camps, they are served family style with the campers sitting around round tables with their Young Life leaders. The leaders intentionally incorporate conversation into the mealtime. Many campers are coming from homes where they have never had this experience that I took so for granted when I was growing up.
Far too many people undervalue the social impact that comes with eating. We were made to break bread together. When I think about times in my life where I felt alone in this world, many of those times occurred when I was eating by myself. When I was single, I rarely sat at a table to eat, and having the television turned on was a definite must to shut out the quiet. And you would never catch me at a "sit-down" restaurant by myself.
Kim and I value this time to sit together at the dinner table, and Kim makes it possible so many times each week. Thank you, beautiful, for all the work that you do to help our family grow closer together!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, It's Off To Work I Go...
Wow, life has been crazy with busyness for our household since the end of Christmas break. As previously stated, I am a teacher, and I will be the first to say that the perks are aplenty that come with being a teacher. (And no, the number one perk is not summer vacations. I teach driver's education during the summer which I will have to blog about at another time and day.) But one of the negatives that come with this profession is that you rarely get everything exactly the way you want it during the school day. As a result, my wife Kim (who is also a teacher) bring our work home with us.
In coming back from the holidays, the tidal wave called final assessments and grades stare us in the face. Often, my name becomes Grumpy Jim during this time of year. (I wonder what dwarf would best describe my wife during this time?) Thankfully, the end is in sight.
The sermon our pastor preached this past Sunday has come to mind at different times this week. He has been teaching a series called "Where is God when...", and this sermon was titled "Where is God When You Don't Know What to Do Next?. Pastor Dave shared that he experiences stresses at different times, but he can especially stress at night.
Sometimes, he wakes up with stress of the illogical:
Are all the doors locked?
I forgot to brush the dog's teeth!
My spleen is growing and it will explode!
Sometimes, he wakes with an overactive conscience:
Did I tell the truth today?
I sure wasn't kind to ______ today.
Sometimes, he stresses over the finances:
I'm not saving enough for retirement. Why didn't I start investing when I was 15!
I'm in a financial pit, and I don't know how to get out.
Too often, thoughts of our relationship with our family and friends consume us:
My kids are monsters.
Does my wife/girlfriend still love me?
Does anybody love me?
Pastor Dave then shared Psalm 143:8-10 with us to hear what God is trying to say to us in the midst of our worrying.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show
me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for
I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
We need to give our stresses away and seek protection from the forces of fear that Satan
hurls us regularly. We need to have purpose within our life seeking to align our will with
God's will. We finally need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than relying upon
our own strength.
Most of the time, I am a pretty cool and collected individual. I do not rattle to quickly. This time of year, I sometimes feel I do not know which end is up, and I am not sure if I will ever figure it out. The saddest thing is that usually I fail to go to my Savior in prayer and in his Word in the midst of this busyness. I want to thank Pastor Dave for helping to give me the proper grounding this week reminding where my true hope can be found.
I hope to be sharing more with you soon! Sweet dreams tonight!
In coming back from the holidays, the tidal wave called final assessments and grades stare us in the face. Often, my name becomes Grumpy Jim during this time of year. (I wonder what dwarf would best describe my wife during this time?) Thankfully, the end is in sight.
The sermon our pastor preached this past Sunday has come to mind at different times this week. He has been teaching a series called "Where is God when...", and this sermon was titled "Where is God When You Don't Know What to Do Next?. Pastor Dave shared that he experiences stresses at different times, but he can especially stress at night.
Sometimes, he wakes up with stress of the illogical:
Are all the doors locked?
I forgot to brush the dog's teeth!
My spleen is growing and it will explode!
Sometimes, he wakes with an overactive conscience:
Did I tell the truth today?
I sure wasn't kind to ______ today.
Sometimes, he stresses over the finances:
I'm not saving enough for retirement. Why didn't I start investing when I was 15!
I'm in a financial pit, and I don't know how to get out.
Too often, thoughts of our relationship with our family and friends consume us:
My kids are monsters.
Does my wife/girlfriend still love me?
Does anybody love me?
Pastor Dave then shared Psalm 143:8-10 with us to hear what God is trying to say to us in the midst of our worrying.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show
me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for
I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
We need to give our stresses away and seek protection from the forces of fear that Satan
hurls us regularly. We need to have purpose within our life seeking to align our will with
God's will. We finally need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than relying upon
our own strength.
Most of the time, I am a pretty cool and collected individual. I do not rattle to quickly. This time of year, I sometimes feel I do not know which end is up, and I am not sure if I will ever figure it out. The saddest thing is that usually I fail to go to my Savior in prayer and in his Word in the midst of this busyness. I want to thank Pastor Dave for helping to give me the proper grounding this week reminding where my true hope can be found.
I hope to be sharing more with you soon! Sweet dreams tonight!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Leadership
I have not had time to blog the last couple days because I have been taking a graduate course though Grand Valley State University called Educational Leadership. I took the course simply because I need 6 credit hours every 5 years to renew my teacher certification, but I have found the class has been good for me.
First of all, I have never had a desire to be an administrator. I see the grief that they constantly deal with, and the lack of appreciation that they are given or recognized for. However, the class has definitely made me think that good leaders are needed in education and in all life. But what are some of the qualities that are necessary to be an effective leader?
To answer this, I look in to directions. I first look at my boss. His name is Jack, and he is the principal at the high school where I teach. While he can tick me off from time to time, I really do respect and appreciate him as the leader of our school. Someone once told me that leaders often are visionaries or they are great operators. Jack has both qualities. He has the guts to head up a $29 million dollar project to build a new high school. Concurrently, he knows so many (all?) of the students by name and what interests and motivates them. He pours a lot of himself into his job, and I can almost guarantee that the pats on the back are not nearly enough. In fact, I believe he often shields us from a lot of the crap and politics that come into his office.
So I thought I would ask you what qualities you desire or you see in an effective leader? I would love to hear from you.
Hope you are having a great weekend. I am off to do some grading and get some finals ready.
First of all, I have never had a desire to be an administrator. I see the grief that they constantly deal with, and the lack of appreciation that they are given or recognized for. However, the class has definitely made me think that good leaders are needed in education and in all life. But what are some of the qualities that are necessary to be an effective leader?
To answer this, I look in to directions. I first look at my boss. His name is Jack, and he is the principal at the high school where I teach. While he can tick me off from time to time, I really do respect and appreciate him as the leader of our school. Someone once told me that leaders often are visionaries or they are great operators. Jack has both qualities. He has the guts to head up a $29 million dollar project to build a new high school. Concurrently, he knows so many (all?) of the students by name and what interests and motivates them. He pours a lot of himself into his job, and I can almost guarantee that the pats on the back are not nearly enough. In fact, I believe he often shields us from a lot of the crap and politics that come into his office.
So I thought I would ask you what qualities you desire or you see in an effective leader? I would love to hear from you.
Hope you are having a great weekend. I am off to do some grading and get some finals ready.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
STRESS!!!!!!
I am trying to keep true to my goal and get an entry in before the midnight bell hits. The topic of the day for me has been stress. Tomorrow, I enter back into the work world looking to be hit by the tidal wave called reality. I am sure many of you experience this when you return to work. While you were gone, nobody finished up all the projects you left behind. In fact, the "to-do" list has probably grown exponentially! As I think about all I have to do to wrap up the semester, I am tempted to worry about how I will have enough time to get everything done.
I wish I were quicker to turn my concerns over to God. Too often I choose to take the load upon my shoulders so I can decide what path(s) to take. Usually, the end result of this decision is "grumpy Jim" as my wife would put it. I need to memorize or at least read again Mattthew 6 where Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." I am not being promised that my needs will disappear. I am simply being told to put my concerns in perspective. I have "needed" to be told that many times in my life. How about you?
I wish I were quicker to turn my concerns over to God. Too often I choose to take the load upon my shoulders so I can decide what path(s) to take. Usually, the end result of this decision is "grumpy Jim" as my wife would put it. I need to memorize or at least read again Mattthew 6 where Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." I am not being promised that my needs will disappear. I am simply being told to put my concerns in perspective. I have "needed" to be told that many times in my life. How about you?
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
I exist and I organize.
Hello , everybody (maybe nobody?)! I am officially posting my first blog. First off, let me share with you that I can't believe I am actually doing this. My wife Kim loves to read other blogs and she blogs herself. Me? I never check out any blog unless my wife posts or unless she points out a blog to me. But I do want to work on my writing skills, and Kim suggested that blogging would be a great way to work on them. So anybody that reads this, please comment not only on what I say, but also on if I communicate my thoughts clearly and completely.
I decided to start this up on January 1 with the lofty goal of putting in daily entries. I know, I know, many of you are probably snickering right now. We will see how I do in keeping up with this goal.
So how did I celebrate my first day of 2008? I spent the day performing one of my wife's favorite passions: organizing. Once in a great decade, I catch this disease often because I cannot find something I want to find. It strikes me with irony how we in this country have this "problem" of having so much stuff that needs to be organized. I have tried to remember to thank God for blessing us with so many material possessions. Kim and I enjoy watching HGTV many evenings (that's Home and Garden Television Network for all of you people not in the know) and many designers and realtors stress that clutter is the #1 thing that people notice when they enter a house. Before I was married, I was a pack rat and had plenty of clutter. Now, I have mostly caught Kim's desire to have our earthly possessions in their place. Having the house picked up helps to make our house feel warm and comfortable to me. It is a constant battle, and having a five-year old and a three-year old make the battle more interesting. But even they have somewhat bought into some of these habits.
At the same time, Kim and I do not want to put this passion over time that we spend together. Warm and comfortable does not mean sterile. We have realized that we do live here and it is alright if we have not attended to every speck of dust in the house. Today, our family did take time to watch the University of Michigan Wolverines beat the Florida Gators in the Capitol One Bowl. Our friend Paul invited us to watch the great victory with a bunch of friends. The balance of the day made it a great day. I do love hanging out with my family.
Well, I did it! I posted my first blog. Hope you enjoyed it, and I will talk to you later.
I decided to start this up on January 1 with the lofty goal of putting in daily entries. I know, I know, many of you are probably snickering right now. We will see how I do in keeping up with this goal.
So how did I celebrate my first day of 2008? I spent the day performing one of my wife's favorite passions: organizing. Once in a great decade, I catch this disease often because I cannot find something I want to find. It strikes me with irony how we in this country have this "problem" of having so much stuff that needs to be organized. I have tried to remember to thank God for blessing us with so many material possessions. Kim and I enjoy watching HGTV many evenings (that's Home and Garden Television Network for all of you people not in the know) and many designers and realtors stress that clutter is the #1 thing that people notice when they enter a house. Before I was married, I was a pack rat and had plenty of clutter. Now, I have mostly caught Kim's desire to have our earthly possessions in their place. Having the house picked up helps to make our house feel warm and comfortable to me. It is a constant battle, and having a five-year old and a three-year old make the battle more interesting. But even they have somewhat bought into some of these habits.
At the same time, Kim and I do not want to put this passion over time that we spend together. Warm and comfortable does not mean sterile. We have realized that we do live here and it is alright if we have not attended to every speck of dust in the house. Today, our family did take time to watch the University of Michigan Wolverines beat the Florida Gators in the Capitol One Bowl. Our friend Paul invited us to watch the great victory with a bunch of friends. The balance of the day made it a great day. I do love hanging out with my family.
Well, I did it! I posted my first blog. Hope you enjoyed it, and I will talk to you later.
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