Deep Thoughts by Mr. G

This book has come in handy for me over the years. I had a church leader recommend to me that I get a copy for my own records of Churches, Funerals, baptisms, and weddings I've done. It also can be used for sermons, messages etc. More detail than I need though. If there was a digital version - I'd like that as well. I recommend any Church Leader to have one - including youth ministers.

I love Hockey in the Summer. The Awards, the Draft, the Free Agency, and of course some of the Greats - retiring. It also lets you look forward to a great season. Of course there is all the rumours and speculation. Let Jagr coming back. where will Emery play? And of course Yashin possibly coming back (I hate that guy) Such a great time .... Hopefully Bettman doesn't mess it up. I hope he is getting prepared for the next CBA and takes some lessons from the NFL, and NBA to avoid another lockout and not be like them. Ah, hockey ... let the pre-season be here soon.

Congrats to Cathy and Earl. Cathy is sister to my favourite mother-in-law. Cathy and Earl are great examples of what a great Christian marriage looks like. They've been through the UPs and DOWNs. They have a great family - and I had to chance to volunteer and marry into this great family. Two things I appreciate about Cathy and Earl (Dubbie) is how they ask me about the ministry and how the family is doing? (They're very active with their sons in a sister church in the Richmond, Va area - Fairmount Christian) The second is how they accept me No matter the silly things I do. Trust me. When I first met them. I did something similar to this video. Walked right into a glass door without seeing it. What do you look for in a great marriage? Who is your example of a great Christian marriage? May Earl and Cathy get to celebrate 50 more or until the Lord calls them home.

We love to have letters. Even with technology - email, texts, and so forth ...ole school cards and letters are meaningful. We've had some of our elderly saints (who are on a fixed income) ask us if we can put up the Alphabetical mailbox which we use to exchange Christmas cards to have out permanently. Why? Sending cards gets expensive. (You figure postage, time and the cards and several dollars per card). We have several saints which are faithful to send birthday, anniversary, get well wishes, Thank you notes etc. So we have made it easy ... We put our Alphabetical box. (Office mailboxe sorter found at any Office Depot, Staples etc) Sample one found here It makes exchanging of cards easier and a ministry that is often forgotten about: Exhorting and encouragement. Do you have the Spiritual gift of encouragement?

So my children went to a Civil War Reenactment recently. My kids asked: "So who are the bad guys, and who are the good guys?" The answer wasn't easy. (Unless you're from either way and think you are the one - some are still fighting the war) My response - "there wasn't any bad or good guys. It was just bad. Brother against brother .... friend against friend. It was just not a good time in our History." Of course some family had their little one (Young than my son) yelling "Kill them darn yankees" (And he didn't use the word darn either) I cringed at this - and we ended up moving. Living near Antietam and Gettysburg brings some things into perspective. May the lessons of the past be ones we learn from. It seems to me though that lately we're in a civil war of not like long ago but in politics - Republican and Democrat and each claiming to be right. SAD thing is that those in the trenches and doing the real work lose out. wha

I've been condensing and doing a daily edition paper Found Here > Through http://paper.li which connects my twitter account, followers, and several other sources for stories, illustrations and information. It can be published daily, weekly etc. In our fast paced, every changing world - I have chosen to do some daily editions to keep it interesting. The paper also can be seen in my twitter account or facebook status. (Not quite G+ ready though - bummer) So if you get a chance subscribe. Thanks. It gives stories from a variety of sources (Not all are from Christians - so we been warned ...Wil Wheaton for example is great (Wesley Crusher of STNG fame) though not very G material at times.

Episode found here It was November 9, 2007 that Kyle Fleischmann went missing. It would be only days later that some of his friends from Raleigh wanted a "pastor" to pray and hold a prayer vigil for their friend at the Buckhead Saloon at the same time they held one in Charlotte. They had called several churches in the area - with no response. Finally they called Cary. I responded and said that would be fine. It wasn't very long. One news crew, a handful of friends, and myself and some candles and we prayer ... and prayed ... and prayed. Finally it was time to depart. One of the leaders talked with the news crew and I was on my way to our Teen Service (Called Access). I thought that they would either find him soon or find his body within days. Now it is years later and people are still wondering what happened? Every now and then I watch America's Most Wanted - goto the Fleischmann facebook page in hopes of closure for the family. If you would this day - pray for t

HT to my friend, Lonny S.

People Snag Deals at Hagerstown Borders

You would think some things have happy endings. My friends, Tina and David ... (who I've met a few times) adopted a baby boy. ( Story Video promo ... It has been a few years now ... and this past month ... David Allen King 38 went to be with the Lord. Video done in David's memory David was a good man. Loved his family. I appreciated his honesty. Wish I could of gotten to known him more. keep the family in your prayers.

This past Sunday one of my friends, Sam and I went to visit an elderly lady. What we didn't expect was to translate for her some techno terms and in her own culture and language. She asked things like: What is twitter? I responded ... its like a short written doctor's note on the computer. How about facebook? It is fancy scrap booking online. What about a mp3 player? Remember 8 tracks or LPs ...just smaller. An I-pad? A touch screen fancy TV set type. Flashdrive? Small gadget for your information. Amazing how we relate or get so used to certain terms and things like "Social media" and have to explain them to people who might not even have or know what a computer is. What was the last piece of technology you had to describe to someone?

So I went to a Hagerstown Suns game this past weekend. Got General Admission tickets .... and took two of my children. Doubleheader (Due to the rain the night before) - Great Game. Suns won both. Got some FREE bobbleheads, and caught some foul balls. (Got 3 in all ...one I caught - one was given to my daughter, and one given to us from the field). My kids were getting their hats and balls autographed. My Daughter got to parade on the field for Girl Scouts and even got to go on the field to sing "Take me out to the Ball Game ..." and lead the crowd. Now one of the players told my son ... "Wait until after the game when you have a pen and I'll give you my autograph .."(I was like ..sure right ... you're just blowing this off) - so after the game ...this player just walks on by my son. My son is disappointed (He cries after some other player told him ...that player might not come back). So I tell this tale to some others and immediately one of the coaches or

This week (Friday) I celebrate 40yrs. Here are 4 things (As I look back on my 40yrs) that I'm proud of: I. Being a Husband. I love my family and am trying to be the best husband I can be. Of course it helps when you marry up. II. Being a DAD = I love my kids and would do anything for them. III. Thankful for the opportunity to be an Ordained minister and to serve the Church. Nothing is ever better. I've had the opportunity to work with some of the best people ever. Thanks for the amazing Grace that I've been given through Jesus. IV. Thankful for some amazing friends and family. So what are you thankful and proud of?

Lately I've had to adjust my schedule and way of thinking. So here are three things you can do to improve. I. Get Up Earlier. It helps you think, get into a schedule and be on the move. The last few weeks I've adjusted my schedule to get to the office earlier and sure seems like I've been getting a lot more done in lesser time. II. Pray more. I've definitely been praying more. Need to do that thing called "Facebook" less .... Pray for my FB friends. I usually think about a few of them and pray for them specifically. III. Write. Read. Listen more. I've been writing more things .... reading more articles, and listening to some really good audio messages. Very inspiring. What 3 things are you doing to improve?

Hope "The Highways Kitten" (as she was nicknamed) was found June 14 near the side of a road of a farm new Route 66. She was seen by Kris Gillaspy and rescued by her son, Josiah (9). In the temporary time she was at the Gillaspy home - she survived 2 territorial cats, 5 kids, a stalking golden retriever, chickens, oblivious goats and a heavy footed man who dismissed her poor orphaned self. She was adopted by our family on June 28, 2011 ... eagerly awaited by my three children. Currently she (according to the vet) is 8 weeks old

Here's an idea you can use ... with CDs being ole school ... this year we decided for VBS to give out these flashdrives with the Church's name on it and on the drive would have the VBS songs that the children sang from this past week. (Which BTW is FREE and reproducible - thus no copyrights were broken) How cool is that? So kids can listen on their mp3 players, ipods, touch phones all the VBS songs about Jesus ...how cool is that? Did your church give something of value to the children that came to your VBS? We try to give something that is tangible, useful and meanful for children to come ... and what's better than singing about Jesus?

There I said it. People keep asking what's your church's vision? Where will you be in 5 years? Even in a newsletter I got this week says "The Bible tells us where there is no vision the people cast off restraint, they perish. Vision is crucial to the life and quality of your church or organization." Its a myth. A lie. All the planning and purpose driven mission statements and having direction in your church won't give you Vision. Not at least in the way they defined it as . Vision as being that of having some sort of plan or purpose for the future. Vision isn't all it is cracked up to. We use some old King James version verse to support our theological thinking of we need a "Business" vision. As if we can build the "Church" on our own. And that it is as easy as 4 steps. It isn't. Proverbs 29:18 is more easily translated "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." Se