Our Cubbie

David has graduated up to the Cubbies in Awana and he gets his own uniform and book. I have never seen a little boy so proud of this. He loves being a Cubbie if you can't tell.

Top ten list week 4

Wow it has been a busy week. So much I have wanted to put on the blog but no time. I wanted to put another top 10 list on. No winner last week so let's see if we can make an easy one. My top top 10 favorite national parks (those I have visited).



10. Assateague National Seashore - camping on the beach was so fun

9. Shenandoah National Park - so close to Roanoke and no here has ever been. Beautiful views and where I spotted my first bear.

8. Mt. Rainer National Park - my wife though it was a little too high up

7. Sequoia National Park - Really big trees

6. Smoky Mountains National Park - Nature and really old churches and graveyards

5. Glacier National Park - huge snow walls in June and crystal clear lakes

4. Badlands National Park - very unusual formations

3. Yosemite National Park - if you ever been no need to ask

2. Yellowstone National Park - the grandaddy with huge amounts of wildlife


1. Yes it is Grand Canyon National Park!

Rachel will have to wait a couple of years to claim her prize!

Sorry Becky but all prizes are non-transferrable. Read the fine print!

Top 10 list week 3

OK I am so confidant about this list that I am offering a $5 gift card to Starbucks! I am going to list my top 10 favorite professional athletes of all time. Keep in mind that I usually look for character, heart and teamwork to compliment ability when I cheer a particular athlete. Of course playing for a favorite team also helps.

10. Tom Waddle - never a big numbers guy, but this Bears receiver had heart and guts

9. Michael Jordan - Greatest NBA star but weak on the character side

8. Brian Urlacher - I love his intensity and sense of humor, but his choice of Paris slides him down this list

7. Scottie Pippen - Handled the term side kick so well and played great defense

6. Derrek Lee - just a class act who can hit and play first base as well as anyone

5. Mike Singletary - Samurai Mike is a strong believer

4. Mike Ditka - I know Da Coach is a caricature of himself but he is Da Coach and he was a great tight end. He played and coached with everything in him.

3. Andre Dawson - why the Hawk is not in the hall of fame is a mystery, but he was so talented and is such a great guy.

2. Ryne Sandberg - Ryno played the game with dignity and is my generation's Mr. Cub

1. Walter Payton - Sweetness was no bigger than me yet he retired the number one rusher of all time and he never dodged a tackle by runnign out of bounds. I cried when he died - ask my wife.

Honorable mention - Gale Sayers, Dan Hapmton, David Robinson, Reggie White, Tom Laandry, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Robin Ventura, Mark Beuhrle and Rick Sutlcliffe.

No winners this week -sorry

Williamsburg with the Moberlys

My sister Becky and her family came in for a week and we all took advantage of home school days at Colonial Williamsburg - cheap tickets!

Also they got to spend some one on one time with Brendan. For those of you who are not aware please be in prayer over Brendan's possible future in my sister's family. You can read some of what my sister wrote about it on her blog (link to the right). Anyway we all had a good time seeing the "city" and camping.

No way

Possible electoral map - could be disaster. Let's hope not!

Weekly top 10 contest - TV shows

This week's contest will be for $10 in Wendy's Bucks. I am counting down my favorite currently running televisions series. A few caveats. These are adult shows and not all are recommended for children (my kids don't watch some of these). Secondly I am not talking about news programs (The Factor) or sports (MNF). So guess away!


10. Destroyed in Seconds - who doesn't like to see things get blown up?

9. McBride - a show from the Hallmark channel? I could me a metro-sexual after all!

8. Flip that house - 2nd career anyone?

7. Law and Order of Criminal Intent - not as good since it moved over to USA, but looking forward to Jeff Godlbloom joining the cast.


6. Heroes - Hiro is my hero but Skyler creeps me out

5. Mythbusters -Adam and Jaimie make feel like it is cool to be a nerd!

4. The Closer - Kyra Sedgwick and company keep you riveted every show.

3. Monk - We all have a little OCD in us!

2. Chuck - once again nerds are cool and rule!

1. Psych - I love the Guster

Give it your best shot for a thick chocolate frosty! Had a reqeust for a hint - How about ebony and ivory. The winner is Ken and or Judy Davis

Hero Homecoming

One of the pioneers of modern children's ministry has went home to his reward. Harold Davis, who most recently was serving as a consultant, has been a Children's pastor long before most Churches new what one was. According to his website:

"Over the past two decades, Harold Davis has traveled the world training ministers, consulting churches, and ministering to children. He has equipped and motivated countless workers to better reach people with the Gospel. It is his passion. It all began in 1981 when Harold became the children's pastor in Sand Springs, at Oklahoma's Word of Life Fellowship. Since then he has had the opportunity to lead crusades and minister internationally to thousands of children and ministers. Harold also worked 2 years with Faith Christian Family Church in Eureka Springs, Arkansas where he worked with helps and children’s ministry. He served 7 years at Church on the Move as the Elementary children’s pastor and is currently consulting and coaching churches, and holding training conferences."

I am not sure if he invented the "fire Bible" or not, but the first time I saw this was maybe 15 years ago and he did it and I ordered it from his table. It was at a CPC. I still have this Bible and every time I use it - which isn't too often these days, I get a wow from the kids. Maybe I will use it next Sunday in honor of this great servant of Christ.

My first Top 10 list

This week I am introducing a new feature on the blog - a weekly top 10. As you may know I love lists. So I am always thinking of my own top 10 lists. Border-line mental case I know. But I am adding a twist. In a shameless effort to boost blog traffic I am going to give a prize to whoever can guess the number 1 on my list each week! The catch is you only have 48 hours to guess and then the contest closes. I will even mail the prize to you! Sometimes the prize will be new and sometimes mildly used (like a book or DVD)! You need to guess by leaving a message on the blog here. the first person to guess the correct answer this week will win a made 2 praise DVD by Uncle Charlie (brand new!)- perfect for home or at church with your kids or middle school students.

This week's list is the Top 10 most influential people in the American children's ministry movement (in My opinion)

10. Johnny Rogers Creative force behind and co-founder of KidMo curriculum

9. Willie George - the original Gospel Bill, his vision for a church that puts children's ministry first - Church on the Move - still influences the movement today

8.David Wakerley - The lead children's guy at Hillsong he is the not even an American and still made the list. Why - their children's worship DVDS!

7. Michael Chanley newcomer to the national scene he is the founder of cmconnect and CP at Southeast Christian Church

6.Christine Yount Jones - lone female on list - (sorry) she is the executive editor of widely-read Children's Ministry Magazine and website

5. Ryan Frank creator of both new K Magazine and kidzmatter website

4. Jim Wideman a true veteran of children's ministry the former CP at Church on the Move, has written many books and articles and also runs the Club with monthly podcasts for Children's pastors.

3. Karl Bastian the one person on here I know personally (I have met some of the others), he runs the premiere children's ministry website Kidology.

2. Mike Johnson - children's Pastor at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX where the best children's church curriculum is made - Elevate

1. Reggie Joiner - former family life pastor at Northpoint Church near Atlanta, and now the director of the reThink group and the Orange Conference, God has used Reggie as a catalyst in moving children's ministry to be more family ministry and helping fuse children's and youth ministry into more cohesive ministries across the country.

Honorable mention: Craig Jutila, Sue Miller, Roger Fields, Jana Alyara, Go Fish, Harold Davis, Phil Visher, Bruce Barry, Judy Comstock, Kurt Jarvis and Mike Nawrocki.

The winner is Ninja Pastor - whoever you are send me an e-mail with where to send the DVD and congrats!

Thanks for those who guessed me - yeah right!

Totally jazzed

Patsy and I are so excited about McCain's choice for VP. I had her tops on my hopeful list followed by Pawlenty, Romney, Huckabee and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She is a true social and fiscal conservative, she is young, intelligent, personable and a Washington outsider and she offers a chance for The GOP to offer an historical candidacy. She is the perfect balance toMcCain the sometimes crotchety war-hero. And yes she is a fallible human being who has an imperfect family which we can all relate too! We are ready to put our full support behind McCain-Palin.