I had the pleasure of attending a powerful retreat last weekend called One Year to Live.

One Year to Live was developed by Lutheran Men in Mission in partnership with Lyman Coleman, CEO and founder of Serendipity Publishing House. It is a lay led event that is designed to be “life changing”. Based on the impact I saw in those attending, it definitely lives up to that claim.

I was able to attend with my dad and brothers, which made the event even better. However, I recommend the retreat for any men reading this post or the men in your life. The retreat is expanding across the country, so there will be more opportunities to attend in the future.

Check it out!

I knew my posts were becoming more sporadic, but just realized it has been several weeks since my last post.

I could write down several excuses, but sometimes pictures just say more.

Until this mess is straight, my posts will likely be less consistent. However, I wanted you to know Learn As You Grow is still here and should have some interesting developments in the coming months.

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but it is too funny not to share anyway.

My co-worker’s son is five and wanted to say the Easter blessing. It went something like this:

“Dear God, please make this food healthy. I am awesome. Amen!”

I’m fairly sure he meant to say “You are awesome”, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as funny that way.

My co-worker is a bit concerned about his self-confidence problem.

Every few weeks, I have the opportunity to lead Children’s Church during our weekly services. I have written about this previously, but it essentially allows children to worship in interactive and entertaining ways.

During Children’s Church, we sing songs, watch weekly lessons, color, and read. The activities are not the same every time, but each allows children to connect with God in ways appropriate for their age group.

The last time I led Children’s Church, a few of the children were having a difficult time focusing on the activities. They were not actively participating in the songs, did not really pay attention during the video lesson, and were generally not engaged.

After the video, I suggested that we each grab a children’s Bible and read the lesson for the day. I was amazed at the change in focus and attitude. All of the children were instantly engaged, helping the younger children find the appropriate pages, and even fighting over who was next to read.

I was very pleased to see the children interested in reading. It is another strong example of the power of books and the importance of reading to children early and often!

At our Good Friday service this evening, my oldest daughter was part of a shadow drama depicting The Passion of Christ.

The kids (and choir) did a great job, but I was a bit surprised with the power of the imagery. It gave me new perspective into a story I have read and heard so many times.

Thank you Jesus!

When I travel, I typically carry a few copies of God Loves You So Much… with me. I hand them out in airports and other areas during my travels. It is especially fun to give a copy to a child struggling with the wait in the airport or having a hard time on the plane. It is nice to see the immediate impact of a book.

I will be spending some time in England this week. It is my first international trip since the books arrived, so it will be interesting to see how well it is received. I think the concepts are universal, but it should be fun.

Cheerio!

We finally got around to setting up a Facebook page for Learn As You Grow!

You can find us here.  We will be adding content in the coming weeks, but posted some initial photos and our first discussion.

It would be great to have photos of you and your children reading posted to the site. We would also love to hear your input on our first discussion.

I don’t have any children’s book news tonight, because there are much bigger priorities. I wanted to wish a big happy birthday to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I also hope each of you have a very Merry Christmas.

God bless!

My oldest daughter and I had the pleasure of attending The Nutcracker today.  I may be a bit biased, because one of my cousins was in the ballet, but it was a great performance. .

During the show, I was thinking about the gifts and talents God provides each of us. As we approach Christmas, there is one obvious gift that stands above all others. However, it is also important to focus on the other gifts as well.

The dancers used their gifts to express themselves during the performance today, but I often consider whether I am properly using God’s gifts to glorify Him. Understanding and following His path may be the greatest challenge we face.

Fortunately, we don’t have go it alone. It is reassuring to know we can always find help and guidance through prayer.

Merry Christmas!

For the past few years, our church has participated in the Advent Conspiracy…I almost called it a movement, but I’m not sure that is appropriate. It really seems to be part philosophy, part belief, part action, and all common sense.

If you are not familiar with Advent Conspiracy, I encourage you to check out their website. There are several promotional videos that explain Advent Conspiracy along with information on how you can get involved.

• Worship Fully
• Spend Less
• Give More
• Love All

Amen