Happy Halloween!

Last year I posted this exact post. I believe in this post so much that I think it is worth your read again and my posting it again. You know, just it case you missed it last year, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


Yes, I said HAPPY Halloween! Why is it so wrong for a pastor to see today as a good thing and not something horrible? I don't understand it. Tell me what other day of the year that you have all the kids in your neighborhood stop by your house. Tell me another day of the year, besides Christmas, that exhibits the concept of it's better to give than to receive better. Halloween is not a horrible thing. Will bad things happen tonight because of stupid people? You better believe it, but it did yesterday to and you didn't get any candy.

Please don't look at Halloween as a boycott event. See it as an opportunity to dress your little girl up as an angel and tell her that someday she will be one. See it as an opportunity for your little boy to be a kid and not worry about being made fun of for dressing up. See it as an opportunity to build community with your neighbors who don't have a clue that Jesus loves them. See this is an opportunity to be the talk of the town by giving out the best candy. See this as an opportunity...

Tonight I will celebrate Halloween. I will pull the fire pit in the front of my house and start a fire. I will set up the outdoor furniture in the front yard. I will give candy to all the kids and see their smiling faces. I will be as accessible as I can. I am not going to hide. I won't pass out any tracks about hell. I will talk about Jesus if I have the chance but if I don't talk about him, I think that's OK. I am not going to worship Satan, but tonight will remind me that I am like every person that comes to my door and I too need grace and mercy. You see, Halloween is just like all other cultural events that aren't inherently Christian. You can leverage it to build relationships for the future or you can boycott it and lose the opportunity.
Leverage the opportunity...

Tech Thursday: Google Earth on iPhone

As I type this I can't say that I feel the best in the world. I have been on the couch for the past 2 days. Besides watching to much ESPN SportsCenter I have downloaded all kinds of new Apps for my iPhone to get my mind off of things.

Which App has been my favorite? Well I would have to say that the most impressive one is the Google Earth App. I love that I can explore the Earth without ever leaving my living room. I can see mountains as if they were right in front of me. I can go back and look at countries that I have been to and remember incredible things that happen there. I can even find new places that I really want to go to and check them out. The functionality of Google Earth on the iPhone is incredible. Google has done a very impressive job using all of the functions of the device. For some reason I find this very fascinating.

Here is a good video put out by Google explaining the App. It is just another reason to go out and buy an iPhone.

Sign Wednesday: Stealing Campaign Signs

Every election that I can remember has their fair share of sign stealing or swapping. This presidential election is by no means the exception to the rule. You can find both stories of people stealing Obama signs as well as McCain signs. I heard the story below and it made me at least appreciate someone trying to protect their signs. Thank you Fox News for the story:

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Shawn Turschak of Chapel Hill was tired of someone stealing McCain-Palin campaign signs from his yard. Turschak, with a degree in electrical engineering, hooked up a third sign to a power source for an electric pet fence Monday and also put up a surveillance camera. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that a 9-year-old boy with an Obama-Biden sign grabbed the McCain-Palin sign and got a jolt on Tuesday. The boy's father, Andrew Noble, upset that his son had been shocked, showed up at Turschak's door. Soon an Orange County sheriff's deputy also showed up at the Turschak's home. Noble said his son just wanted to see how the sign was put together. Turschak said the boy intended to swap out the signs. Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass said he doesn't plan to file charges.


Then I ran across this sign as well.



What I think is the funniest thing about this sign is that they truly put God and Your Mom on the same level. For God will get his justice and Your Mom wouldn't be proud of you. I seriously laughed out loud when I read this.

So to all you campaign sign stealers out there, "STOP IT!" You don't know when you might get shocked or the wrath of God will come down upon you.

Tech Thursday: The SMART Table

Thank you Engadget for the heads up and the video concerning the SMART Table. The following video is a classroom of kids in Chicago, IL. They are the first to play with the SMART Table. What is the SMART TABLE? It is the Microsoft Surface computer that has been modified for kids. A couple of weeks ago I told you that I was bored with technology because of the lack of innovation. This is a product and advancement that gets me excited. There is huge potential here for learning and small group interaction. Kids can learn through play and activity all at the same time. This will be huge.

Here is the video snippets from Engadget:

Sign Wednesday: Neighbor's Halloween

We have lived in our current house for 3 years in Loveland, OH. It is in an older neighborhood that is turning from older couples to younger couples with kids. It is a nice neighborhood that is reasonably priced. Why do I tell you all this? It is quite simple, really. I didn't expect the over-the-top celebration of Halloween. What do I mean? Check out this one yard:







It is nice to know that we have another sign geek in the neighborhood. It is unfortunate that all of them are handwritten though. The use of stencils would have been a much better choice.

Ministry Monday: Return on Investment

Have you ever thought about your ministry having a Return on Investment or ROI before? If you haven't then I would encourage you to at least think about it. If you have then how do you measure the return? How do you measure the investment?

In advertising the ROI can be figured out. You can hire consulting firms or Nielsen or a host of people to figure out how much you are spending on advertising and how much of that advertising is gaining you customers and ultimately money. They can even tell you which customers are spending the most money and which ad is the most helpful to get those customers. This is of course very important in times like this where the economy is not the best and people are reluctant to spend their money. So you want to make sure that your investment of advertising is going to work.

What does this have to do with ministry? If we were to hire an outside company to come in and measure your return on the ministry that you are doing/providing/equipping/modeling/(whatever you call it) then what would they find? Now most of this will depend on what church you are in but most the returns can be measured. This is not suppose to be or intended to be a numbers game. I am not trying to say that the biggest church in town wins because they have more people. The biggest church in town maybe spending lots and lots of money and seeing very little return compared to the church down the street who grew by 50%. Growth in numbers is important but it can't be the only return can it?

Some churches measure how many baptisms they have in a given year as the return. Others measure how many volunteers they have increased over a time frame. Still some strictly base it on the weekend attendance compared to last year.

Then you have the task of trying to measure the growth of someone's spirituality and this is where it gets hard. Just because it is hard though doesn't mean that you don't try and measure it. To many times we as church staff try and explain this away because it is hard or we don't even look at it because it can be confusing. I believe we fall short here.

I believe that you have to able to qualify and quantify what you are doing as a ministry. I believe that you have to be able to have some sort of ROI. In your ministry what are you measuring? How do you know when you are doing well? What does a win look like?

Tech Thursday: Dinosaur Obsession

So what is up with the new Dinosaur obsession and kid's toys? Have you noticed all of the different dinosaurs that have come out over the last year or so for kids? Seriously.

Now don't get me wrong, I think some of these are really cool. I am even impressed with the technology that is packed in to the dinosaurs. I know that if I was a kid I would want more than one of these on the following list.

1. Pleo by Ugobe. Pleo is not simply a robot and probably started this whole obsession that started. Here is a nice pic and video of it in action:






Pleo cost $350. It is very interactive and not remote controlled. This guy is pretty amazing.

2. Kota My Triceratops Dinosaur by Playskool. Kato is a ride on dino that doesn't walk but will wag his tale, open his mouth, and move his head. Here is a good pic and the commercial for this toy that is for ages 3+.





I can see both of my boys loving this toy. I don't see it fitting in my house or me buying it because it cost $299 but it adds to the dino obsession that will happen this Christmas.

3. D-Rex interactive Dinosaur by Mattel. D-Rex is a Pleo wannabe and is your typical attempt to copy an original. It officially comes out on October 20th, 2008 and I suspect it will do very well this Christmas. It may even be the hottest toy this Christmas. Here is a pic and a video as well:






D-Rex is going to cost $149 which is a lot cheaper than Pleo but doesn't look as sophisticated. We will have to wait and see, though.

4. Spike the Ultra Dinosaur by Imaginext. Spike is different than the rest because he is a wireless remote control dinosaur. There is not the sort of pet feature to Spike but both of my boys love the display at local toy stores. Here is a pic and the commercial for him as well:





Spike started out at $149 but you can now find him for $129. I expect he will drop in price again before Christmas because D-Rex but we will see.

There you have just some of the biggest in the Dinosaur Obsession that will be this Christmas. I have a feeling that my family will be getting at least one dinosaur but I still don't know if it will be any of these. It might be the $25 remote control one we saw yesterday that isn't as cool as any of these, but if I had my choice it would be Pleo. With the ability to upgrade its software through an SD slot and its over all sophistication it wins in my book. I just wish it wasn't $350.

2 Minute Tuesday: Chuck E. Cheese

Who can resist the place of all places where a kid can be a kid? I hope you enjoy the wackiness of my boys.

Ministry Monday: Paintball

There are many activities that I consider ministry opportunities that most people do not. For example I believe that Fantasy Football is an incredible outreach to guys in and outside your church and can be an effective tool for ministry. Another one of these strange activities that I believe can be great for both youth and men is paintball. In fact this coming Saturday, October 18th, we are having a paintball event on our new church property. Our property is 154 acres and use to be a golf course. It has a river as one of its borders and some nice rolling terrain. Needless to say but we have found some great places to play paintball on it.

Now I know that most of you when you think of ministry you don't think of this:



But in fact, it turns out that people, not just guys, love to grab a paintball gun, hide in the woods, and shoot each other. There is just something about the adrenaline that is incredible. There is something about coming together as a team and trying to defeat the other team. There are also many lessons that can be taught from paintball during breaks.

The worst things that happen are you walk away with a bruised ego and arm or leg. The best thing that comes away from it all is that people build community in a whole new way. If you get people to experience life together in a new way and help them build relationships then they will thank you over and over.

So watch out this Saturday. I will be in all camouflage waiting for you to cross my path so that I can light you up. You have been warned.

Tech Thursday: I'm bored

I haven't written about technology in over 2 months. Even then the post was about how to enter into the Technology conversation using all of the tech toys and apps that are out but that wasn't that exciting. Here is the problem. There has been nothing since then that has really peaked my interest. Nothing has gotten me stirred up to the point of excitement. As the picture above states, I have been looking for true innovation.

What has happened over the last 2 months:

1. The G1 or Google Phone was announced by T-Mobile, but I really don't think it is going to take over the iPhone anytime soon. Boring!

2. Electric cars were announced by Chrysler. This isn't new, the capabilities have been there for over 25 years.

3. I had to pay for Jott.com to use it like I normally do. Willing because I love it but come on.

4. Our church started using Planning Center Online. Good but boring.

5. I now have downloaded over 50 apps on my iPhone. None have changed my life. Many are fun and amusing but not that exciting. Boring!

I really think those are the highlights for me over the last 2 months. Look, I know that the economy is in a wasteland and the markets all over the world are looking like lead balloons but if we don't start innovating then nothing is going to change. Innovation is the key. So please tech world, do something absolutely amazing for all of us. We could use it right about now.

Sign Wednesday: Lost in Translation

Some signs just don't translate. Take this one for example.




I don't know about you but this sign makes me feel like I am in Junior High all over again.

(hat tip to Sam Luce for the sign)

The Best of. . . , Dallas Cowboys, and Gold Shoes

Last night I returned from a trip to Dallas, TX with two of my friends, Rich Palmer and Paul Imhoff. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you know what happened most of the time but for those of you who do not I will give you some highlights. Here goes. . .

We flew out Saturday around 12:30pm from Dayton, OH. No checked baggage and pre-printed boarding passes meant an easy check-in process. The flight was not bad until the landing. You know it has to be someone's first time to land sometime. I really don't think it was his first time to land but it was a little rough and I heard a lady behind sigh in relief. We landed about 2:00pm central time. If you have ever flown into DFW airport then you are aware that the rental car process can be a hassle. Saturday was no execption. We didn't leave the airport with our rental car until after 3:oopm. Seriously, can you guys at DFW please come up with a better way to deal with this? That's ridiculous.

Anyway, we heading over to grab some late lunch. I told the guys about the best burger in the Dallas area could be found at Johnny B's in Southlake, TX.

I recommend the double with cheese and their hand cut fries. Have a cardialogist on speed dial and enjoy every last bit. This was the first Best of . . . that we were going to enjoy on this trip.

We then headed over to the Best Place to watch a football game. It also happens to be the Best Hotel as well. What am I talking about? Well here is the outside.



It's known as the Gaylord Texan and they have a sports bar in it that is called Texas Station. Here is a picture of the wide screen TV. (not a great pic taken with the iPhone but gives you the idea)


You can watch 9 football games at one time. That's what I am talking about.

We then heading over to Fellowship Church for their Saturday night service. This is of course the Best Children's Ministry anywhere. Rich and Paul came out saying, "WOW!" and it was really good to see some of my old volunteers and friends. This was my first time back to Fellowship to attend church. It was great and strange all at the same time. It made me missed it tremendously and made me glad that I was gone all at the same time. Now that is what I call weird.

After church we went to get the Best Steak in Dallas at Bob's Steak and Chop House. This was not my plate of food but it is from Bob's. I go with the smashed potato and not the baked.



Notice the carrot in the middle of the plate. You don't order the carrot but after you taste the Best Carrot ever then you realize you are so glad that it is there. Oh and by the way, Bob's took us almost 4 hours. Our waiter named Shawn was hilarious, not meaning to be but we found him that way and one of my good friends Mike Wyrick came to join us late in the meal. It was a great time.

After dinner we went to the Worst Hotel in Dallas. OK maybe not the worst but it was really bad. Travelocity did not do us well on this one. The name of the hotel was the Wyndham Garden Hotel located at 635 and 75. It was under renovation which was desparely needed and the place just felt dirty. If it wasn't already paid for then we would have gone some place else and should have gone to the Gaylord Texan instead. Consider yourself warned.

Sunday was a huge day. It started off great. We went to get the Best Pancakes anywhere not just Dallas. We went to the Original Pancake House. Here is a picture of my plate taken with the iPhone.




If you are wondering what this is it is called the "Apple Pancake". I like to call it a little bit of heaven on a plate. The apples on top covered in sugar and cinnamon are incredible.

After breakfast we went down to see the Grassy Knoll. Here is a pic of the grassy knoll on Sunday.



I thought it was quite ironic that there is no more grass. I also liked the guy who was standing next to it trying to sell books about the conspiracy. I didn't buy any books or pictures. We did get to see at least 2000 motorcycles though. There was some huge biker rally going on downtown. It was nuts.

After doing a little more site seeing downtown we headed to the Cowboys vs. Bengals game. One of my close friends had graciously given us tickets to the game. Not only that but he gave us a parking pass as well. We showed up early to the stadium to make sure and tour the place. Rich and Paul had never been there and this was the real reason for the trip. So we hung our parking pass on the rear view mirror. The guys directing traffic just kept waving us towards the stadium. To the point of to where it was only a sidewalk between us and the stadium. I took a little pic to show you.





We then watched the Cowboys beat the Bengals from the Fox Sports suite. All the food and drinks you could handle but the best part was the private bathroom. There is nothing worse than waiting to use the bathroom and the facilities you know are going to be filthy. Here was our view from the suite:




Of course after eating during the whole game we decided we need some more food. So after the game we headed to Pappasito's for the Best Fajitas. Why are the fajitas so good you might ask? They make their own homemade tortillas and the secret to the whole thing is the garlic butter that comes with it. Yes I said butter. You take the butter and spread it on the tortilla before anything else and then call your cardialogist again. Here take a look.



Monday morning we got up early and enjoy the Best Smoothie from Jamba Juice. I still can't believe that there are no Jamba Juice's in Ohio, Indiania, or Kentucky. Will someone please buy the franchise rights and open up some stores. Please.

After Jamba we went to Prestonwood Baptist Church. Prestonwood has over 28,000 members and has a over 800,000 sq/ft under roof. We have joked in the past about Prestonwood being the "Baptist Bowl". The place is huge and done very well. I was hoping to meet up with Sondra Sauders but she was out on vacation. We did though get a tour of the place. Take a look at the outside.




Before we left Dallas we found a shoe store that was closing. It said everything was 30%-70% off and then take an additional 50% off the lowest price. Now that is my kind of sale and they happen to have my kind of shoes. I am currently wearing them. Let me know what you think.



Yes those are gold shoes. I wish you could see the details on them. There are engravings of Elvis and such. They actually say Elvis on the back. These bad boys rock. They were originally $120 retail but I got them for $10. That's what I'm talking about.

So all in all I had an incredible trip. Dallas was very good to me. Maybe to good because my jeans don't fit as well now, but I can't wait to go back.