Tye's Jazz

Tye's Time Out

2011-07-04T06:55:00.003-05:00

"You'll need to stay off your bike for at least a week." ~Doctor

After a 50 mile bike ride on Wednesday it seems I have developed a little infection that puts me off the bike for a week. Up here in the cruel north we get around 17 weeks of outdoor bike riding a year and now I'm down one. bummer.

Although I have been bummed about this, I realize that there are no mistakes in God's plan for my life and right now his plan is that I would not be riding. Here are some of the benefits of this "time out:"

1. Getting caught up on reading.
2. "Honey do" list is shrinking
3. Rest for weary muscles (I have averaged close to 200 miles a week for four weeks)
4. Time with the family.

September is closing in and time is running out. That's ok. I am trusting that God has this all under control and that his plan is best.

Tye out.

Where in the world is Tye?

2011-07-01T08:17:00.001-05:00

I haven't been blogging for quite some time because I do most of my posts on FB and Twitter. It takes a lot less time and I feel like more people will read what I write there.

Tye out.

Lifestyle Change Pt 3: Having a plan

2010-04-28T11:31:00.003-05:00

It's Wednesday and I have been making adjustments to my personal dietary lifestyle for the past 2+ weeks. I have observed that the longer I stay with this new approach the better it gets. I love having a plan, no matter what I am doing. Here are some of the things for which I have a plan:

1. Bible Reading - www.biblereadthrough.org

2. Cardio workout - ask me.

3. Bike riding plan - I have certain routes that work depending on wind direction and the amount of time I have to ride.

4. Weight training plan - I use the Body for Life plan. I love it!

5. Eating plan.

6. Halftime Plan - what will I do with the second half of my life.

What are some plans you have?

Lifestyle Change Pt 2

2010-04-27T07:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I talked about some lifestyle choices I am making to be a healthier me so that I will still be around for my grandkids, AND be able to kick their butts on a bike ride. I'm not going on some RADICAL diet, but rather trying to do things that will help me be healthier in the long haul.

Today I want to share about some of the things I am NOT doing in order to be healthier:

1. No red meat - exception: when at Outback Steakhouse once a year.

2. Low to no saturated fats - I've been doing this for a while anyhow.

3. Ice cream? - nope. Maybe once or twice a month for a treat.

4. Sweets - anything that is high in sugar is off the list.

That's it for now. Would love to hear what is going on in your "dietary" lifestyle. Tye out.

Lifestyle Change

2010-04-26T09:52:00.002-05:00

Back in February I had a physical that revealed high cholesterol. HIGH. Well, the good doctor put me on Zocar and I put me on 10 pounds and became lethargic. Not good for me.

Two weeks ago I quit taking the Zocar and I am doing some things that will help me become more "heart healthy." Here are some of the changes I have made:

What I am doing:

1. Carrot juice from a juicer - someone gave me a Jack Lalane juicer. My goal is 3-4x a week.

2. Flax seed - bought the powder kind at Sam's Club and stir it into my cereal or oatmeal. Goal - 7 days a week.

3. Oatmeal - Plain and simple. Goal - 4-5x a week.

4. Salmon - Frozen fillets are easy to bake. Goal 2-3x a week.

Tomorrow I will share some of the things I will NOT be doing.

Tye out.

Where in the world is Tye?

2010-04-12T22:48:00.003-05:00

Welp, I have been missing in action for a while now in the blogosphere. A busy life squeezed the blog out of my grip. I'm sorta single parenting right now with a wife who works seconds so I fulfill two roles now: primary wage earner and Mr. Mom.

That's it for now. Leave a comment and let me know you read this.

Steve Harvey Introduces Christ

2009-10-10T14:21:00.002-05:00

Here are the words for this:

If I had the pleasure of bringing out Christ, this is just how I would do it. It ain't got to be the way you'd do it. You might not think it's just right. But this is how I would do it. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce a man, who needs no introduction. His credits are too long to list. He has done the impossible. Time after time. He hails out of a manger, in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, by way of Heaven. His mother is still headlining in the Catholic Church today. His daddy is the author of a book, that has been on the best seller list, since the beginning of time. He holds the record for the world's greatest fish fry. He fed 5,000 hungry souls with 2 fish, 5 loaves of bread. He can walk on water. Turn water into wine. No special effects. No camera tricks. He has a headshot, on every Church fan across the country. Even before the kings of comedy, he was hailed 'The King of all Kings' 'Ruler of the Universe' 'Alpha and Omega' 'Beginning and the End' 'The Bright and the Morning Star' Some say He's the rules of sharing, and some say He's 'The Prince of Peace' Get up on your feet. Put your hands together. And show your love for the 2nd coming, of the one and only. God has been good. Steve Harvey

Jesus Christ, Who Cares

2009-10-09T13:40:00.002-05:00

Here is my message for this Sunday. Feel free to comment!

Pastor Tye Male We Believe #4 October 11, 2009

Jesus Christ, Who Cares
Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:14-16

The Son of God – His Deity (Philippians 2:5)
Jesus was fully God before the incarnation and after.

Present in Creation (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3)
Possesses the attributes of deity

·Omnipotence

· Omnipresence

· Omniscience

Claimed to be God (John 8:58)

·Lord, Liar, Lunatic

The Son of Man – His Humanity (Philippians 2:6-8)

Jesus was as much God as if He were not man, and as much man as if He were not God.

He became a servant
He willingly emptied Himself (2:6)

·He chose to “empty Himself”

·He did it obediently to provide man’s redemption (2:8)

·His divine attributes were still present

He became flesh

Because of the incarnation, we have an empathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16)

He understands and empathizes

·Jesus was tested

·“Without” sin

We can approach God confidently

·It is a place of grace

·We receive mercy because of Jesus’ sacrifice

·There is grace to help in our time of need.

Jesus is the Son of God and He cares for me!

I agree with President Obama this time

2009-05-31T21:25:00.003-05:00

WICHITA, Kan. – Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions despite decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher. (ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press Writer Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press Writer) Click here to read entire article.

Shot and killed in a church. That is just wrong, VERY WRONG!

President Barack Obama said he was "shocked and outraged" by the murder. "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," he said.

I couldn't agree more.

Dr. Tiller was taking the lives of preborn children, a fact that is incontrovertible. But the assailant took matters into his own hands when God ordains government to deal with such matters.

Jesus gave us a very simple formula for living our lives as Christ-followers: Love God and love people. The assailant missed this part of the Bible.

It is not easy to love people who are taking the lives of innocent, preborn children. But when you consider that Jesus allowed himself to be nailed to a cross for our sins, loving people becomes easier. And it is right to love them.

And the assailant was in church. I'm happy for that.

A right perspective

2009-05-28T08:47:00.003-05:00

I just finished readying Job (sounds like "lobe") this morning and one phrase struck me:

Job answered God,: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head." Job 42: 1-3 The Message

I have to say every day, "I'm convinced God. You can do anything and everything." In my early years of ministry I had an answer for everything. I would go toe-to-toe with people about deep theological issues spouting and pontificating, babbling and muddying the waters. Not so much any more. I've come to the conclusion that there are some things I will never know or understand.

One thing is certain though: God can do anything and everything. My fear is that I don't live as if I believe this is true. I've got some room for growth especially in this area. Tye out.

I don't wear "Christian gear"

2009-05-27T08:03:00.006-05:00

Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) donned a hockey jersey with his basketball jersey #23 for a recent Chicago Blackhawks hockey game. The rub? Reebok has exclusive rights to the equipment and hockey gear for the NHL. Jordan is "Mr. Nike." So, they sewed a red patch over the Reebok emblem. Click here to read the entire article.

This is pure craziness. But it demonstrates to me the power of influence. If Michael Jordan is sponsored by a company, their revenue goes up because of his ability to influence people.

As Christ-followers, we have the power to influence people for Jesus Christ. Many people wear "Christian Gear" and some even have Christian bumper stickers. Anyone care for a "Testamint" to freshen your breath? Not me.

Love God, love people. Mark 12:30 paraphrased. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Mark 12:35

Christ-followers are the best advertisement for a God who loves us, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later. And we advertise best when we are loving people the way Christ loved us, unconditionally.

Tye out.

Aerial Pictures of the Future Home of New Covenant Bible Church

2009-05-09T09:31:00.003-05:00

Mackenzie and I went flying with our friend Ed Wischmeyer and we were able to take some pictures of our church's future home. Enjoy!

Click here to enjoy!

Tye out.

The Good News About Storms

2009-02-03T10:53:00.003-06:00

I listened to a message today that was encouraging and challenging to me by Chris Brown of Northcoast Church. You can listen or watch online.

Click here for the link.

Here is a little background from my life and why this message touched me in a special way.

It has now been 4 years since the new senior pastor at the church where I was serving explained that he was now in charge and needed me to leave. Just like that. To his credit, he allowed me to stay on staff until I found a position, but then again this was not just for my own good, but also served him well in the eyes of the people.

That lunch "termination" sen me and my family into a tailspin for several years now and the economic, social, and spiritual losses were enormous. If it were an earthquake it would have been 7.8 on the Richter Scale. Had it been a tornado it would have been an F5.

We have weathered the spiritual and social losses, but we are reminded of the economic losses every day. Each day is a faith walk and we are trusting God more and more every day. Tye out.

President Obama chooses pragmatism over principle

2009-01-28T15:11:00.003-06:00

Chuck Colson (pictured above) of Prison Fellowship and BreakPoint Ministries wrote this article and I wanted you to see it. I am sad that we have a president who is so inexperienced and who's values run very counter to mine. The mainstream media is singing the praises of their new president. They campaigned hard for him and they should be proud of their accomplishment!

This article is well written and definitely something we should be aware of. Here is Colson's article:

As I noted yesterday on BreakPoint, the inauguration of America’s first African-American President was one of the most moving moments in American history.

But now that the celebrations are over, it’s time to take a close look at how President Obama is planning to govern. And the closer I look, the greater my concerns. In his first week in office, he showed shown an alarming tendency to choose pragmatism over principle.

For example, I applaud the President ordering higher ethical standards for lobbying. “If you are a lobbyist entering my administration,” Obama said, “you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years.”

Unless, that is, your name is William Lynn. Obama appointed him as deputy secretary of defense—despite the fact that, until very recently, he had been a lobbyist for Raytheon, one of the nation’s biggest defense contractors, right up until the time he was appointed.

When the press challenged him on this, Obama said Lynn was uniquely qualified to do the job, so he issued a waiver. How was he uniquely qualified? He knew how the system worked.

Pragmatism trumped principle.

Obama used the same argument when it turned out that his choice for Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, had neglected to pay $35,000 in self-employment taxes for a number of years. Senator Robert Byrd—a member of Obama’s own party—called Geithner’s behavior “inexcusable negligence.” He’s right.

Again, pragmatism trumped principle. Click here to read the rest of the article.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you. Tye out.

Barak Obama and history in the making

2009-01-20T10:08:00.004-06:00

My office at First Baptist Church in Medina, Ohio.
The milk cooler at Flav-O-Rich Dairy in Rossville, Georgia.
My living room in Wadsworth, Ohio.
The nursery at the Gospel House in Walton Hills, Ohio.
Orchestra/band practice at Temple Baptist Church, Rossville, GA.

Those are some of the places I remember being when history was made or a significant, historic event occurred.

And it is not likely that you will forget what your were doing on this historic day when the first ever African-American was sworn into office as the President of the United States. Our nation has come a long way since the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, January 1, 1863 as this nation headed toward its third bloody year of civil war.

Our nation has come a long way since the rioting in the south in the 50's and 60's. Desegregation, while messy and difficult, helped move our nation away from segregation and toward a nation where all men are born with "inalienable" rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr. took a stand and would not back down. He had a dream and I can't help think that I am watching that dream come true. Rosa Parks represents African-Americans who took a stand against the evils of segregation and many of them, like King, payed the ultimate sacrifice. (If you click on the link to Martin Luther King, Jr. You will be treated a sermon by Dr. King on servant leadership. Amazing)

Today I feel proud to be an American. I also feel humbled to be a Christ-follower because I realize that it is from the Bible, the Creator God's word to mankind, gives us the rights we so graciously enjoy here in the states. Having been to nations that do not enjoy the freedoms we enjoy here I can say this.

While I most certainly do not agree with much of President Obama's ideology, I am commanded in the Bible to pray for him. No one really knows, outside of God, what the next four years will bring us.

May God bless our new president and his family. May God bless our great nation! Tye out.

P.S. Here is the historical events mentioned in my opening:

9/11 Terrorist Attack (I watched the second plane drive into the tower)
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster
U.S. Invasion into Iraq (The next day I flew to Belgium.)
O. J. Simpson trial verdict (the only TV at the church was in the nursery for closed circuit)
Tragic death of Dale Earnhardt in Daytona, Florida at the Daytona 500.

President Bush's Final TV Address

2009-01-16T20:22:00.003-06:00

President Bush's final TV address on Thursday, January 15 was upstaged by a near tragic event on the Hudson River where a pilot of an Airbus 320 managed to ditch his crippled plane in the river. Pres. Bush endured an incredibly difficult 8 years and had many, many successes. Click here to hear the 14 minute speech.

I am saddened that our nation has elected an inexperienced candidate who has already changed his mind on many things. What is sadder is the fact that the press, who attacked Sarah Palin and John McCain with a vengeance for everything they said, has once again given "their" candidate a free pass.

I would like to honor President Bush and say thank you for serving our country through some very difficult times. Thank you for keeping your promises and having integrity while doing so. Thank you for the example you provided us as a strong, yet compassionate leader. You never asked our country to go where you had never been.

God bless the Bush's as they return to "normal" life and may God bless our great nation!

Meet Nick Vujicic

2009-01-13T11:34:00.002-06:00

This one needs no explanation. Click here for more information.

Australia offers 'best job in world' on paradise island - and a lesson for the church

2009-01-13T07:54:00.005-06:00

I have been in the ministry full-time now for almost 18 years and we have never had money to take vacations, other than to see relatives and then do fun things there. We have had two family vacations in 23 years and I think I have found the solution!

Australia is looking to hire someone to live on an island paradise for 6 months and blog about the island in order to raise the level of tourism. Click here for the entire article.

SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.

The salary - $105,000 USD for six months.

In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

But why are they doing this?
"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."

Have I got your attention yet? I believe there is a leadership lesson in this. I believe that the church that is successful in the future will have to use these types of marketing ideas. Here's how it works:

1. Pastors/leaders begin blogging/twittering about their experiences. Click here to see a post I read about this topic yesterday.
2. Followers of Christ begin living their lives "for the whole world to see." It is truly possible that when the world sees what we have in Christ and who we are in him they might want to "explore the island."
3. While the pay might not be that good, the benefits are out of this world!

Whattayathink? Let me know. Tye out.

Happy birthday Erica!

2009-01-11T20:54:00.002-06:00

Today is Erica's birthday, Andrew's fiancee's. We had a very short celebration in between activities on a very busy day. Someone baked her a delicious cake and made it somewhat healthy by subbing applesauce for the sugar. You can click on the pic for a slide show and try to count the candles on the cake!

Happy birthday Erica! Have a great day! Tye out.

Painting the master bedroom and bathroom

2009-01-08T20:44:00.005-06:00

I had the week off between Christmas and New Year's and came up with a to-do list appropriate to the amount of time I had off - so I thought.

Wednesday morning I picked up the paint at Home Depot and on Friday afternoon I started prepping the rooms to be painted. We moved some of the furniture out and covered everything else. Blue painter's tape protected the woodwork and I readied my canvas drop cloth. Click on the pic for a slide show.

Saturday morning I started "cutting in" which means painting all the edges next to the ceiling and woodwork. This required two coats. Special thanks to Todd Stafford for coming over and helping me. I got the first "cut in" coat done by 12:30 PM and then we headed on to a wedding.

At 6:30 PM I resumed painting as I cut in the second coat. At 11:15 I decided to roll the first coat and it took me until 1:15 am to finish. Sunday afternoon I finished the second coat between the morning and evening services at the church.

Monday night I began the process of putting everything back together and cleaning up. Also, I had to fix a bad crack over the door which involved cutting out part of the old drywall and then retaping it. I decided to paint around the problem while I worked on it. Tonight (Thursday) I applied the texture and tomorrow I will finish painting.

I enjoy painting a great deal because (1) it is fairly easy to do, (2) it is one thing I actually know how to do pretty well, and (3) it is very rewarding when you finish. Tye out.

Ty installs our DIRECTV

2009-01-08T20:28:00.002-06:00

Welp, as many of you know we decided to ditch the cable and go with satellite tv and DIRECTV was the best option. We decided to get the DVR to go with it and the 200 channels. Once again I am enjoying episodes of Seinfeld along with the History Channel, Military Channel, Discovery (can you say "Mythbusters"?), and lots of other fun stuff.

Funny thing. Ty (pictured above) was the name of our installer. Actually, his name is Tyrone, just like me. He was polite, knowledgeable, and very professional. Thanks Ty for a job well done! Click here for a brief slide show.

We bundled ours with Qwest DSL and saved some money. I'm glad to be away from Mediacom. Tye out.

Ten Commandments - Redneck Version

2009-01-07T13:18:00.004-06:00

The Ten Commandments - Redneck version (sent to my by my good friend Patt Papesh)

(1) Just one God
(2) Put nothin' before God
(3) Watch yer mouth
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'
(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
(6) No killin'
(7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal
(8) Don't take what ain't yers
(9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

Works for me! Tye out.

John & KellyTravolta's grief

2009-01-04T12:00:00.004-06:00

I have been absorbed in home projects this weekend and failed to notice that the John Travolta and Kelly Preston had suffered the tragic loss of their 16 year old son. You can read about here, or just do a Google search.

I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a child to death and one such as this. The grief that they are experiencing must be intense and difficult to say the least. What do you say to someone to encourage them in times like this?

I'm not sure what I would say if I did not believe that there is a God with a plan and purpose for every single one of us. God, our Creator, knows what is best in our lives and also knows how best to encourage and bring some kind of sense to such a tragic event.

When you put your faith and confidence in Jesus Christ alone he fuses your life with meaning, purpose, and value. I feel bad for people who either refuse to trust God or have never heard the message in a relevant way.

If you believe in prayer I encourage you to say a prayer for the Travolta's, their family, and friends. If you don't believe in God or prayer, I'm not sure what you are supposed to do. Tye out.

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NET

Reading your Bible in 2009

2009-01-02T08:12:00.005-06:00

I just finished my 2008 read-through of the Bible this morning. I am a couple days late but it was thrilling to read through John's Apocalypse this morning and cross the finish line. It was exhilarating and sobering at the same time.

2008 was an interesting year in many respects. My wife was consumed with nursing school and I became consumed with a flood here in CR. With her being gone a lot I wasn't able to firewall a lot of time for reading like I had in previous years.

Last year I read the Bible through a couple times and the year before that three times. This year was just once.

I will start my 2009 read-through tomorrow morning and I hope to finish sometime in December. For me, here are the keys to success when attempting to read God's word:

1. Have a plan - this is the most important. I use http://www.biblereadthrough.com. Google "Bible read through" and you can find online plans that you can even print out.
2. Read at your best time - for me it is right after workouts before showering. This is usually around 6:30-7 AM.
3. Have a designated place - I used to read at Panera but as Mr. Mom I had to be home in the mornings for Mackenzie. I either read at the dining room table or my desk whichever has the most woodgrain showing!
4. Listen to soothing music or sounds - I use headphones to cancel out voices and noises. I use one of those meditation type trax with the sounds of the ocean and pan pipes. If I listen to jazz, I wind up digging the cool licks.
5. Stay slightly ahead - Mark Forstrom recommended this one. He says that if you are always behind then your attitude won't be as good. It's best to read out of abundance rather than deficit.
6. Grace-oriented - if you get behind either skip ahead and get back on track or adjust your reading schedule.

Good luck with your Bible reading this year! Let me know how it goes. Tye out.

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NET

.4235 lb burgers on the grill

2009-01-01T19:50:00.004-06:00

It's been a couple months since we had hamburgers on the grill so I decided to fire up the grill and have an indoor picnic tonight. I took pictures of the evening and you can see them by clicking here.

As I was doing the cooking encountered a couple minor issues:

1. The 29 degrees Fahrenheit caused the charcoal to take 45 minutes to heat up, rather than the usual 20 minutes.

2. I thought the packages of ground beef contained one pound each. They were two pound packages. I typically make four burgers per pound, so we had 1/2 pound burgers. Since the meat was 93% lean, they were REALLY around .4235 pounds each. The burgers were filling.

3. The cooking of the .4235 lb burgers took a lot longer to cook than a .263 burger would.

4. The cold temps also added to the cooking time, so it took about 30 minutes to cook the .4235 lb burgers.

The family was appreciative of the delicious .4235 lb hamburgers even though three folks could not finish theirs! Tye out.

One word: DeWALT

2009-01-01T19:04:00.003-06:00

Ever since I came back from Mexico, and my cordless drill died, I have had my eye some cordless drills. DeWALT has several kits. Of course the one that I liked was the expensive one.

Well, Monday I saw that the kit I wanted dropped $170!!! Plus, I had a coupon for 10% off, 12 months same-as-cash. I picked it up Wednesday and already used the drill to fix a towel rod that had ripped out of the wall. Click here for the specs.

And with the flood relief I am sure that I will be able to get some use out of it. A very grateful Tye out.

P.S. Only a guy would post this, and I did. Click here for more pics.

Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for Couples

2009-01-01T10:32:00.003-06:00

I saw this article in an email and thought I would pass it on to you today. I highly recommend the following ideas for couples who are serious about their relationship.

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Couples

In an article appearing in Associated Content, Sally Albright suggests that the new year is a good time for couples to be reminded of some simple but powerful ways to strengthen their relationships. To that end, she presents her Top Ten New Year's Resolutions for Couples:

#10: Exercise Together
Exercising together as a couple can make getting more exercise fun, and you and your spouse can truly have a "healthy" relationship.

#9: Cook Together
Cooking dinner together is a great way to spend time together.

#8: Play Games Together
Take the time to have some fun with your spouse by playing games together — especially in the colder winter months.

#7: The Little Things
Sometimes, it's the littlest of things that really matter. Something as simple as setting the coffee machine to brew in the morning or opening the car door for your spouse can really show how much you care.

#6: Get Romantic
The types of romantic gestures you do really depends on what your spouse considers to be romantic, whether it be bouquets of flowers or cuddling together and watching a football game on TV.

Click here to read the rest. Tye out.

Christmas with the Male's in CR

2008-12-30T21:45:00.003-06:00

Tonight we celebrated Christmas with Andrew and Erica (my son and future daughter-in-law). the opening of the gifts was preceeded by the eating of the ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and pumpkin pie - yum yum!!! (no pics, I accidentally deleted them)

Yesterday I took Mackenzie, her friend Kiara, and Allyson bowling. We had a great time and I really enjoyed the smoke free environment! Click here for some pics. There were three other NCBC families there and you'll see them in the slideshow.

Afterwards, Judy met us at HyVee for Chineese as we continue to celebrate Mackenzie's birthday.

My sermon/talk from Sunday

2008-12-30T21:39:00.003-06:00

If you would like to hear the message from Sunday you can here it at the church website:

http://www.newcovenantbible.org/NCBC/msg_index.asp

Click on either the audio or video next to my name. Let me know what you think! Tye out.

"Get out of the church" or "What happens when the church leaves the building"

2008-12-27T20:19:00.005-06:00

I am speaking tomorrow at New Covenant Bible Church and I thought I would give my blog readers the outline one day in advance. If you have any comments please let me know. I am using the Me, We, God, You, We outline method.

I came up with the title "Get out of the Church" when I was at Willow Creek's Small Group Conference because I have come to the conclusion that we have to keep reminding people that the mission of the church is to make disciples, not huddle and have Bible studies even though Bible study and fellowship with other believers is important. Here is the outline:

Luke 10:25-37

Me
I have been the ministry full time now for almost 18 years and over those years my contact with unchurched people had become insignificant over the years.

· Ministry obligations – earning my wings
· Second job to pay off student loans and put kids in private school
· Separatist mindset

Don’t get me wrong. I engaged several of my neighbors in meaningful relationships whenever I could and even invited them to church on occasion. Then there was the dry cleaner who I had befriended. But most of the time I felt guilty for the time I DID spend with these folks.

You see, I know that I am supposed to be engaging the culture and demonstrating the love of Jesus to people. I know this as a fact, but trying to get it to happen in the real world is often difficult. What happens when the church leaves the building?

We
In the pursuit of life, especially in our fast paced society, it is easy to get tunnel vision and we are tempted to wall ourselves in because of the demands of life. Think about it. Our generation is consumed with consuming and providing as many opportunities for our families as we can while many of us would have difficulty giving you the names of our neighbors and what they do for a living.

When we get together with people, they are already believers and while this is good and healthy, we find that it is work to move beyond our comfortable surroundings and engage the culture around us.

If you want to measure how you are doing in this area, try to list the names of your neighbors and a couple significant details about them, like where they work or the names of their children.

Prayer Care and Share is a great idea – for everyone else! But if we are going to embrace a lifestyle of PCS we are going to have to get our hands dirty and associate with some folks people who we may not agree with. We may have to leave our “Fantasy Christian Island” and go to the mainland in order to impact our world with the truth claims of Christ.

What happens when the church leaves the building?

God

A Question - An expert in Jewish Law approaches Jesus and asks him a question: What must I do to inherit eternal life?
· An inquisition
· Jesus replies with a question because he knew:
· Remember, Jesus is not telling him how to earn eternal life. Eternal life is a gift.
· People who have eternal life should reflect these values found in the law.

Application – People often ask us questions in order to test us. We have to remember that questions come out of our own context and pain.

The Answer - The scribe answered Jesus right out of the Law from Deuteronomy and Leviticus proving that he truly knew the law.
· v27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”
· v27 “…love your neighbor as yourself.”

And just like in the game of Jeopardy, the appropriate dollar amount was added to the scribes board for giving the right answer! But he had a little question about this whole matter.

The Qualifier – who is my neighbor?
· v29 But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The scribe wanted to feel justified and if he could get Jesus to put some parameters on what it means to love your neighbor as yourself he could “feel justified.

Application – I have discovered that if I tell someone what to do based on my experience and through the lens of my paradigm. This is dangerous at best. Coaching technique.

The Real Answer

10:30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. 10:32 So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 10:33 But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. 10:34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 10:35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’

10:36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 10:37 The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Remember, Jesus is answering the scribe’s question “who is my neighbor?”

The players - A wounded traveler. “A man, two Jewish leaders, a Samaritan

· A wounded traveler – v30 robbers stripped him, beat him and left him for half dead. That is all we know about the traveler. What we do know is that this man is clearly in need!
· Priest – v31 Aaronic priest who had most likely been serving in the temple.
· Levite – v 32 A descendant of Levi who assisted the Aaronic priests in the temple.
Note: It is assumed that the man was a fellow Jew and the basis of the law both of these men had an obligation to stop and help their fellow countryman.
· Samaritan man – v33 The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because their mixed Jewish and Gentile ancestry.

Love your neighbor

The Samaritan took a huge risk to stop and help this wounded Jew.
· He could have been attacked by the same group of robbers.
· Someone might have seen him with a pagan!
· He loved someone who potentially hated him.
· This act of love cost him time and money.

Application - What happens when the church leaves the building? If we choose to “love our neighbor as ourselves” it could become messy. We might be required step out of our comfort zone and take the PCS gamble. I can tell you that it is not easy to mix it up with “pagans.” They might use offense language. They might reject us. They might not show up to the big band concert if we invite them. But it is the right thing to do!

The Lesson – Jesus asked the lawyer a simple question:

36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

You
Congratulate the congregation – Flood relief tell - story of jukebox (benevolence, hands on help), Eight Days of Hope, SOS (Serve Our Schools), SWAT team, Christmas benevolence, etc.

But there are too many people to reach “corporately.” Each one of us must be about loving our neighbors!

This is really Prayer, Care and Share. This is one of the easiest concepts about the Christian life to understand, but one of the hardest to actually work out. When Jesus was asked which of the commandments were the most important he singled out two and said that they sum up all the others:

· Worship – love the Lord with all you have and worship him alone
· Fellowship – love your neighbor like you love yourself

Most of us get the worship thing. The difficulty lies in loving your neighbor. And some neighbors are harder than others!

Some little ideas
· Try little things. (hold a door, offer a smile)
· Pray that God would show you opportunities to demonstrate love.
· Keep an open heart to possible situations
· Give your waitress an enormous tip
· Send a, email, text or card

Some bigger ideas
· Snowblower ministry (slide)
· Big Screen TV ministry (slide)
· Community projects, clubs, etc.
· Find a tangible need and meet it (grass cutting)

Some huge ideas
· Start an organization like Eight Days of Hope

I want to personally challenge you to take God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself seriously and set a goal for yourself for 2009.

Take 2 minutes and write down 1-3 people you want to tangibly demonstrate the love of Christ and brainstorm ideas on how to you can do this.

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What if it is true? What if the PCS concept works? What if you demonstrated love to someone and they crossed the line of faith?

Happy birthday Mackenzie Noelle

2008-12-27T18:05:00.002-06:00

Jaicey and Mackenzie celebrate

11 years ago today a precious little girl came into this world, Mackenzie Noelle Male. We loved the name Mackenzie Noelle and since she was born two days after Christmas we knew that Noelle would have to be part of her name.

Mackenzie received a pink desk chair, primarily due to the fact that she takes ours! Click here for a slide show of this evening's festivities. Jaicey was able to join us this evening.

Mackenzie is our fourth child, yet she exhibits a lot of the traits of a first born. She is a strong leader and has great critical thinking skills. She is able to intuitively dissect a task into parts, create a list and delegate responsibility. I'm describing an 11 year old! Yet, with the leadership gift I understand that the greatest leader is the greatest servant.

I thank God for his wonderful gift of Mackenzie. I love you Kenzie! Dad out.

Road Trip Pics and an amphibious car

2008-12-25T20:47:00.004-06:00

We left Cedar Rapids around 6:20 AM, only 20 minutes behind schedule and arrived in Cincy about 9 hours later. At 5:30 AM Morgan recommended that we use the cartop carrier which I did not want to use due to the -6 F temps. Welp, I put on my coveralls (pronounced "coverhauls") and braved the early morning sub-zero temps and I was glad for it. Click here for some pics.

The girls settled in and went to sleep and I enjoyed some country music while cruising through the Iowa country side watching the sun come up. We watched a couple movies and listened to Christmas music for a while too.

Somewhere in Illinois or Indianna we saw an amphibious car on a flat bed. (See pic above) If you know anything about this car I would appreciate hearing about it. UPDATE: After a quick internet search I discovered that the car we saw was the "Aquicar." There is a website devoted to this unusual car. http://www.amphicar.com

I enjoy travelling immensely and hope that in the next couple years will be able to take a couple family vacations once Judy is working and we can budget for such luxuries!

Click here for some pics of the sites! Tye out.

Christmas with the Nickloes

2008-12-25T20:30:00.003-06:00

We had an awesome time with Bob and Kay at their place in Cincinnati. Judy's brother Todd, Ashley, and three kids were there. Shelly and his two kids were there. We also spent some time with Judy's aunt's and cousins as well. I must say that this year was quite low-key compared to other years. Maybe it's because we are all in our 40's now and don't like acting like 12 year olds!

Click on the pic above for a slideshow. Enjoy the pics! Tye out.

Christmas with mom and dad and my brothers

2008-12-25T20:14:00.005-06:00

This year we made the trek to Cincinnati and had some awesome time with our families. Christmas Eve evening we spent time with my mom and dad, Tim, & Scott (brothers), and Jaime and Katie their kids respectively. You can click on the pic for a slideshow.

It was a great time visiting and catching up on our lives and eating even more food. Thanks mom for all the good food! Tye out.

Merry Christmas everyone!

2008-12-25T07:39:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! This is the traditional day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, although most are certain it was the first week of January. As we prepare to share gifts with one another I always take a moment to remind myself that without the birth of a little baby in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago my life would be meaningless.

Jesus Christ has fused my life with meaning, purpose and value. You see, in his death, burial, and resurrection I received new life and eternal life at the same time. I have someone besides myself to live for and some day when I escape this earth's surly bonds I will spend eternity with the one who gave everything for me.

I hope that this Christmas that Christ's birth will remind you of what life is really all about and that we live well when we live for something besides ourselves. Merry Christmas.

How NOT TO wind up in the doghouse this Christmas

2008-12-24T13:02:00.003-06:00

Make sure you listen real carefully to the female voice in the background. I love this video. I think it could be especially to helpful to some of our your and newly married friends. Enjoy!

If it were possible...

2008-12-23T10:39:00.007-06:00

It was cold this week in Iowa. Saturday-Sunday saw temps well around -9 F with 30 mph winds.

Wealthy Nigerian prince who loves jazz wants to give his wealth to you

2008-12-23T10:13:00.004-06:00

I often get these emails that manage around my spam folder that alerts you to the fact that some wealthy individual wants to bequeath you some major dough. I received this one yesterday.

Subject: A sincere request for help

Dear Friends, my name is Ndugood. I am a wealthy Nigerian prince who loves the jazz of music. I am seeking your help to move $200,000,000 from my checking account here in Nigeria to the United States. I too love the jazz of music and am planning to flee to America to open many jazz clubs at which I would like you to perform. You will receive $42,000 a night,plus a meal.

My new "Tribal Village Vanguard" clubs will be of great success and you will become rich like the rest of American jazz musicians. I have already applied for building code exemptions to allow thatched stages and the spearing of live animals.

But I desperately need your help. My tribe, the Swindlisi, a peaceful, jazz-loving people, has been horribly oppressed by the ruling military junta, which despises the jazz of music. My father, an exiled king and booking agent, was recently imprisoned under the draconian "three gigs you're out" law. And now I must flee my beloved country with all of my improbable wealth. But I need help in moving it. I have so much money that it will not fit in the allotted two checked bags and one carry-on. I am therefor want to transer the money through your ATM system. (The Nigerian ATM system cannot exchange international currencies; it only converts "antelope to money").

So please to just provide me with your full name and address, social security number, bank account and PIN numbers. And you will become incredibly (literally) rich from playing many jazz gigs.

(Note: normal Nigerian Musician's Union rules apply: three-hour performances, two 15-minute breaks allowed, musicians to provide their own mosquito nets, one open fire per bandstand, one free meal plus anything you kill).

Act now. The first ten musicians to respond will receive a free copy of the Nigeria's Greatest Jazz Hits CD, by our beloved 'Disoriented' Gillespie Band, which contains the hits:

The Night Has A Thousand Flies
Goodbye Shrunken Head
Here's That Rainy Season
Just Tribesmen (Lovers No More)
Take the 'A' Trail
When I Fall In Quicksand
Half-Nelson Mandella
Blue Monkey
Leopard Skins and Moonbeams
Blue Mombossa
Almost Like Being In Lagos
Sunny Side of the Goatpath
I Didn't Know What Century It Was

Thank you for your many help.

Your inordinately wealthy Nigerian brother, Prince Ndugood.

Tye here. This story has me pretty jazzed. Tye out.

The Physics of Santa Claus' Sleigh Ride

2008-12-23T09:48:00.005-06:00

For years now I have had a little difficulty understanding the whole Santa thing strictly based on the science of the matter. I read this article that Dave Kvindlog posted on Facebook and thought it might shed a little light on the matter. Enjoy.

THE PHYSICS of SANTA CLAUS’ SLEIGH RIDE

1) No known species of reindeer can fly. BUT there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.

2) There are 2 billion children (persons under 18) in the world. BUT since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15% of the total - 378 million according to Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million homes. One presumes there's at least one good child in each.

3) Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we >are now talking about .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75-1/2 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding and etc. This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second - a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 15 miles per hour.

4) The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-sized Lego set (2 pounds), the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that "flying reindeer" (see point #1) could pull TEN TIMES the normal amount, we cannot do the job with eight, or even nine. We need 214,200 reindeer. This increases the payload - not even counting the weight of the sleigh - to 353,430 tons. Again, for comparison – this is four times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth.

5) 353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance - this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as space crafts re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer will absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy. Per second. Each. In short, they will burst into flame almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and create deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250-pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of his sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force.

In conclusion - The physics of Santa's Christmas eve journey are a little beyond our present technology levels. Who knows maybe someday we will figure out how he does it.....

Merry Christmas everyone! Tye out.

God Moments

2008-12-17T10:42:00.005-06:00

(Looking out my office window)

I came into my office early this morning after a breakfast meeting and was enjoying some time in the word when I realized how beautiful the view was out the window so I thought I would share it with you.

This got me to thinking that we often walk right by "God moments" in our quest for the "next thing." Here are a few things that I have to intentionally stop and thank God for:

Great neighbors
A great job/ministry
The gift of leadership - it is just that, a gift
A wonderful wife and family
Jazz music - seriously
Air in my lungs
A mind to think with
A motorized carriage with heat
A home and stuff in it
The gift of God - Jesus
An incredible church ministry and church family
Good coffee

What are you thankful for today? Tye out.

How well are you leading?

2008-12-16T08:32:00.004-06:00

I read a blog over at LifeChurch.tv: Swerve and this one written by Chris Johnson, one of the leaders at LifeChurch.tv, caught my attention. Like Chris, I have met some really great leaders, some so-so leaders, and some not-so-great leaders. I've met servant leaders who are extremely successful as well as some self-serving leaders who while being successful burn out people and organizations.

Chris offers a list of good vs. not-so-good leader characteristics.

Good leadership vs. Bad Leadership

1. Passionate about one’s job vs. It is just a job

2. Values one’s team vs. Has employees

3. Knows one’s team vs. Should not be personal at work

4. Takes time to develop their strengths vs. Focuses on their weakness

5. Gives people a chance to fail vs. Controls every decision

6. Takes time to reward good work vs. It is their job

7. Click here to read the other six.

Tye here. So, how did you do? Let me know. Tye out.

Merry Christmas from the Male's - disco style

2008-12-15T15:43:00.001-06:00

I didn't get Andrew in this one, so it's just me and the girls with the disco ball.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pizza delivery man robbed at gunpoint - this happened to me 18 years ago

2008-12-14T08:38:00.002-06:00

On November 1, 1990 I was delivering pizzas in Chattanooga, TN when I was held up at gunpoint. What the two men did after this was life-changing to say the least. The two thugs put me in my own car in the backseat and then they jumped in the front seat and off we went for a wild ride.

Needless to say, they eventually let me go unharmed.

When I saw this article today it made me think of that day.

MIRAMAR, Fla. – Police say a pizza delivery man fought back with the one weapon he had handy when a gun was pulled on him in a stickup: A large, hot pepperoni pizza.

Delivery man Eric Lopez Devictoria, 40, flung the steaming pie at the gunman, buying time as he ran for safety, police said.

At least one shot was fired as Devictoria fled, but the deliveryman wasn't hurt and was able to quickly call police, according to authorities.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

A word for the day: Love is...

2008-12-11T08:41:00.006-06:00

I read these words from the The Message bible and thought I would share them with you today:

Love never gives up
Love cares more for others than for self
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have
Love doesn't strut
Doesn't have a swelled head
Doesn't force itself on others
Isn't always "me first"
Doesn't fly off the handle
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others
Doesn't revel when others grovel
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth
Puts up with anyuthing
Trusts God always
Always looks for the best
Never looks back
But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 The Message

Let me encourage you to pick out a couple of these phrases and determine how you are going to love someone based on what this passage says? Be specific. Let me know how it goes. Tye out.

Einstein the Parrot

2008-12-10T13:01:00.003-06:00

Here's a video someone sent me today that I thought you might enjoy watching, just for the fun of it.

GPS (Growing Parents Spiritually) have a social at our house

2008-12-07T21:48:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday night I figured that there would be a low turn out because of Thanksgiving weekend, so I asked if we could have a party (old school "fellowship") at our house. Since I am a terrible party planner I decided to just wing it and we wound up having Skyline Chili for everyone. Click here to read a post about our fave chili in the whole wide world.

Click here for a slideshow of our par-tay!

A Halftime to Remember

2008-12-07T15:15:00.000-06:00

Halftime is a term we use to describe people who have raised their children and entered the "second half" of their lives where they move from success to significance by carving out time in their schedule to make a kingdom impact. This is a wonderful way to do this!

I saw this video recently from ABC News "Person of the Week" that features Burt Brady who goes to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport to welcome home up to 100 veterans who are returning for some R & R. He went to the airport 300 times last year. If you are ever in the Dallas area you might consider heading on over to welcome home our heroes. Click on Welcome Home a Hero for more information. Enjoy the video! Tye out.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

2008-12-07T14:17:00.006-06:00

Today I am remembering those who gave their lives that tragic day 67 years ago in Pearl Harbor.

According to Wikipedia (I know - keep your comments to yourself):

The casualty list includes 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, with 1,178 wounded. Included are 1,104 men aboard the Battleship USS Arizona killed after a 1,760-pound air bomb penetrated into the forward magazine causing catastrophic explosions.

This attack brought the USA into a war with Italy, Japan and Germany, a war that would eventually cost the lives of some 600,000 soldiers. Yet, the Allies won.

I hope our new president has the wisdom to know what to do Iraq. I hope he supports our troops and pushes for a "win" in that country. While you are remembering our fallen war heros, perhaps you could say a prayer for those serving today, those who have served in the past, and those who made it home but were injured. Tye out.

How to pray for yourself as a husband

2008-12-04T09:06:00.002-06:00

I follow a prayer outline from Family Life Publishing for my wife and it concludes with a simple prayer for me as her husband. Perhaps you would like to say this prayer along with me today:

Father in heaven. help me to be the man my wife needs me to be today. I know that I cannot meet her every need - only you can do that - but help me to always be caring and attentice toward her. Help me to be sensitive to her concerns and to provide for her as I ought. Enable me to listen to what she says, and to always be courteous and thoughtful toward her and encouraging to her in all her efforts. Help me always to be alert to her and defend her against harm or insult. Please give me the will and energy to share my heart and my thoughts with her, and to tell her the things that seem obvious and self-evident to me but may not be clear to her at all - help me to be kind, appreciative, and fun to live with. Amen. (Excerpt from How a Man Prays for his Family by John Yates.)

Black Friday - the me generation

2008-11-29T08:14:00.004-06:00

He wasn't fighting terrorism. He was not pushing back terrorists in a region where they have taken over free people's lives. He was not trying rescue hostages at the Taj Hotel in New Delhi. He was trampled to death because...

Jdimytai Damour was working at Walmart. This is really sad.

I was just watching the news when I heard about Mr. Damour who was working at Walmart was trampled to death by shoppers trying to get in the door at 5 AM for the best deals. Click here for more info.

This is so sad. Maybe you could pause a moment and say a prayer for this young man's family, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and parents who will celebrate Christmas with one less person at the table. This is sad.

He gave his life for the "me" generation. He gave his life for consumerism. He gave his life in the name of "the person with the most toys when he dies wins." This is sad.

Followers of Christ have a different set of morals we are supposed to follow. Jesus put it this way:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. Matthew 20:25-27 NET Bible

Back in the day I was one of those lining up at 5:30 AM to do my Christmas shopping, but I have to admit I found it very unpleasant and difficult to "fight my way" through the doors. I haven't been back since.

Take a minute with me and imagine a world where people see themselves as servants of everyone else? I just came back from SE Asia and I saw a little slice of this with my own eyes. The Asians are excellent at serving others, so much to the point that when I arrived back in Minneapolis I was taken back by the rudeness of people. Tye out.

Lord, help me to serve people rather than seeking to be served. It is not always easy so please give me the strength to do so. Amen.

Hanging out with my cousin Cindy

2008-11-28T21:12:00.003-06:00

My cousin Cindy and I try to get together whenever I am in town, but this time I didn't think there was time so I didn't even call her. Well, she called my parents when I was there and when she fould out we were in town she wanted to get together. So, we carved out a few minutes to hang out at Panera and catch up with one another. We had an awesome time as usual. Tye out.

Duke Energy Train Display, Fountain Square Ice Skating, and Skyline Chili

2008-11-28T20:16:00.004-06:00

Pictured on the Jumbotron - Erica, Andrew, Shelley (Judy's brother), and Judy. cool

This afternoon the Nickloes clan headed on downtown on their annual trek to see the Christmas train display at the former Cincinnati Gas and Electric building at Main and 4th. The train layout is an amazing O-guage model that is set up every year since 1946. You can see more about the layout at www.duke-energy.com/train. I took a ton a pics because I continue to this day to be enamoured by trains of all sizes. Click here to see my pics.

Then we walked one block over to Fountain Square where an outdoor ice rink is set up and the kids did some ice skating. Yours truly slipped on over to Starbucks for a delicious beverage.

At the outdoor skating rink there was someone taking pics and then they were being displayed on the jumbotron. Click here for pics.

Then we headed on to Skyline Chili for some of the world's best chili! I'm not sure why, but I can't ever remember it tasting as good as it did tonight. Click here for pics of Skyline.

Thanksgiving with the Nickloes

2008-11-27T14:25:00.004-06:00

Today we are spending time with Judy's family which included the tradional thanksgiving dinner. We have now cycled through the naps and had some dessert. A little football, and now a movie. Life is good. God is good.

I'm thankful

2008-11-27T08:43:00.005-06:00

Today I wanted to take some time to reflect on the things I am thankful for, and I have a lot! God has been so faithful to me and my family. The past few years have definitely put our faith to the test and for the most part I think I can say that we have grown through it.

"What doesn't destroy you will only make you stronger."

I would add "if you allow it to make you stronger" to the above statement.

So, here goes my list, in bullet points as usual:

Thankful for my salvation in Christ
For my wife of 23+ years and that she is able to pursue her dreams
My four incredible kids and a future daughter-in-law, Erica.
New Covenant Bible Church - I love serving there!
The incredible bounty we enjoy: house, cars, hobbies, lots of extras. I think we could do with A LOT less.
Opportunities to play jazz music in the community (Iowa Vanguard Jazz Collective, CR Jazz, others)
NCBC - opportunity to lead men's ministries and small groups. Can it get any better than this!
Health
Food on the table
Good neighbors
A hope and a future

That's about it for now. I hope this Thanksgiving 2008 offers you the opportunity to reflect on God's goodness and faithfulness in your life. Tye out.
...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

CR Jazz Hosts Fareed Haque in concert November 22

2008-11-21T23:12:00.003-06:00

CR Jazz is hosting Fareed Haque Saturday night, November 22, at 7:30 PM in Ballentyne Auditorium on the Kirkwood College campus. We rehearsed with Fareed tonight and he is an incredible guitarist who is also a really nice guy. I took a few shots of the rehearsal as well as some video. Click on the pic for some pics of CR Jazz rehearsing.

It should be a good concert. I hope. Tye out.

Yes, I have arrived back in the USA!

2008-11-21T22:26:00.002-06:00

After a very fruitful week in SE Asia, I finally returned to the USA on Monday afternoon at 2:30 PM right on time, with my luggage. Incredible! Judy, Andrew and Mackenzie were there to welcome me home. Kim Pagel, Dave Kvindlog, and Tim Glass showed up as well and it felt good to be back on home soil.

On Sunday prior to leaving I had the opportunity to speak at Crossroads International Church, the church Rick Griffith founded just two years ago. I shared a message about servant leadership based on the model of Jesus. I met many new friends there and had an awesome time meeting so many people from different countries. I met Shannon Sandquist who is from Cedar Falls, Iowa and knows a few people I know at NCBC.

Can I tell you about the flights? I woke up at 3 AM Monday morning and caught a taxi at 3:30 arriving at the Singapore airport around 4 AM. Singaporeans pride themselves on efficiency and let me tell you they were efficient AND friendly. I can't say the same for Northwest Airlines when I arrived in Minneapolis. The signs were confusing and the attendants were rude. Welcome back to the States!

The jet lag has been really tough this week, just like everyone warned. It has been a very busy week with meetings every night except Thursday. I am hoping that by the weekend I will be back on schedule. Tye out.

A couple more misc. updates...

2008-11-15T07:48:00.004-06:00

Singaporean Cuisine
(Egg roll, something else that was delicious, dumpling, and chicken claw)

I am still processing our trip today and some more things came to mind that I thought I would share in bullet points:

Riding in a taxi for almost 2 hours to get to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Our driver got lost.
Riding in a taxi for almost 2 hours to get back to the hotel - lost again.
Driving through the local countryside and thinking about what it must have been like for our veterans 40 years ago.
Driving through the local countryside and wondering if I would ever see home again!
Being propositioned numerous times by ladies - it is really sad. Actually, a man tries to corral you on the sidewalk while the ladies pop out. The street is the best option.
Wanting to eat ice cream.
Finally getting ice cream.
Staying up too late and getting up real early
New friends Jim and Debbie, Al and Linda, Hans, Scott, Kim
Meeting someone in the country who used to pastor in Valley View (Cleveland) Community Church. We were only about 2 miles apart, if that.
Did I mention the floods on Tuesday night? Water was everywhere - I hope me being Cedar Rapidian didn't do it. : (
Shopping - lots of cool stuff to buy.
Eat, eat, eat. we ate a lot here.
Our friends brought in Oreos - a knockoff brand. But they were good!

Good night.

Arrived back in Singapore at 12 PM today

2008-11-15T01:54:00.003-06:00

Delivering Goods

It felt good to put our feet back on Singaporean soil after a 7 day absence. I loved being in the country and learning about the culture there, 8-10 million motor scooters in the city alone. I'm tired and heading for a nap. Here are some quick bullet points:

Chopstick technique is improving.
Riding in a taxi cab everywhere - we flagged down three or four with one wave of the hand this morning.
Cu chi Tunnels - I have a new-found respect for our soldiers who served there. Thanks Earl, Michael, Richard, James and hundreds of thousands of men and women who fought in the country.
American food, local food, Italian food within a couple hundred feet of our hotel.
People there are friendly and typically helpful.
Petite females dressed in business suits riding their motor scooters to work.
Motor scooters everywhere. I'm not exaggerating!
Did I mention chopsticks?
Buying a camera to replace the one I lost in the cab.
1.5 hour cab ride due to flooding that should have been 25-30 minutes.
Driving on the right (not left) side of the road, but sometimes in the midde sometimes on the left side against traffic.
Man, do I miss seeing blonde hair! Which makes me think of...
I really miss my wife and children - I love you!

That's it. Nap time and tonight I will be preparing to address Rick's organization tomorrow and have some interactions with them. Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #6

2008-11-07T21:39:00.008-06:00

It is now Saturday (Friday night in the US) and we are having a little downtime before we fly out tomorrow to visit with friends in the other country. I spoke to the men's bible study this morning, but there were only three of us. We talked about servant-leadership and how it applies in our work and home life. Enriko (Holland) who serves as the youth pastor at Crossroads International Church (Rick Griffith pastors this church) and is also a student at SBC was there as well. (pic to left)

You can click on the pic for a slideshow.

Yesterday (Friday) was sightseeing day so we headed out about 11 AM and spent the entire day sightseeing, shopping, and just hanging out. We started out by visiting the International Community School that Rick and Susan helped start 16 years ago and where their kids all attended. Anyway, here are some of the highlights: (click on the links for a slideshow)

Eating with chopsticks - I did it!!!
It is permissible to place your face close to the place to eat.
Visiting a Buddhist and Hindu temples - it is sad that they worship gods that require upkeep.
Learning about Singapore history at the cultural museum
Visiting Chinatown and all the shops
Finding gifts for the fam all in one place!
Driving on the left side of the road - yikes! It is quite nerve-racking.
Having fish for both lunch and supper
Eating less food with chopsticks has caused some weight loss!
Hot climate - humid and in the 90's
Visiting the arts center after supper and enjoying the Singaporean skyline

We wrapped up the evening by watching an outdoor performance by an Indian group although we stayed only a short time. It was quite pagan and s-l-o-w as well. Too much for my tired mind and body.

I got a good night's rest last night and we left at 7:30 am to go to the men's bible study. There were only three of us but we still shared the word and had a time of prayer. Afterwards we walked up the street to Mr. Beans where we had an American breakfast.

Rick and I are heading out this afternoon to find a Starbucks to go over our business for next week. The next time I write will be from the other country where we are meeting our friends for business. Please keep us in your prayers as we meet with these folks that the meetings will go well. With great joy, Tye out.

Correction on Update # 4

2008-11-06T18:12:00.004-06:00

Soaring to Singapore Update #4 had a picture of some students/pastors/leaders and I said that there were nine countries represented and this is wrong. There were five countries represented. Please accept my apology. Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #5c

2008-11-06T08:08:00.002-06:00

I jammed my finger when I tripped at the Griffith pad last night and my baby finger is a little sore and swollen. All together now, "aahhhhh." Thanks for feeling my pain. Thankfully it is not broke and I will survive. Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #5b

2008-11-06T07:24:00.004-06:00

Tonight the Griffith's took me downtown to one of the many shopping malls. It is at least six or seven stories tall and there are 8 or ten of them in the area where we were! Click here to see some pics.

We ate supper at the Manhattan Fish Market. We had some fish for supper - I have fish and chips. The fish was dory fish, like in the movie Finding Nemo. It seemed a little strange to be eating a fish that is a cartoon. Besides, fish are friends, not food. : )

Susan had to come back early for choir practice so Rick and I rode the subway and bus system to get back. But not before a stop at Starbucks. Their Dark Cherry Mocha was absolutely delicious!

We also enjoyed a nice chat about the recent election and the reporting here in the Singaporean papers. The papers here are no different than the states - very slanted to dems. Click here to see a pic of the front page. McCain is not even mentioned -well, "Mc" is because there is a McDonald's ad on the bottom.

(Rant warning) I wonder what would have happened with the election had the media had told the truth about Obama? What if they had challenged him about precaucas statements in Iowa promising voters to dismantle the military and stop excessive defense spending by pulling troops out of Iraq. What if they had grilled Obama about his "policies" like they did Sarah Palin.

In the end, I truly believe God is in control and I will sleep well resting in that fact. Tye, from Singapore, out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #5a

2008-11-06T01:26:00.005-06:00

Pictured above (L to R): Rick Griffith, Joni (Indonesia), Chumbeni (India), William (Singapore), Michael (Malaysia), me, Kafat (Indonesia), Joshua (India), David (Singapore).

It's Thursday afternoon here in Singapore and I have already had a great day! Last night I slept about six hours and am barely feeling any effects of the jet lag. We wound up staying home last night so we will be doing a little sightseeing tonight and tomorrow.

I uploaded some pics. Click here to see them. (or, click on the pic above)

I attended two of Rick's classes today and had opportunities to interact with students/pastors/leaders from at least ten countries. The student's last chapel was today and it was a joy to listen to Dr. Siang Fiang Koh give the talk. She is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.

The students are very engaging and quite interesting to talk to. We have had many conversations about church ministry and they have been intrigued by our "flock structure" that we have at New Covenant Bible Church in Cedar Rapids. One student comes from a church that is set up very similar to ours.

After chapel several of us went across the street to enjoy some Singaporean cuisine. Once again the conversation moved to politics because they are very interested in what is happening in America.

Tonight we are heading out for supper and will probably do some shopping as well. Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #5

2008-11-06T01:00:00.002-06:00

Today was the final chapel for the students here at Singapore Bible College. I shot a brief vid of Dr. Siang Kiang Koh speaking, followed by translation into Chinese.

Soaring to Singapore - Update # 4

2008-11-04T21:52:00.008-06:00

(Correction: this blog post mentions there are 9 countries represented in the pic below. There are only five. I apologize for this error.)

I am happy to report that I was able to sleep about 5 hours this morning which felt great! Susan spoiled me with a delicious breakfast - see pic above.

At 9 AM I went to one of Rick's classes he is teaching on Song of Solomon. There were pastors and leaders from all over in this class. I enjoyed the interaction with the students and the lesson on the Bible. At 10 AM Rick meets with a group of pastors (see pic) who are receiving their training here at Singapore Bible College. This group represented nine countries! They had a lot of questions about Iowa (I still do!) and ministry there as well. The election is also on everyone's minds.

It is now 2:30 PM on Wednesday and I am feeling myself fading. The goal is to stay up until sometime early this evening so I can sleep all night and get on schedule. Rick, Susan, and I will most likely do something early this evening to help me stay awake. I'm hoping to get some sightseeing done and maybe even have a cup of Starbucks. Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #3

2008-11-04T18:25:00.002-06:00

Greetings from Singapore! Our flight was slightly ahead of schedule in Tokyo where we had to go through security and board another plane, a big, beautiful, Airbus 330-300. Han Soo actually walked me through the whole process and then even walked me to my gate. Thanks so much!

We boarded the newer Airbus 330 and took off around 6 PM Tokyo time. After 7 hours of flying time, two movies, part of a book and a nap we arrived in Singapore at 12:30 AM Wednesday. My checked luggage arrived safely, I found Rick and we headed on out the door...

In Singapore they drive on the left as they sit on the right side of the car. I am staying with Rick and Susan right here at the Bible College. I finally got to bed around 2:30 AM Wednesday Singapore time, 12:30 PM Tuesday CR time.

Today I am laying low and just resting. Rick has invited to meet with some of the male students at 10 AM and then have lunch with the students (I think). I am hoping for a little site-seeing later today so I can try to stay awake as long as possible.

Thanks for your prayers. They made a HUGE difference throughout the trip! Tye out.

Soaring to Singapore - Update #2

2008-11-04T18:15:00.004-06:00

Joanie, Han Soo, and me

Welp, it has been a long day. My clock says that it is 10:35 PM which means we have been on this plane now for 10 hours. We departed Minneapolis at about 1:30 PM and we are expected to be in the air around 12 hours – make sense? We are literally outrunning the sun because it is still fairly light outside.

Our next stop is Tokyo. I then have another 7 hour flight to Singapore. I will have travelled about 26 hours when we arrive in Singapore. I slept about 40 minutes and plan to stay up now.
I am sitting next to a gentleman from Korea, Han Soo, who is (was) reading “Spiritual Leadership” by Blackabee. he is an engaging individual, but I can hardly understand him. Next to him is a really nice lady from South Dakota, Joanie, who is traveling to Thailand to see her daughter who is in the Peace Corps. They are both sleeping right now. See pic above.

I have already read my first book for the trip – IT by Craig Groeschel. I heard Craig speak at Leadership Summit this year and wanted to read his book.

I love travelling. Lots of people, new places, adventure. Please pray for me that God would use me on this trip. Pray that he “enlarges my borders” as it pertains to the Kingdom of God. Tye out.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 19:19-20 NET Bible

Singapore bound!

2008-11-03T07:54:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I have blogged because it has really been hectic. Eight Days of Hope was here the past week and things were busy around the church. I had the privilege of serving with them for two and half days as we restored flood-damaged homes. You can read more about it at www.kimpagel.org.

Welp, today I am flying to Singapore where I will be meeting up with Rick Griffith at the Singapore Bible College. I caught an earlier flight to Minneapolis which turned out to be a good thing because I wound up flying with Joe Golding who attends NCBC. So, thanks to Joe, here I am sitting in the Northwest WorldClub enjoying free WiFi, a quiet setting with free coffee and snacks. woohoo! Thanks Joe!!!

I sat with "Greg" (see pic) who attends the the Friendship Baptist Church in CR. It was a relaxing flight talking with someone who felt like an "old friend." The other pic is me and one of the Northwest people helping us with our baggage.,

I have been told that I will have connectivity while we are there so I should be able to do some blogging about the trip. Tye out.

Willow Creek Group Life Conference

2008-10-16T15:32:00.003-05:00

I am here in S. Barrington at Willow Creek Community Church's Group Life Conference. We have already heard our first speaker, John Burke, on the topic of community and the need for it. It starts all the way back in Genesis when God says that it is not good for man to be alone. Then the greatest breakdown in community took place when Adam and Eve sinned and man became alienated from God, themselves, and one another.

Group life (small groups) is designed to restore that community that was lost in the fall. God knows that us humans grow best in the context of community.

Good stuff. Tye out.

Homecoming Queen

2008-10-05T20:54:00.004-05:00

Homecoming was this weekend and our daughter, Morgan, was escorted by Andy Struik. They doubled with Krista and TJ for a wonderful evening - at least that is what we heard.

Special thanks to the McCright's for having the group over to their place after the dance. Thanks also to Kelly McCright for the cool hairdo. Thanks to Susie for helping Morgan get ready and to Allyson for taking the pics and shuttling Morgan around as she got ready.

One thing we noticed about homecoming and girls is that it starts weeks prior to the big event with the selection of the dress, then there is the nails, hair, and the getting ready.

The boys? Shower, dress, pick up date. End.

Morgan, we are so proud of you! You looked so beautiful, as always, and we couldn't love you any more than we already do! Love, dad.

P.S. The school did not elect Morgan to be the homecoming queen, but I want everyone to know I think they made a BIG mistake in not doing so!

Bloomsberry Farm

2008-10-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

After Mackenzie's soccer game we headed out to Atkins, Iowa to see Bloomsbury Farm where they have a 10 acre Corn Maze among a lot of other cool things for young and old alike. We started into the corn maze at about 1:10 PM and we finished "the puzzle" at about 2:50 PM, an hour and forty-five minutes later. It was a lot of fun. Click here for more pcis.

I was curious the whole time how they did the maze - it's amazing, no pun intended. Click here to read about it. Each year they do a different theme. It was a perfect day and it was especially good to have Allyson home to go with us! What a great day!

Font Conference

2008-10-02T06:56:00.003-05:00

If you are familiar with the various fonts (fonts are the things that make your type look the way it does) you will thoroughly enjoy this video. It is extremely creative but there is some language. Consider yourself warned. Enjoy!

We went Geocaching today

2008-09-30T20:19:00.006-05:00

Gina, Lauren, Brenda, Tye, Jen, Peggy, Angie

Every 5th Tuesday of the month our staff has a party and we often play games like bag-o, team building games, etc. One time we even played tug of war. Today after enjoying a great lunch featuring three different soups and assorted breads and appetizers, we headed over to Noel Ridge park to go Geocaching.

Geocaching is a sport where you use a GPS unit to find hidden containers. We had a lot of fun and even got a little exercise on a beautiful day.

But the best part was hanging out with the gals who I work with in a different context. It was a lot of fun. And I am glad our organization values teamship and helps us do things to bring the team together. Tye out.

My son's video work - Fall Fest Promo

2008-09-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

Every year our children's ministry at NCBC puts on an incredible, indoor, festival as an alternative to "trick or treating" and it is always a big hit with our church families. Even though it is classified as an outreach, I am not sure that the unchurched will come to church on this night when trick or treating is the feature. Any how...

NCBC will NOT be having its annual fall fest because Eight Days of hope will be using our entire building as we reach out to families affected by the flood. So, we have to change our strategy, and if you ask me it is time. (but I doubt anyone asked me)

In order to communicate this change in strategy, my son Andrew and our Young Adult Pastor, Erin Bird, did a video and it is REALLY good. I also love this style of video. Check it:

Fireproof - the movie

2008-09-29T13:06:00.003-05:00

Someone just sent me this vid from the Today Show about the new movie Fireproof. The star, Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) was interviewed by two women - I don't know who they are. During the interview I want you notice the women's response to Kirk's comments about his marriage and his integrity. They are practically drooling over these "archaic" concepts of commitment and love. Interesting, especially in light of the current culture. Watch this:

Men's Fraternity kicked off this past week with over 180 men in attendance in three sessions. Our topic this season is Winning at Work and Home and we are going to be talking a lot about a man and his relationship with his wife, or even significant other. This movie, though I have not seen it yet, seems like one that ties in perfectly with what our men will be studying this year. It is my prayer that every single man in our church AND Cedar Rapids could attend this training and then begin applying the concepts that make for healthy relationships. Please join us!

David Sanborn in concert

2008-09-26T21:35:00.004-05:00

Sanborn on stage - pic taken with my phone

I had the opportunity to hear saxophonist David Sanborn on Wednesday night in Des Moines (that's in Iowa for those of you in Ohio) thanks to my good friend Dave Kvindlog. And it was an incredible concert. The amazing thing to me was the fact that Sanborn is still playing almost exactly the way he played 30 years ago and even played a lot of the same songs. But it was still incredible.

Back in the early eighties I purchased a Dukoff mouthpiece made popular by Sandborn and pursued a sound similar to his. At one time I could play his style with some success and even today there are times when I am improvising that you might be able to hear his influence in my playing.

The other story here is the band. wow. And that mighty Hammond B-3 organ. If you know me, you know that I love that instrument. It was incredible. Awesome night of jazz. Thanks Dave, both of you. Tye out.

Men's Fraternity Launches with over 180 men!

2008-09-26T21:01:00.005-05:00

This past week we launched Men's Fraternity for the third year in a row and we were thrilled to see 180 men show up to three different meetings! This year we are going through Winning at Work and Home which needs no explanation. But in case you have not heard of Men's Fraternity or this curriculum I have posted the weekly topics below.

Click here for days and times for Men's Fraternity.

If you are a man, and was unable to make the first week you can still come on by next week. In fact, you can start at any given time, but of course you would maximize your "investment" by getting on the team and staying all the way through. I sure hope you will seriously consider joining us this week! In any event, here's the topics: (note session #5 guys!)

A Man and His Mirrors
What Men Need to Know About Women
Engaging "Your Woman" Successfully
Staying Close to the Woman You Love
Improving Your Sex Life
How a Man Makes the Money Work at Home
The "Good Life" and Where to Find It
What Every Dad Needs to Know
Dad's Game Plan for Raising Sons and Daughters
Maximum Parenting
A Man and His Work
Two Visions of Work
Coming "Alive" at Work
Making a Name for Yourself at Work
Taking God to Work
Launching a Lifelong Winning Streak

See you next week!

Grace 101

2008-09-17T07:42:00.002-05:00

As I was reading the New Testament this morning I came across this quote by Jesus in Matthew 11. Many of us carry heavy burdens in the name of religion, or have done it in the past but we don't need to do this. Serving God is a grace thing, not a burden thing. Check it:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

I love that part about "burned out on religion?" and "learn the unforced rhythms of grace." So many people who serve the Lord live in fear and trembling that they will never measure up to God - and they are right!!! This is where grace kicks in. When we live our lives as Jesus taught us we no longer live under the tyranny and judgment of some beneficent dictator, but we are free to serve God in the unforced rhythms of grace.

Good leadership embraces change

2008-09-10T14:48:00.003-05:00

Even though I have never been one to enjoy change, I have definitely embraced it over the years because in the end I know that change is inevitable. Back in the day when the "worship wars" were in full force change became a theological issue and those who embrace the hymnal as the "only way" and those who wanted change remained at odds.

It is funny to me that people are quite accepting of change when it comes to lifestyle choices: microwave ovens, new cars, better homes, and information technology. Yet when it comes to the "lifestyle" of the church people prefer not to change. And I'm not talking about the core theological doctrines, but to the forms such as music style, dress code, etc.

No matter what you believe about the above, one thing is for sure and that is change is inevitable whether or not you embrace it. For leaders this is a critical component of good leadership. I read the quotes below over at Leadership Wired, a weekly email on leadership from Maximum Impact dot com:

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
~ John F. Kennedy

"Every generation needs a new revolution."
~ Thomas Jefferson

"The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better."
~ Robert P. Vanderpoel

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."
~ Woodrow Wilson

"Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him."
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Busy, busy week!

2008-09-08T14:48:00.003-05:00

I'm too busy. I just realized that it has been a week and a half since I last blogged. Life has been extremely hectic around here as we are launching or preparing to launch a lot of exciting ministry here at NCBC. Here's some highlights from the past week and a half:

Launching two new ABFs - GPS and ABF@Wash
Men's Fraternity launching September 23/24.
Men's Tailgate Party
Alcoholics Victorious is launching September 18
Coordinating the launch of our small groups as well as providing training for the hosts.
SWAT team - we are working on the arrival of Eight Days of Hope.
A couple of bands here in CR are in full swing - no pun intended.
ABF conference this past weekend with Josh Hunt.

Since the church (and me too!) highly value teamship, I have the awesome privilege of working with these awesome teams and seeing a lot of ministry take place that I could not do otherwise.

Governor Sarah Palin speaks the truth - in style

2008-09-03T22:56:00.006-05:00

Wow! What else can you say after hearing this hockey mom tonight at the Republican National Convention? Wow. Here's my thoughts:

It's about time someone told the truth about Sen. Obama. His tax and spend ways are going to drive our country into deeper debt and the worse economic condition in years. He says that he identifies with the middle class, all the while planning to tax them into oblivion. And has anyone visited a government health care facility? Let me know how it goes.

My choice for President/Vice President is John McCain/Sarah Palin. Tye out.

Getting high on a Labor Day Weekend - in an AirCam

2008-09-01T10:41:00.007-05:00

This morning I headed out the Cedar Rapids Airport (CID) where I met Ed Wischmeyer who graciously offered me a ride in his open cockpit AirCam. I think we flew for around an hour and it was awesome. You can click on the pic for a slideshow. The reason I am all bundled up is Ed had warned me that it would be cold once airborn, but it wasn't! It was actually quite pleasant. I posted a short video of our take off. The AirCam takes off in about 7 seconds.

Also, I spent a few minutes with Randy Hartman of Alpha Omega Aircrafters and you can see him in the last pic or two.

Moving Allyson to St. Ambrose University

2008-08-24T07:16:00.004-05:00

(Allyson and Rachel in their dorm room)

On Friday morning we loaded Allyson's stuff, mostly pink things, into the back of the van and headed on out to Davenport, Iowa where Allyson is entering her first year at St. Ambrose University. Sharon Pagel and Robin Koskamp stopped over to help her load and to send her off. Thanks for being here Sharon and Robin! Click on the pic for some more pictures.

We arrived at St. Ambrose around 11 AM and a crew of about six students, all wearing the same "moving crew" t-shirt, descended on our van and started carrying Allyson's stuff up to her new room. When we arrived in the room Rachel, her new roommate, was there to greet her and to help her get her things sorted out and moved in. Thanks Rachel!

There is a Famous Dave's right around the corner so we headed on over there for lunch and then to Sam's Club for some dormitory room necessities: Animal Crackers, bottled water, power bars, cereal, etc.

We are so proud of you Allyson (yes, she reads my blog!)! You are going to have a great first year! Love you!!! Dad out.

A Night at the Kernels Game

2008-08-23T21:12:00.005-05:00

We don't typically get a family vacation, so every year we try to do something fun with the family in its place and this year we decided to go to a Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball game. The whole family went including Andrew's significant other, Erica. It was a good game and the company was even better. Click on the pic to see a slide show.

Toward the end of the game Mackenzie was able to get a foul ball that one of the worker's caught and gave her - click here to see pic. It was a fun night! Tye out.

Iowa State Fair with the Clark's

2008-08-23T20:54:00.004-05:00

Last Friday our family headed to West Des Moines to reconnect with friends from Cleveland, Ohio who moved to Iowa this summer. Since the state fair was in full swing we decided to head on over to the fair on Saturday. It is a huge event with all the "stuff" that makes a fair: corn dogs, funnel cakes, and some really creamy ice cream. We finished the day off with a few rides, although they were quite expensive. Click here to see a slide show.

Thanks to Greg and Suzanne for hosting us. We had a great time!!! Tye out.

Grace - It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it!

2008-08-18T08:49:00.003-05:00

Our church is going through Romans together and after yesterday's services it was absolutely evident that our senior pastor Bob Westfall has been "swept away" by the concept of grace. Grace is a hard truth to grasp because most of us tend not to be grace people. We are taught from childhood that when we do good things, good things happen, and when we do bad things we upset people and they are no longer happy with us. Not with God.

God loves you as much now as he ever could and you could never do anything to make him love you any more or any less. But why do we try? I believe that it is the most audacious, pride-filled attitude that says we can do something to merit God's favor. The reason we try to work on our sin is because deep down we believe that we can "buck up" and do better. We can't.

In our newly formed ABF Dave Kvindlog led us through a study of grace and when we looked at these verses, I knew I had to share them with my readers today:

It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this. Titus 3 The Message

Judy is now an LPN!!!

2008-08-16T11:05:00.003-05:00

On Monday Judy took her LPN boards and PASSED so she is now officially an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse). It has been a long journey for her and also for the family. We are all so proud of her and I'm so happy for her.

She just wrapped up the summer semester of her clinicals for her RN and has two more semesters to go. She will then take the boards for her RN (Registered Nurse) next summer and voila!!! I am thankful for her "stick-to-it-ness." Congratulations Judy! You worked hard and you deserve this award!!! Tye out.

Friday Humor

2008-08-15T13:46:00.002-05:00

Who I'll never be

2008-08-15T09:58:00.004-05:00

One of my top five strengths on the StrengthsFinder is adaptability. This word needs no definition or description. And it serves me well, especially when I go Southeast Asia in November to train pastors. As a jazz musician you are constantly adapting to the ebb and flow of the band so it is also good in that setting. As a pastor it really serves me well because it helps me adapt to the ever-changing needs of people. It also helps me to embrace change - I love change!

Adaptability also has a negative side. In fact all strengths have a downside, and for me the downside is that I can adapt so well that I often become some besides myself. It also causes me to doubt my leadership ability because I see some of these incredible leaders and think that I will never measure up.

(I took the following from Craig Groeschel's website LifeChurch.tv: swerve)

I’ll never be as a great a leader as Bill Hybels.
I’ll never be as deep as John Piper.
I’ll never be as smart as Mark Driscoll.
I’ll never be as creative as Ed Young.

Click here to read the read the rest of the list.

Craig goes on to say what he can do:

Cast a compelling vision and move people radically toward Christ.
Recognize talent and gifts in people most overlook.
Reach people for Christ who are far from God.

I have to be the very best Tye Male that I can be. I may look to some of these leaders as examples, but at the end of the day I have to be me and do what God wants me to do in the context where he has placed me.

I'll never be Hybels, Warren, or Westfall, but I am absolutely committed to being me. Tye out.

P.S. I'll never be as good a writer, speaker, and church founder as Craig Groeschel either!

I am in the news!!! Check this out!

2008-08-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

Back in the saddle, and then onto the pavement - ouch

2008-08-09T18:37:00.005-05:00

I love bike riding and this year has not been a good year for riding. Combine the fact that the weather was bad in April and May, and then the flood hit and I worked 152 hours in two weeks and then wound up in Juarez, Mexico on a missions trip my bike riding has been at an all time low.

Everyone in the family had stuff going on today so I decided to head out for a nice long day in the saddle. I headed north to Center Point and then west towards Palo. I stopped by Pleasant Creek Lake for a ride around the lake and on the way back out I was climbing a steep hill (on the road) when I jerked on the handlebars and to my surprise my 46 year old rear end and left arm were the next thing to make a horrible impact on the road. The bike did a wheelie over backwards and right onto my butt. I survived, but I'm already getting sore.

I headed downtown CR were I was again impressed with the need to do something with flood relief even though I don't know what. I rode by the Flyin' Wienie and saw John and Sandy Herder. I enjoyed a creme soda there and sat in the rain just hanging out. (see pic)

I managed to get over 50 miles riding done and it felt good to me back in the saddle again. Tye out.

Joe's Crab Shack

2008-08-09T18:20:00.005-05:00

Joe's Crab Shack's famous Crab in a Bucket

My family hates seafood so when I saw Joe's Crab Shack when we went for lunch on Thursday at Leadership Summit I gently asked the group if it would be possible for us to go there for supper and to my surprise they said yes. I ordered the King Crab Leg Bucket with B sized potatoes and corn on the cob. It was delicious!!!

The rest is history. At least until the next time I'm out with friends. Tye out.

Meet Ronnie and Matt Spaulding

2008-08-09T18:07:00.004-05:00

I have wonderful friends from Medina Ohio who now live in Des Moines. Ronnie was one of my worship leaders at First Baptist. I drove out to Leadership Summit on Wednesday afternoon and spent the night with her, Matt, Thomas and Sarah and it was a great reunion. We talked late into the evening and it was such a nice time.

Thanks to the Spauldings for hosting me. It was great.

P.S. Ronnie is an incredible cook. Well, after a near gourmet dinner, she fixed this incredible dessert. It is a creme puff with coffee ice cream. yum yum! (See picture above)

P.S.S. I didn't think to get a pic of them. Sorry!

Some REALLY personal take aways from Leadership Summit

2008-08-08T12:00:00.009-05:00

The stuff you are about to read is very personal.

This Leadership Summit has meant more to me than the past two years put together because I think I am in a place today where I desperately needed God's touch on my life. Combine that with the fact that the speakers have been over the top and I can boldly say this has been an awesome experience.

The past five years have drained me of many of the things I hold dear. Loss of ministry, loss of home, loss of community, and subjected to some of the most incredible rejection I could ever imagine.

Then this incredible, grace-oriented, Christ-centered, loving church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa called me to serve there - New Covenant Bible Church. And now I am sitting at a conference in Des Moines because they care about leaders and my personal welfare. Thank you NCBC.

Anyhow, here are some of my take-aways. I like bullet points, so here we go:

I have lost "it." (I have become a fulltime pastor and a halftime follower of Christ)
My discipline of eating healthy, sleeping right, and daily exercise has gone out the window.
I have avoided making the hard decisions that come with leadership.
I have failed to reach my neighbors with the love of Christ.
Co-dependency is an issue I deal with, and in ways I never would have believed.
I MUST find my sufficiently in Christ, and no one else. I soooo desperately crave relationship with people that it controls me. It's Christ first in all relationships.
Grieving over loss I have experienced in the past year.
My love language is words of affirmation. And I have to learn how to sustain myself with God's help when I don't get this need met in my life.
I've ignored issues that need to be addressed.
I was told the other day that I was a self-serving leader. ouch. But am I willing to listen that kind of criticism? Aha! One of the test of servant leadership is the ability to deal with feedback even when it hurts.
I've failed to fail at something this year.
My devo life has slowly gone downhill, too slow to notice until it was WAY out of wack.
God is calling me to do something more with the CR flood that I am doing right now. I don't know what this means right now, so please don't ask me.
As a sensate (Sacred Pathways), I really enjoy worshiping God when the music is loud to the point of overwhelming and it is played with great excellence by people committed to their craft. I love the light show, cameras, big screens. I love the way the worship leader directs our attention to God through all the above.
The above statement is the reason I need to get away periodically and experience worship in the way I best connect with God.
I've only read two or three books this year. Last year was 18.
I have become disorganized again at home.

Are you surprised? Shocked? Disappointed? Probably all three, unless you live in my house. Why would be willing to blog this? I am willing to risk being transparent so that others might be challenged and motivated to improve yourself. Let me know if this has impacted you. I would love to hear about it. Tye out.
Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 NET

Leadership Summit - Willow Creek Worship Band

2008-08-08T11:05:00.003-05:00

True confession. I look forward to the worship music at Leadership Summit as much as I do the leadership talks and this year the band was hotter than ever! It never ceases to amaze me at how free I feel to worship God when the band is really good. And they did not do any new music. Most of the songs have been written in the last ten years and I knew every one of the songs. It seemed strange to hear them do "Famous One, "Agnus Dei" and "How Great is Our God."

Thanks to Willow for setting the pace as we seek to reach out to our individual cultures in a way that is relevant and honoring to God. Tye out.

P.S. If anyone reads this from Willow Creek, I would like to volunteer to play saxes with the worship band. email me: tye.male@yahoo.com

Leadership Summit - Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv

2008-08-08T09:24:00.004-05:00

Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.tv has taken the stage. His topic is: "It" Here are some of the take aways. Some churches/ministries/organizations have "it" and some do not have "it."

Ministries that have "it":

1. Are laser focused.
What are you doing that you need to stop doing.

2. See opportunities where others see obstacles.
What is God trying to show us through our greatest limitation?

3. They are willing to fail when those without “it” tend to play it safe.
What has God called you to do you are afraid to attempt? When are you going to do it!

4. They are led by people that have "it."
If you don't have it, what are you going to do until you get it?

Craig confessed that at one point he had become a fulltime pastor and a partime follower of Christ. Let God break your heart. Let God get you back to where you have "it."

I am afraid that I have lost "it." It has been a difficult 5 years and the last year has been exceptionally hard and in the process of trying to survive I am afraid I have lost "it."

Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me! Do not reject me! Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me! Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! Psalm 51:10-12 NET

Leadership Summit

2008-08-07T16:18:00.003-05:00

I have already been challenged in a number of areas of my life. Upon entering the worship center at Lutheran Church of Hope in Des Moines I was immediately touched by God's presence as I listened to Willow's incredible house band lead us in worship. I love to hear excellent musicians performing excellently for the glory of God.

Bill Hybels' opening talk dealt with the steps a leader takes to make the high impact decisions that leaders must make. He also talked about many leadership axioms. He was honest, transparent, and even apologetic for past mistakes. I love hearing Bill talk because I can soooo identify with him.

I have been challenged about my personal devotional life, which has not been up to par for some time. I have to be more intentional in my devo life. I have also been guilty of not dreaming big and taking risks like I once did.

The conference has already been worth the trip to Des Moines. Tye out.

Leadership Summit 2008

2008-08-07T07:33:00.004-05:00

Today and tomorrow I am in Des Moines attending Leadership Summit. LS is hosted by Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. We are going to be hearing speakers address the topic of leadership and this will be my third year in a row.

I hope to get some blog posts about the Summit and anything I have learned. Stay tuned for details. Tye out.

Airline Mechanics Humor

2008-08-05T19:02:00.002-05:00

I found received this today and it caused me to chuckle and thought you might enjoy it as well.

After every flight, pilots fill out a form called a "gripe sheet", which conveys to the mechanics problems encountered with the aircraft during the flight that need repair or correction. The mechanics read and correct the problem, and then respond in writing on the lower half of the form what remedial action was taken, and the pilot reviews the "gripe sheets" before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews and engineers lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual logged maintenance complaints and problems as submitted by Qantas pilots and the solution recorded by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.

P = The problem logged by the pilot.
S = The solution and action taken by the engineers.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Click here to read the answer and many more.

Tye out.

Happy Anniversary to my bride of 23 years!

2008-08-04T09:45:00.006-05:00

On Sunday Judy and I "celebrated" 23 years of marriage. I put celebrated in quotes because our little celebration consisted of a dozen red roses, a heart shaped pizza, and a card. Judy studied all day (and evening) for her nursing finals so I went ahead and worked all day except for a brief time together over lunch. Click on the pic for a brief slide show.

People congratulate me when they hear the news, but the truth is that Judy should be the one congratulated for hanging with me for all these years, especially in the early years of our marriage.

Happy anniversary sweetheart. I love you!