Rick Caldwell - Global Director of Men's Fraternity visits our Fraternity!

Me and Rick Caldwell

Last week we had the privilege of hosting a visit to Cedar Rapids by the Rick Caldwell, Global Director for Men's Fraternity. He came to our Men's Fraternity on Wednesday morning and talked to our guys for a few minutes after our regular session. He was able to affirm our program and encourage our guys as we have hit the halfway point this year.

Rick is an energetic (think energizer bunny!) who is like on turbo all the time. At lunch Wednesday with Ed Luebe and Joe Meyer he affirmed our work and challenged us to continue doing things with excellence. He also gave us some cool ideas for next year, including going through year number one again. He says that Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock did it THREE years in a row. Authentic manhood means that the men who have gone through MF this year will go through it again next year, except with two or more men with them.

Rick then met with our leadership team for supper (click on the pic for a slideshow) and then he met with the four area churches who are using Men's Fraternity for a roundtable discussion. It was cool to hear leaders using the same terminology because we are all in the same "fraternity!" Rick offered great suggestions, stories, and refinements that I am sure will help us not only now but also in the future.

On Thursday morning he addressed over 50 pastors and leaders about how to build a healthy, sustainable men's ministry. Then at noon he challenged business leaders, pastors, and other leaders with the importance of discipling our men.

It was a great visit that left me exhausted, excited, enthused, and highly motivated to continue with this awesome program called Men's Fraternity. Tye out.

Zanny Henseler - Deal or No Deal Update

Alright, someone asked the question - anonymously - whether or not there is any update on whether Zanny has been able to come up with the $25k sales tax for her prize she won on Deal or No Deal: a Cadillac Escalade totally tricked out (the kids say "pimped" but I have a hard time saying that).

So, Zanny, will you let us know how it is going? Just curious! Tye out.

John Coltrane's widow passed away Friday

LOS ANGELES - Alice Coltrane, a jazz performer and composer and wife of the late saxophone legend John Coltrane, has died. She was 69.

Coltrane died Friday of respiratory failure at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, said her sister, Marilyn McLeod. (AP Newswire)

I don't know why, but I'm feeling a little sad today. I found out yesterday that Trane's widow passed. I really don't know much about Alice Coltrane but apparently she was an incredible musician as well. Click here if you would like to read the article from Yahoo! News. Sadly, she was not a Christ follower, but embraced Hinduism.

Today I'd like to talk about John Coltrane, the jazz saxophonist who died in 1967. Trane, for a lot of us young sax players, was one of the many greats we listened to and looked up to. His style was "vertical" as he improvised across the chords as opposed to say a Cannonball Adderly who played very horizontally. This style is no more clearly seen than in the tune "Giant Steps." In fact, you can click here to see the transcribed solo, and then click here and select Giant Steps from the drop down menu and watch the solo literally fly by. Be prepared to scroll fast!

I have to say that my all time fave tune by Trane was "Lush Life"; it's almost spiritual for me. Running a close second would be "Moment's Notice." To this day I still feel like my greatest tenor sax influences has to be John Coltrane. Too bad he died in '67. I wonder what would have been.

Many Jazz greats died in their prime - some drugs and alcohol. John's fave horn was a Selmer Mark VI like the one I had - well, mine was a few years newer than his - a 1968 ish model. (There's a picture of it on Trane's website if you watch the entire slideshow.)I even used an Otto Link just like his. However, I gave this horn up to God when I gave my life to him. I wish I had it back. (Call me crazy, but I'm actually praying for one!)

I'm sad today. I wish I had my tenor back. (woe is me!) I wish I could have met Trane. Maybe I will someday in heaven? Tye out.

God is big! (and he cares about me!)

Most of you know by now that I am an avid reader of the Bible. My love for God's word got turboed last year when I decided to read through The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language for the first time. I could hardly put it down! I started on January 1, 2006 and finished April 30th just four months later! OH MY!!!

I started back through The Message again November 22 and am on track to finish in three months this time. It's incredible! It's the potatoe chip factor - you can't eat just one!

Check this out. I read this passage a few days ago and wanted to share it with you. It is a paragraph about God's love written nearly 3k years ago by King David:

God's love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.
Psalm 36:5-6 The Message

Peterson tries to capture the essence of these verses with language that you and I understand. God is a great big God, with great big plans and purposes, yet he loves and cares for me! That is amazing! He loves me because he loves me, not because I am loveable! Have you ever thought about this?

Mere words from finite human beings will never be able to describe an infinite God who created the heavens and the earth. No wonder people struggle with understanding a gracious, merciful, loving God who came to planet earth to die for our sins. wow. Tye out.

The book that can change your life - part 3

We have talked about how the Bible is a book that change your life. I shared a message at New Covenant Bible Church December 31, 2006 on this topic and you can click here to listen online.

The Bible is a unique book for a number of reasons, one being that it has stood the test of time and incredible criticism. Many skeptics have made predictions that the Bible and/or Christianity would be silenced. Check out this quote:

The noted French infidel Voltaire, who died in 1778, declared that in one hundred years from his time Christianity would be swept from existence and passed into history.

Only fifty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used Voltaire’s press and house to produce stacks of Bibles. (Geisler/Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp123-124)

Bernard Ramm rightly observes:

A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.

No other book has been so chopped, knived, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles letters of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? with such venom and skepticism? upon every chapter, line and tenet?

The Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions, and studied by millions. (Bernard Ramm, Protestant Christian Evidences 1953, 232-233)

You can stand up at any High School commencement service and quote Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates, Plato, or Shakespeare and no one will get offended. But quote the Bible and all hell will break loose! Why is this? Because the Bible is a unique book that has stood the test of time, persecution, and continues to influence civilization in general:

The influence of the Bible and its teaching in the Western world is clear for all who study history. Civilization has been influenced more by the Judeo-Christian Scriptures than by any other book or series of books in the world. Indeed, no great moral or religious work in the world exceeds the depth of morality in the principle of Christian love, and none has a more lofty spiritual concept than the biblical view of God. The Bible presents the highest ideals known to men, ideals that have molded civilization. Geisler, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp196-197

So, how about it? When was the last time you opened this living, active, and dynamic book? Why not start right now! Let me know how it goes! Tye out.

The book that can change your life - Part 2

December 31st I had the privilege of sharing the message in all four services. You can hear the message online by clicking here. I opened the message with stats and statistics about the durability of the Bible. The Bible is a unique book!

It is the kind of book man wouldn't write if he could write it. The Bible portrays it's characters in stark reality and doesn't hide their short-comings.

It is the kind of book man couldn't write even if he wanted to. 40 different authors, over 1500 years, writers from diverse backgrounds, and not one single error or contradiction.

The bible is unique in its teaching. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the many indications that this book is from God. The prophecies about Christ are specific. Other prophecies like the one against Tyre in Isaiah 28 and the prediction of Christ being born in Bethlehem are specific and to the point.

We all need to get in the word on a regular basis and allow this book, the Bible, to change our lives! Tye out.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105 NIV

Zanny Henseler visited my blog - I think...

I have arrived as a blogger!!! Eat my dust www.kimpagel.org! (smile) I have always thought that it would be the "holy grail" of blogging if I could get a comment from some famous person I had blogged about. For instance, I have done book reviews and had always hoped to get a hit from the author. Or in the case of the show Deal, or No Deal I was hoping to get a hit from Zanny Henseler, the lime green girl who won a Cadillac Escalade, but came up short on the tax bill of $25k. Well, she left a comment on my blog - I think. Here's the comment:

Anonymous said... hey tye this is Zanny the lime green girl. Rob and Amy attached this website to my moms email. We just cheked her mail. That is awesome you got to watch the show. Im glad you liked me. I still havent recieved the green machine, but were are going to town on saving cans!!!!

Now, I'm wondering if this was one of my friends playing a practical joke on me, or if Zanny really left this comment. Does it really matter? Not really.

This blogging thing is an amazing phenomenon. People like me can publish their ideas for others to read and it is one more way for us to multiply our influence. It is also a place where many people can "meet" and share ideas. I have enjoyed hearing from many of you and each week I get hits all around the world. Tye out.

Happy New Year - a year of prayer

Happy New Year everyone! New Year's is a time for looking back, and it is also a time for looking back. As I look back over the past year I feel like I personally had one of the best years of my life. The ministry is going fantastic, I'm involved in the community now through various avenues, and we were able to move into our own home again.

One of my goals for 2007 is to have a more meaningful prayer life. I have finally been able to have a consistent prayer life that feels like I am finally communicating with my heavenly father the way I need to be. Here's what I'm doing:

1. Create a list - I want to be praying for all the teams I am currently working with so I started by listing all the teams I either lead or serve on which also includes my family. This also includes my cousins, and my only uncle, Lane. Employment needs, health, and special concerns are other categories. My list currently has almost 200 names which leads me to point number two...

2. Plan your prayer - With 200 people to pray for I quickly discovered that I will not be able to pray for every single person and issue every single day. So, I now pray for each ministry team once a week. I pray for my family every day, and also for those who have yet to accept Christ as their savior.

3. Budget time for prayer - I love reading the Bible and in all likelihood I will finish the Bible in February - only 3 months. But, I have been stopping early so I still have time to pray.

4. Prayer helps the memory - no kidding! I'm not the best at remembering names, and I have A LOT of names to remember. So, when I am struggling with someone's name, I put them on my prayer list and I pray for them by name. It really works!

I have found that by having a plan that I don't feel defeated like I used to, and I now have an objective to reach each day. I am really excited about this "break through" and the best part is I am already seeing results.

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3 NLT

The book that can change your life - Part1

Whew, I'm pooped! I did the talk in all four services at our church today and man I'm wiped out. It was a good day and it never ceases to amaze me that people actually listen to what I have to say and they say they even like it.

I spoke about how the Bible is an amazing book that can change our lives. I gave lots of facts and statistics to demonstrate why this book is so amazing. I then wrapped the talk up with some very practical tips on how to get into the Bible in 2007.

So, how about you? Have you developed the habit of reading the Bible on a regular basis? If not, why not start right now? Start with the book of John. Or, start with Philippians or Colossians. Read a verse a day, chapter a day, but start reading something. Tye out.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NIV

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!!!

Today we celebrated the 9th anniversary of the birth of our precious daughter Mackenzie! She wanted to have Hawaiian pizza and carrot cake. One of her new fave movies is Cars so her cake and decorations were all done up with the Cars motif. The Wohlers all came over and celebrated with us - thanks to Brian, Jody, Ben and Kathryn for stopping by to see us, and for giving Mackenzie a gift card for Panera - she loves those muffies! Click on the pic to see a slide show.

Andrew just got home and gave her a DVD game of Deal, or No Deal and we are getting ready to play. We got her the game Operation. (remember that one?) It is on sale at Walmart for only $8.00 so get yours while quantities are limited!

Anyways, happy birthday to you Mackenzie. You have been a wonderful daughter and we are so proud of you! A proud dad out.

Merry Christmas from the Male's

It was a great Christmas morning at the Male house this morning. Mackenzie was up at around 7 Am and we managed to hold off opening gifts until around 7:30. Once everyone had opened their gifts we enjoyed some of Sharon Pagel's world famous homemade cinnamon rolls that Josh brought over and they were delicious. Thanks Pagels! Click here to watch a slideshow of the festivities.

The kids got some much needed clothes and some fun stuff too. There was nerf disc shooters, Apples to Apples, an mp3 player, a Lightning McQueen alarm clock, and jewelry for the girls. Yours truly received a really nice stainless steel coffee mug from Star Bucks and some decaf Christmas blend. We just finished eating our Christmas dinner complete with turkey, sweet-potato casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and Allyson's amazing yeast rolls.

Another year and our family is all together. I can't help but wonder how many more years we will all be together - the kids are growing up so fast. The next thing you know, well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

Thank you Jesus for coming to earth to rescue us from our sins. Thank you for loving me so much that you went to the cross for my sins. Jesus truly is the reason for the season.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

Secret Santa in Spokane

I've got a couple hours before the next service starts at 3:30, so I thought I would share with you a story I saw online this morning. On Thursday in Spokane, Washington a lady was reported as boarding buses and passing out Christmas cards with a $50 bill in each envelope.

My blog entry on Free Hugs was about people who decided to give away free hugs and when you see the video it is quite moving.

This article entitled Bus Riders Gets Gifts from Secret Santa was about some unknown person giving away free 50 dollar bills. This story sounds a little familiar to me...

2000 years ago Jesus Christ took on the form of a man and was born in a stable in a little town called Bethlehem. He lived a perfect life and died a horrible, disgusting, death on a Roman cross and 3 days later came alive from the dead. He did all this so that you and I could receive a free gift - the free gift of eternal life.

And how do you receive this gift? Just like those people on the bus - you reach out and accept it. That's it! If you could earn it then it wouldn't be a gift! Why not accept Christ's offer of eternal life right now? Tye out.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16NIV

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9NIV

Digital family dinners

I was just getting ready to head on down to New Covenant for Christmas Eve services, all four of them, because I am playing in the band today when I decided to check the news online and I saw on Yahoo! News an article about digital family dinners. The concept is simple; you have a camera and microphone in your dining room and you can enjoy dinners with your relatives that are at a distance.

This sounds really good especially for those who cannot get out and be with other people very often. I was even thinking that we could be with our families this Christmas without the 8.5 hour drive! And when things get out of hand, you could just hit "mute!" HA! (just kidding there!)

But there is a downside to all this. People need the personal touch of other human beings: A hug, a kiss, a touch on the shoulder, a holding of hands, etc. If you don't believe this, click here to watch this video from a previous post. People need healthy touch and interaction.

Today, on this Eve of Christmas, why not reach out and touch someone (remember the old phone commercials!) literally. Share a smile, a handshake, a hug or some other healthy physical interaction that lets the other person know that they are valued! Tye out.

Book a Hollywood Celeb for New Years - or not

I ran across this article today and it got me to thinking a little. But first, read this artice.

Have a few extra hundred thousand dollars hanging around your house? Are you dying to cut open that mattress and spend wildly on unnecessary things? Well, have I got the list for you! Us Magazine polled event planners and got the low down on celebrity bookings.

Mariah Carey private performance - $1,000,000
Usher private performance - $1,000,000
Dr. Phil speech - $750,000 - $1,000,000
Nicole Kidman party apperance - $500,000 + jet
Jessica Simpson private performance - $400,000
Scarlett Johansson party apperance - $200,000
Demi Moore party apperance - $200,000
Nick Lachey party apperance - $100,000 (negotiable)
Pam Anderson party apperance - $75,000 - $250,000
Adrian Grenier private performance with band - $35,000

Well, have I got a deal for you! Instead, why not come on over to New Covenant Bible Church on New Year's Eve (8, 9:20, 11 Am or 5 PM) and I will appear for FREE!!! That's right, since the budget was tight this year at NCBC, they couldn't afford anyone else, so they got me for free.

However, I might show up for your private party with my saxophone for around $10k. I know this sounds expensive, but look at how much money you will be saving by NOT getting one of the people listed above. : ) (I'm cracking myself up here!) Tye out.

Free Hugs Here

I know I am supposed to be working on my talk for next Sunday, but my eye caught this article on Yahoo! News and it moved me deeply. Take a few minutes to watch this video. Warning - it is moving!

Wow! That was powerful! Click here for the actual site and see the comments that were posted. Love is a powerful thing. (that was "love," not "lust") This is the reason Christ came. He died on a cross so that our sins could be forgiven and so we could love one another. Our world is filled with hate (just check out some of the "Christian" sites - they seem so angry!) and it so desperately needs to know the love of Christ through a committed Christ follower.

So, give someone a hug today - just because. And if you haven't hugged your wife and kids today, then what you waiting for? Tye out.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2 Co 13:12NKJV

Festivus - an alternative Christmas celebration?

By now you are getting to know me pretty well, but you might not know that I have enjoyed watching reruns of Seinfeld and think they are quite humorous. (I am not endorsing every aspect of the show, of course)

One episode back in 1997 features the Costanza's (George and his parents) celebrating "Festivus" a holiday Frank made up that would be celebrated on December 23 with an unadorned aluminum pole as the centerpiece. The byline was "Festivus for the rest of us." Read what Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press Writer reports:

The "Seinfeld" Festivus episode developed from series writer Dan O'Keefe's childhood experiences. His father invented the holiday in the 1960s.

"As a kid, we'd come home and there'd be weird decorations," said the 30-something O'Keefe. "There was the playing of strange German and Italian pop music from the '50s. And the airing of grievances was a real thing."

Instead of a pole, his family celebration featured a clock and a bag. (O'Keefe said his father won't say what they symbolized.)

It seems that an enterprising individual has figured out a way to profit from this totally ficticious and made up holiday. Click here to read about it.

I am a Christ follower and I can tell you that I am thrilled to be celebrating Christmas. I feel sad for people who are confused by this holiday, or they are unwilling to take a good look at the truth claims of Jesus Christ who came to planet earth, born in a manger, crucified on a cross, and is risen again to pay the debt I could not pay.

Jesus is the reason for the season. Tye out.

Andrew's Video is now on YouTube

I just figured out how to imbed video right into my blog. So, here is Andrew's video he produced for Water Shed. Enjoy!

Email Interruptions

I don't know about you, but I am very easily distracted so today I took the advice of the guys over at Pastor Hacks and I turned off the dinger thing in Outlook because every time it goes off I spend a few seconds looking at who might have emailed me. That isn't really the problem though. You see, my problem is the amount of time it takes me to get focused again. Yikes!

But when I went to disable the dinger thingee it wasn't that easy. So I called on my trusty MS Office Assistant - I like the dog version - and found out how to turn the dinger off:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click E-mail Options, and then click Advanced E-mail Options.

3. Do one or more of the following:

a. Display a desktop alert when messages arrive
b. Play a sound when messages arrive
c. Change the mouse cursor when messages arrive

There you go! I hope this helps you be even more productive, especially since we are so close the Christmas break! Tye out.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra

I found this video on youtube.com. This is an incredible big band and I really enjoy listening to these guys. I hope you enjoy this video. Be sure to stop by their website for additional info, tracks and charts.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra.


This one loads real slow. Be patient.

I'm a Christ Follower (Mac vs. PC)-Part 2

This parody reveals how some people think of Christianity. They think we follow rules and regulations that draw us closer to God. Christianity is not about religion (man's attempt to reach God), but it's about relationship (God reaching out for man through his son Jesus). Enjoy!



Church on Saturday? Polished shoes? I love that line where Mr. Christian says "I'm all ready to go." While the clothes may make a man, what is in his heart is the most important thing.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV