2 years ago tonight

Two years ago tonight, Tricia and I were sitting in a hospital room staring at the most beautiful creation we had yet seen in our lives. Our son, Davis Joseph. Nearly impossible to believe he was ours. Still hard to believe today. Formed in love, by the love of God for us to raise and nurture.

Two years ago tonight, Davis could pretty much breathe, suck and cry. Couldn't even poop yet, I don't think. TMI!

Well, tonight we went out to dinner, carried on semi-conversations, had ice cream, went bowling, read stories and prayed together. What a special day. I am not a big "birthday person"...unless it is my kid's birthday (so, I learned today)!

Here are just a few things that I have learned in the last 2 years:

• I did not know I could love like this.
• People were right. It only gets better and better. I did not believe them at first.
• I will never get a "do-over" on a single day or memory! I vow not to blow them!
  
• We are not sure who has learned more about life over the last 2 years. Him or us. He is learning so fast, but we are too! Learning about parenting, marriage while parenting, loving, serving, modeling, faith, selflessness, etc.
• Holidays and traditions move to a "whole nutha level" with kids around.
• And of course (brace yourself for the bragging that follows)...We feel like God has blessed us with an exceptionally great little boy. Awesome sleeper, warm and sweet personality, loving and affectionate, sensitive, and bright.
  

Tricia and my life was changed two years ago tonight! We want to say thank you to each one of you in our lives who has loved Davis and made his first 2 years of life so special!

Here are some pictures comparing tonight to the night he was born:

List Person; A Sample Task List

Once you get me started, it flows. Lemme post this real fast and then I will stop. You would be shocked to find out how many people I have talked with that just do not know what kind of things are fair game for a task list. Everything is fair game! I do not and COULD not have multiple task lists. Everything is written in one list! One list including personal tasks, Daddy tasks, Hubby tasks, church tasks, ministry tasks, school tasks, etc. And all day, I glance at that list for my marching orders.

Here is a sample task list. It is (some of) my task list for TODAY, January 7, 2009 with some name changes where needed:

• Complete Sunday Message prep
  
• Email Capital Assignments
  
• Schedule meeting with Bob and Sally
  
• Sync my PDA
• Rake the back yard
  
• Blog about being a List Person :-)
  
• Call Pastor Paul about blank
• Update FT staff Job Descriptions for 2009
• Change Sign out front
• Stay on top of email inbox
  
• Finalize annual staff contracts
  
• Schedule a meeting with Entry Point Coaches
• Get Corn Hole bags re-sowed
• Listen to Connection Power trainings online
• Finish "blank" document
• Call Griffith's
• Schedule doctor's appointment
  
• Send a check to Bill
• Finish my ordination paperwork
• Work on 2009 Preaching Calendar
• Finish development of Entry Point for Staff review
  
• Plan 1/14 offsite staff meeting
• Finish touch up painting at the house
• Organize attic
• Paint the porch roof
• Schedule a corn hole tournament
• Read for next Masters class

Note 1: This is just for today. I did not go into the things already on for tomorrow and the months ahead.

Note 2: I will NOT get all of this done today!

Note 3: Anything not done today gets changed to tomorrow's date.

Note 4: These tasks are done between meetings. Today, I have 5. Jesus is always one of them.

Note 5: In just one week from now, this list will be totally different as much will be done and many new items will be added.

Now that you know more about me than you ever wanted to know...

Later.

List Person; The System

Continuing from yesterday, I thought I would share about my own personal homemade organizational system today. Later, I will share more about its strengths, weaknesses and so on. I also look forward to sharing about the conversation between my task list and my calendar. The talking calendar. So fun!

How it started: I started college in 1998. I was a full time student. After the first week, I had 5 syllabi in my hand, totaling hundreds of assignments, readings, tests, quizzes, deadlines and details. I knew that I would fail if I failed to organize it all, so I bought a monthly calendar at Staples and a pack of legal pads. I took the time to write all the dates and deadlines into the calendar and then I made a to-do list for that day. The calendar was for tomorrow and forward. The task list was for today! I slid the legal pad into my 8.5x11 monthly calendar and carried the 2 with me everywhere I went. Each day, I would:

• Have a task list with a nice heading handwritten in my sloppy writing..."To-do list 1/7/09"...and have a bulleted list of everything that I wished I could accomplish that day.
  
• Look at my task list often. Morning, meals, classes, chapel...often!
  
• Do things on the list throughout the day. (I struggle with doing the fun and easy things first. But the problem is that they add up. That leads to putting off the larger more difficult tasks. Which leads to procrastination. More on that later.)
  
• Experience the elation of scratching items off the list as I finished them. (Did I mention that I LOVE putting a line through something?)
• Think of things to do tomorrow and start writing tomorrow's tasks on the next page.
• Look at my calendar a time or 2 throughout the day anticipating what is coming up in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks. Then, typically add something to the task list such as... "Begin preparing for blank."
• Finally, at the end of the day, every task that was not completed got written on the next page to be done the next day.
• Repeat each day.

The whole system rides on the relationship between the task list and the calendar. I will post about that soon.

--Noah

PS...in 2000 I made the leap from paper to electronic. Same system! Just using a mobile device (PDA). I am a HUGE Palm OS fan. To this day.

Looking Past Economic Woes

A brother in the church sent me this tonight. He expressed how appropriate these words are for our time. I agree. Warning: it is about the economy...in case you are just sick of hearing about it. But, it's good.

How many denominations are there, anyway?

I always say that CCF is quite diverse:

• Generationally
• Culturally
  
• Economically
  
• And Denominationally. (I calculate that we have well over 30 different denominational backgrounds present in our church.)
  

Well, I found a fascinating collection of info this evening. According to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there exist roughly 39,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2008. That is up from 500 Christian denominations in 1800, and the number is expected to grow to 55,000 by 2025.

If you like data and numbers...you must check out this one web page. It has some very revealing numbers. Wow! Click Here!

--Noah

List Person

I have been a serious list person for better than 10 years. This may sound crazy, but I often feel that my integrity is wrapped up in my lists. If my word means something, then I need to keep it. If I am going to keep it, then I need to remember it. If I am going to remember it, I better write it down. It started back in college when the load of responsibility seemed to be more than I could juggle. I knew that I would forget what I had to do or forget what I said I would do.

So, over the last 10 years I have stayed organized and on task with the same system. It worked in college, it worked when I was a College Residence Director, it works as a Pastor, a student, and even as a Husband and Dad! After 10 years of developing this system of organization, I thought I would write about it some. It is not from Franklin Covey or any other organizational guru. It is my own weird system by which I organize my world. It involves the relationship between my calendar and task list.

You may find it interesting and helpful. You may not. Regardless, over the next few days, I will post about it.

Are you a list person? How do you keep organized?

Luke 16:10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

I dream of a team...

Today, our Staff grew from 4 to 7! What a special day this is for so many reasons! This is my favorite day of 2009!! After a great time of prayer as a staff this morning, we all took turns completing the sentence, "I dream of a team..." Here were some of our responses. Pray with us that these dreams become our reality as we work together each day:

We dream of a team that...

• Is fun, silly and loves coming to work!
• Is Authentic, honest and real.
• Is thoroughly equipping volunteer leaders.
• Is a well oiled "God-Machine".
• Has clearly defined roles yet is incredibly flexible.
• Is seeking the presence of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Is great at releasing people to lead.
• Is not threatened by each others gifts, but rather sees them as a compliment to the team.
• Will rigorously defend one another and address their concerns directly to each other.
• Can serve as a support to each other in tough seasons.
• Has an eye for contributing to the growth of the church.
• Is sold out to the vision!
• Knows how to trust that Jesus is at work in each other...even when the decisions that they make may not be exactly how we would do it.
• Is being built on the power of the total team, not the abilities of a few "stars". Instead of a star player taking us to a championship, we all get there together.

What teams do you serve on? How do you want that team to function for the greatest impact?

What a start!

What a start to 2009! Great service this morning. Not necessarily because it was the best planned, most organized, creatively presented, or that we were somehow more on top of our game. In fact, we weren't! We were stumbling through some things after most of us being out of the office this week. But, that stuff all matters much less than I probably think. What matters is that lives are impacted. And they were! Here are some testimonies from just this morning that I am excited about!!

• One young man gave his life to Jesus for the first time!
• Another person recommitted their life to Christ.
• An 18 year old came up to me and said he did not want to be just sitting there anymore. He wanted to know what he can do to serve!
• A lady who has been in the church for many, many years came up to me and confessed that her doubt and questions about the church have been replaced by a passion for the vision and the future.
• One couple took a big step today toward restoration in their marriage.
• Another woman came to me in tears to say that "this is her year of greatest commitment to CCF and to the Lord!"
• Someone else came to me and told me that they can no longer put it off...they are ready to go all in and want to join next Sunday.

Each of these things I just shared are signs of lives being impacted and transformed. This is why I do what I do. Look, there are just the few things that NOAH can remember about today. There are many things that others in our community saw and heard today that I have no idea about. And there are many things that the spirit of God did today that we cannot see and measure. For all of this...we give God the glory!

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Romans 11:36

These last 2 weeks

Does anyone else feel that these last 2 weeks have been exceptionally positioned to maximize the holiday break? Don't get me wrong, I probably worked 60-70 hours over the last 2 weeks...but much of it from my Pajamas and a lazy boy! Tricia has been off, we have chilled out big time, traveled and really enjoyed these last 2 weeks. She just told me this morning that this has been the best Christmas vacation she has had in 5 years of teaching. It has seemed never ending. We feel really well rested and connected.

Well, tomorrow it is church & football! Then, Monday...it is off to the races. 3 new staff members join the team, we are all back in the office and I am REALLY looking forward to staring 2009!!

Here we go, baby!!!

Our God Reigns!

There is a verse in my heart today...

Isaiah 52:7 says:
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

Are you bringing good news today?

Are you proclaiming and announcing peace and salvation around you?

Do you believe that you can?

I am really thankful today that OUR GOD REIGNS!! Always has! Always will!

Read the Bible!

I wanted to share with you a very impressive online program called YouVersion. It is designed to help you read through the Bible in a year. It has some really cool features that go along with it like bookmarking, emailing and journals. Here is the link. Check it out! It may be something that could really work for you in your journey toward faithful Scripture reading.

--Noah

Farewell 2008...A Closing Prayer

Well, here goes my last post of 2008. A closing prayer for the year that was on my heart since this morning. I welcome you to pray it as you read it.

Father, thank you for this past year. Thank you for the gift of life in 2008. Thanks for your faithfulness shown in many ways all around the world. Thanks for the many simple signs for your faithfulness and might...like the 365 times that the sun rose and set this year. Lord, even though this year was full of pessimistic reports in our world, you are a great God and the giver of good gifts. Help us to keep focused on what is eternal, not the temporal mess we may see sometimes. Our God, tonight we give you praise through our struggles, rejoice in you, trust your plans, and we know that in our weakness, you are made strong! Thank you for 2008! We praise you for all that you did in our lives and our world!

And now, our King and Friend, we place this coming year into the hands of the one who gives us life and breath. We submit to your leadership, long for your love, desire your will, adore your name, believe in your son, and yearn for your spirit's move in our lives, your church and your world this coming year. God, we ask that this year be a year of healing, hope, restoration, victory, justice, peace, and favor! And, Lord, as we see those things, may we be careful to give you all the glory.

So, Lord, take all of me, all for you! Through Jesus, our Savior and coming King, Amen.

My wife, the bookworm

I know I am posting a lot today, but we are stuck inside in a snowstorm (slightly bored).

As we were sitting here hanging out, my wife informed me that she read 67 books since March. Yes, you read that right. And the books she reads average about 500 pages each. If you are doing the math, that is about 33,500 pages of reading in 10 months! She loves reading...obviously. But, the crazy thing is that she was a reader when she was a kid and a teen, stopped when she left for college and then started again in March of this year. So, from my perspective, she went from a non-reader to a mad-reader overnight! Crazy amount of books! For the record, I read 1 book for every 10 she reads.

So, now you know our idea of a great night...Noah on the laptop, Tricia with a book, and we are one happy couple! Aren't we exciting? :-)

--Noah

Snow Baby says Hi!

New Year's Trip to New York

Here are a few pictures of our time in New York. Nice to be back at the wife's stomping grounds. Lots of memories here! I lived here for a summer, interned at her Dad's church, we were married here....Nice to capture some of our trip in photos. Thought we would share...

Unstoppable; A Preview

I just came off of a "no-internet" morning (which I have been doing a lot more of recently). This is when I work from a Bible and a Word document and let the Lord speak as He wants to. And as I listen, and think, I write and meditate. I am finding that more of my heart and God's heart come out in my messages when I am not online. Hard to explain.

Well, this morning I worked on the upcoming vision series, "Unstoppable". I was able to get pretty prepared for this Sunday and even start preparation for next week as well. I am officially really excited about these next 2 weeks!! I feel God inspiring me with new clarity and new passion for a vision that was cast a couple thousand years ago. More Sunday.

--Noah

2008...A Happening Year! (52 Highlights)

I will make it an annual blog tradition to look back over the year and name the highlights. I took time today to look back over my blog since January and re-read some of the memories. It was actually a profoundly moving experience! I kept having to double check that I was still reading the correct year. Overall sense in a statement: 2008 was one happening year!! It seems as though there were enough memories and experiences to spread over 5 years. Wow! Well, here they are...the 52 highlights of 2008 (ministry, family, personal, all included in the list...diverse representation of the year):

1. Loving Jesus
   
2. Loving Tricia
3. Loving Davis
   
4. Vision Casting! Message, series, meetings, discernment....
5. Davis turning 1
6. Relationship Weekend with Ron and Trevor Hall
7. Day spent with Rick Warren
8. Upper Room completed and opened!! (And paid for!!!)
9. Moving my office upstairs
10. Pastor Mike's ministry among us. (and his quick goodbye)
11. A new pulpit!
12. Getting locked in my office
13. Easter 2008; Revivify your passion
14. Visiting Seacoast Church
15. Finalizing our new Purpose Statement
16. Pottery Sunday with live Potter
    
17. International Sunday; Message in a Bottle
18. Momentum Message, first ever video sermon
19. Mom and Dad's 40th
20. Drive Conference 2008
21. Postponing my Sabbatical
22. Speaking at the LCS Commencement
23. I met Twitter!
24. Being Garth Brooks on a cruise
25. Falling in love with Corn Hole (and making our very own CCF set)
26. One Heart Series
27. VBS; God's Big Backyard
28. Moving! (no small task)
    
29. Cardboard Testimony Sunday
30. Welcoming the Kauffman's to CCF (our new Bishop)
31. Friend Day 2008
32. Merging to ONE service
33. Launching Sunday Small Groups (Which have been a big win!)
    
34. Making Connections Curriculum (Go Nelson!)
35. Launching our NEW CCF Website!
36. Celebrating my one year Blogiversary
37. Growing with our Thursday Small Group
38. Growing with my Sunday Small Group
39. Creating our first ever Annual Ministry Map for 2009
40. Development of the Ministry Leaders Team
41. Getting a John Deere!
42. Attending Willow Creek Group Life Conference in Chicago
43. Church Retreat
44. Obama elected as President
45. Habakkuk Message Series
46. Christmas Party & Production; A Twisted Christmas
47. Hiring Caleb as Director of Worship
    
48. Hiring TC as Youth Pastor
49. Hiring Tricia as Director of Children's Ministry
50. Positive shifts in CCF Culture
51. Worshiping together every weekend
52. Transformed lives!!
    

Canadian Police Chase

Well, we are here safely in Albany, NY. Cool to see piles of snow along the roads. Since I am just a few hours from Canada, I thought I would share this funny short video clip with you. You'll get a laugh.

I Need You to Survive!

Man, I am feeling this video! My Brother in Law, Randy loves gospel music and when he finds a good one, he punts it to me. I love this song. Simple words, fatty fat key changes. By the way....Let me go on record saying that...I LOVE black gospel choirs. I am not saying I dislike white choirs, but....ok...lemme stop. Bye.

Donuts (not the kind you eat)

Here is a link to check out the video on my sister-in-law's blog: CLICK HERE! She lives in East Greenbush, NY where Tricia grew up. They are getting hammered with snow this winter and they get to do what I love...donuts! Driving up Sunday after church to spend New Year's with them. I hope we see some of the white stuff. If so, donuts will be happening.

--Noah