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Staying Sane in the Midst of Insanity

Posted on November 5, 2009 by papajoemc

A colleague asked me the other day.  ”How do you stay sane in the midst of insanity?”  It seems our lives are filled with insanity and if we are not careful it is easy to get caught up in it!  A quick google search of the “phrase sane in the midst of insanity” revealed that there are a number of people searching for some kind of relief from the insanity in their lives.  I read posts from parent support groups to alcoholism support groups to the regular office worker trying to get by in his 9-5 job.

According to dictionary.com insanity means:  ”the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.”  Now, I think this definition could encompass many people suffering from many conditions.  So what is your “trigger point?”  What causes you to become insane or “crazy?”  I often to think of Homer Simpson when I think about someone going “crazy”

But then again there are lots of ways one can “go crazy” and more often than not we do not act like Homer and Simpson.

But when we feel like we are going “crazy” or start to become “insane” with trying to keep up with all the “stuff” in our lives we need help —  Then I begin to ask myself, where does my help come from?  Sure I have lots of support in my life.  I have my friends, my family and the community of the church that is there when I need them.  But for me it is more than that, my help also comes from the Holy Spirit which gives me power and courage to meet my daily challenges.

The Holy Spirit is there for you too, to help you face the challenges within your struggling marriage right now. …To face the challenges with your kids who may be driving you insane right now. … To face the challenges with your mother’s aging, your father’s aging……with their death. …To face the challenges with your aging and with your death. …

We watch as innocent lives are being taken around the world in war.   I weep at the injustice that so many people in our wold experience.  I see the strength of men and women who have hardships in their lives and yet they still move on and they not only survive but they thrive.  The only explanation that  I have is that when the Spirit is inside of you and the people around you, there is power, spiritual power and spiritual gentleness.

That spirit comes to us in our baptism.  Jesus was baptized not to get rid of his sins, but in order to carry our sins on the cross.  I don’t have to carry my past sins with me, my failures, my imperfections,  or my guilt. All the sins that I have done wrong and all the things that I haven’t done right are placed on his back, on his cross. Jesus is the one who carries the weight of sin. His baptism tells us he carries our sins the sins of the world.

I once read a story about a preacher who felt he was a gifted orator and had memorized Kipling’s poem, ‘If” for a high school thespian contest. The pastor recited the poem with great gusto.  He still remembered the poem and wanted to share it with his congregation.

“If you men can keep your heads when all about you, are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, and make allowances for their doubting too.

If you men can wait and not be tired of waiting. …Or being lied about, not deal in lies….

Or being hated and not give way to hating.  Yet don’t look too good nor talk too wise. …

If you men can dream and not make dreams your master….If you can think but not make thoughts your aim. …

If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and meet those two imposters just the same. …

If you men can fulfill the unforgiving minute, with sixty seconds left of distant run.

Yours is the earth and everything in it. And what is more, you will be a man, my son.”

As the pastor recited this poem, the “thespian” in him choked with emotion. He was on the edge of tears and filled with deep feelings. There was a long silent pause. During that pause and silence, a voice from the back of the room piped up, “What if you can’t?”

We can ask ourselves that —  no matter what is said or done, “What if you can’t?” What if you can’t master your dreams? What if you can’t meet triumph and disaster just the same? What if you lose your head when everybody else around you is keeping theirs? What if you can’t trust yourself? What if you can’t wait? What if you are tired of waiting? What if you are a lousy parent? What if you are a failure in marriage? What then?  …

Then you hear the words that you have been baptized, and that all of your burdens and imperfections and disappointments have been loaded onto the back of Christ, that everything is put on the shoulders of the one who carries the cross on our behalf.

In your baptism, you hear the words that Jesus Christ carries the sins of the whole world.  It is Jesus Christ who helps us stay sane in the midst of insanity.   Because I know if I did not have Jesus in my life, things would be harder, life would be more difficult and I very well might not make it from day to day.

So how do I stay sane in the midst of insanity?  I rely on the one who carried my sins to the cross – Jesus Christ.

Filed under: Thoughts | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Confirmation Ministry

Posted on October 28, 2009 by papajoemc

Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a two or three-year process where seventh, eight and/or ninth graders spend time in conversation about their beliefs of the Old Testament, New Testament and Luther’s Small Catechism.

Confirmation has become the “rite of passage” for Lutheran fourteen year-olds.  For many is is the most important moment of their young faith life with the emphasis placed on their confirmation vow.  However, at this peak of their faith life many junior high youth consider confirmation their “graduation” from church and many newly confirmed members drift away soon after their vows because they believed they had “completed” their instruction. As a result, Lutheran churches most recently have been trying new and varied approaches to better teach children about Jesus.

In the Confirmation Ministry Task Force Report of the ELCA, Confirmation is defined at

Confirmation ministry is a pastoral and education ministry of the church that helps the baptized through Word and Sacrament to identify more deeply with the Christian community and participate more fully in its mission.

With this  in mind the church on 370 had evaluated and reevaluated our confirmation ministry program.  We first started our discussion about Confirmation Ministry with scripture we see confirmation as “equipping the saints for the works of ministry…” (Ephesians 4:11) We invite families to engage in a two-year program that enables youth to grow in faith, to ask probing questions and to become active members in the life of the church. In addition to addressing the question of content, “What do we (I) believe?”, we also seek to answer such questions as “What do Christians do?”, “How do Christians live?”, “What does it mean to be called a Christian?”, and “What difference does Jesus Christ make in my (our) life?”

There are five major components in our confirmation ministry

1.  The Crucial Role of Parents

Because parents are learning partners with their children, and play a critical role in their child’s faith journey, we therefore:

  • Strongly encourage each parent to participate in the faith life of the church
  • Encourage parents to discuss daily high’s and low’s with their children
  • Invite parents to pray at mealtime and bedtime with their children
  • Seek their participation in learner sheets given to the confirmands during the year which are designed for parents and confirmands
  • Request that parents attend a mid-year evaluation with their child’s guides
  • Ask parents to oversee completion of a sermon outlines each week
  • Expect parents to insure that their children arrive on time and prepared for classes with their Bible, folder, small Catechism and pen.

The rest of the confirmation requirements are for the confirmands themselves

2.   Worship

  • Regularly attend worship
  • Complete sermon outlines as they worship
  • Involvement in the worship leadership of the church (usher, lector, acolyte, choir member,  altar guild)
  • Visit different faith communities with the class during the year

3.          Devoted to Learning

  • Attend Confirmation Preparation time with Pastor (9th grade)
  • Participation in confirmation camp during the summer following 7th or 8th grade.
  • Study of Luther’s Small Catechism
  • Study of key Biblical themes, books and verses, including the following work due on May 1st of each year:
  • 7th Grade: Outline the Gospel of Luke (Chapters 1-9)
  • 8th Grade: Outline the Gospel of Luke (Chapters 10-24)
  • 9th Grade: Develop personal faith project

4. Fellowship

Events will be planned to help assimilate confirmands into the life of the congregation. These will include such elements as lock-ins, key congregational events, and getting to know other youth through fun, fellowship, and food. The Christian community plays an important role in the formation of its members. For this reason we seek to involve peers, parents, mentors, and guides, as well as the pastor, in the process of confirmation.

4. Mission

Jesus invited his followers to respond to the needs of others in a way that modeled his own behavior. As He said in the Gospel, “In as much as you have done it to the least of these, so you have done it to me.” One basic element of Christian life is that of servanthood. We have been called to mission. Each year we participate in servant events that are designed to help us learn about Christian mission and to participate in that ministry. These events will allow our confirmands to meet people active in Christian mission and support their outreach endeavors with hands-on experience.

  • Participate in a minimum of four of the following eight annual servant events:                                          CROP Walk, Volleyball Marathon, Bowl-a-Thon, Vanderkamp Clean-up, Community Dinner, Block Party, Youth Garage Sale, or one that you propose
  • Develop a “Pay it forward” activity with members of their 9th grade confirmation class in conjunction with the Pastor.

As far as curriculum we are using Augsburg Fortress Here We Stand curriculum.  I have used it for the past three years and really enjoy how well it is laid out and how flexible it is to use.

Since we use three years of material and only have two years of program we have established a “pre-confimation” program.  I have been really excited about this program.  We have a large number of 5th and 6th graders who are eager to learn about the Bible and learn about their faith in God.  So we are using the 5th and 6th grade years to introduce the Old Testament to the group, to have opportunities to learn about the lighter side of church and to have opportunities to ask questions.  So far this has been very successful.

As we move forward in our confirmation ministry at the church on 370 we hope to create disciples, to build relationships in and among the group and to enable the youth to see their confirmation not as the end of their time in church but the beginning.

Filed under: Church Stuff, ELCA, Youth | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

What’s on your iphone home screen?

Posted on October 24, 2009 by papajoemc

This is a question I like to ask my friends who have an iphone.  I have checked out different apps that people have to see if I like them and if I would find them useful.  Right now I have about 100 apps on my phone.  The way I have things set up that equals to about 8 pages of apps.  Here is how I have them broken down.

Page 1 – The top apps that I use on a daily basis

Page 2 – Apps that on a semi-regular basis

Page 3- Again, apps that I use on a semi-regular basis

Page 4 and 5 — Games

Page 6-7 – Apps that are more “fun” apps that might pose themselves useful in certain situations

Page 8 -  Apps that are installed by apple that I will most likely never use (stocks, clock, you tube, ect)

That’s how it is broken down for me.  I would like to share the most useful apps for me, the ones that I use on a daily basis on my home screen.

Iphone Home ScreenContacts — I considered moving this to the last page on my iphone because I am not sure how often I use it vs going to the phone app on the bottom of the phone.  But for now I will keep it where it is at.

Calendar - I would be lost without my calendar app.  I also need to make sure that I add things in there — otherwise I can very easily double-book myself.  Right now I have my calendar synced with my Google Calendar directly.

Facebook - Need I say more?  I love facebook and I am on there all the time thanks to my Facebook app.

Weight Watchers Mobile- My wife and I recently joined up with weight watchers -  I don’t think I would keep track of my points if it was not for this app.  This app is the main reason that I signed up for Weight Watchers.

Byline -  This is my mobile blog RSS reader.  This syncs up nicely with my Google Reader.  Right now I subscribe to 89 blogs (I will try and update my link page to reflect that soon).

Maps-  I used this all the time before I got my GPS.  Since my iPhone is the first generation (2G) the GPS capability for my phone is not as good as the 3G or 3Gs.  In a pinch I still will use this app.

Tweetdeck – This app is my go to mobile Twitter app.  I like how it syncs with my desktop version.

Evernote -  I love the concept of Evernote and I am trying to use it to its full potential.  Recently I found  a great blog post on Evernote at The 2.0 Life.  This has really helped me in my search for the best way to use Evernote.

Olive Tree NASB Bundle – This is my Bible Reader of choice.  Olive Tree is a great company for anything that has to do with religious mobile readers.  This is the most expensive app that I bought (because I got the NRSV bundle) but it is well worth it, as a pastor I use it all the time.

Camera – The camera in the iphone isn’t the great but it is better than nothing.

Messages – I use this for text messages…duh!  I can’t wait until I am able to use the MMS messages (when I get the 3GS)

PocketMoney - I use this to keep track of my expenses on the run.  This is a great companion with YNAB.

IPod - My iPod – I have some of my favorite songs and videos on here.

GuitarToolkit -  I use this all the time with my guitar.  It is a great tuner and chord finder.

Sirius -  I love Sirius Radio.  I love how Sirius Radio is on the iPhone, I would love it even more if I could listen to the Patriots on my iPhone.

Then on the bottom of my phone I have the apps I use most often:

Phone — Duhh, it IS a phone you know

Mail -  I am obsessed with my email, so this works nicely for me

Safari -  I use Firefox on my desktop but this is a great way to surf the web on the run

reQall - I used Remember The Milk for a long time as my Todo app.  But a friend told me about reQall and I think it is great.  I especially love how I can add my todo’s with a voice recorder.

Filed under: iphone | Leave a Comment »

Twitter Prayer

Posted on October 6, 2009 by papajoemc

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”

Do you pray? I have to admit I don’t always have the best prayer life. Everyday things seem to get in the way of my devotional time. Something may come up and I push off my devotional reading and time I spend with God.

So I sat down the other day to think about my prayer life and things that I could do to improve my prayer life. God lead me to the above verses in 1 Thessalonians….In this letter Paul is telling the Thessalonians (and us) what the will of God is, and that is to pray without ceasing. So how do we do that? This does not mean that we need to be talking with God 24/7 – but what we can do is to thank God for all the little things that happen in our daily life.

For example, if we get up in the morning, we can say “thank you God for another day” – if we are not feeling well we can pray for help “Oh God, help me through the day” If someone cuts us off while we are diving to work, the store, or to school we can pray “God please protect them as they drive today and give them what they need to be a safe driver.” These are short prayers to God that can happen a number of times throughout the day. These are Twitter prayers!!!

For those who might not know Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers.

So our prayers could be like tweets to God – short, to the point and we can say a number of things: “Here I am send me” – “You are the potter, I am the clay” – “The Lord is my Shepherd” – Most of these prayers can be said in one breath and said over and over again. They can be there to help us with whatever we are going through – to focus our life and our energy on the one who created us and who loves us. Hopefully God then will tweet back.

Filed under: Monday Morning Church | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

It is well with my soul

Posted on September 28, 2009 by papajoemc

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!

Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio_SpaffordThis hymn was written by Horatio G. Spafford after two major events in Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially.  Later in his life, Spafford’s wife and four daughters were crossing the Atlantic on a ship namedVille du Havre, headed for vacation (Spafford was held up due to some business).  All of a sudden their ship collided with an iron sailing vessel and 226 people died including all four of Spafford’s daughters.  However, his wife survived and she sent him a telegram from England that read, “Saved alone…now what shall I do?” Several weeks later, Spaffordleft to meet his wife and his own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired the words to the song It is well with my Soul. Spafford once said that “They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief they experience here on earth.”

I have been thinking alot about souls lately.  I have talked with other clergy about the importance of walking with people as they search deep within their souls.

Bart_Sells_His_SoulMy first reaction when talking about souls is the episode of the Simpsons when Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for $5.00.  Lisa warns Bart that something bad will happen, but he doesn’t believe her until he can’t pass through automatic doors, and animals are afraid of him. Bart tries to buy his soul back but finds that Milhouse sold it to the Comic Book Guy, who sold it to an unnamed person. Turns out, Lisa bought Bart’s soul and returned it to him.

How many of us do not realize the importance of our souls?  How many of us have a soul that is not well?  How do I as a religious professional help people become well with their soul once again?  These are the questions that I have been pondering, and these are the questions that I do not have answers.  When I talk with people, it seems that everyone has something that they are dealing with, some more intensely than others and I want to be there for people, I want to empower them to take care of themselves which includes their soul.  So how do you build a network inside of the church to help people with their souls?  This is a question that I will be pondering, working with, talking about for the next year or so, hoping that one day it can be well with all of our souls.

Filed under: Faith, Thoughts | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Teen Advice – Confidence

Posted on September 26, 2009 by papajoemc

From time to time I would like to have some reflections for teenagers, reflections about life, relationships, or spirituality.  Here is my first installment.

Confidence

Confidence might be a scary word for many people. One definition used for the word confidence is “belief in your abilities.” Too many times you may put yourself down because of how you look or what you might think people are saying about you. But you do not have to live that way.

You are an unique individual, you have special gifts and talents that have given to you and you have opportunities to use them. Unfortunately the gifts and talents that you have been given might not always be noticeable right away, they may take months or years to develop. Most of the time you want to know what those gifts are now!

You see the school nerd who might not be popular but seems to be happy reading a book and getting straight A’s, or the three sport athletes who seem to have it all and you want to be like them. But most of the time you may find yourself unable to get straight A’s, or run without falling. Then where to you turn?

There are many people are in the same situation as you are. Where do you to turn when you feel like you have been rejected? What group will you fit into when you feel like you do not have anything in common with anyone? There are things that you can do to feel like you fit in with a group no matter who they are.

Believe in yourself.

This might sound simple but it is probably the hardest thing to do. You are special and you are put on the earth for a reason. If you believe in yourself you will show the confidence that is deep inside of you wanting to come out. Then there will be more and more people that will want to be around you more. There will be more and more people looking to you for advice because you will have something that they will want to have.

Body Language

Ninety percent of how someone judges you is based on your body language. For example, if you are sitting slouched in your seat with your arms crossed and a frown on your face someone might think that you do not want to talk with them, that you have an “attitude,” and you are likely to get a negative response. However if you sit up straight, have a smile on your face and look in someone in the eyes when they talk with you then you are more likely to get a happy, positive response.

Take risks

It might be hard but throughout your life you will have to take risks. So you might as well start taking risks now while you are young. If you see that girl or guy you like, ask them out. If there is a sport that you want to try out for but were scared to do so – try out. Sure you will fail every now and again but the more you take risks now, the easier it will be for you as you get older. Then when you are going for that big job interview where you will be making lots of money, the interview will not be so scary.

Do what you love to do

Sometimes you might feel more pressure from your parents and teachers than from your peers. All parents (weather they admit it or not) have an idea of what they want their child to be. Parents want you to be happy, but they also want you to be the best at anything you put your mind too. If you like to play sports, play sports, if you like to draw and paint, then draw and paint, if you like too hang with your friends and play video games, then do that. But whatever you do, love it – you do not have to be the best to feel like the best.

Surround yourself with good people

One of the greatest things that you can do to become more self-confident is to surround yourself with good people. By good people I mean people who love you and care for you. These can be friends or family members. These are the people who will look out for you to make sure that you are believing in yourself, showing off good body language, taking risks and doing what you love to do.

All of this is going to take time to accomplish. Don’t try too much too fast. There is no magic pill for you to be confident in yourself. All you can do is have an image of the person that you want to be and try everyday in becoming that person. The only way that you will eventually become that person is to know yourself, be yourself and love yourself.

Filed under: Teen Advice | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Summer Wrap-Up

Posted on September 14, 2009 by papajoemc

If it wasn’t for the Blog-off that I participated in earlier this summer, there is a high possiblity that I would not of touched my blog all summer.  I really got out of the routine of blogging and twittering over the summer (except at the national youth gathering).  I must say that I have missed posting and I do have a number of posts started but not complete.

I can’t believe it is September already, not only is it September but we are half-way through September!!

Anyway, I am back and I have lots to share over the next several days so keep posted.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Triathlon

Posted on August 5, 2009 by papajoemc

I have been working hard recently at getting myself in shape.  I have written about the successes and failures over the years on this blog.  Most recently with the support of my Biggest Loser group I have been pretty successful at losing weight.  I wanted that energy and momentum to continue over the summer.  My decision……to participate in a triathlon.

I know that this might not be the first option for anyone who weighs over 300 pounds but it has been enough motivation for me to exercise and stay active.

Now I am not totally crazy.  I want to start small with a sprint triathlon which is about an 800-yard swim, 14-mile bike, 3.0-mile run.  Exercise combined with my Chinch drinks (a new batch came yesterday!) I am continuing with the weight loss and getting ready for my triathlon

The first triathlon that I looked at was the Finger Lakes Triathlon.  I picked that because it was happening in mid-September so I thought that would give me enough time to get myself ready……to at least finish the race.

Well, I went online yesterday after I finished a 10 mile bike ride to register for the event but I found out that the event is closed!!! I was disappointed to say the least.

So I went online to look for more triathlons to participate in and the only other one in the area is Labor Day weekend!!!  It is called the Skinnyman (I hope they let me in) and it is a sprint triathlon.  This scares me because it is 16 days sooner so that is 16 days that I will me missing out on training.  I just hope and pray that I am ready!!

Since it is happening labor day weekend I would love to make a party out of it and hopefully get some support for the event.  Keep posted on the details!

Filed under: Biggest Loser Clergy, Losing weight, Personal Weight Loss, Training, Triathlon, Weight Loss | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

What do babies think about?

Posted on July 29, 2009 by papajoemc

I have been a father for about five and a half years.  I have two wonderful kids who I love very much.  The one question that I have asked myself over and over again as a parent is…..what is going inside the head of my children?

Now I am not stupid, I know that babies don’t have the ability to think as we do –  but what would they be thinking if they did have a developed language?  I know this is not a new idea.  There is a 1989 film that brought this idea to life in the movie Look Who’s Talking. But it is one of the first things I ask myself  when I see a new little baby.

The time that I really wanted to know what a baby was thinking happened during the summer of 2005.  As a part of my training to become a pastor I had to spend a summer as a chaplain in a hospital setting.  Now I have to be honest with you – before I started this experience I was trying to do everything I could NOT to actually be in the hospital.  Before my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) experience I had only bad experiences in hospitals and I was not sure how I would handle the summer.

I ended up going to Cooper Hospital in Camden, NJ.  This hospital met many of my requirements.  First I could get to it by public transportation.  This was important because at the time we only had one car.   Another thing I liked about this program was that I could do half of my CPE experience in the hospital and half could be in the community serving in another capacity.

Anyway, I got to the hospital and my the group of others that I would be spending my time with for the entire summer.  We did some training and then we had to choose which department we would be in for the summer.  I ended up in the pediatric unit and the psychiatric unit.

Well back to the point of this post…….

I want to share two of the many experiences that really impacted me that summer.

The first had to do with a baby less than a year old.  The baby was sick,  not injured and she needed fluids and antibiotics.  She was in the hospital for about 2 weeks.  The one thing that stuck out in my mind during her hospital stay was that I did not ONCE see her parents, or any other family member.  I can’t remember how she got to the hospital or how she left (I assume her parents did that).  But I would visit her everyday and I would talk with her and hold her little hand and sometimes I would cry with her.  Babies that young need constant care and attention and I thought that I could give her some of that when I could. I knew that the nurses were doing their best at spending time with her as well but they were caring for many, many children at the same time.

I also prayed for/with her.  Now this brought up some issues in my group because I was making assumptions about the faith practices of this baby and the family that she belongs too.  Since I did not have any information about a faith practice and I did not have anyone to talk with about about it, I thought it was okay to pray for the wellness of this baby and for the family unit.  But the question that was posed to me was “is it appropriate for me to impose my faith on someone who is not old enough to choose their own faith?”  I still wrestle with that question because I am not sure how to answer it.  I am making that choice for my own children but do I have a right to do that with a complete stranger?  Would I be offending the baby (or more likely the family) by praying with this baby?

My answer is no -

I say that because  I was praying for her health and wellness, but I say that with a slight hesitation…….  I can see the other side of the argument as well but if I had the opportunity to do back and do it all over again I would still make the same choice.

The other baby that will forever have an imprint on my heart came to the hospital because of an accident.  She was the same age as my son at the time.  I walked into the situation about 15 min after the baby came to the hospital.  Doctors and nurses worked on the baby for awhile but they could not bring her back to life.  This was my first experience with the death of a child.  It was worse for me because my son was the same age and I could not stop myself from imagining him in the same situation.  I went home that night and I held Logan so tight telling him over and over again that I loved him.

I was glad to be there on one hand because I was able to be a support for the parents and the hospital staff.  I talked with them, cried with them, and tried to listen to them and talk with them as they asked the unanswerable questions.

Besides my own upbringing, I feel these experiences have had a significant impact on how I am as a father.  I have realized from them the importance of contact with my children and cherishing every moment I have with them.  I don’t have a constant fear of them getting hurt or dying.  But I do appreciate all the time I have with them.  They are going to be young for so long and then I will lose them to teenageism, collegeishness, and adulthood.

What do babies think about?  I don’t know – what I do know is that we can learn from babies just as much as anybody else.

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This entry is Round 4 of the Blog-Off for Babies, a contest between bloggers to benefit the March of Dimes. Click on the logo above to see all the participants and read more about this contest.

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My Twitter Experience at the National Youth Gathering

Posted on July 28, 2009 by papajoemc

Twitter was a BIG thing at the ELCA National Youth Gathering.  I was glad to take part in it.  If you want to see all the twitter posts click here.
But below you will read about my experience through twittering.  It was one of the ways I tried to stay connected with people from St. Mark’s Baldwinsville and others who wanted to follow along with what we were doing.
Made it to JFK @ 1:15am. -next flight leaves at 1:49am but we will see #jjj09  1:20 AM Jul 27th from TweetDeck

Starting the long trip home ETA in Syracuse- midnight #JJJ09  2:58 PM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

AmazIng to commune with 38 thousand people- we ARE the body of Christ #JJJ09 12:21 PM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

RT @edkay77: the closing worship altar is made of painted house door and a drop cloth for the linens. nice touch. #jjj09 awesome!  11:02 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

We are Worshiping with 37,000 Lutherans at the Louisiana Superdome worship with us #JJJ09 http://elca.org/gathering  10:21 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

We are Worshiping with 37,000 Lutherans at the Louisiana Superdome worship with us http://www2.elca.org/yg09/m… #jjj09  10:19 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bp5wm. We made it on the floor for worship!!!! #JJJ09  9:48 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

RT @lenmason: Ever see 37,000 people take communion at one time? http://www.elca.org/gathering/ Live Web cast now. All are welcome. #jjj09 9:39 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

RT @Schnekloth: New Orleans has shown us true hospitality and accompaniment this week, and we are blessed. #JJJ09  7:59 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeck

Join us for the last night in the SuperDome: Live Webcast of #JJJ09 http://elca.org/gathering  7:21 PM Jul 25th from TweetDeck

It is hot in Baton Rouge LA – But the painting is done and it looks gooood.  1:42 PM Jul 25th from TweetDeck

On our way to Baton Rouge, LA for service. #jjj09  8:29 AM Jul 25th from TweetDeck

Up since 5 to begin Day 3: Servant Life Launch! A day of service for the city of New Orleans #JJJ09  7:03 AM Jul 25th from TweetDeck

@ELCAyouth nope please add away!  6:23 AM Jul 25th from TweetDeck in reply to ELCAyouth

Blog Update on our church’s Youth Gathering Experience http://lutherangrilledcheese.com #JJJ09 12:02 AM Jul 25th from web

Awe yea Skillet!!!! #jjj09  8:54 PM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

RT @nealffischer: Looking forward to the Live Webcast of #JJJ09 at the New Orleans SuperDome! http://elca.org/gathering 7:28 PM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bi3yu I have been singing “oh them lions for more than 15 years and I still love it! #jjj09 7:19 PM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bi3yu I have been singing “oh them lions for more than 15 years and I still love it! 7:18 PM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

Great day today! Sausage Gravy and biscuits for breakfast – I saw Bill Bixby, Chelsea Q, and Bishop Jerge! Relaxing until the dome #JJJ09 4:40 PM Jul 24th from web

Waiting for the interaction center #jjj09 11:32 AM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bfth5 Vanderkamp Rocks! www.vk.org #jjj09  8:51 AM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bft0r worship with Tangled Blue @apakans #jjj09 8:44 AM Jul 24th from TweetDeck

Going to bed so I can worship with Tangled Blue tomorrow morning!! #JJJ09 1:25 AM Jul 24th from web

RT @gbrenna: Know that you’re loved. Receive it… Then give it away. (@jaybakker) #jjj09 8:25 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/be0j9. @jaybakker is on talking about love 8:17 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

RT @erikullestad: The lead singer in the House Band looks like Coach Taylor’s wife in “Friday Night Lights”…I’m just sayin’. #JJJ09/agreed  8:06 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

I love the house band #JJJ09  7:36 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

RT @ELCAyouth: Live video from #ELCA Youth Gathering will resume Thurs (7/23) at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Watch at http://tr.im/tBJH 7:32 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/bdr3t at the superdome ready to hear @jaybakker much better seats tonight 7:13 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

Driving the trolly in NOLA #jjj09 http://twitpic.com/bcuzi  3:26 PM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck
Headed to do some touristy stuff in the French Quarter #jjj09 1:55 PM Jul 23rd from web

http://twitpic.com/bbuzw walking along the riverwalk #jjj09 10:53 AM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

@ Adult Leader Orientation – 7:30AM I hope they can answer all our questions #JJJ09.  8:29 AM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

RT @Schnekloth: Hoping tomorrow the words are on the BIG screens we were in nosebleeds and couldn’t read the lyrics to songs #JJJ09 us too  12:44 AM Jul 23rd from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/baeaw dinner a the crazy lobster # jjj09 10:49 PM Jul 22nd from TweetDeck

http://twitpic.com/b98f2. Landed in NOLA #jjj09  5:35 PM Jul 22nd from TweetDeck

Meeting up with other youth groups in JFK to fly our last leg to NOLA 1:42 PM Jul 22nd from TweetDeck

in the airport getting ready to go to the gathering #jjj09  10:57 AM Jul 22nd from TweetDeck

RT @christinaauch: RT @netzercurator: AP calls #JJJ09 “largest service ministry even ever attempted in three days…” // Please RT  8:41 PM Jul 21st from TweetDeck

RT @twirlingforfun: Quote from the street, “The town is filled with Lutherans, we are safe.” #JJJ09 #TCLC– awesome!!!  8:38 PM Jul 21st from TweetDeck

RT @lenmason: Bishop sighting! http://twitpic.com/b4u25 #JJJ09 (via @j8ke)  4:36 PM Jul 21st from TweetDeck

RT @j8ke: Bishop in the house http://twitpic.com/b4u25 #JJJ09 4:32 PM Jul 21st from TweetDeck

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