Are You About Your Father's Business?

Are you a business owner, President, CEO, or General Manager who could benefit from the insight and counsel of other business owners who will help you make business and personal decisions from a Biblical perspective? That was the question Jim Lange asked me via email. I met him at the Prayer Breakfast during the National Day of Prayer last May. And while I don't own a company, I checked off on their survey that I did because I am committed to being about "my father's business" [cf. Luke 2:49]!!! LOL!!!

So yesterday when Jim introduced Ray Hibbert from Truth @ Work, a non-profit organization out of Indianapolis [click pic for more], and Ray challenged 50 local business owners [and the only pastor present, me!!!] to give 5 hours/month and pay a significant chunk of monthly change [he told us to think of it as "tuition" pursuing your MBA — which actually is available through Drew University] to join one of their monthly Business Roundtable Groups, I decided to do it [hoping the tuition money could be raised].

The rationale? The Barna Group says 78% of Americans will be having spiritual conversations this next week. But 71% of those conversations will be taking place at work because that's the number of Americans who will NOT be attending church this weekend. So the idea? Get 10-12 local business owners together to hold each other accountable to leading with integrity. It's basically a high cost, high expectation, high reward small group full of people unconnected to God but wanting to be.

So I'll keep you posted. I already told them I'm the pastor at the Toledo First Adventist Church in Sylvania. But they let me stay anyway. LOL!!! I know God is going to use them to grow me up. And perhaps, God will use me to grow them too because together we'll be about our Father's business!!!

Does Jesus Love Wheelies?

I bet the guy who loved to walk on water loves wheelies too!!! And this year at our Car Show, there will be more wheelies, dragsters, burnouts, trophies, and cool cars than ever before in addition to hot dogs, fresh squeezed lemonade, and free middle eastern food from our good friends at Aladdins just down the road [YUM!!!]. Local Toledo legend Johnny Rodriguez and his "one man band" will also be here to play 4 solid hours of live 50's and 60's music. And he takes requests so be ready to pick your fave!

There will be a special Kid Zone inside the air conditioning [showing the movie Cars!!!] and another outside with a giant inflatable to jump on. Tours of our school, daycare, and church will be leaving the registration table at the top of every hour. And invitations to Cars 4 Kidz 2008, Kid Connect, Circles, Adventurers, Pathfinders, and Turbulent Times Family Finance Seminar will be at church and on the registration tables throughout the day.

Once again, all donations go toward the purchase of Webkinz to comfort kids with cancer all winter long. And any donation gets you entered into the drawings to win Best Buy gift card and new this year — a suite for Blue Suede Cruise the weekend of September 5-7, 2008 at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Click the top pic for more on Cars 4 Kidz 2008 including online pre-registration for car show owners. Click the bottom pic for more on Blue Suede Cruise.

Cars 4 Kidz on September 1, 2008/Labor Day from 11-4pm promises to be a great day for family fun. What a great way to introduce your family and friends to the God who loves them [and wheelies] like crazy!!! You do not have to be a member of Toledo First to participate!!!

Time To Help Ty?

It’s true – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is coming to Toledo! The excitement begins on Sunday, September 7, 2008, when Ty Pennington and his team of designers will lead the build in a remarkable 106 hours over seven days.

Five families living in the Greater Toledo area are currently in the running for this honor and the chosen family will be announced on Sunday, September 7. Once chosen, the family will travel to a dream vacation destination for a week of rest and relaxation. Meanwhile, back in Toledo, over 3,000 sub-contractors, skilled trades, and volunteers will be performing a labor of love to make this home happen.

And THAT'S where you come in! Wouldn't it be cool if a bunch of Toledo First folks in Haven of Hope T-Shirts were part of that volunteer army fixing that house? We could be! Click the pic to register!!! The family will return to Toledo on Sunday, September 14 for the Big Reveal. Friends and family will be there to welcome them home and to help Ty Pennington “MOVE THAT BUS!”

Is Silence Golden?

Joshua and Lydia went back to school on Tuesday. Joshua is in 3rd grade and came home telling me he wants to have his multiplication race car at the finish line by Christmas. His new teacher has a race care bulletin board marking the progress of the students memorization of the times tables.

Lydia is in 1st grade and is already collecting Banana Bucks. Which is currency in the land of no naps. If she's on time for school and if she finishes all her work at school, the teacher gives her a Banana Buck. When she accumulates enough Banana Bucks, she gets to buy a book she likes. Our school has such great teachers!!!

Here's a pic taken on their first day. After they left for school, we realized that silence truly is golden!!!

Pounds For Petrol?

Fifteen members of a New Hampshire church have volunteered to lose weight to pay for church heating oil this winter. Pounds for Petrol participants at Newfields Community Church have sought sponsorship for their weight loss to pay for the oil. The volunteers began the effort in June. Their final weigh-in will be in November.

Pastor Jean Bass says with members helping to fund fuel costs, the church will not have to sacrifice its other missions, such as the food cupboard it offers. Bass says the Newfields church spent $7,700 on fuel last year, and prices have soared since then.

Anybody think this is a good idea to raise money for our gym?!! [Click pic to see what the new gym will look like.]

Will The Justice League Stand Up For The Sweathogs Or The People Of The 301?

I don't know. But those are the names of the 3 fantasy football leagues I'm playing in this year. That's right people. Pastors play fantasy football. But aside from the petty cash, the "Dennis" trophy, and bragging rights, why do we do it? Three reasons.

#1 Because everybody knows your [team] name. Mine is Cold Stone. Named it after the ice cream. And because it's SO easy to speak truth in love with it on Monday mornings LOL!!! For example, week 1: "I TOLD you to watch out for that Cold Stone win blowing in from the Midwest!!!"

#2 Because everyone is always glad you came. Especially when you man up and log on for the live draft this Saturday night. Funerals and honeymoons and interviews are no excuse!!! Get online and be there. Or the computer picks your team for you and you hear about it week after week after week. Does that happen to you when you miss church?

#3 Because God loves people like crazy. And so should we. Big thanks and WTG to Roy Bing Wu for inviting me to hang out with all my Takoma Academy peeps in Maryland's 301!!!

Aren't Both Beautiful?

Seven year old Chinese singer Yang Peiyi (left) with her crooked teeth and chubby cheeks was deemed not good looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony. So nine year old Chinese girl Lin Miaoke (right) lip synched the song Milli Vanilli style.

Peiyi is a well behaved 1st grader who loves the Peking opera. Miaoke knew she was lip syncing, but didn't know it wasn't her voice!!! Her father is a photo journalist at Beijing's Legal [as opposed to the illegal] Evening News.

But before we criticize the communists, didn't they make the switch for the same lame reason successful Christian singers seemingly all look picture perfect slim and thin? Christians who don't deny the diversity and beauty of all the red and yellow black and white God created should be above such foolishness. But are we? Aren't both these little girls beautiful?

Why Did Leno Laugh?

Probably because, like many people, he doesn't understand how rising food prices [the August 13, 2008 Toledo Blade article I read said food prices are forecast to rise by 5% this year which is the largest annual increase since 1990 and another 4.5% in 2009] will have a devastating impact on the working poor.

Click the play button above to see why praying at the pump [and refinery coming soon] is really no laughing matter. Though this video from his clever monologue on the July 29, 2008 Tonight Show implies otherwise...If you don't see video player with triangular play button above, click here to watch clip from the NBC website.

Ready To Register?

On September 1st, 2008, we'll be hosting our 2nd annual Cars 4 Kidz car show to benefit children in crisis. In addition to more cars, prizes, games, live 50's and 60's music, free food and fresh squeezed lemonade, we will again be collecting donations for Webkinz stuffed animals to comfort kids with cancer at St. Vincent's Mercy Children's Hospital on Saturdays all winter long.

Click the pic to register online or to download a hard copy to share with friends. Additional flyers and invitation cards are available at church.