Category Archives: Spilling Personal Secrets

My Life, Resources, Spilling Personal Secrets, Top 5 Things

Top 5 Things: Sick Things

So I’ve been hanging out in bed since yesterday afternoon because I got the ole stomach bug. I’ve been swigging the Pepto and wishing for the end of the world to come quickly. Obviously I am not a big fan of being sick. So… I thought I’d post a list of my Top 5 Things to Do While You’re Sick. Next time you’re under the weather try a few of my suggestions and hopefully you’ll feel better. Enjoy the list!

1) Monopolize the Couch- You’re sick. You deserve to take up the only piece of furniture that has direct access to the television. In fact, you also need to have complete control over the tv and the remote. Sure, you’re so sick that you pass out and sleep for hours on end but when you regain consciousness the tv better be on the channel I left it on or so help me…

2) Pretending Like You’re Not Sick- Sure, everyone else in your immediate family came down with a horrible, West Nile style stomach virus but that’s NOT what you have. You just ate something funny. You’ll be ok. Just push through.

3) Acting Like a Baby- When I’m sick this is one of my favorite things to do. So what? Who cares? Give me this one thing! Don’t judge me!!!

4) Curling Up in a Ball and Weeping- In the Seinfeld episode titled, “The Dinner Party,” Jerry eats a Black & White cookie that causes him to break a 14yr vomit-free streak. While my streak has never been this long I try to go years between ralphs. I hate, hate, hate throwing up. When I dashed to the porcelain god yesterday all I wanted to do was weep and wail. And I did.

5) Rest- Ok, this one is for real. The best thing you can do when sick is rest up. In fact, there is a good chance that you got sick because you failed to get enough rest. It makes no sense to keep running yourself into the ground when you are laid up. Take this opportunity to catch up on your rest so you can get back on your feet sooner.

Resources, Spilling Personal Secrets, Study

Give It Away

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Some have asked me how I take notes or how I can remember specifics from things that I have read long after the book has been retired to the shelf. Well wonder no more!

I got this from Tim Sanders’ book, Love Is The Killer App a few years ago so I can’t take any credit for this. I implemented this approach since then and began seeing the benefits almost immediately. Maybe this approach will help you as well. Using the last book I finished I’ll show you pictures of what works best for me.

First I jot down notes and references on the inside of the front cover (see picture below). I make sure to write the page number first and then follow it up with the main point, thought, or summation of the idea that I find interesting. Sanders recommends allowing only one line per note but that doesn’t work for me. When finished this becomes an index for all the takeaways and information that you have found helpful, insightful, or just plain interesting. It will serve you as a pretty good roadmap next time you’re tying to remember something you read. Best of all this info isn’t stored on your computer or on a some ratty piece of paper shoved between the pages. These notes will be forever with the book. Pretty handy indeed!

Notes (Front Cover)

After I’ve taken notes on the front cover I then write down quotes and definitions in the back of the book (see pic below). I am not as diligent about writing down full quotes in the back as I am with jotting notes in the front. Typically, if there is a great quote more than likely I’ve highlighted it. Regardless, writing down full quotes helps you internalize the message and aids you in remembering what you found important or interesting.

Notes (Back Cover)

So there you go! Maybe this method of note taking will help you become a better reader or maybe even a better leader.

What do you do to help yourself better understand or retain what you’re reading? Leave your solutions or ideas in the comment section. Let’s help each other learn and lead with greater understanding.

Giving Thanks, Parenthood, Spilling Personal Secrets, Stories, Worship

Life

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It has now been revealed that I am going to be a dad. Start your prayers NOW.

It has been difficult keeping this under wraps and we had to out ourselves to a few people along the way but it is out now for all to know and we couldn’t be more excited.

My wife and I have been married for 7 years and our foray into starting a family actually began 2 years ago. We had just about given up hope on conceiving on our own. In fact we had even scheduled an appointment with a fertility specialist!

It is amazing how God works. Just when you think that it is all up to yourself God comes along and bonks you on the forehead V8 style. He is firmly in charge.

Ok, so I wanted to share this story about our (my) first Dr. visit.

I was playing it all cool the first time I met the OB doctor. She walks us through the ultrasound procedure and I nod accordingly. Under the surface though I’m jumping out of my skin. I want to see this ultrasound so that the little blue cross on the pregnancy test will become really real!!!

She moves the sensor (sensor is the right word, right?) around and I catch a glimpse of the heartbeat. I literally yelled out, “Is that it there!?!?!?” Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I have been medically diagnosed with a “voice that carries” so imagine just how loud my excited question was.

I could no longer play it cool. My cover was blown. This suddenly became real and I love it!

Collecting Experiences, Ethos, Experience, Guilty Pleasure, Ministry, Resources, Spilling Personal Secrets, Study, Unchained from my Desk, Youth Ministry

The Batcave, aka The Nerdery

Much like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility where Batman can be himself. – Wikipedia

When I need to get away and do some focused hard-core study for a class or a lesson I pack up all my gear – my notebook, Bible(s), book(s), iPod, pens, and highlighters – and head straight for my new, secret getaway. This place serves my needs because it is away from my desk, it is always quiet, and I avoid distraction from email or phone calls. I call this place of privacy and tranquility…

The Batcave
IMG_0384

This top-secret photo was snapped during my last visit and smuggled off the premises on my iPhone.

So where is the Batcave? I’ll never tell. However, I will spill the beans on what the Batcave is.

The Batcave is an annexed room next to my local comic book shop. The room is often used by groups of people play fantasy games like D&D, Warhammer 40K, and World of Darkness. It’s official name is The Gamers Guild.

That’s right I study at The Nerdery. But as you can see from my picture, in the middle of the afternoon no one is playing anything. The room is almost always completely empty. The people at the comic shop are so cool and so kind to let me use this area to study. I am so thankful to them. Every employee there has teated me so kindly. I love my new study-home.

It is so quiet there that I feel like my productivity quadruples. I just throw on my iPod (or don’t) whip out my pen and notebook and go to town crafting lessons. Very awesome.

Sure, there is no supercomputer or trophy room filled with the spoils of past lessons or retreats and there definitely is no Batmobile waiting in the wings (I do have a black car though) but this Batcave suits me just fine.

Until next time readers. Same Bat-channel. Same nerdy writer.

Spilling Personal Secrets

8 Things About Me

My friend Tyler Wiggains (a really good band director) recently tagged me to write 8 things about myself. This is my first time to be tagged so bear with me. Here we go:

1) During my junior year of high school I watched “Braveheart” every Thursday night. I had a small 13 inch (sometime) color television but I rocked those VHS tapes in widescreen. That’s how I roll.

2) Most people who know me know that I’m a big U2 fan. But the boys from Ireland aren’t the only band that I have all the official releases from. I own the complete catalogues for two other bands. I have every release from Coldplay and… wait for it… Counting Crows. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.

2.5) My favorite album in the world is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. Bet you didn’t see that one coming either.

3) I hate fish. The smell, the look, and the taste all send me running for the hills. In Greece a restaurant place a whole fish in front of me: eyes, gills, fins, scales. I managed to avoid ralphing all over everyone but my tolerance level has come way down since then. Sandy will have eaten a small tuna sandwich for lunch and I can smell it when I come home hours later.

4) Which brings us to my sense of smell- it is amazing! Most times it is humorous. I can smell and identify brands of deodorant that people are wearing around me. On one of my first dates with Sandy I began smelling a distinct smell in my car as we drove to the movies. The smell grew stronger and I realized what it was. “Are you wearing Degree deodorant?” I asked her. Bingo! It happens all the time. While that’s a great parlor trick my sense of smell is no fun when people aren’t wearing deodorant or if there are unpleasant smells around.

5) I was the only person present when our above-ground pool fell apart and the only one there when our trampoline bounced its last bounce.

I was just a small kid lounging in an inflatable donut when the aluminum sides of our pool tore open and the next thing I knew I had washed up onto the back porch. My family opened the back door and gave me their best Chris Farley “What-did-you-do!?!?” look.

Fast forward a few years to my first first trip home from college. I told my mother that I wanted to jump on the trampoline. She told me that I should change clothes first but I assured her that I was just going to jump for a few minutes. Unbeknownst to me no one had jumped on the trampoline since I had left for school and it had begun to dry-rot. On the third landing I heard and saw the trampoline tear open at the seams as it shot me into the air. I landed flat on my back and the force of the landing knocked all the air out of me. I staggered into the house still trying to breathe. The first thing my mother said to me was, “I told you that you should have changed clothes.” I love you mom!

6) I have two copies of An Introduction to Gospel Preaching

7) When I was a kid I had a crush on two girls- Annette Funicello and Haley Mills. Keep in mind that I grew up in the early 1980s (not the 1960s). I would watch “The Parent Trap” and “Merlin Jones” and dream about one day marrying one of my dream girls. Admitting my problem is the first step to recovery.

8) I have a scar on my stomach from jumping over a fence at Six Flags to recover a hat that had fallen off of a rider on the Shockwave. I cleared the fence easy the first time but on the way back over a security guard started yelling at me and I lost my balance causing me to become one with the fence. Oh, yeah… I was with my youth minister at the time. Would you believe me if I told you that the scar tingles when the students in my youth group think about doing something reckless?

Well now that I have embarrassed myself it is your turn. If you are reading this consider yourself tagged. Remember to comment so that I can read where you’ve posted the 8 things about you.