Age is Just a Number

With so many folks sharing lists on Facebook and my birthday just marching by, I thought it would be fun to make up a list of how to stay young.  I've pulled it off to some extent, even though many scoffers said it would wear off by now.

FYI: Many of these may be RESULTS of being young at heart, not CAUSES, but I believe most of them help out in some way or another.  Also, I'm not an expert on anything mentioned here.  Allison McCormick might know how the food part works, and Kayla Nye might understand the physical activities.  Tons of my teacher friends will understand the general outlook on the life of an elementary kid.

Anyways, here we go:

1) Run around a lot.  Not like a marathon, but because it's fun.  Haven't you seen a 4 year old book it from room to room intent on whatever his little world is focused on?  Whenever the volleyball is hit to 3 courts down I always try to go get it.  It's not to show off, or be obnoxious (although both might happen as a result), it's just to run and run and run.

Eric Liddell sums up (in Chariots of Fire at least) what I feel every time I run for a loose ball or jump over some random object :  "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

2) Skip New Year.  It may sound silly, but I began to skip New Year in the 2007 range in a hot tub with Evan Winer.  It's not the physical act of skipping the ball dropping or not knowing the passing of Midnight, but it's the mental decision that this hyped up passing of 1 second from the clock isn't worth dictating my activity for the moment.  Sure, I'll celebrate the New Year, but I'm not going to let some piece of some holiday (especially a secular one) decide what I'm doing. 

I shoveled the driveway this year.  Other years I've taken a lap around the house.  Outdoor hot tub is still the favorite though.

3) Learn!  At some point in the 20's we acknowledge that we thought we knew everything in our teens, but really we knew nothing and now that we know that we know everything.  Read a book!  Doesn't have to be a school text book.  Read Ender's Game and consider the ethical dilemmas that run right along side of school yard dynamics.  Or the Chronicles of Narnia!  Each book will awaken the imagination (that the internet and modern media have put to sleep) and at the same time each book will teach Spiritual Truths in a form that is SO easy to digest. 

Also you can learn through experiments, or art projects.  Use creativity and imagination.  Color!  Even use the internet to come up with some random experiment that is probably free and fun.  Our Youth Pastor is constantly coming up with new experiment that I'm often baffled and amazed by.  Learning can be fun, and I think it'll keep you young!

4) Calories.  While learning about things, look up calories.  Never mind, here it is:

Calorie = "the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C (now usually defined as 4.1868 joules)."

I think of these things different than most (and probably incorrectly in this case).  Calories are like clutter in your house.  If you don't clean it up, it'll find a spot to stick and you'll end up on hoarders.  Well if you don't clean up your calories on a regular basis they'll stick to you in places you don't want it.  So simply if I have a Swiss Roll pack then I just need to move, jump, run, and dive enough to change X grams of water through X degrees Celsius. 

So long story short.  Don't drive everywhere.  Ride you're bike to church, or work, or whatever.  Not to save gas (although that's nice) but because it's cool!  Make it a goal to make it to one weekly activity on your bike.  I try for Youth Group in the Summer, and then anytime I go to friends and I have 20 minutes extra I'll bust a ride there.  It's fun and it's a good example to kiddos that are apt to follow us right into feeling like we need a car.   

5) Work with kids.  This is my favorite!  Usually.  Personally I teach a Learn to Swim class twice a week, then I go to two church activities with kids.  Everyone has different interests and limits on how much kid they can deal with.  Find your niche and go for it.  Maybe helping one kid with homework is more to your limit.  Be intentional about it! 

You don't have to focus on needy kids either.  Your friends will probably appreciate you helping their kids with homework so A) they get a break and B) someone (that may or may not be "cool") reinforces the worldview they've been striving to lead their kids into.  Some parents need some prodding, but next thing you know you'll be coloring and running around with a light saber.

6) Get decent sleep when you can... but never give up friends for sleep.  Well not never.  I think it's important to get a good night of sleep on a regular schedule, but I also think it's important to stay up til 3am star tipping (if you don't know what that is it'll also help you stay young unless you're a victim of getting dizzy as you get older), playing taboo, or talking with folks you haven't seen for a while.  I'm an early bird, but every once and a while an all nighter can liven things up.

7) Don't worry.  This is straight up Biblical.  The lilies of the field don't worry, so trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understand, and don't worry about tomorrow cause He's got it under control.  Pretty much enough said.  Don't let life cripple you.  When finals are coming up study for 2 hours then go throw a Frisbee for a bit.  If you're unsure then pray about it. 

8) Fresh air can rejuvenate you.  This goes along with some of the others as well.  Study breaks outside help renew your mind 4.7 times better than study breaks watching tv or napping.  It's science.  It's not science.  But you see the point.  Something about pumping blood through your system will help you focus.  This is something our kids need to do more as well. 

9) Don't drink (pop, coffee, alcohol, energy drinks) or smoke (or do drugs).  One more situation where I'm an oddball.  I wouldn't condemn folks for these things, but I would condemn myself for it.  Our bodies are a time bomb and all of those things seem to take time off of the clock.  I know you can even out some of those things by working out maybe, but in order to keep life simple I avoid them.  Less junk in, less junk out. 

Energy drinks are the new ones on this list.  I personally have never had on but they terrify me.  There are physical laws, like the conservation of energy.  I think we're overlooking something when we drink a Monster or 5 hour energy and figure our day is good to go.  Our body has to process that stuff and I am betting we'll pay for it later (with exploding hearts).

10) Keep life simple: Eat PB&J every day. It's the perfect storm.  A nutritionist could tell me why, but I just figure there is some protein, fruit and bread mixed together.  I love PB&J.  I look forward to lunch every day because of it.  Yogurt too for that matter.  Some things need mixing up here and there, but PB&J with a Dannon (or some live culture yogurt of some sort) keep me going all year.

So scoff again if you want, maybe my heart will explode tomorrow.  But until then I'll keep eating Little Debbie's like it's my job and running down errant foul balls (even if I have to push other kids out of the way to do it. JK. But seriously.... jk.)

Winter Goes On

Here we are in February and Winter is still dumping on us.  I'm a fan in general.  Sure, our driveway is difficult to navigate and our shovels have been pushed to the limit, but I'll still take this.  I've been reminded of Michigan Tech days over and over again, yet even this is a shadow of what they go through every year. 

I made plans to watch the Super Bowl up at camp  and arranged for lodging with the Alchin's.  It turned into a great weekend where I got to catch up with most of my camp friends. 



Tubing with Andrea Ford was fun!  As well as some good ole pond hockey.

Adela spent more time in the skate hut.

I know I'm the minority, but I really enjoyed the Super Bowl.  Anytime one team is so clearly dominate I usually like it.  Especially a defense that executes perfectly.  I don't really blame the Broncos for that mess, because the Seahawks came out with a good game plan (another thing I enjoy watching- solid strategy beating another usually solid strategy).  Plus I enjoyed seeing most of the ads, which are another aspect that got knocked but I thought they were at least par for the course.  It helps to watch with kids cause they are all about laughing at those commercials.

This week our Youth Group enjoyed sledding.  A lot of folks balk at the idea of going out to sled in some of the single digits we've been dealing with, but I'm a huge fan.  Kids need to learn that if they go outside and run, their bodies will keep them warm.

After some hesitance, most of the kids (and helpers) ended up sledding.  I actually ended up freezing my toes (too many layer, too tight, doesn't let the blood flow) and I bailed to the car after about an hour.

The girls do what they can to stay warm, including sledding.

Noah Wygant is getting down.

Most of the kids were majorly bundled.

We made it to Pizza Sam's and enjoyed the pizza and a group devotional with Tim.  I've been enjoying the steady group we're getting at Youth Group and I'm looking forward to Valentine's dinner this Thursday.

To finish up the weekend Adela and I went to the Valentine's banquet for our church.  In about 17 years of attending Garrison Hill's I've never joined the Valentine's banquet.  I enjoyed the special evening with Adela and 17 other individuals from our church.  We took home a solid door prize with dinner for 2 at Culver's.

In a final note I'd like to mention that some of my dear friends from Camp Barakel have left their positions there.  I spent many nights at the Harris' house, joining them on family events and learning what it's like to eat the best kind of food.  All while Randy gives me a hard time for eating all his yummy food.  And while I worked for Randy, I worked with Mike Baker.  I grew very close to him and his family over my years there. 

Their exit from Camp doesn't surprise me, but it is a bittersweet ordeal.  Friction is often difficult to work around, even among Christian friends.  Most of our churches have experienced some kind of difficulty over the years, sometimes ending in catastrophic meltdown's and other times ending on good terms for all involved.

My hope and prayer for Camp and these families is that everything comes together over the next months and years.  I just experienced jumping off of the cliff from one job (Camp) to another (Denso) and I understand the nervousness that mixes with excitement.  Yet my experience didn't include taking a wife or 4 kids along with me. 

So I pray for these folks and for the stability of camp.  And I send out a big thank you for the decades of service represented in these two families.  They were a tremendous help to me for my years at camp and I am confident they'll be a great asset to the ministries and communities that they land in.

In the meantime life goes on like it does.  I look forward to weeks of swim lessons, church outreach, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, and whatever else comes my way.

Adios!

It's Been a While...

Well it's been almost 3 months since I last blogged (most of November, December, and now most of January).  I'd been unsure about continuing because my life is very steady and repetitious.  But that's how it works when I'm putting in 40+ a week and filling my nights to the brim.  The final straw was a Sunday night when I was trying to stuff blogging in between volleyball, watching a show with Adela and going to sleep.  The balance wasn't working out right, so I held off, forgot and then chose to take a rest for a while.  Well tonight I have an extra half hour, so I'll try to churn out some quality information.

 

December was fun.  Denso has a bit of a Winter break and I spent it travelling up North for a wedding, hanging out with my visiting brother, freezing under several blankets during a 4(ish) day power outage and feeling sick in there as well. 

 

Casey, Bernadette, Myself, and Adela

January has been a whirlwind.  I've stayed in Battle Creek every weekend so far and enjoyed the time at home.  I'm loving the snow and I've been sledding several times.  Here is my schedule at a glance:

Monday:
5:00PM- Learn to Swim Class
7:30PM- Swimming workout (about 45 minutes)

Tuesday:
Ultimate Frisbee in Kalamazoo (1 hour starting at 7:30pm, 8:30pm, or 9:30pm)

Wednesday:
5:00PM- Learn to Swim Class
6:15PM- Clubhouse (games and Bible study with elementary ages)
7:30PM- Swimming workout

Thursday:
6:30PM- Youth Group (various activities from week to week)
8:30PM- New game/tv night with friends.

Friday:
No plans, and so far no travelling.

Saturday:
9:00AM through 12:15ish PM- Swim meets.  I try to organize the little ones so they don't miss events.

Sunday:
9:00ish AM through 12:00ish PM- Church
5:30PM- Volleyball

That's the rundown.  I fill extra time with Adela for the most part.  We have been watching the Shield and sometimes the Harry Potters (although she's ditched me on those).  I also have been playing video games over this stretch and trying to read a couple books. 

Here are some quick pictures from Youth Group where we did some melting crayon art:

To wrap up, I had a couple thoughts. 

1) Not sure how much I'll be interested in blogging.  Weekly worked much better when I was at camp and I had lots of different stuff going on, and usually some off time to write a little.  Even repeating the same schedule can be of utmost importance because it takes a lot of time to invest in relationships and community.  So maybe I'll get back on the weekly bandwagon, but most likely I'll try to find something a little more spread out.

2) Camp ministry is so much different than people ministry.  Instead of rocking peoples world for a weekend (or more likely doing dishes while OTHER people rock their world) I now am hip deep in Battle Creek.  Between work, sports, and church I'm interacting with lots of folks and enjoying the reconnection to Battle Creek.  This takes time and patience, both of which are difficult for me to manage at times.

3) A random thought as I travel around town and spend much more time in vehicles with radios in them: I hate the radio.  Christian radio has been generally awful around her for years.  I've found some new stations I like while I also mix in pop stations as well.  Today I realized that if I turn it off I can redeem some of my drive time.  I've realized this before, but habit takes over and I mindlessly scan.  Often times I'm trying to drown out my thoughts (frustration from sports or life, idle driving thoughts, or even generally happy thoughts about sports or life). 

My goal is to just leave it off for a while.  I listen to sermons here and there but otherwise I'll leave it off and force myself to address my own thoughts and maybe it'll be just the time I needed to sort things out and prepare myself for the coming tasks of the day.

Well that's it for now.  I think I'll try to take more pictures on a weekly basis and aim for Sundays again, but we'll see how it goes. 

Thanks for checking it out!