Great Leaders Serve

Telescopes, Tweens & Tom.

Today our three "little" girls started school. The house was buzzing this morning with nervous butterflies, hair brushes and flashing cameras as we rushed out the door to get the girls to school on time. It feels about as American as you can get...

I have to admit I was kinda sad. I mean, I swore I would never miss the diaper stage and yet, I kinda do now. I realized how much joy and love I had experienced already through my girls. How watching them experience life had enriched mine so much (insert tears:).

And then, out of nowhere I get this email from Tom Keane. Awesome Brunz stud that he is, he had taken the time to email this picture today that was recently taken by the Hubble Telescope. It stopped me in my tracks. Just look at the God beauty, power and detail displayed in this picture...

Seriously, is God amazing or what? And what really re-oriented my day was Tom's words about what these pictures meant to him...

I can’t help but think back to Pastor Tim’s message from "At the Movies" series about science and faith.  I am so incapable of understanding God’s power and complexity, yet so amazed that my God, who created all of this, loves me.  Who am I that He is mindful of me?  Amidst the unfathomable expanse of His creation, I am His, I am beloved.  Do I, can I, really comprehend that with respect to this infinitesimal peak into His creation that we see in these pictures?
 
If you have a few minutes, take a look at these.  Maybe it’s just me, but I know God reached out and spoke to me through this today.  Perspective, humility, awe, and a love that is bigger than I am able to understand…these are some of the things He has impressed on my heart through this today.
 
I pray that you are all feeling His presence today, in whatever way He is reaching out to you.

Really? Can you get better stuff than that in the middle of the day on a Thursday afternoon? Thanks Tom for this awesome reminder that God, our Savior, who created all this, loves each of us. So awesome.

Thankful for Telescopes, Tweens & Tom for letting me "see" such a beautiful view of God today -- mikey

Duck gets run over on LBI!

The five of us stole off to LBI this weekend to celebrate the end of another school year. Cal (9), Coops (8) and Mo (6) are headed into 5th, 3rd and 1st grades, respectively. It was so nice to NOT have the pressure of getting the kids to bed early or homework to be done.
The only bummer of the weekend was the duck that was run over by the girls. True story!

Couldn't help but share the home video they made of the incident as the 3 of them rode on a long-board (long skate-board that is:) and ran over Maggie's fav stuffed animal, a duck:).

Enjoy...

I'm a really bad Dad!

Today (Friday, Feb 6) I did a really bad thing. I drove to Cal's (my oldest daughter) school, marched right into the main office and signed her out. I was fed up and wanted to do something about it and so I did...

No doctors appointment, no dentist, I just needed to hang with my "Cal Girl" and get some quantity time with her! SO, we left school early and headed up to Mountain Creek Ski Resort. I know, I know, school is really important, but today it was all about Cal and I having some good times together.   

And good times they were! Okay, neither of us knew how to snowboard, but we took our lumps, fell everywhere (check out the shot below:), laughed at ourselves and made some good memories. To be honest, hanging out together, just the two of us, was one of the best ways we could have spent our Friday. Thanks for being such a great kid Cal!

I hope my girls don't hate Jesus...

I have to be honest I am so fearful that my kids will grow up hating church (or Jesus:) because, well, how often do kids not like what their parents do for work? Confessions continued, I know I did. My father was a big business guy and I swore I would never do the business thing (now I am half way to my MBA, go figure:).

Hence, working for a church, I fear my daughters will end up in a similar place. But something thing happened last Sunday that made be feel a little bit better about that)...

Moved by the message delivered at the 9am service by Scott Harrison of Charity:Water last Sunday for Glocal's Kick-off, I called Tara and asked her to bring the girls into the service for 11. I knew they would miss Liquid Kids, but I REALLY wanted them to have their minds and hearts expanded by watching and seeing what Scott was sharing about with the water crisis in Africa.

Well, I must admit, I was a bit ticked when Tara walked into the service with no kids in tow. So, I asked her where the girls were and and she responded "they were begging me to not make them go to the service (even shed some drama tears)."

Confused, I asked why? "They were begging me to not make them miss this week's story on Super Heroes," she stated with at smile. "The new Super Heroes Series for Liquid Kids began last week and they didn't want to miss the next "episode."

What a great moment that was. Our kids TOTALLY wanted to be in Liquid Kids and not upstairs with the boring adults - AWESOME.  A huuuuuuge thanks to all your Liquid Kids Peeps (Bobby Perrotti included). Thanks for creating an environment on Sunday that the kids DON'T WANT TO MISS!

I know Tara and I are the one's responsible for leading/teaching them about Jesus, but we SO appreciate your support along the way. Thank you so much -- mikey (and Tara)

Hannah Montana's double...

I guess she gets it from her mom, but despite countless Hannah Montana reenactments in the basement, Cal's latest production was this past December with His Kids Productions. Every family has got a performer... and Callen is ours. Cal, (8) loves the stage, the microphone and the lights!!

Under the tutelage of Keri Dolbier (sister of Liquid's own "Connections Coordinator," Lauren Vicari), Callen and her stage mates began practicing for this year's Christmas program in the dog days of August.

Every Saturday, she would faithfully head off to practice, making sure that their performance, come December, would be flawless. As much as I loved watching the show, the best part was seeing Cal enjoy something so much.

You would be disappointed if I didn't think she was the star of the show (Miley Cyrus's got nothing on Cal:), and we couldn't have been prouder of her. I kinda wish I could freeze the "movie" right now, but alas time stands still for no one... and Cal's already off to her next production (as we are busy trying to keep up)!

Knowing someday I will look back and wonder where the time went, I decided to remember the moment while it was here (and it was a good one:)!