My Dream ( I am #6 by the way)

So, a long time ago, well, 9 years ago, I was a Baseball coach. For one season I was the assistant varsity baseball coach and for two seasons I was the Varsity Baseball Coach for the Fairlane Christian Lions.

I LOVED IT! There is nothing like coaching baseball, it is my dream job. I loved hitting fly balls, teaching fundamentals, calling plays, working on swings, and seeing guys play to their potential.

This picture is from my best season 15-7 and we finished with a loss to blasted Roeper. We should of won, we had it in the bank, and a fluke error sealed our fate.

Some day I dream of coaching again, maybe at a college, where I can live out my other dream, to teach youth ministry.

My cousin Paul

I had lunch with my cousin Paul yesterday, it was fun catching up with him. He is a youth pastor in Waterford, MI and loving it.

The Haircut of all Haircuts!

Zach finally got his hair cut! His hair was long and now he could be in the army, you know it!

Triple XXX Church

I was just listening to Rob Bell from Mars Hill Church and he said that Craig Gross (one of the founders of Triple XXX Church) is moving from SoCal to Grand Rapids. He is going to be a part of Mars Hill, not on staff, but an attender. I guess he will operate Triple XXX Church out of Grand Rapids, huh, that's cool.

Failure

-- Failing isn’t fatal. Or in the words of Brad Powell (Pastor of NorthRidge Church) Failure isn't Final.

I have been struggling with Failure a lot lately, well, actually the last 8 months or so. What is failure? How do you handle failure? I found this piece of an article that Rick Warren wrote, helped a little.

"Because we value success so much, we tend to exaggerate the effects of failure. But failure isn’t the end of the world. You won’t die from it. With failure -– you fail, you pick yourself up and you go on.
One of the best ways to bounce back from failure is to redefine it.
Failure is not failing to reach your dreams. Failure is not having a dream.
Failure is not setting a goal and missing it. Failure is not having a goal.
Failure is not falling down. Failure is refusing to get back up.

If at first you don’t succeed, big deal! It’s usually the second, third or fourth time you actually get it right. You are never a failure until you give up. Remember, everybody fails.

-- Failure has benefit.

Did you know that one of God’s primary tools in making you the kind of person he wants you to be is failure?

Pet Peeves: Church Version

A couple of my pet peeves: Church Version. Please remember these are just my personal pet peeves.

1. Churches that don't have a website! Believe it or not, there are still churches in 2006 that don't have websites. What the heck?
2. Churches that have a 24/7 automated answering service. I don't mind it after 5pm but during the day, no voice, no person to greet me, what the heck?
3. Churches that have RUDE people that answer their phone. True conversation (I have changed the name of the church to protect it's identity) : First Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, non denom, bible believing church, how may I help you? Hi, I was wondering if your church had a website? ...weird silence. Well, why are you asking? Umm, I was just wondering if you had a website I could check out. Well, I will have to have somebody call you back and let you know if you are allowed to view it. Well, isn't that strange. What the heck?
4. Church websites that don't have all the contact information on every page. Very important, I think.
5. Church's that don't have a high quality program to pass out. Don't get that at all. If you don't have money, you can still put something of quality in people's hands. And use Spell Check.
6. Rude children ministry workers. I hate that. Having 3 kids, I really need the someone to tell me where to go and show me where to go.
7. A non relational leadership. What the heck, this I don't get for sure. I think the Sr. Leadership should be the most relational, especially with the staff and other leaders.
8. Poor Sound & Video. Don't get me wrong, I know some churches can't afford good tech, but it doesn't take that much anymore. No more feedback!
9. Churches that don't support the children's and youth ministry. Or should I say, Sr. Pastors who don't support their children's and youth programs.
10. More than 2 singers in the worship team, I just don't get 9 hundred microphones.
11. Pastors that don't return phone calls or emails!
12. Churches that have Excellance as a value. Now, I am not about Perfectionism, but why don't we do the best job that we can?
13. Pastors and Youth Pastors who think the world revolves around them and their ministry.

Those are some. More to come.

Regrets: Personal Version pt. 1

Some of biggest personal regrets. Note to self, I realize not to live in the past, but will learn from these regrets.

1. All the way back to 4th grade. I regret telling little Stevie from around the block to stuff all those sticks in that big bee hive. Watching all of my friends get stung, big regret.

2. I regret not trying out for football my freshmen year of high school. I thought I was too small.

3. I regret not trying our for basketball my freshmen year of high school. Again, thought I was too short.

4. I wish I would of practiced my trumpet a whole lot more, could of got a full scholarship to college.

5. Not hugging my Grandma the last time I saw her on Christmas day 1995, before she was killed in a car accident.

6. I wish I would of sat with my Grandfather more the last couple of years of his life.

7. I should of tried harder at Eastern Michigan, could of been 1st trumpet.

8. More college regrets, too many failed classes.

9. Early in my marriage I spent too much time loving youth ministry and not enough time loving my wife.

10. I continually watch way too much TV and don't spend enough time playing with my kids.

Raitz Kids are Great!

I have a lot of friends

I hate to brag, but man, I have a lot of friends, just kidding. Now maybe, I consider them friends and they just pretend to be my friend, but even when it comes to people with the name of Jason, I know a lot of them. Like:

Jason Shinn. Very cool guy, a movie expert, a youth pastor and occasionally buys me lunch, very nice.

Jason Buntine. Known him since he was 5, that's right 20 years. I have coached him, been his youth pastor and all sort of other things.

Jason Riker. My brother-n-law, very funny, great dad of 3 boys, did I mention funny.

There are so many more Jason's, but I will start with these 3.

Zach is addicted to Pop

So, Zach has something called PKU (Phenylketonuria). Basically it means that Zach has to have a very low/no protein diet for life.

So no: Meat, eggs, milk, cheese, stuff like that. It's pretty crazy, but we've settled in and are use to it. Tracie is has become an expert and I am trying to learn as much as I can. But, one of the "free" items he can have is pop, not diet pop, but good old regular pop. Now, he's only 18 months old so we don't give it to him very much, but every once and awhile he gets his hands on it and will not let it go.

Blogging from a wedding

Clark Just Do it

Cloe just asked Clark if he could be the mild mannered reporter by day and crime fighter at night....

Oh YES HE CAN!

Clark is no Side-Kick

That new chick just said Clark makes a good side kick, NO.

He's the MAN!

Huh, a time out

Chuck Norris is sweet.

My brother Jimmy and his buddy Jason told me about this hilarious website called ChuckNorrisfacts.com, anyways it's funny.

Top Ten Chuck Norris Facts

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.

Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.

Bring it on...More Good guys

What the ham & eggs, a Chick good guy, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

No woman can't take away from Clark's fame and role as the Good guy.

But, we will see.

Is Jonathon really dead? Does Lana have a mustache? Where's Louis?

Smallville it is!

I still can't get over the fact that Clark's dad is dead!

What is happening with Smallville, we will see.

Wow, Life is Hard at time

My baby girl is in ballet and tap at a little dance studio by our house, believe me she is so cute.

Well, at her dance studio their is a girl is 13 and has been dancing she was 3, she lives to dance. A couple of months ago she was having was having pain in her stomach and her mom took her to the doctors. Long story short, she has ovarian cancer. Man, they found a mass in her stomach and did surgery and now she is doing chemo. Sometimes it's just hard to understand why a 13 year girl old has to hurt like this, I just don't get it.

Camp Michindoh Highlights

We spent this last weekend at Camp Michindoh in Hillsdale, MI. We spent it with 6 churches from all over Michigan, from Novi to Saginaw or Sag-n-awesome as some told me, so here our annual trip highlights:

1. Teaching Jr. high students. It was awesome being with 200 jr. high school students (don't hate me for throwing around numbers). They were great and the worship team did a great job.

2. Spending the weekend with my family. They put us up in this hotel like room, it was cool.

3. Food. Man, the food was great. Some of the best camp food I have ever had. Breakfast on Sunday morning was incredible!

4. Hearing 200 jr. high students worship, wow, the best!

5. Meeting and getting know about 30 jr. high volunteers or shepherds.

6. Hanging out with the 6 youth pastors.

7. Spending some time with Joe Synder the Youth Pastor at Oakpointe church in Novi.

8. Watching jr. high students being loved by loving adults, the best!

9. Talking with about 20 kids who attended Blitzfest. It was awesome to hear how much they loved it and can't wait for the next one.

One of those months

Have you ever had one of those months when you thought it couldn't get any worse? Well, we are there. From little things like the kids spilling just about everything they put their hands on to, to our crazy sewer system in our house, to our family being sick, to the constant worry about our finances or lack there of, wow, it's just a lot.

These times, I really love Matthew 11:28..."Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest". Christ's words here are precious to us.

Raitz family in action

Zachary is so much fun and he is such a mama's boy. And Bekah, well she is Bekah.

A dad and his boys

So, it's no secret, but I love my boys. Don't get me wrong, I love the Raitz girls too, but I love my boys too. I don't know if that makes sense, still a little sick and my eyes are not in focus.

They are at a really fun age. I love it.

Sick, Sick, Sick

I have missed two days of blogging, two days of working out, and two days of eating! My whole family is sick! We got back from the retreat on Sunday and all of us have some form or another of the same sickness. What really stinks is when mom is sick!

I have so much to blog, including some more Bally's Total Fitness observations and our highlights from camp michindoh, but they will have to wait until I loosed this fever.