Yes, I’ve neglected this blog. I got addicted to Twitter for a while, and between that and Facebook figured that everyone who knew me (or wanted to know me) was probably keeping up with me just fine.

And that was probably true. Still, I’m planning to revive this blog as well as our church’s website (www.LivingHope.info) in preparation for our church’s 10th Anniversary on September 19. There’s a lot of work to do… so I’d better get to it!

This is just for my own personal curiosity. My friend, Nichole, mentioned on her blog yesterday that she finds herself choosing her words more carefully when I’m around. I’ve heard others say this kind of thing, too. It’s one reason that I don’t usually introduce myself as a pastor right away when I meet someone. Because once they know, the wall goes up and the mask goes on! Sometimes, anyway.

So what about you? Are you able to “just be yourself” when a pastor is around? Or do you censor yourself? (And if you do, do you feel like that’s a good thing or a bad thing?)

Or maybe for you it’s not pastors, but someone else, or some other context. When do you find yourself being more careful with your words? Just curious…

I’ve had two pleasantly encouraging moments today that let me know that my life and my work are making a difference in people’s lives.

First, I received an email from someone whose family has been attending our church for the past few months.  She said, in part:

[My husband] and I agreed that the Christmas Eve service at Living Hope was by far the nicest and most MEANINGFUL one we have ever attended.  It really started our Christmas off right.

We got back from Indy on Sunday night.  I really felt a loss at missing Sunday morning’s service.  I never felt that way before.  That’s a testament to how much Living Hope has become a part of my spiritual life.

Second, I just noticed today that last week (on my birthday), my friend Nichole wrote this post about Giving on her blog, in which she mentions something that stuck with her from her visit to our church a month or so ago.  I was excited just to see her that Sunday.  It’s nice to hear that something from that day has stuck with her and is still influencing her thoughts & life today.

Please understand: I’m not the kind of person who wonders if my work really matters…. but it’s always nice to hear real-life examples of ways that what we do makes a difference to the people around us.  It’s just… encouraging, you know?

If you’ve had this sort of thing happen to you recently, please share it in the comments below!  I’d love to hear about it!

Today is the 13th anniversary of the day that Stacey and I stood in front of God, family, and friends and promised to love each other for the rest of our lives.

Thank you, Stacey, for agreeing to be my wife & letting me be your husband! I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished in the past 13 years, and I’m looking forward to all that the next 13 years will bring!

(To all the rest of you, my apologies for being absent from this blog for the past few months. Maybe I’ll do better in the new year…?)

Every year, our church has a booth at the Popcorn Festival here in Valparaiso. We sell hot dogs, brats, and cold water and pop (or “soda” if you’re my wife). It’s always a lot of fun, and we raise lots of money for really good causes. Last year we were able to give $100 to ShareFest and $600 or $700 to the men’s overnight shelter.

Still… it makes for a reaaaaalllllly long day! I’ve spent half of today preparing for it, and in a few short hours I’ll be getting up again to start loading the truck… then going to the church to pick up more stuff… then going to the booth site to unload it all… then running back out for a second load… and then finally settling in for my 11-hour shift at the booth, outdoors, in 80 degree weather — which should be great for selling ice-cold water and pop! My day will begin around 4:00 am and end around 9:00 pm.

Fortunately, I won’t be working the booth alone. Over a dozen volunteers will be stopping in to work their shifts and make things happen. That’s half the fun: getting to spend time with these guys & gals. The other half of the fun is interacting with the crowds. I get to play like I’m a carnival barker, shouting “Get your ice cold water here! Only one dollar! Ice cold Pepsi! One dollar!” And I get to have the occasional conversation with someone who asks, “So what are you guys doing this for?” And I get to invite lots and lots of people to our church’s Grand Opening Celebration that’s coming up on Sunday, Sept. 20. (You’re invited, too!)

But right now, it’s late. I need to hit the sack so I can get up in 4 hours and start my day. Maybe I’ll see you at the Popcorn Fest!

So… I’ve been way too lazy to post anything to this blog for the past 3 months. And I’ve even had exciting stuff going on!

Oh, well.  As you can see from my Twitter stream in the box to the right, I’ve never stopped sharing bite-sized bits of my life there.  You can always follow me on Twitter if you want to avoid the next (inevitable) dry spell…