pigs in a blanket?

Got this email recently from a friend…can anybody local help?

My hay delivery guy doesn’t have straw so I have been bedding down the pig’s stall w/hay, but Maynard is still pulling the tarp off my haystack down and wrapping himself in it at night. It’s kinda cute to see him all wrapped up in a tarp in his pen, but then the chickens poop on my unwrapped hay and that’s not so cute. So, does anyone have some old blankets or comforters they no longer need and are going to throw away anyhow? I have one here myself right now to give to Maynard, but I am getting 2 more pigs this Sunday so am looking for some more old blankets to give to the pigs to sleep in at night this winter!! Thanks much if you can help wrap the pigs in a blanket this winter. Don’t go out and buy anything special or anything, just if you have something old laying around you don’t use anymore…..send it my way. The pigs thank you…..

If you can help leave me a comment please. Thanks.

Quarrier of the Week

It Tuesday again, which means I get the pleasure of naming the Quarrier of the Week. Today I want to highlight a guy who has been doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes. His name is Tom Moulds.

Tom has taken it upon himself to make things happen when no one is looking. He helps set up sound equipment, tables and chairs, children’s ministry stuff, and anything else that needs doing. He shows up early before church and goes home late after all the work is done.

People like Tom are invaluable to our ministry. When you set up and tear down each week it is easy to get lazy and expect that other people will get the work done. But Tom has been serving joyfully to make the Quarry the very best place possible. I am thankful for him and everyone like him.

(e, I know, leave it alone)

update on the Quarry podcast

Big thanks to Chris Good and David Russell for getting the podcast ball rolling. I get pumped about followers of Jesus from all over working together. Seems like the kind of thing God smiles at.

The podcats should be available in the iTunes directory very soon. Until then you can easily download Quarry mesages by, clicking here.

to gain life may mean losing it

Great word about courage from G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy.

[A person] can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.

What are you afraid of today? What part of your life to do need to risk losing so that you can truly live?

- thanks Mom & Dad

rant about bad customer service

Yesterday I had two horrible customer service moments.

Around 11:30 am my family and some close friends headed 15 minutes south to the Cabela’s Superstore. The store is filled with really neat stuffed animal displays, including an elephant, lions, bears, wolves, cape buffalo, and a rhino. It was also filled with people. Way too many people. People who would stop where and whenever they wanted with absolutely no regard for other shoppers and viewers. Plus, the isles of clothing and bullets and other stuff were too skinny for shopping carts to go through.

Made me wonder: Why would you put out racks that can’t be walked through by shoppers with carts? Why would you create these huge displays and have no plan for how people should walk through and observe them? Dumb moves.

After Cabela’s we stopped at McDonald’s so they kids could run off some energy in the playland. They had one register going for a line of about 10 people. Nice. Then I heard a manager send someone to break while the sutomers stood around waiting and pondering how our lunch would probably take a year or two off the end of our lives. Crazy.

Makes me wonder about church. Do we make people wait around? Do we crowd them in? Do we allow physical obstacles to close off people’s spirits to their environment?

Customer service (creating an open and inviting physical environment) is not just a business concern. It just might be an eternity concern for people.

aloha, means hello and goodbye

THANK YOU to everyone who helped Stephanie reach her sales goal of $10,000. In late January we will be heading off to Hawaii. Sweet.

Stephanie, I am so proud of you. You work hard to take care of our home, our kids, and me. You have a huge heart for other people and you make them feel welcomed and valued in ways I never could. You encourage me and you consistently challenge (though often unknowingly probably) me to be a greater man, leader and husband. Thank you. You deserve this trip more than anyone. Way to go!

christmas lights gone wild

Remember that classic scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Clark brings everyone outside to see the thousands of lights that he has strung on the house, and when he plugs it in all the power on the whole block goes dead?

Well if you think that Clark went overboard with his lights you have to see this. The only catch is that you can only watch it if you promise to keep it a secret, and you swear that under no circumstances (I’m serious) will you tell my wife about this ok? Because if she sees this it might just put her over the Christmas decorating edge.

Obviously I’m kidding. Check this out, click here.

link via Chris Good

i am thankful for…

Many bloggers are making a Top Ten list of the things they are thankful for. I don’t really feel like prioritizing but I do want to talk about a few of the things and people that make my life as fantastic as it is.

God – thank you for sending your son Jesus to live and die so that I could have a relationship with you. Thank you for working to fix this world and restore to it all the wonder, awe, beauty, and glory that you originally gave it.

Stephanie – thank you for loving and supporting me in every wild and insane thing I do. You encouragement, critique, prayers, support, and love are invaluable to me as I grow and lead. You truly are a blessing in my life and my partner till the end.

Jacob and Isabelle – thank you for making me smile everyday. Thank you for your unconditional love and the feeling you give me with your hugs and smiles when I walk through the door after work. Thank you for giving me reason to clean the house, wake up at 3 am and learn to love Elmo.

Mom and Dad – thank you for giving me a solid spiritual foundation. Your love and example have shaped so much of the person I am today. Thank you for always giving me space to be myself and to figure some things out on my own. I love you both.

Aaron, Jeff and Carrie – thank you for being brothers and sisters that I can be proud of. Thank you for all the laughs we have had and will have in the future.

Cornieas/Friewalds/Beckers/Sorbels – thank you for journeying with us and being patient with me as we do this big experiment regarding what it means to truly live in community.

Peter – thank you for always making me laugh, for listening to my junk and allowing me space to not be a pastor sometimes.

Erin – thank you for forcing me to keep my thoughts sharp, for showing me the value of authenticity and for teaching me that the world I grew up in is so small when compared to the collective experience of all of those around me.

Grose’s – thank you for your mentorship, your leadership, your friendship, and your love. You challenge me to keep seeking Jesus and to continually move him to the center of my life.

Jon and Emily – thank you for always being there and for sharing memories and bonds with us that we will never replace. We may be far apart physically but in our hearts you are always with us.

QCC Community – thank you for allowing me to be your pastor. It is a great honor to lead such a wonderful group of people. You have given me space to learn and grow, and figure out who God has made me to be. Thank you for joining me in the journey of learning and practicing all it means to be God’s people. We are an awesome church.

To all the others who have influenced, challenged, supported, prayed for, encouraged, corrected, loved, and celebrated with me – THANK YOU!

Quarrier of the Week

Being that it is the week of Thanksgiving, I decided to name Mandy Flateland as the Quarrier of the Week. Mandy is someone who I am enormously thankful for. As the Office Manager at QCC she is the glue that holds it all together.

Mandy is talented young woman who speaks with tenderness and compassion. She has a deep love for God that comes through clearly in all her conversation and interactions. Her heart for people and God’s work can be seen in every note she writes, the timely card she sends, or just in those moments when she pipes up during a meeting.

I have been fortunate to work with Mandy over the last 4 years. She is a loyal co-worker and friend, who is always willing (or at least always acts willing!) to help me out when I need something designed or proof read. I know that I can count on her to do quality work, and I have never heard her say no to someone who needs help. She is a blessing to our entire staff and to our church.

That is why Mandy Flateland is Quarrier of the Week.

the death of corkscrews

A friend of mine came up with a new way to open a bottle of wine tonight. I thought I would give it a try with a can of pop. Works pretty good. I think we can all put the old cork screw in the grave, we won’t be needing that guy anymore.