Nikomas.com

St. Louis Cardinals iPhone Wallpaper: Holliday & McGwire

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:08:00 +0000

An updated repost from September 2009 with Holliday & McGwire Images

The MLB postseason is now a few weeks away. The Cardinals have put themselves in a good position to excel too! The Cubs are almost 2 weeks worth of wins behind, and now ESPN is ranking Cardinals as the #2 team in baseball.

What does this all mean? It means it's BRAG TIME!!

I was on a search to find some cool St. Louis Cardinals iPhone wallpapers to flaunt my allegiance but came up empty. So, I created my own! I made 3, and you can have them too. Just click on the image to view the full-resolution version.

(Note: Obviously these are free! All I asks is that you leave a comment below and tell me which one you download! I'd like to see which player is more popular.)

1. Old School: Stan Musial and Sportsman Park:

2. Retro School: Ozzie Smith and the old Busch Stadium:

3. New School: Albert Pujols and the new Busch Stadium:

All of the dimensions should be correct. Your time and "unlock" bar will not cover the meat of the picture. Enjoy you're new background. And as always, GO CARDS!

(Note 2: If you want to save it to your iPod or iPhone visit this page with your device and the click/hold the image. A "save image" option will popup on your touch screen.)

Here are a few others:

Mark McGwire - Old Busch


Matt Holliday - New Busch

St. Louis Cardinals iPhone Wallpaper

nikomas21@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Sample Home Screen

The 2010 Major League Baseball season is just about to begin. What better way to start it off than by putting the schedule on my iPhone. Instead of weeding through applications, I decided to put it on my home screen. I made one image for each of the months. And you can have them for free. All you have to do is download all of them all, and then switch them out each month from your Photo Album.

(Here are the ones I made last year)

To download them images, click on it for the full size view then right click and select "Save Image As". Or you can visit this site from your iPhone or iPod and click the image to see the full image. And then click and hold the image to save it.

Cardinals - April

Cardinals - May


Cardinals - June

Cardinals - July

Cardinals - August

Cardinals - Sept/Oct

Adoption Update

nikomas21@gmail.com — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:45:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks, Rachel and I have been reconsidering adopting from Mexico. The process seems to be taking in excess of 5 years, with the possibility of it all falling through. Last year alone, there were only 72 children adopted from Mexico by Americans. We're also finding that the only children available are typically around 6 years old. Our preferences in this adoption is to have a 1 to 4 year old boy, by time Ara starts Kindergarten (3 years).

Our preference is still to adopt from a Latin American country, though most of them are difficult processes (Mexico being the most difficult). But our number one goal is to provide a family for a boy in need, no matter where he comes from.

Our next step is to check into Children's Hope International and their Colombia adoption program. The good news is that all the work and money that we've done so far has not been wasted. That's why we need to make a decision soon. If we go much further in the Mexican process, and then decide to switch countries, we would have to start the whole process over, losing all of the time, documentations and money that we've invested so far. Right now all they would have to do is change the country name on the documents we've completed.

So, that's where we are today.

Sermon Prep, step #6

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:43:00 +0000

Once I have my information, illustrations, outline and flow done I try to memorize the message. I do it a little different than most people. There are 2 basic things I memorize:

1. Introduction/Conclusion: I want to make sure that I start strong and end powerfully.

2. Illustrations: Illustrations are useless if you stumble through them. I try to know exactly where I'm going with illustrations, especially when it is a story. I want to be able to tell the story perfectly without stumbling around the point.

Once I have those memorized, I focus on memorizing the flow of the sermon points (step #5). I want to know exactly where I'm going from point to point. This is the meat of the sermon. Making my points "Twitterable" makes this process a lot easier. Putting the sermon into a conversational flow that sets up the next point makes this easier too.

Once the sermon points are memorized, I only practice the Introduction and Conclusion. Sometimes I will write a manuscript out from my outline to give me an idea of what I want about each point, but most of the time I only use my outline. Here are my reasons for doing that:

1.Avoid My Notes
As long as I have the Twitterable phrases and the flow memorized, I know where I'm going. I've already studied the passage and information, so I know how to fill in the details. I can spend more time talking to the people than looking at my notes.

2. It feels more like me having a conversation
By not rehearsing the middle (yet knowing where I'm going), it comes off like a regular conversation. It doesn't come off rehearsed and robotic. It's not as polished, but it seems more real. I think students prefer real over polished. You can only do this though if you know the information and the flow. Otherwise, you just look unprepared.

3. It feels more like me
This gets me into trouble sometimes, but I'm able to add my own off-the-cuff humor into the message depending on the room. Many times it works, other times it just comes out of nowhere...but that's what you would get in a typical conversation with me anyway: hit and run humor.

Once I've got it all down, I let 'er fly, praying that somehow God's word will still be heard despite it coming from a broken vessel.

There is obviously no one way to write/preach a sermon. And for the most part, this method works best in exegetical type of messages, whereas some of the steps might not work as well during a topical sermon. For the most part, I just wanted to share what I've found to be the most effective way for me to write a sermon. It's a little different than what I was taught to do in Bible College...so don't tell Mr. McCaslin. Please.

Sermon Prep, step #5

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

Outline & Flow

Once I have the passage studied and illustrations added, I finalize my outline. My goal with my outline is to make sure that it flows conversationally. I try not to have any hard breaks when I switch points. I want them to flow seamlessly into each other. If they are focused on the thesis sentence (the main idea) they should flow together fairly easy. If your points are completely different concepts there's probably more than one main idea in your message, and because of that the flow will suffer.

Bullets -vs- Flow
There are a variety of ways I could arranged my outline to get the listener from point A to point B, but I prefer flow, rather than steps. Steps say, "Here's what you need to do: First...Second...Third..." This gives the message a bulleted feel, which is perfect for writing, but not for speaking.

It's easier for a listener to follow along when the sermon is more conversational; i.e. it has a seemless flow from one point to the next. Almost like you're going on a journey that starts with your main point, and before you know it you've traveled from "ah-hah" moment to "ah-hah" moment.

Foreshadow
In order to do this, each point must be a setup for the next point. It's almost like watching a movie that sets you up for the ending with foreshadow. You never realize it's setting you up (unless you watch the movie again), but for some reason you get there with great flow. Each scene sets you up for the next. Your points should do the same thing.

This part takes me the longest. And I can always tell when I don't focus on how it's going to flow. There are times when I'm rushing to put something together and I skip this part. I start talking and it feels like my ideas are all over the place.

Nailing this part, is incredibly important to the final step: delivering the message.

Sermon Prep, step #4

nikomas21@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:05:00 +0000

After I have an outline of my sermon, with all the information that's pertinent to the thesis topic, I try to add myself into it. I do this through illustrations and stories. Unless it is an extremely good illustration, I won't use an extended story about someone else or a hypothetical situation. I'll only use short quotes. But, as much as possible, I try to make the illustrations about my life experiences or things that I have experienced through someone else (my family, friends, etc).

Here are the main reasons I add myself into the message:

1. People won't relate to the message until they can relate to the Speaker:
Adding yourself is especially important when you are speaking to a crowd that doesn't know you. Before people take your advice, they want to know who you are and whether or not you're worth listening to. Using the right illustration about yourself reveals a little of you to them. I personally prefer self-deprecating humor to start off with. I show them my flaws right off the bat. That tends to say, "This is the real me. I'm not perfect, I don't deserve to be standing in front of you talking any more than anyone else...but I think God has something important He needs to say."

2. It makes the message real:
By adding yourself to the message, it gives it character. It makes people feel like they are having a one-on-one conversation with you. It forges a friendship by allowing them into your life. It helps them recognize that they're not in the boat alone; they have someone they can relate to.

3. It adds emotion:
I always try to add illustrations that evoke emotion. I've heard that if you want to make something memorable, attach an emotion to it. By telling personal stories, I am able stir up the emotion within me...which then gives people permission to have their emotions stirred as well. With this in mind, I never try to over do one emotion. It's always better to have a mix. I try to use illustrations that invoke laughter, sadness, hope, and even sometimes anger (not at me...but at a injustice or something worthy of being angry about...but always followed up with hope and resolve).

5. It keeps it practical:
By adding yourself to the sermon, it becomes a lot easier to see how others will apply the message to their lives. It allows them to see how it applies in real life situations, but it also keeps you focused on how the message has impacted you...or should impact you. It makes the message more about life change than information dumping.

Jr. High Believe weekend

nikomas21@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:28:00 +0000

This past weekend we took our Jr. High students to Jr. High Believe. I have been every year for the past 8 years. It is always an amazing weekend. Its the best Jr. High conference in the country.

The best part of the weekend was watching my leaders interact with the students. I can tell that they are developing the same passion for Jr. High students that I have. There's something special about this age range. From a distance they seem frightening, but up close they become captivating.

This year our group was made up of mostly just our core students. It was a smaller group, but I think the impact to our overall ministry will be greater. Next year we'll hit the whole spectrum of students again. But with the transitions that are happening in our ministry, I felt the need to focus on the students that had the most influence during this event.

One of the great parts of the weekend is our student worship service that follows. Saturday night was just amazing (for reasons I won't go into here), and Sunday morning was incredible. Every year we have about 4 or 5 youth ministries that join us for weekend worship after the Believe conference. It's wonderful for our students to see that God is bigger than our ministry.

Sermon Prep, step #3

nikomas21@gmail.com — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:23:00 +0000

After doing an initial run through of the scripture passage and then studying the passage to the hilt, I typically have a few pages of notes. My third step is to organize it all. I start by developing a few statements. I try to make these statements both memorable and Twitter-able. That's right...Twitter.

What I love about Twitter is that you have to take a complex idea, and say it in 140 characters. When you do that, the idea becomes more pure and memorable. So, any idea that is incredibly important needs to become Twitterable.

The first and most important one is the thesis to the sermon. Once you have that, you can finish organizing your information -- get rid of the stuff that doesn't fit, turn the most important stuff into main points -- then make it Twitterable.

After going through this week's study notes I organized it all into an outline based on my thesis. I then turned that information into Twitterable points:

Thesis: "The public's greatest need can be your greatest victory"

Point #1: "What Can't I Stand?"
* Jesus' compassion led to action. He couldn't stand the people's pain.
* Your life should be a solution to the world's biggest problems.
* If you're life is not a solution, it's not much of a life.

Point #2: "What Can I Bring?"
* The disciples bring what they have. Nothing else.
* The world will tell you it's not enough. They are right.
* In God's hands, what you have becomes more than enough.
* "God doesn't require us to succeed, he only requires us to try." - Mother Theresa

Conclusion:
* "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

These are just the main points & sub-points of the outline. Obviously there is a lot more information that is in there from my study. But these points are how I introduce the information. I try to sum it up into one succinct, memorable statement and then elaborate. Then after I present the information, I repeat that memorable statement before moving on to the next. But overall, this is my basic outline.
----------
Once I have those points, I pretty much have my outline. Now that I have the information into an outline, the next step is adding myself into the sermon. That'll be the next post.

Why E-books Won't Sell the iPad

nikomas21@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:17:00 +0000

The big selling point for the iPad for many people is that it will function as an ebook reader, similar to that of the Kindle (see picture). I used to think this as well. When I originally heard about the iPad, I was hoping that it wouldn't be back-lit so it wouldn't strain the eyes while reading. I figured it would be much harder to read a book with the screen shining in my eyes. When I first found out that the iPad will only be back-lit I was slightly disappointed. But the more I think about it, the more this doesn't bother me. Here's why:

E-Books are not the future of books

An E-book is a book that is put on to an electronic reader. But i think the way we consume information is changing rapidly, so books should as well. We don't just read words on a page anymore. We read, listen, watch and interact with information. Some will say getting away from pure words on a page will make our society dumber. Though I haven't seen any studies, I would guess this allows you to consume and retain more information in a shorter amount of time...making us smarter. This is Kindle's downfall. Their device will only allow you to read words. You will never be able to interact with information on this technological path.

Here is how the publishing company Penguin showing how books can be made more interactive:

Currently information can be classified into various mediums: Books, Videos, Games, Lectures, Social interaction, Online content etc. I think future "books" will blur the lines of information. It won't be one or the other; it will be a mix of them all.

Photoshop Ruined My Marriage

nikomas21@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:52:00 +0000

This picture cracks me up...and frightens me all at the same time:

funny how Photoshop can ruin a marriage. I will never be able to look at Rachel the same again.

Sermon Prep, step #2

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:35:00 +0000

After the initial read through of the passage, my next step is to study the passage for information and insight. The picture (to the right) is my favorite two bookshelves in my office. These are the books I use to study passages. I typically use dictionaries, encyclopedias, hebrew/greek manuscripts, cultural encyclopedias, etc. (I have Libronix software on my computer, but for some reason I prefer the actual books.)

I don't use these to find information to share. The last thing I want to do is dump a butt load of information onto people. Honestly, 99% of people don'te care what the Greek version of a word is, or how many times a word is used in the Pauline epistles. Instead, I use the information to inform me. But here's how it benefits the listener:

1. Makes storytelling accurate, detailed and interesting
2. Keeps my theology in line and focused on the topic
3. Even though I don't pour out all the information, it affects the nuances of what I say and how I say it.

Here's an example from the sermon I'm preaching this week (Feeding of the 5000; Matthew 14:13-22.)

After Jesus feeds the 5,000, the Bible says,

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side" (Matt 14:22)

From studying the passage, I know that there is more to this verse than meets the eye (yes...I did use a Transformer reference!) I know that the word "made", was translated from the a Greek word that indicates that there is some type of crisis that is causing them to for his disciples into the boat. But the text doesn't show that there is a crisis happening. With further study, and looking in the book of Mark, I find out that after seeing Jesus multiply food, the people are trying to force him to be a political leader, which Jesus wants no part of (who can blame him!). Hence the crisis.

Now, I could spend a few minutes talking about the Greek word, its nuances and uses in other places in the scripture that prove my point. Or I could just use the information to detail my story telling. I could say,

"After this all happened a crisis broke out. People recognized Jesus power and tried to force him to be a political King against his will. In all of the excitement Jesus knew the best thing to do was to get out of there."

That's just as informative, but way more interesting.

In the end, the information that I learn during the study process isn't the sermon. Rather, its the foundation for the sermon. It shapes the thesis, the main points, the storytelling, and the illustrations. Sometimes raw information is shared. But mostly it's serves as the foundation that the spoken truths sit on.

After I get the passage studied to the hilt, I can start to organize the information and develop a main point. That will be the next blog post.

Sermon Prep, step #1

nikomas21@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:26:00 +0000

The very first step I take when preaching on a passage, especially a story, is to read through it, taking verse by verse notes on how the story speaks to me. This is always the most rewarding part of the process for me. Many times just by reading it intentionally, and really focusing on small parts of the overall story, I find little nuggets of gold. It's almost as if the passage speaks!

Until the passage speaks to you, it can't be spoken to others.

For example, this weekend I will be preaching from Matthew 14:13-20 - "Jesus Feeds the 5000". Here is the passage and then my immediate analysis of it verse by verse:

¹³When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
- Compassion should lead to action, despite my own comfort.

¹⁵As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
- Well intentioned people will give me an excuse not to act.

¹⁶Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
- Call the well intentioned to join in action

¹⁷"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
- People will try to limit my vision with statistics. If they don't, my vision is too small.

¹⁸"Bring them here to me," he said. ¹⁹And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
- Offer to God what I have. Let him turn it into something big.
- Let others be part of my vision. It's bigger than me.

²⁰They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
- My compassion in action makes the world a better place.

There are a lot of people who will say, "Start by doing an in depth study of the passage." I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but there are many reasons I start like this:

1. It keeps me focus on application instead of information. Information isn't bad...it's just useless unless it can be applied.

2. It helps me preach from me: If I start off with myself in mind, the sermon becomes personal. Making it personal makes it preachable. You can't preach something that hasn't preached to you.

3. It focuses my studying: Most passages can take you in so many different directions. This allows me to stick to one specific topic. After I finish making my notes, I can usually see an overlying theme from my notes. That becomes the theme of the sermon. This sets me up for the next step.

Busyness

nikomas21@gmail.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Things have been getting incredibly busy in my life the past few weeks with extra ministry responsibilities, graduate work completion, working on a church wide strategy shift, the adoption process...and everything else that life entails. But, I could work 70 hours a week and, other than exhaustion, be fine. I love my job that much. However, it takes a toll on my family...especially when I forget to tell my wife about the extra hours that I need to work during the week.

To keep me accountable, and to keep my family as the top priority, I've given Rachel permission to add family events to my schedule to make sure that I'm spending time with her and the girls. Problem is, I keep my calendar on iCal (Mac's default calendar)...but Rachel can't see it unless she gets onto my computer. Therefore, I created a system where she could see my work calendar from her computer at home, and add family events to it. Here's what I did:

1. Sync my work calendar (iCal) with my Google account (Google Calendar).
This allows me to have my work calendar automatically synced to my calendar on the internet. Anytime I add or delete something from iCal or my iPhone, it automatically adds/deletes it from Google Calendars. Which means that I still never have to mess with Google Calendars. I still only use my Phone and iCal program...it just syncs with Google without me ever messing with it. (click here for setup instructions)

2. Share my Google calendar with Rachel
Google calendar allows you to share your calendar. So, now that my work calendar is synced to Google, I can share it with Rachel. This allows her to see everything that I have scheduled on iCal and my iPhone. (click here for setup instructions)

3. Make a Family Calendar on Rachel's Gmail account
She can see my calendar now, but I want her to be able to add family events to it. So, she created a google calendar called "Family" under her google gmail account. On it she plans all of our family events, especially during my day off. I also had her create a "work" calendar so I know when she's scheduled to work. (click her for setup instructions)

4. Share her calendar with my Gmail Account
After those calendars were created, I had her share them with me (using the same process as Step #2).

5. Add Rachel's Calendar to my iCal and iPhone
The final step was to sync Rachel's calendar's (Family & Work) to my calendars. This allows me to see everything she has planned for our family on my phone and on my work calendar. (click here to see setup instructions)

The setup is the difficult part. Using it is extremely easy. Now that we have the system setup, it's a breeze to keep my work life from taking away from my family time.

Getting Young Experience

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:28:00 +0000

Our student ministry is still in the hunt for a full-time high school minister. We are currently pouring over a lot of resumes. There have been some good ones that we are following up on, but there are some others that I would like to give some advice to. Most of them are young, and looking to land a position at an amazing church (like the beloved Harvester Christian Church!). But they don't have a lot of experience. Here's some advice that I'd like to give them:

1. You don't have to be old to have experience: Being young is not a good excuse for not having experience. There are plenty of opportunities to get experience. If you don't have any it's your own fault.

2. Don't wait until college is over to get experience: Hopefully you know what field you are going to in college. Don't wait until you have a degree to get experience. Find a part time job in your field. Put that incoming knowledge to the test. It's frustrating to hear of someone looking for their first youth ministry position after they graduate. They put themselves at least 2 to 3 years behind the rest of the field when they do that.

3. Experience > Getting Paid: Even if you're not going to get paid, you can still get experience that looks good on a resume. It also shows your dedication to your career choice. Volunteer in your field of study throughout college. Especially consider volunteering under someone who is smart and has connections that can help when you graduate.

4. Volunteer where you want to work: If you find an organization that you really want to be part of, don't wait for them to offer you a position. Go volunteer for them during college. If you do that, be the best volunteer that organization has. Most organizations start the process of hiring by looking within.

5. Number of years is more important than number of places: a resume that has a lot of work places, but not a lot of years is not good. A few work places, with the same or more years is better.

New Harvester Logo

nikomas21@gmail.com — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

This is our old Harvester Christian Church logo:

It's nice but it doesn't say a whole lot about the DNA of our church. Our church's tag line was "Making Ripples". While that does have some theological implications, you had to make your own implication. The question we wanted to answer with our new logo is, "How are we making ripples?!"

We're not the average big, flashy megachurch. God created us with a special purpose. After a long staff meeting, we decided that Harvester was most known for being a benevolent, compassionate and humble church. We didn't want to change that. Instead, we wanted to emphasize that in everything we do. Therefore our logo needed to match as well.

This is our new Harvester Christian Church logo:

What you might not notice right off the bat is that the logo has a very similar design, but a different concept. Still the "V" coming out of water/dirt. I didn't want to make it completely different, because our church isn't different. We're just better defined now.

Our new tag line is: "Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly" from Micah 6:8. Here's how the logo speaks to that:

1. Act Justly: To act justly is to take care of the needs of our community. The plant is a symbol of yearly provision and nutrition

2. Love Mercy: Mercy has to do with God granting life despite what we deserve. A plant is a symbol of life.

3. Walk Humbly: Humility comes from knowing who you are in light of who Jesus is. The plant is a young, humble plant...yet full of lots of potential as long as it is rooted in the soil.

Inside HCC: Talking Finances

nikomas21@gmail.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:09:00 +0000

Every year our church goes through a financial series. And I always get a little nervous during those kinds of series. I fear that the un-churched world will think we are a money hungry church, looking to become rich off of the congregation. But at the same time, I'm excited for the people who actually attend and listen. Because they get to see a completely different motivation for the series.

What I love about our finance series' is that it's not just about giving money away. It's about taking personal responsibility for your financial situation and putting yourself in a situation to be blessed by God and be a blessing to others. Debt is probably one of the biggest burden's on Americans, including church goers. Everyone knows it. Almost everyone needs these series'. So as much as I cringe at the possible perception of our church during them, I know that it's a benefit to our members and me. And the people who hear the messages know it too.

Encouragement & Critiques

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:15:00 +0000

I am a critiquer. I have a tendency to look at everything through the eyes of, "How can this be made better/more effective." It's a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing in that it makes things better. It's a curse because critiques have the potential to demotivate people.

Therefore, I'm trying to master the balance between encouragement and critique.

I see encouragement as the fuel and critiques as the steering wheel of leadership. If we are going to get our people from point A to point B we need both critique and encouragement. The fuel of leadership is encouragement and vision. It gets people excited about where things are heading. It gets people moving. Without the fuel, you're at a stand still. You may be pointed in the right direction, but nobody will have the energy or desire to get there.

The steering wheel of leadership is the critiques that adjust and aim the people in the right direction. When the organization starts heading to the left, you make a small critique to get it back on track. Without the steering wheel you may be moving fast and have lots of momentum, but you may never get to your desired destination.

I've found that it works best when you keep the gas pedal floored; the encouragement flowing constantly, and make adjustments with critiques as you go...never letting off the gas. It makes for a better ride.

Why the iPad Might be a Success

nikomas21@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Most tech people are coming down pretty hard on Apple's new product, the iPad. And maybe rightly so. But here are a few reasons the techie's think it will fail and why I think they might be wrong:

They say it's...

1. Over-hyped
The average consumer had no clue this product was coming. They're not keeping up with MacRumors' blogs or techies. I remember a few years ago finding out about the iPhone for the first time. I wasn't interested in technology rumors, so I had no clue it was coming until I saw it in a mainstream magazine (Time, I think). The average consumer has no clue that it was rumored to have a camera, multi-tasking etc.

2. Just a big iPod
Millions of consumers have an iPod and will therefore already know how to use the iPad. That will be a big selling point for non-techie's. Techie's have the ability and desire to run more complicated machinery, but not the average user. They want something they can pull out of the box and know how to use. The iPad does just that. It's overly simple. In fact, I bet this device introduces a lot of people to Mac computing. People who have refused to switch from PC to Mac would be more willing to give this a try than a fancy Snow Leopard OS version of the iPad. I saw one blog put it like this; Car enthusiasts would rather have a manual transmission...the rest of the world wants an automatic. The same is true for computing.

3. Missing functionality
Functionality will be in abundance within a year. Most developers are just now getting their hands on the SDK. And let's not forget, Apple does an amazing job at releasing software updates throughout the year that adds functionality. Besides that, we're bound to see a new iPad in a year that only makes it better. It may not be as groundbreaking as Techie's wanted it to be, but my guess is that with the constant updates and improvements the iPad will lead the way in tablet functionality and technology.

For the most part, most technologically advanced consumers will not benefit from this. Take me for example...I have an iPhone and a Macbook Pro. I have no need for a device that is a mix of the two. But after showing the device to my wife, she's already asking for one. This device just might succeed for the simple fact that there are a lot more Rachel's in the world than there are Nikomas'.

Even though I have no need for one,I still want it. Which brings me to my last reason why it might be succesful: Apple Fan Boys

Sewing Machines Blow My Mind!

nikomas21@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:46:00 +0000

There are a lot of simple things in life that baffle me. Like the Nintendo Duck Hunt gun. How does the game know where I'm aiming my gun without a Wii-like receptor in front of the TV? IT BLOWS MY MIND!!!

Sewing machines have also baffled me. Hand sewing requires you to stick the needle 7 thread through the material, and then pull it through the material in the opposite direction in different spot...essentially weaving the materials together. But a sewing machine goes down & up in one spot, making just one hole per weave...How do you stick a piece of thread through material, pull it out of the same hole and get it to stick? It should just pull right out...but it doesn't. IT BLOWS MY MIND!!!

But now I know...

(click image to see it in action)

Best Leaders in the World

nikomas21@gmail.com — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I have a secret. It's a secret that I have been trying to keep from getting out. But here it is: I have the best jr. high leaders in the world!

There. It's out. I don't want other ministries to find out for fear that they will try to steal them away from me. But seriously, they're amazing. With our high school minister leaving this past week, I was asked to teach during the high school Wednesday night program. By doing that, I do not get to attend our junior high programming. The best part is that I wasn't worried one bit...because my leaders are amazing. Here's what I love about them:

1. They don't need me
My basic role for the night is two-fold: 1) Set-up/Tear-down and 2) Teach. The leaders do the rest. They lead the small groups, they interact with the students. It was an easy decision to let them lead it this semester, because they do 90% of the leading anyway! It's how the church was meant to be run...by the people, not "paid professionals". Without me there...I would like to think that the whole thing would fall apart. But it seems to flow just as good without me. It deflates my ego and raises my spirit. (I'm still looking forward to getting back with though...please don't kick me out!)

2. Servants Hearts
These leaders are amazing servants. They have given up a lot of time and energy to be with the students. They epitomize the idea of Simon the Cyrene...they sacrifice in order to carry the cross of our students.

3. Great Friends
What I love most about my leaders is that they are friends first...not volunteers. I honestly feel like it's a group of friends that are ministering to students. I don't feel like I'm in charge of them, or that I"m their boss. I feel like we are walking side by side, trying to do our best for God. Many of us are in a small group together. And there's nothing that brings a small group closer than serving side by side with each other.

So here's to you Caleb, Andy, Brad, Adam, Steven, Preston, Rachel, Deanna, Suzanne, Pat, Elizabeth, Stephanie R., Stephanie M. I love you guys. You're amazing.

Gracie

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:58:00 +0000

When Ashlynn's first grade year started, she was informed that there was another 6 year old girl in her class that they didn't know yet. Her name was Gracie. She had cancer, but was hoping to be back during the 2nd semester. On occasion Gracie made an appearance in class just to meet everyone and say hi. Though Ashlynn didn't know her very well, she prayed for her during every single prayer. When she prayed for food, she also prayed for Gracie. When she prayed at night time, she also prayed for Gracie. When she would pray at church, she mentioned Gracie. In a recently blog post Rachel reflects on a time when Ashlynn reprimanded her for not praying for Gracie.

For the last 5 months Gracie was always being prayed for.

Last week Ashlynn was sent home with a letter that informed us that Gracie had died. It broke our hearts to hear the news. Though we didn't know her, we felt compassion for her because of Ashlynn's prayers. Ashlynn still prays for Gracie. But this time her prayers aren't that she'd get better, but that she would have fun with God.

New Harvester Logo

nikomas21@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:20:00 +0000

I just finished the new logo for Harvester Christian Church. It speaks to our church's new strategy that Brian will reveal, with the logo, in the coming weeks. Not enough people read this blog for me it to matter whether I show it here or not, but I decided its better to wait.

But...here are a few concepts that didn't make the cut. Because they suck.

Here's why they suck:

1. The Pope's Hat: The image is supposed to be a cross between a building and the letter "H". It looks more like a pope's hat. And the colors are horrible...unless this is a logo for the Nickelodeon version of Harvester. This is the one I'm most embarrassed of.

2. The Wheat Weed: Wanted to try something that emphasized the H. Then I had the great idea of throwing a piece of wheat on top of it. Then I looked at it...and quit. It looked like more like a weed than wheat.

3. The iPhone App: This concept was a little more simple. But it's overused in the iPhone world. An overused concept = soon to be not used concept. Even though I somewhat like this one, I figured its a concept that people will be fleeing before long.

The funny thing with each of these logos, is that at first I really liked each of them. But they didn't pass my "sleep on it" test. Each time I create something, I typically like it at first. Probably because I judge it by the amount of work I put into it, not the final product. That's why I like to make the final judgement a few days later. After a few nights of sleep, I can judge the art not by the time spent on it, but the actual looks of it. These ones failed the test.

So there you go. Three images of what the new HCC logo WILL NOT look like.

David Mehrle

nikomas21@gmail.com — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:25:00 +0000

In April 2007, I received a phone call from David Mehrle asking me to consider moving to St. Louis to work with him at Harvester Christian Church. My first thought was, "No way. I love my current ministry and church! No way." To be nice, I told him I'd pray about it and get back to him. I had just told another church that a week before. It's my way of starting the process of saying "No".

I went home and told Rachel about the phone call. She snickered. She knew we weren't going to move. We loved our current church way too much. To make a long story short, after prayer and evaluation of my life goals, I decided the best move to make was to make a move

The biggest factor for switching ministries was the fact that I would get to work with/for David. I knew him from youth events that we had attended in the past. I knew that he was a good leader and minister. I also knew that he had lots of experience in youth ministry.

At first, the idea of leaving the lead spot in a youth ministry to work for someone else was unappealing. I loved casting vision and developing strategy. But I knew it would be more beneficial to spend time learning from someone who knew what they were doing. Especially if I planned on doing youth ministry for a long time. So we made the move.

The past 2.5 years at Harvester have been amazing. I've learned a lot about youth ministry serving under David. He's showed me the value in not just running a ministry, but investing in students' lives. He has been an example of how not just to be a friend, but to be a life-changing mentor. I've also learned a lot about leadership. I've seen him handle changes with extreme insight, and conflict with extreme care.

Next week, David packs up a U-Haul and moves to Indiana. He leaves behind a tremendous ministry, built with a strong foundation. I look forward to hearing about the tremendous things he does in his new ministry.

Pictures of David's Events from Harvester Students on Vimeo.

Adoption Update

nikomas21@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:20:00 +0000

We are currently in the process of putting together our dossier for our home study. It is a packet of information that the Mexican government will need to decide on our eligibility for receiving a child. Here's some of what we've filled out recently:

1. Finished 10 credit hours of online classes and received our certificates

2. Written auto-biographies

3. Sent out reference letters to be filled out

4. Ashlynn and Ara have had physical exams, Rachel & I still need ours

5. Deciding on life insurance

After we get all the paperwork written, and documents collected, we send it out for translation. The adoption agency we're working with, Faith International, then sends it to Mexico for review. We are then put on a waiting list for child referral. I hear getting a referral could take up to 3-6 months. Once we get a referral, we make 2 to 3 trips to Mexico to deal with the legal mumbo-jumbo.

Young and Old Leaders

nikomas21@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:41:00 +0000

Recently talked to a friend, Kyle Reed, about the differences between young leaders and old leaders. It got me to thinking about the differences between veteran leaders and rising leaders. Here are a few qualities of both:

Veteran Leaders: Lead from Experience

1. Base decisions off of their wealth of experience.
2. They have developed principles to evaluate new ideas..
3. They have experienced many successes.
4. They have experienced many failures.
5. They are realists and think practically.

Rising Leaders: Lead from Desire

1. Base decisions on the intensity of their desires.
2. Every new idea can succeed if you work hard enough.
3. Have a hunger to be successful.
4. Not as afraid of failure since they haven't felt it.
5. They are idealists and think theologically.

I think the church needs people on both ends. The church needs people who are experienced. But the church also needs leaders who can dream big. Ideally the two would feed off of each other. The older leader should reign in some of the off the wall ideas (or at least share his/her experiences to help the venture succeed), yet be stretched to try something new. The young leader could provide ideas for future direction and help the older leaders dream bigger.

The best leaders are able to lead from both camps.

As a younger leader, I recognize that I need to be guided by someone with more experience. But at the same time, I don't want to be held back from seeing my vision become reality. It would be much more helpful to have an experienced leader go on this journey with me.

Just a thought.