The Best Week of the Year!

Last summer our family spent a week at Pine Cove Family Camp and it was easily the best week of the year!  Why?  Well I'm glad you asked.  Let me give you a few reasons why we love Pine Cove!

The Staff - The folks that work at Pine Cove are amazing.  They serve your family whole heartedly with unending energy.  Their attention to detail is impeccable and they really have thought of everything.  They do everything in their power to make sure you have the best week of your year!

True Relaxation - You can relax on a normal vacation.  But you still have to decide when and where to eat, what you're going to do, where you're going to shop, what will keep you entertained, etc...  When you show up to Pine Cove, everything is taken care of.  You can literally turn your mind off and let the staff take care of everything! 

Your next 17 delicious and healthy meals will be planned, prepared, served, and cleaned up.  Infant or toddler crying at the table?  A trained staff member will swoop in like a hawk and joyfully take them and play with them outside (still within your view thanks to the floor to ceiling windows).  You can continue your table conversation with your spouse and other families. You won't need to think of or plan things to do or places to go either as their are plenty of activities available.  Speaking of activities...

Activities - During our week at Pine Cove, Katy and I had a picnic dinner, rode Jet Skis and horses, went canoeing and paddle boarding, climbed the climbing wall and rode the zip line down, took walks through the beautiful woods, watched the sunset over the lake, swam in the pool, played a human version of clue and the craziest team games that you've never heard of such as Turkish Delight and Spikeball.  We did all of this (at no additional charge) and we didn't even do half of what there is to offer!  

In addition to what I already mentioned, where else can you go skeet shooting, mountain biking, water skiing, wake-boarding, banana boating, paint-balling,  golfing, trail running, basketballing, or book reading, all in the same location?  No where!  There is something for everyone in your family individually and for every family as a whole.

Couple/Family Balance - This is something that very few vacations offer as you are either with your family 24/7 or you and your spouse go on a getaway completely away from kids.  Pine Cove is the perfect balance of both.  About half of your time is spent together as a family and the other half of the time your kids will be with their camp counselors.  They will be poured into by some of the best college students from all over the country.  At the same time, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of the leading speakers in marriage, parenting, and biblical truth to strengthen the foundation of your family.  You can also get away and do some of the previously mentioned activities or just sit and talk in nature or in the camp coffee shop.  

Renewal - There is something refreshing about being at Pine Cove.  It could be the Christian atmosphere, the top notch staff members, the daily praise and worship, the speaker sessions, the lack of cell phone service, the beautiful scenery, or the incredible and constant service with a smile.  It could be the combination of all those things for 6 days in a row.  Whatever it is, we always leave Pine Cove feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, renewed and challenged to go back home and live a better life.   

Pine Cove really is the best week out of our year.  Don't let the word camp fool you.  You won't be sleeping in tents or eating canned beans around a camp fire.  Your family stays in a private, air conditioned room with beds and indoor plumbing.  Meals are spectacular and activities are in abundance.  

Prices are different for everyone depending on the ages of your kids, how many kids you have, which camp you attend and which cabin you stay in.  I've added it up and I can tell you that for us, the cost is comparable to the price of 6 nights in a hotel, 17 meals for everyone in your family, plus the cost of activities, entertainment, gas, and transportation.  All things considered, you get way more than what you pay for.

They are doing a promotion if you register on Monday, February 3rd.  The coupon code is SGMBLOG for $15 off Camp in the City, $25 off Overnight Youth Camp, and $100 off Family Camp.

Pine Cove also has week long youth camps.  The camps are divided up by ages with separate camps for elementary, 6th & 7th, 8th & 9th, and 10th & 11th grade students.  There are also weekend conferences and retreats.

For more information, check out www.pinecove.com.  Or call for pricing at 877-474-6326. 

Best Books of 2013

Did you read any good books in 2013?  I sure did.  Below are my favorite books of 2013 in random order.  These are books that I read in 2013, not necessarily published in 2013.  Click on the title if you want to read more about the book or purchase it from amazon.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg   

This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.  I wrote a post about the book here. The Power of Habit is filled with great stories, science, and research about how our brains work and why we do what we do.  I would recommend it to any human!

Jesus Is ______. by Judah Smith 

I don't even really know how to accurately describe this book.  It was a refreshing look into who Jesus is and a reminder that following Jesus is more about what you do than what you don't do.  It brings a new perspective on Church, Christianity, Jesus, and my role and relationship with each.  Whether you are a Christian or not, involved in Church or not, or follow Jesus or not I think you will genuinely like this book.  

 

Kingdom Man by Tony Evans 

This was the most applicable and challenging book I read in 2013.  It served as a call to action for me, encouraging me to be a better leader in my home, church, work, and community.  This book inspired me lead a Bible Study at my church challenging men to be the leader they were created to be and also plan and lead a Men's Retreat.  If you want to be challenged spiritually, I highly recommend Kingdom Man.  (There is also a Kingdom Woman book that I have not read, but ladies you may want to check it out.)

The Decision Maker by Dennis Bakke

This is a leadership book in the form of a story.  There are many good leadership principles if you are the leader of a group of people.  You could make some parallels of leading your family but it doesn't do that for you.  It was a super easy read as I literally read it in a day.  I recommend it to people in leadership positions.  

Love & Logic For Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim and Charles Fay

This book gives you practical examples and stories for how to discipline your young children. How you parent your child can be a very touchy subject.  This book provides a little but of parenting philosophy and a lot of practical examples and strategies.  Katy and I used this with our 1 year old and it worked for us.  There is also a big simply titled Love and Logic which is great for parents and teachers with older kids.  This was specifically for infants, toddlers, and Kindergarteners.  I recommend it to anyone with young kids.  Even if you don't agree or choose to use the strategies in this book it will at least help you define your style of parenting and discipline.  

Kid CEO: How To Keep Your Children From Running Your Life by Ed Young

This was a surprisingly good book as I found a used copy for cheap at Hastings. The first half of the book is about how to strengthen your marriage and the second half is about parenting. It also gives many examples for single parents throughout the entire book.  I would recommend it to all parents, specifically families with kids ages 3 and up.  

The Bible 

I'm being totally serious here.  I have read The Bible before but this year it was different.  I ventured into the Old Testament and read some awesome stories in 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings.  Many of these stories I knew or had heard of but I got to read about them in context which made them so much better.  Some stories were completely new to me and I was fascinated. Stories of triumph, tragedy, death, kings, betrayal, loyalty, underdogs, wars, and so much more. If you are into history and great stories I suggest you give The Old Testament a read.  

Here is a link to my post of my top books of 2012.

What were some of the best books you read this year?

The Joy of Giving

Merry Christmas!

This was my 2nd Christmas as a Dad but the first with a child that kind of understands the concept of gifts.  And by understands I mean he likes to play with things.  If you know Beau, you know that there are 3 things he likes right now: Basketball, Mickey, and tents.  I say tents because that is what we got him, but he just likes to crawl into, under, around, and on top of things.

He already had Mickey Mouse that was given to him a while ago but he just discovered it a week or so ago so we got him a basketball goal that sticks to the refrigerator and a play tent.  I didn't know how he would react since he is only 17 months old but I would say that it went over well.  Check out the one minute video below and see what you think. :)

He had a similar reaction to his mini basketball goal but my phone ran out of memory.  Rookie mistake I know.

I've always enjoyed Christmas, giving and receiving gifts.  However, as a Father there is something different, something special about watching your child open gifts.  Seeing Beau excited about the gifts I strategically picked out for him filled me with Joy, probably even more than him, even though he had a better reaction.  I've always heard that it is better to give than receive and I have felt that before but this time it was much more real.  (It was also cool because gift giving is not exactly my love language.  I'm actually not very good at it.  If you want to find out what your love language is click here.)

Those 2 gifts combined cost $20 but his reaction was priceless.  We are certainly taking advantage of the cheap gifts now because we know the teenage years of Beats Headphones, iPhones, laptops, or whatever else they will have invented by then are coming.

When have you experienced the Joy of Giving?

3 Things I Learned From No-Shave November

I recently participated in my first No-Shave November.  It was a good, fun experience for me.  Here are 3 things I learned...

1. Don't take yourself to seriously. - I sometimes have an issue with this.  As someone who desires to be the best and strives for excellence in all areas I don't like looking a little scruffy while at work.  Being a young leader I try to be and look as professional as possible.  As it turns out, "letting my hair down" (or should I say grow) didn't make me less professional or productive.  And as far as I know, I was still respected by those I work for and with.

Perhaps I should relax and be myself a little more often.

2. Honesty is fleeting. - In the month or so of not shaving, I was ridiculed by dozens of high school students every day.  Here are a few typical comments: "You need to shave that Mr. Bradley." "You don't look good with a beard." "Why would you do that?"

When I shaved it down into a moustache in December those comments turned into: "November is over!" "Now you just look creepy."  "Nice pedophile stache." "You look like a Mexican Jack Sparrow." and perhaps my favorite "No.  Just No."

Very few adults made comments.  They might have asked if I was participating in No Shave November or if I was putting on my winter coat but the vast majority kept their comments or opinions to themselves....unless their comments were nice.  Perhaps as adults we have finally learned what our parents taught us "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I began to realize that as we get older or possibly more mature, we aren't as honest.  Not that we lie, we just sugar coat things.  Kids always say whats on their mind, sometimes to a fault.  But I think we hold back what is on our mind, sometimes to a fault.  The truth can be offensive and can hurt feelings but sometimes the truth is exactly what we need to hear.  I think this is why we are so drawn to people like Simon from American Idol/X Factor.

While still being tactful, perhaps I should be more honest and straightforward with people.

3. Change eventually grows on you. - I think the max I have gone without shaving is 2 weeks and that was probably just once over Christmas break.  So seeing myself in the mirror with a beard is not normal.  However, after  while seeing myself with a beard became normal.  Then after a month when I shaved it off it looked kinda weird.  After 30 years of my life without a beard, it only took 30 days to change "normal".

Change is possible.  It might be uncomfortable or "itchy" at first but it eventually grows on you. :)

My 1 Year Old Mirror

Before I had a child, I would always here people talk about how much they learn from their kids.  As an educator, I somewhat understood this because I truly learned a lot from my middle school and high school students.  But a baby?  A one year old?  I mean how much can one learn from someone who can't even put together a complete sentence?

A lot.

My one year old (he's currently 16 months but I stopped counting by months when he turned 1) he learned to eat on his own.  He can eat with a spoon and a fork and of course his hands.  Its not always clean but its effective.  There are times when he is struggling to get things on a fork or keep things on his plate and I try to help him.  I'm trying to help him because I love him and I have quite the resume', qualifications, and 30 years of experience in eating.  I'm not going to be arrogant and say that I've mastered it, but I'm pretty close.

But of course, my one year old boy is independent and wants to do it all by himself...even though it's not working.  "Noooooo!" he fusses and shakes his hands rapidly as if they are on fire and he is trying to put them out.  

So I go back to watching him struggle and hoping he eventually acknowledges that he needs my help.    Even though I've told him and showed him a better way, he wants to do it his way.

This is where the learning part comes in.

Its not that I have a 1 year old teacher, its just that I have a 1 year old mirror.  The mirror reflects more than just resemblence.  It reflects the heart, attitude, and behaviors as well.  

So I ask myself, do I do that?  Do my parents, mentors, pastors, or other people with experience and qualifications see me struggling and try to help me and I get upset and choose to fuss?  Have people with wisdom told me and showed me a better way but I choose to do it my way?  The answer is absolutely yes.  

As I grow older and hopefully wiser I think I am getting better at asking for help and being open to feedback and advice but I think it is something that I will always have to work toward. I think this desire for independence is engrained and a part of my sinful nature that has been forgiven but can sneak back up if I'm not careful. 

I also get a slight glimpse of how my Heavenly Father must feel as well.  He loves me, cares for me, and wants the best for me and it pains Him to see me struggle.  Yet I try to do it my way until I can't take it anymore.  I try and I fail again and again and when I'm ready to ask for help He is patiently and eagerly waiting to help me and show me a better way.  Most of the time I wait longer than I should, but no matter how long I wait, He is still there and he never says I told you so.

We are all children of God.  Some of us are struggling and still trying to do it our way, fussing when it doesn't work but fussing even more when someone tries to help us.  Speaking from experience, the sooner we give up doing it our way and embrace doing things God's way, the better of we will be.

That's a lot to learn from a 1 year old.  :)

10 Qualities To Help You Stand Out

I just finished reading an old book called The Lost Art of Disciple Making by LeRoy Eims.  One of the chapters was on identifying potential leaders.  I completely agree with this list and look for these qualities when interviewing/hiring teachers.  So college students, people looking for a job, or anyone that wants to get better, take a look at this list and see which of these characteristics you can develop.

Reliable - When given a job, see it through.

Resourceful - Do the best you can with what you have.

Adaptable - Have the ability to roll with the punches and fit into various situations.

Enthusiastic - Be eager to work, not just willing.
 
Alert - Be aware of what is happening around you, be ready for instruction, and learn to adjust on the fly.

Initiative - Be aware of what needs to be done and takes steps to do it.  Do not wait to be told or pushed, rather be a self starter.

Confident - Believe in yourself and make decisions accordingly.

Stable - Be able to take the pressure.
 
Organizational Ability - If you cannot organize yourself, how will you organize others?

Judgement & Creativity - Do your work with a small sense of flair and pizzazz and constantly look for better ways to get things accomplished.


What's great about these qualities is that they are all learned.  Anyone can develop these characteristics if you're willing and eager to make the effort.

These are just some of the things that make up a leader.   What else would you add to the list?

Resources to Help You Grow

The following is a list of books, blogs, websites, and podcasts that have helped me grow over the past 8 years.  I'm sure I left a few out but this is a pretty solid list.  I challenge you to find something on here in an area that you want to grow in and start reading or watching/listening.

Life/Purpose

The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren

Chazown - Craig Groeschel  http://www.chazown.com/

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years - Donald Miller

The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

Start - Jon Acuff

Parenting

Grace Based Parenting - Dr. Tim Kimmel 

Kid CEO - Ed Young

Parenting With Love & Logic - Jim Fay

Marriage

Power of a Praying Husband - Stormie Omartian

Power of a Praying Wife - Stormie Omartian

Love Dare - Kendrick

Christian Books for Men

The Resolution For Men - Kendrick

Kingdom Man - Dr. Tony Evans

Wild At Hart - John Eldridge

Financial

Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey

Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Roberty Kyosaki

The Automatic Millionaire - David Bach

Random But Interesting

The Power of Habit - Charles Douhig

Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

First Things First - Covey

Podcasts (These links are to videos, but you can also download audio versions)

Lifechurch.tv - Margin, Once Upon A Marriage, Change Your World in 52 Days

Yourmove.is - Guardrails, Your Move, Balanced

Blogs

http://followingtolead.com/
http://www.bigisthenewsmall.com/ 

The 50 Day Challenge

Wednesday marks the last day of the 50 Day Challenge.  For those of you that were with us from the start, this was a challenge for men to help them grow closer to God, closer to their families, and develop as the spiritual leader of their household.  Although it was designed for and worded for men, women were invited to join via this blog, remind101 texts, facebook, and twitter.

The summary of the last 50 days is this:  Seek and pursue God on a daily basis by doing challenges 1, 2, & 3.  Be intentional about getting to know, spending time with, and serving your wife.  Be intentional about creating time to give attention to your kids at their peak hours.  Attend and get involved in your church and lead your family by serving others in the community.

90% of these Challenges you have heard of or probably even done before.  This isn't anything new, but sometimes we forget.  This 50 Day Challenge was designed simply to remind you with 6 weekly tasks or challenges to remember to be intentional about God and your family.

My prayer is that this made an impact on your life in some way and that you can use these 50 Challenges as tools to develop the most important relationships in your life.  Thank you for joining me on this Journey!

50 Challenges in 50 Days: Remember, these are not necessarily daily challenges but rather 6 or 7 challenges for each week.  Bold = repeat daily.  Italics = repeat weekly.

1. Pray Daily
2. Read God’s Word Daily
3. Listen to Christian Music/Podcasts Daily
4. Attend Church EARLY with Bible Weekly
5. Discuss sermon after church with family/friends
6. Take the survey @ 5lovelanguages.com with your family
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7. Find a new Scripture to memorize
8. Identify obstacles holding you back from full pursuit of God
9. Seek Accountability
10. Ask your wife to pray for you during these 50 days
11. Ask your wife “How can I pray for you this week?” – Follow up!
12. Do one thing for your wife/family based on their Love Language
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13. Tithe (Give 10% of your income back to God via your local church)
14. Develop and execute plan to get and stay out of debt.
15. Bless someone financially or using other resources.
16. Write out your blessings that you can use to bless others.
17. Write out your sphere of influence.  Pray for those in your care.
18. Use phone, e-mail or social media to encourage friends/others.
19. Ask your kids “How can I pray for you this week?” – Follow up!
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20. Share with someone how God has worked in your life this month.
21. Pray with your wife.
22. Plan & go on a date by next week.  Arrange all childcare.
23. Lighten your wife’s load by taking over a household chore.
24. Begin planning a romantic weekend getaway for later this Fall.
25. Share your scripture to memorize, accountability plan, get out of debt plan, sphere of influence, & blessings from weeks 1-3.
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26. Pray before all meals
27. Read a Christian Book or Listen to a Christian Podcast
28. Join or start a Small Group with your family
29. Spend time with your family at a park
30.  Leave love notes for your wife around the house*
31. Bless your wife at work with a drink, snack, or flowers
32. Survey your wife/kids about their favorite things.
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33. Leave notes for your kids around the house.
34. Pray with and over your kids.
35. Spend time with kids while your wife enjoys time w/ friends or doing something she likes.
36. Ask and share your favorite scriptures with your family.
37. Set up a meal with a mentor or someone you respect as a Christian/Husband/Dad.
38. Listen to/watch a podcast with your wife/family.
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39. Invite someone to church & challenge your family to as well.
40. Ask a friend how you can pray for them and follow up.
41. Pray as a family for your church, its leadership & congregation.
42. Find a ministry to be involved in or create one.
43. Talk to a coworker, neighbor, or stranger about church.
44. Encourage someone this week with the Word of God.
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45. Set up a double date and arrange childcare.
46. Serve in the community with your family.
47. Invite some neighbors over for dinner or a TV event.
48. Volunteer at your children’s school or neighborhood school.
49. Connect people in your church to people in the community.
50. Do something, make something, or get something that will help you remember how you have grown during the 50 Day Challenge.

Week 7 of the 50 Day Challenge

This is Week 7 of the 50 day challenges.  Here are the 6 challenges for the week.  As you can see, the theme here is the importance in being involved with your local church and sharing shining a light to those around you.

• Invite someone to church & challenge your family to as well.
• Ask a friend how you can pray for them and follow up.*
•  Pray as a family for your church, its leadership & congregation.*
•  Find a ministry to be involved in or create one.*
• Talk to a coworker, neighbor, or stranger about church. 
•  Encourage someone this week with the Word of God.

The church was not designed as a place for Christians to hide and get away from evil.  It was designed to advance the Kingdom of God and attack evil.  This only happens when we take action.  Make it a point to get involved in your church and serve others!

Week 6 50 Day Challenge

For those of you following along, this is Week 6 of the 50 Day Challenge.  Progressing through Psalm 128, this week we discussed "...Your children will be olive shoots around your table." Here are this weeks Challenges:

• Leave notes for your kids around the house.  - The goal is to bless and encourage them even when you are not physically there.  Make sure to do it while you're there as well!
• Pray with and over your kids.* - Praying for them is good but don't forget to pray for them, in front of them.
• Volunteer to spend time with the kids while your wife enjoys time with friends or doing something she likes. - This blesses your wife and you get to spend quality time with your kids.  A win all the way around. 
• Ask & share your favorite scriptures with your family...& what God has been teaching you. - If you want your kids to talk about scripture and how God speaks to them then you are going to have to model it.
• Set up a meal with a mentor or someone you respect as a Christian/Husband/Father. - Maybe its an early breakfast or a quick lunch but find someone that you think "I like where they are as a Man" and pick their brain to see what influenced them to get to where they are.
• Listen to/watch a podcast with your wife/family.  - This is what I like to do because podcasts are quick and easy to download and listen to.  The goal is to discuss the word of God outside of and in addition to church.

Keep up the good hustle!  If you are keeping up with these challenges, my prayer is that you are seeing the fruits of your labor!