My Friends, the day has come....

My Friends, the day has come we will be leaving for SPEC in the morning......How exciting is that....Wish up luck.....I will be doing daily photo updates on my facebook

Twitter stats

From Twitters Blog...

Halfway through 2011, users on Twitter are now sending 200 million Tweets per day. For context on the speed of Twitter’s growth, in January of 2009, users sent two million Tweets a day, and one year ago they posted 65 million a day.

For perspective, every day, the world writes the equivalent of a 10 million-page book in Tweets or 8,163 copies of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Reading this much text would take more than 31 years and stacking this many copies of War and Peace would reach the height of about 1,470 feet, nearly the ground-to-roof height of Taiwan’s Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world.

A billion Tweets are sent every five days. What’s in them? Everything about every topic imaginable – whether it’s a unique bird’s-eye view of the Shuttle launch as seen from an airplane window or cheers of support for soccer teams in this year’s Champions League tournament. Using Twitter helped a homeless man reunite with his daughter, sent two Cincinnati Reds fans to spring training on a player’s dime, and even helped residents of a small city in Korea find fresh water after its supply was cut off.

Something To consider......

Have you ever wondered sometimes why we can't live in true community? We all live in communities of our family, friends and neighbors. What would it mean if we were in true community?
I have been doing some reading in this concept/idea and find it fascinating. How it applys to everyday like and particularly when it comes to camp.
This week I kind of attended Reunion at Camp Bountiful. I had to go back and forth to work everyday, so I would get up in the early morning and drive the hour it takes to get from camp to my office. The drives to and from were not supper bad any day. I just turned on some music and sailed along. Then I would return in the evening and get to spend a few hours with everyone before lights out.
On Thursday night there was a talent show. After the talent show, the song "One Tribe" came on and those that attended Sr. High camp gathered in a corner and did the Sr. High dance that was set to that song. It was really cool to see them get together and do that.
During Sr. High Camp we became a community and last night that community was revisited.
That showed me, even though the community of Sr. High Camp 2011 is no more, it is still very much alive and well within the hearts and minds of the participants.
It was sweet. ......

Sometimes you just have to wounder

This week has and will continue to be interesting for a number of reasons. On Saturday I went to camp to spend a few days at reunion. My intention is to drive back and forth from camp to work everyday this week. It has worked well for me thus far but it's only Monday.
There are about three people in my office that are on vacation this week. One of those people designs the newspaper I work at. Since she is off this week guess who gets to design the paper on Wednesday and Thursday......This Guy.....
It's not that big of a deal, but with the driving back and forth everyday it will certainly make things interesting.
To top it all off I am presiding over my sisters wedding on Friday evening. That is both exciting and scary at the same time. It will be by first wedding.....I have everything written out, so if I'm able to not lose my notes I should be good to go. I am also very honored to play a major roll in her special day.
Next week will be preparing 10 stories because the following week is Jr. High camp at Camp Bountiful. I am really excited about spending another week at camp. The first week was so great it's hard to tell where the spirit will lead this camp.
Also found out today that I am scheduled to preach the day after Jr. High camp. This was also the case for Sr. High, and I guess it turned out ok because I was invited back to preach less than a month later. We will see how that goes.
Four days after Jr. High is over we will be leaving for SPEC, that will be exciting.
Will share with you more about all of these events when they occur.
As always thanks for taking the time to read my rantings........

To Serve...Or Not

The week of Sr. High camp was truly remarkable and something I’ve never experienced in my now 20 years of camping there. On Sunday night these camp came together as a community. They were united by something that was truly beyond their control and at the same time some that was within reach when they first got there. The Holy Spirit…..
Each night at camp fire we would set up 2-3 chairs in the back of the area in which camp fire was being held. These chairs were made available to those campers and staff that had a concern or a burden on their heart and needed prayed for.
I was privileged enough to be at one of those chairs almost every night. It was both a privilege and an honor to be able to go to God with their concerns.
The spirit was not only there in abundance that night. It was evident by Monday night that it was going to be a spirit filled week.
Also during the camp I was able to provided activities for Morning gathering class. This is a point very early in the day where I was to provided reflections on the day theme and prepare the camp for what the day had in store.
Very early on in the week the term community was brought up, and that is indeed what we became. I have been doing some reading on that very subject. It was interesting to see how the reading and examples given held true as to what a community was supposed to look like.
A community can simply be defined by a group of people coming together for a common purpose at a common place.
Dr. M. Scott Peck was once quoted as saying, “In and through community lies the salvation of the world.”
This year we had around 18 seniors graduating; every year Sr. High camp takes time to honor each and every one of them for their service to camp bountiful. This year that service had a wide range. Some of the seniors I was to watch grow up at Camp Bountiful, while others this was their first experience at camp.
Also the camp is invited to write letters to the seniors. The letters can contain words of inspiration, words of affirmation and advice about entering the college world.
For those seniors I’ve seen grow up at camp bountiful it was really hard for me to write letters to them knowing that I may not get the see them for a long time.
Each of them has served as an inspiration to me in more ways than I could count and that’s the part that’s the hardest to let go of.
There were points during the week where the spirit was so evident to a number of people it was all we could do to stand were we were.
The other greatest example I’ve seen of community happened last summer at SPEC. This year will be the third summer I will serve on the staff of West Pony (West Virginia, Penn, Ohio and New York). Last year the theme was Revolutionary. Throughout that week we were equipped with tools to help us become a revolutionary people.
SPEC is always an exciting time for me, because it’s one of the greatest examples of what the world church is all about.
Typically on Wednesday of SPEC there is a communion service. Last year the service was held on the lawn in front of the library. If you can picture trying to have a communion service with around 1000 people it can be difficult to find a space for that.
Last year President Veazy delivered the message about those who were revolutionary in the past and how our time is receptive to more revolutionary people. His message lasted about a half an hour and was very inspirational.
After his message communion was served. It was a very spirit filled experience.

After the communion was served President Veazy was so moved by the spirit that he felt the need to get up and share again. He was so moved by the spirit he had additional thoughts to share. I do not recall what exactly what he said. It was something to the effect that at that point in time the camp was truly connected as a community.
After the service our delegation was privileged enough to have President Veazy attend an evening worship. It was exciting because many believed that he was speaking under the influence of the spirit. That was a pivotal point in the camp.
Those experiences have renewed my commitment to this church and to the community we have and will continue to become.
For those of you who are not aware, I was ordained in March at Jr. High Retreat at Camp Bountiful. It will be a weekend that will forever be in my mind as one that has and will continue to change my life.

At the retreat, there was a concern that some of the campers might not know what to expect in the process of an ordination. We thought it would be best to call everyone together so that we could help those who did not understand what was going to happen during the service.

One of the things that were told to the campers, was that I was receiving a commission from God.

How scary is that? To know that you have a commission from God.

After the ordination occurred I was asked by a number of people if I felt different. My answer was yes and that I have and will continue to be blessed because of the experience.

I recently stumbled upon what should have been my answer…..

Zen Buddhists use the saying “Before I was enlightened” one Zen master explained “the mountains looked like mountains and the rivers like rivers. At the moment of enlightenment I saw it all differently. And now that I am enlightened, the mountains look like mountains again and the rivers look like rivers.” Or, when asked what it was like to be enlightened, another Zen master answered, “I chop wood and carry water.”

My friends, today there is reason to celebrate! We can celebrate the recent release of the churches initiatives that are intended to set the priorities of the church to focus on what matters most for the journey ahead.

During his speech, President Veazey said, “Being spiritually formed is foundational to obtaining a clear and compelling vision for mission. A compelling vision and since of mission, springs forth from the overflow of deep communion with the spirit. Such Communion occurs in personal spiritual practices as well as spiritual growth and healthy congregational life.”

The Mission Initiative I am most excited about is eliminating suffering and poverty throughout the world. I am excited about this because I currently serve as the co-president of the Scioto County Habitat for Humanity.

This is an exciting time to us at habitat. Through various grants we were able to receive thought our county and city governments we are poised to build five houses over the next two years. This is a feat for us because historically we construct one house a year. I am happy to report that in the next month or so we will be dedicating the first of these houses.


One of the things that amazes me about habitat is that it’s run primarily by a community of volunteers that come together for a common purpose, to ensure this homeowner receives a decent affordable house that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Also as many of you are aware I was recently named the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce member of the year. This award came as a pure surprise to me. I was there to cover the event for the newspaper. In biographical information they cited one of the reasons I received the award was because of my work and involvement with the church.

I would like to share with you my new favorite scripture D&C Section 4…..

I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts, one being my favorite quote given by a church official. Grant McMurray former profit and president of the church once said in an address to a world conference.

“Our belief in community is founded upon our sure knowledge that the God in me seeks the God in you and that it is when we have encountered that divine reality at the very center of our faith that we finally, truly, know one another.”

As we move forward my we be rest assured of the peace of Jesus Christ is alive and well in our lives, in our community and in our church,

Again I thank you for the opportunity to share with you today, and I hope I have not board you to death.

It's an honor to be recognized

The Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Thursday. They gave out several awards there to honor members of the community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to others and their community in the last year.
I was named the Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year.
It had always been a custom of mine to serve in any way I can for the betterment of this community. I believe this community and this region has many positive things to offer.
Some of the ways in which I serve includes serving as the president of Main Street Portsmouth, which provides services, incentives and collaborative opportunities to promote a healthy economic downtown, while preserving our historic integrity.
I serve as co-president of the Scioto County Habitat For Humanity, which is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing by providing a “hands-up” partnership opportunity for low-income, working families to become self-sufficient homeowners. This is an exciting time for Habitat, because we are in the process of constructing five homes by the end of 2012, thanks to various grants secured by the City of Portsmouth and Scioto County. Typically, we construct one home a year.
I currently sit of the board of directors of the Autism Project of Southern Ohio, a nonprofit group that provides support and education regarding that condition.
For 10 years, I have served as a member of the Board of Directors of Camp Bountiful, a 360-acre campgrounds owned and operated by the Community of Christ. Since I have worked at the newspapers I have spent my alloted vacation time attending Camp Bountiful. For the last three years I have taken a voluntary furlough week to attend a third camp.
On March 13, I became an ordained minister within the Community of Christ. In my role as a priest I have the authority to preform marriages, baptisms, serve communion, preach and a variety of other functions.
Sometimes, I think I could do a lot more in service to the communities. While other times, I cannot wrap my head around the many things that need to be done in a day or a week.
I can tell you, this award came as a big surprise to me. When my name was announced as the recipient of this award, it was a very humbling experience. When I accepted the award I was also asked to give a short speech. I can tell you I do not remember what I said, because I was so overwhelmed.
I thank all of those who were involved in granting me this award. It will be something I will cherish for a lifetime.

So Things Have Ben A Little Crazy

So....

Things have been a little crazy as of late...with all of the preparations being made for Sr. High Camp that is less than a month away...Classes and retreats to attend and sermons to prepare....let alone work and all of the volunteer responsibilities I have gotten my self into things have been getting messy.
I volunteer for this organization that shall remain nameless. Last week we were called together to here an announcement from our director. She announced she would be leaving her position for reasons beyond her control. So the process has begun to find her replacement in the near future. It has been an interesting time in the life of this organization. We are also seeing this as a time to reflect on what we are going and where we hope to go. I will keep you posted on how that goes.
Tomorrow a couple of us form my office will be traveling to Columbus to witness the Governor of Ohio sign into law House Bill 93 that will regulate pain clinics throughout the state. I will tell you more about this in the near future......
This weekend we are "Raising the Walls" of our 9th Habitat For Humanity House. It should be an interesting time to see how quickly this house is able to be constructed. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the current house, in the next month or two the family should be able to move in.
Next weekend for me will be spent in West Virginia, going to a Bountiful Mission Center Advisory Council Meeting, then traveling town hours north to spend the rest of the weekend with friends in Wellsburg, WV.....It should be a good time.
The following weekend I will be preaching in Jackson....With the theme of, "You will be my witness." Not quite sure where I will go with this..any suggestions?
Then the following weekend will be the start of Sr. High Camp.....Which will be the best, it's going to be an enlightening and spirit filled weekend for all.

That's enough about me....as always thanks for taking the time to read this...

-W