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The view from the building where we had breakfast The view from the building where we had breakfast

Reunion Recap: Part 1

I was both excited and apprehensive prior to leaving for my family reunion. I have a huge family, but my emotions have nothing to do with the size of my family or the fact that it has been a long time since I have seen many of them. As each day grew closer, I was less than thrilled to start this adventure. I became so used to my everyday routine, that altering it was a little scary.

The same thing that made it exciting, also made it scary. I wanted to have fun, I just didn’t want it to cost me anything. I need to have more faith. A big part of me gets too used to the everyday. I need to work on killing that part of me when it comes to living life to the fullest and enjoying the blessings around me. One of those blessings is my family.

My grandmother on my mom’s side had three children and there’s more where that came from. There was a total of 48 of us that met at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Nebraska. Not everyone was able to make it, but for those who were there it was fun. My favorite part of any trip always seems to be centrally focused on me getting us lost.

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Vacation from the Mundane

Week after week I wake up, drink a cup of coffee and take a shower, go to work, come up, eat dinner, go to bed, and then wake up to do it all over again. That life becomes normal and we get more and more used to it. We get in such a monotonous rhythm that we can forget that we were made for more. I was made to live life to the fullest.

I’m not supposed to be sitting around bored. I’m not supposed to be stuck in a boring routine. I’m supposed to live an awesome life. I’m supposed to be having tons of fun with those I love. In that case, it’s a good thing we have vacation. Vacations are good because they allow us to get unstuck. I think that if I going to be an awesome leader, then I have to live an awesome life.

Audrey and I have both taken time off work for this weekend and the following week. We’re heading to Nebraska for a family reunion. My mom’s side of the family are all getting together at a state park out there. We’re really excited about spending time with family we don’t get to see very often. I don’t know if I’ll have any internet access while away, but I’ll debrief when I return.

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Feedback is a Gift

We had an all day offsite staff meeting earlier this week. We brought a leadership coach who goes to our church to train us in the art of properly giving and receiving feedback. We were told that feedback is a gift. It’s my boss’s goal to create a culture where we crave feedback for constant improvement. That’s the idea, that we’re all passionate about continually improving.

I often ask questions about how I can improve when it comes to communication, organization, and relationships in general at my workplace. I desire to grow better and better each and every day. As we were thinking about this, I began to ask myself questions. How well do I do this at home? How well do I crave feedback from my spouse? I realized that at some point I gave up.

I have really wanted feedback form Audrey in the past and gotten nowhere. She is extremely introverted. When you ask a contemplative and reflective person you don’t get a response really quickly. My wife is one of those people. There are times where, even after waiting, she doesn’t give me feedback. I have asked enough questions and not gotten any response enough times that I have given up.

In hindsight, I can look back and realize that I shouldn’t have given up so easily. I need to work harder to get feedback form those who withhold it. That means my wife, my friends, my family, and my team at work. I need to be diligent and strive to acquire feedback from those who are hesitant to give it out. You never know, it might be the most valuable feedback of all.

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My Wife Left Me

A healthy marriage doesn’t mean you always have to spend time together. Today we both went to work, separately. After she got off work she headed out of town with a friend. She went shopping or something super girly.

While she was away, Frank and I went for a walk, made a epic bowl of mac and cheese, and then watched some Hulu. He probably couldn’t wait for Audrey to get home. In fact, when she is gone he often just lays by the front door awaiting her return.

It’s awesome to get to spend time with my wife. However, every now and then, it can be nice to do my own thing. I think she probably needs time away from me, but that’s not really what it’s all about. It has more to do with getting out of the normal routine.

I love that today my wife took initiative to just wake up and decide to be awesome. She’s being a lot more awesome than me this week, but I have to get some work done. This weekend we are heading out of town. We’re jumping in the car and making our way to Nebraska for a family reunion. More on that awesome trip coming soon…

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Party at Table Eight Party at Table Eight

It’s All Worth It

Today, Audrey and I went to a wedding and everything was beautiful. The best part was sitting and looking around the room at the other couples all dressed up, especially the bride and groom. It made me think back to the day I got married.

Now that was a long and tiresome day. Don’t get me wrong I loved it, but to be honest, it was exhausting. In planning everything, I felt like a director on opening night with all that I had to get done. And on top of that I was nervous and stressed out just being the groom.

Weddings are a ton of work and a lot of stress, but they are also amazing. Marriage is pretty much the same way. It takes a lot of effort and there’s plenty of tension. It makes me want to scream sometimes. But when it’s all said and done, it’s all worth it.

It is amazing to get to share your life with someone and know that they are always there for you, even when it’s difficult and exhausting. I was fortunate enough to find someone who was willing to say, “I do” and that makes me pretty darn blessed.

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Running is For Suckers

About two months ago I decided that it would be a good idea to start taking my health serious. I’ve put on about 15-20 pounds since I moved to Sheboygan about three years ago. Since I’m 6’6″ this isn’t a huge issue. But, I don’t want it to become one either. So, I downloaded a step counting app for my iPhone, but it used GPS. This meant my phone was working constantly to figure out where I was and it drained my battery really fast.

I deleted it and started talking some trash with my friend and coworker Amy about running. So then I went and downloaded a running app and decided to really get after it. I mean let’s face it, running is harder. This can only mean one thing. Running burns more calories than walking.

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We Both Went Naked We Both Went Naked

Memorial Day with Audrey

Audrey and I decided that today would be a good day to clean and organize the house. I don’t know what side of the bed I woke up on, but my wife must have woken up on the same side… Recently I have been busy with work and since my wife started her new job we haven’t spent a lot of time together. That is why it was so nice to be able to spend the day with her. It didn’t matter what we did. However, it did help that after cleaning we went out to Qdoba together!

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Reset Button

Reset Button

I woke up furious with my wife today. My alarm went off and I hit the off button and can you believe that she had the nerve to not wake me up until 30 minutes before church. I had to hurry up and to shower, get ready, and run to church just to make it there on time.

Then I sat and listened to a message all about healthy relationships. I too often get frustrated at someone else when I am the one to blame. My attitude when I woke up was lousy and God knew I needed to relax and press the reset button.

I am so thankful that with my relationship with God, it’s not about what you’ve done in the past, it’s how I decide to live from this point on. I am so blessed to have a wife who shows me that Christlike example each and every day.

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What Day Do You Have Off

I feel like I get people asking me to do things on my day off all the time. Today is Friday and it’s supposed to be my Sabbath. I’m not supposed to be at work, but I earlier today, that’s exactly where I was. I need to start taking my own advice and make my day off awesome. The truth is I need to get a lot better at saying no…

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Happy Birthday Frank Happy Birthday Frank

Balance is a Trap

When someone tells you that you should live a balanced life it feels like a trap. If you want to be successful at something in life you have to give it 110%. Don’t get me started on that pet peeve. The truth is you can’t give 110%. In fact, if you want to live a balanced life, you can’t give anything 100%, can you?

I work on a team that demands development. We are constantly striving to improve, learn, and grow. I read books, watch webinars, go to conferences, meet with mentors, and get trained by coaches on a regular basis. However, there is another side to my life.

I am a son, a husband, a friend, as well as a dog owner (Frank turned one year old today). Before I was a pastor or even on staff at a church, I was a man. As a man, I believe I have a calling on my life. It is my first calling.

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