Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Come Thou Fount (Verse 1)

Don't take my translation as totally the greatest, 
but it's a start.
feel free to suggest other possible re-phrases.
1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love. 
Translation:
Come, you Source of every Blessing,
(Bring into Harmony) my heart to sing your grace;
Your streams of mercy never stop,
make me want to praise you without holding back.
Teach me a new beautiful song,
sung (or given) to me through the Holy Spirit given from Heaven.
Praise you for Jesus dying for me, I am thinking about it now,
The place where Your love redeemed all.

Hymn translator

I might step on toes with this, but I was worshiping in my church on Sunday and was wondering what kids think when a hymn comes along and the words include fetter and thee, thou and thine.   So I think I am going to try to translate a hymn... see where things lead.   The song was "Come Thou Fount".   BTW - initially I had "Come Now Fount"  so that shows my point exactly.... I can't even remember the title because... to me...  it I can't understand the lyrics/title, I'm not going to remember it.

So as Brad Stein says,  "Put yer helmet on!"

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I am not a good blogger.

I just looked. 2 posts in 2009.... not very good blogging frequency. :( maybe 2010 will be an up year in my blogging adventures.

From the Bradford Archive

As we were moving last week, I found a CD from our past (The Bradford Archive).   I picked up Young Warriors "It's Our Turn Now" years ago and loved the "Throw Up Song".  So I decided to spin the 1st two songs in children's church last week.  It was like the song was new all over again.  Our group of 13 kids were dancing and grooving to these songs long ago lost at our house.   You should check this CD out..... it's a lot of fun.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Tim Hawkins

Long time no post.

Well this post is to share with you a very funny dude.   His name is Tim Hawkins.  He has many funny (wierd-Al) like songs.  Here's a youtube clip of a kids rock commercial:

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Midnight in Chicago

I found this podcast/blog this morning. 

http://www.mic.mypodcast.com/ 


which is a number of podcasts about various issues relating to autism. most interesting to me was the podcast called:
Autism on the Homefront: Parenting Autistics

The casters mention research pointing to research that is uncovering that autism has genetic links. 
So things like Chelation Therapy (which is to try to remove heavy metals from the body) probably aren't going to be to affective if autism spectrum disorders aren't caused by environmental issues.





Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Autism and Faith: A Journey into Community

Here's an interesting story of a 13 year old autistic boy who was banned (even to the point of a restraining order) from church.

That led me to another find Autism and Faith: A Journey into Community which I would love to get a look at.

Looking at my church, I wonder what would happen if a boy like Adam Race and his parents showed up to worship. I would hope that the reaction wouldn't be the same. But does my (or your) church have a plan for providing for the needs of a boy like Adam? Would it be inclusive or would you provide a separate space?

Sunday, June 22, 2008

I am a bad blogger

I have tons more inbound blogging than outbound. I have like 100 feeds I check for updates everyday, but I post (or even comment) maybe once a month.

hey we're half way through 200-8... time to start new... (8= new beginnings right?)

I will try to blog at least once a week and see where things go.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Great Workshop Slide Deck from Dick Gruber


Cultivating a Cutting-Edge Children's Church


From: childrensministry, 1 day ago





Pre-conference workshop by Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode entitled, Cultivating a Cutting-Edge Children's Church offered live at the 2008 National Children's Ministries Leadership Conference. For more details regarding this workshop and for links to additional resource materials and the slides referenced during the sessions, visit www.cmuo.com/workshops/kidschurch


SlideShare Link

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

oh yeah! Jesus-is@live.com

Dude! I am like so geeking out!!! I just scored the e-mail address jesus-is@live.com

How cool is that? Yes, I did have to sign my life away to Microsoft. But I'll still use google for my real work. :)

Friday, October 26, 2007

Long Time No Blog - Off Topic of Kids Ministry

Wow it's been a long time since I've blogged! So what's new in my life since April when I last blogged? I'll try it in bullet points.

  1. Baby Dana has grown to 8 months old.
    1. Dana had RSV in the summertime. Dr said "Hmm I've never seen RSV in the Summer."
  2. Took family vacation to Disney World at the end of July/Beginning of August.
    1. Disney World was just OK
    2. We have lots of luv for Disney's Vero Beach - lot's less to do there
  3. Work has taken a lot of my time beginning in August.
  4. We redefined Wednesday night kid's ministry - we were using Faithweaver Friends - now we use the keys of kids devotional as a "mini-lesson" and then we do something special - make your own cookie, myo sundays, talk to a missionary. It's been different. with FWF, we had so many adults required for so few kids (like 8 adults for 20 kids) that it made it difficult to recruit and keep workers and if workers didn't show, it caused some pain.
  5. The Coudersport Sheetz now has deep fryers and a specialty drink machine, so we got ourselves a real life Redneck Starbucks!

That's all I have for now!

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Hillsong Kids Supers Review

This is a review of the Super Series from Hillsong kids!


Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Evangelism Linebacker is back for Easter 2007

The Evangelism Linebacker is back for Easter. Watch out Easter bunny

http://www.sermonspice.com/videos/5300/easter-linebacker/

Monday, March 26, 2007

Story by Steven James

This weekend I started reading a book by storyteller steven james. The introduction does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into 3 different mini stories that end up all coming together.

I'll have more in my next post. (which should be soon).

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Flock

My last post was put up with a program called Flock.  basically it's firefox only changed a little bit.....  it allows you to quickly post to the blog of your choice.    It also has a "Blog This" on the right click menu inside the browser window so you can quickblog someone else's information.   All in all, I like it!

Blogged with Flock

Part Two of Truth or the Consequences of Internet Truth

So back in the late summer to early fall when the Trailer for "Jesus Camp" got put onto youtube. within hours there were THOUSANDS of outraged people saying how scary this "movie" is. Commentaries about a movie that was gleaned from a 2 minute trailer that wasn't even created/edited by the films directors....


So, if you watch a clip on youtube or video.google.com... maybe even a movie trailer... should you comment on the whole movie from the clip?

sure it's another one of those "you just use common sense" type scenarios.... but what about the thousands of responses to Jesus Camp?



Blogged with Flock

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Truth or the Consequences of Internet Truth

So this idea has been cooking in my brain for a while. I've dedicated those brain cells that never were burned up by smoking, drinking and taking drugs to the question of validity of truth on the internet.

So here's the question/issue. In the years leading up to blogs and podcasts, we as a society got information from reference books and news outlets such as newspapers, radio and TV. We assumed that the maority of the information given by these outlets was true information, and most of the info was pretty close to truth. With the boom of the internet, with blogs and podcasts and sites such as cnn.com, foxnews.com we see the information that I glean coming more from online. So can the information that blogs/podcasts provide be taken as truth? In the beginning of the blogosphere, blogs were for providing an additional way of publishing ones opinion. Some major newsworthy thing events happened, had blogs were used to post very quick fact tidbits of what was going on (again with no ability to check for validity). This also was enhanced by the internet becoming even more mobile, where blogs could be posted "at the scene" from a cellular phone or other wireless device such as a Blackberry. Again no ability to check whether the blog post is "valid".

Let's take a step back and look at Paul Junior (there is no Paul Junior really). So Paul Junior (PJ) is 9 years old and is looking online about the names of God. In PJ's search he finds some very informative christian sites talking about the Biblical names of God. This is great information for what PJ is looking for. What PJ also finds is a blog talking about the similarities between the names of God in the Bible and the names in the Qu'ran which leads PJ to the thinking that maybe the Bible and Qu'ran are pretty much the same... His search also lead PJ to a blog talking about the Biblical names of God but adds more to it... The idea here is that in his search, PJ may get good info he might get some really bad info he might even get what looks like good info that really leads PJ down some bad paths. The problem is, what does PJ believe? He's a 9 year old and might believe everything he reads... What if PJ is a 65 year old that's new to the internet and blogging and really believes everything he reads on TV let alone on the internet?

The beginning of the answer of this question starts with the Bible, because it is the Truth. It's the beginning of Truth and the End of Truth. Every piece of information we get in a day needs to be filtered through our worldview (which hopefully is a biblical worldview) to help us discern what the truth is. It seems easy to say this here and now while I'm typing it, but that type of discernment is pretty difficult to do as an adult, let alone the 9 year old.

So this post is more like a alfred hitchcock in that there really is no conlusion to it. This is just something I am contemplating. If you see me with a funny look on my face, I'm probably thinking about that.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

The Ceiling is coming down

So back in June our church had the roof replaced.  Part of that was putting new insulation in under the roof. They used some new type of insulation that is sprayed in between the roof and the ceiling.  Only one problem.  With our installation there was a "feature"...   With the spraying came the smell of dead fish.  fast forward to almost six months later (now).  The insulation maker is plunking down the money to replace the ceiling and anything else that may get damaged in the removal of the insulation (and smell).  Wow, huh!!!  

What does any of this have to do with Children's Ministry you may ask?  Well now, I get to work with the new Pastor at our church (Hi PB!) (He preached 1 week in the main sanctuary before construction starts.. - Haa!) to figure out the symantics of the next couple months worth of Sundays.  We have a multi-purpose foyer that "should" be big enough to fit all of the people on a Sunday, but it could get tight. 

So my thought is have kids dropped off directly to Children's Church.  Honestly, I've wanted to do this at the church from when Mollie (wife) and I started leading kids church.  I just haven't wanted to stir to many places with to much vigor. 

One last observation from the Sunday.  Superhero is now officially my kids' most requested song.  All I have to do is move towards the DVD player and they are squealing "Super hero! Super hero!!".  They have even gotten to love that loveable aussie accent "baaabie".  Their only question is... who the heck is the bearded guy in the boat?  :)

Blogged with Flock

Monday, November 06, 2006

Prophecy from Kim Clement 10/21 in Huntsville, TX

So I get the Elijah List and was searching through it for references to children and found this one..... Wow!!!!

October 21, 2006 - Huntsville, Texas
The Spirit of God says, do not listen to some of the voices in this Nation. For God says many are saying, doom and destruction. Many are saying, it will not happen. God says, I have declared that this Nation has stood before Me many many times. I have not forgotten the prayers of your forefathers. I have not forgotten or looked away from the blood of the men that have laid down their lives for righteousness sake. Neither have I looked away from those who have cried out in the battlefield just before they died calling for their families and calling for their Nation. Would I walk away from a prayer of a dying man? No I will not. The nations of the world are trying to pull you back into another war and they shall not succeed, says the Lord.

The Spirit of God says, if you would hear tonight and you would understand I will bring forth a sound that will destroy your enemies rapidly. For during the summer months I brought down many of your enemies and exposed them. But the Spirit of God says, hear the Word of the Lord. God says, I am going to bring them to nothing. There are three nations that once stood away as your enemies that will become your friends and your allies. For God said, watch, I have told you that China and the United States of America would enter into a pact and a bond and this is happening though predicted years ago. For North Korea has stood and they have prodded the giant and God said, they are now going to regret. For God says, they have already decided to send into the atmosphere which would poison and destroy My people and God says, it shall not succeed. It shall not succeed.

I have listened to the prayers of righteous men in political office, Democrat and Republican. I have listened to their prayers and I have listened to some of them as they have cried out and said, "God the division in this Nation is causing too much trouble." And yes it is, says the Lord. But I am moving on the Northeast of this Nation. I am moving in Boston, Massachusetts. I am moving in New York. I am going to deal with the Kennedy family and God said, there will be a huge breakthrough. This is not a time for divisiveness. This is not a time for political division and yet it is at its highest. The hatred towards the President of the United States is at its peak, but God said, this will change. For I will take Korea, and I will take that little beast, and I will bring it to nothing. I will protect the people of North Korea but God said, China will have to enter in and I will prove Myself strong again for this Nation. For I have declared before over the season that there would be an unseasonably warm summer through to the end of October. And God said, this is a sign to you that this winter shall be winter of great rejoicing; that your new year shall a new year of great and grand prosperity, says the Spirit of the Living God.

Oh would you hear, would you hear tonight what the Spirit is saying to you? There is a sound of an abundance and God said, but many have not seen it but now they shall see it. For God says, in your new year you will experience something unusual. For this October it was already predicted through My prophet that this economy would reach its peak and things would go as they did not predict. Ha! Who are those that would predict? Who are those that would say "we are the prognosticators of the economy." God said, who are those that would say "we are the prognosticators of the political welfare of this nation." God said, I AM the prognosticator. I AM the one that decrees something. For even though the deaths have been at their highest, God said, Iran, what is this that you are trying to do? Would you put nose up and say to this Nation, "no more America?" I laugh says the Spirit of God! I laugh! I am laughing, says the Spirit of the Living God, because this is My hour for the greatest harvest in this Nation EVER! This shall be the greatest harvest that you have ever experienced, says the Lord. You shall find that the atheists of this Nation shall say, "we are clueless" because of this that is happening scientifically.

Huntsville and the region surrounding you, I have sent you a prophet for a very good purpose. I am rallying together true intercessors. I am rallying together true warriors that breathe clean air and I am coming outside the city of Houston to make a declaration. Even as Jesus stood outside of Capernaum and said that the high priest and the high power of Capernaum will be brought down, so outside the city of Houston, I declare that the stronghold of the principality of Houston, Texas is coming to nothing. It is coming to nothing, says the Spirit of God.

I am going to make a declaration tonight that there is no power that can make a prognosis as deadly as "there shall be no United States of America, there shall be no living creature in this land." They have said this. But now I shall arise, says the Lord, and your economy shall be greatly boosted. For the discovery of oil shall continue in the land of the living, the brave, the free. For God says, hear this: Until the new source of energy is released and discovered which is soon, I will give you remarkable breakthroughs in the soil and in the earth. And people shall say, "what has happened in Israel, why is there suddenly so much oil?" Because this Nation to be rid of the pests and to be rid of those that have made you look to them for your source of energy. That day is coming to an end. 2007 you shall say, the fall, the fall, the fall has brought about the energy that we need and then the race shall swiftly be changed in favor of the people of the Living God in this Nation, says the Lord!

Prophets are there to make declaration in the face of the enemy. And God said, there is an enemy that has risen up strongly and they have said "we will gather the nations against this one free land." But yet the tables shall turn, as I prove Myself to be crafty again, says the Lord. Watch Me, for when you think you know Me and when they think they already predicted how I am going to operate, My Kingdom comes and My Kingdom takes ruler-ship.

Watch Me touch your children, says the Lord. Watch Me touch your children. Just watch Me touch your children, says the Lord of Hosts. And I will take them just as they are and I will raise them up to be the "Davids" and the "Daniels" and the "Moses" of this hour, says the Spirit of the Living God. Watch Me touch your children, watch Me touch your children and they will come to life. Watch Me touch your children, watch Me touch your children and they will come to life.

God says, families that are represented here tonight, not only here, but on the internet shall grab a hold of these words, and this prophet has spoken from this platform in the presence of those who are calling themselves warriors of the New Millennium, God said, My warriors that know how to stand in the lion's den and praise Him, My warriors who know how to stand in the fiery furnace and yet give Him praise, My warriors who know how to stand at the water's edge and strike the rock down and open up the waters, that is the kind of warrior I am looking for. I am looking for a warrior that can do these kinds of things, says the Spirit of the Lord. These are the kind of warrior, says the Lord, that will take a little stone and bring a giant down. These are the kind of warriors, says the Lord, that will open theirs mouths and shout so the walls of Jericho can come down, says the Lord. These are the kinds of warriors that I am raising up; I am raising up warriors just like Gideon who will go with just 300 men, just like Gideon who will go with 300 men, just like Gideon who will go with 300 men.

I am looking for some warriors, says the Lord, and they are in your families - they are your children. These are the ones that will stand before the kings just like Esther did. And God said, these are the ones who change history just like Deborah. These are the ones that will change history just like Ruth and Mary and Elizabeth. God said, your girls are going to become women of God and they are going to become virtuous women who will prophesy to the dead bones of this society. I am going to raise up your children and they shall be the ones who will stand before the Lord and say, "God, here I am, send me, and send me wherever You want me to go. Send me, send me wherever You want me to go. Send me, send me wherever You want me to go, send me. "

There are secrets being shared with you tonight regarding a war that the enemy is trying to put up between three nations. And God said, these three nations shall do exactly what Jehoshaphat did when Jehoshaphat praised the Lord in the presence of three nations, do you remember what happened, said the Lord. I sent ambushments against the nations and those same three nations that are rising up against this Nation - I will set ambushments against them and they will begin to fight each other, says the Spirit of God. Are you ready for God to entangle them and set ambushments against them? Lord of the Universe, do it again!! Lord of the Universe, do it again! Lord of the Universe, do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again!

God said, I want to send a remarkable wind of My Spirit this region. Ryan, God hears you praying and calling out. Huntsville, God hears you calling out and praying. From this city, from this region, a great Senator shall be raised up amongst a family in this building tonight. He is only 9 years of age and will turn 10 in the December month. A great Senator shall be raised up who will provoke the forces, the forces that have hidden agendas, who will say "religion has no power in schools, schoolbooks, in the law" and God said, this one shall rise and they shall say "he is but a short man with a huge power." Out of this region I will raise up a Senator who will become a voice in this Nation and Huntsville will be proud. For God said, in his reign in Texas there shall be less crime than in any other state in the United States of America.

I am waiting for your children to be Mine. I am waiting, I am waiting for your children. They shall be Mine. They shall be Mine. I am waiting for you, I am waiting for you, I am waiting for you to come in.

I have made a place only for you next to Me. I have a made a place by My side.

God is saying, suddenly there was this volume from the book that came out from the prophetic voice regarding your children, regarding your children, regarding your family, regarding your future, regarding this Nation, regarding your finances. And God said what He is about to do in the release of a wind will raise this soil up and the people of this region and from it will come a political leader and great, great leaders shall come from your children. Evangelists, prophets shall come from your children.

And now He's saying there's a place I've created for you. Just like He told Moses, He said, there is a place by My side, there is a place by My side and by My side is a Rock and in that Rock is a cleft. By the Rock, but in the Rock there is a cleft. The Spirit of God says, I will place you in the cleft so I can show you the glory of tomorrow. My altar is open for you and your house. If you desire this that I have promised, come to My altar, stand before Me, says the Lord, you, your children, your family and I will give you that promise, says the Spirit of God.

Right by My side there is a place for you. Right by My side there is a place for you in the Rock, My Son. Right by My side there is a place for you in the Rock, My Son. Right by My side there is a place for you in the Rock, My Son. … in the Rock, My house.

Right in My heart, there is a place for you in the Rock, in My house.

Right next to Me there is a place for you in the Rock in My heart.

The Spirit of acceleration is upon this Nation. The Spirit of acceleration has been given to every house and family and anybody who would receive it and say "yes and amen." God said, it is yours!

like I said.. Wow! there's a 9 year old that will become a Senator..... wow!!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

I'm kidologically famous!!!

I was perusing the sights and sounds and wonders of kidology.org when what to my wandering eye should appear but a link to my blog. Look... see:




Wow maybe someone might even read my blog!!! Of course I'll never be at the pastorkarl.com level... :)