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Category Archives: Everyday Stuff
I Had Coffee with Piper, Towzer, and Chan
Tonight I sat at a Starbucks in Medina, OH, and had coffee with three of the brightest Christian authors in recent history. Well, those are their code names, given to each of the young men I talked with. They each mentioned one of these thinkers, and I agreed to refer to them using code names on the blog, so… I hope they can figure out who they are! Me, I brought up John Maxwell, so I’ll be him.
We were meeting for the first of several summer sessions on leadership. Particularly, we are looking at Jesus’ example in the gospels, asking questions about both his words and his actions, then discussing how we can apply Jesus-like methods in our daily lives right now. We don’t want to have just another Bible study where we sit around and talk with nothing coming of it in our lives. Our desire is to hone in on Jesus and his leading, with open discussion and poignant questions that can affect our lives immediately.
Why This Method of Study?
Sharing with the guys tonight, I mentioned that asking good questions is one of the best things we can do as leaders. Active listening requires asking questions. Some questions clarify the meaning of the speaker (when you said that, did you mean _______ ?). Other questions cause us to look further (why would Jesus say _______ ?). Still other questions compare or contrast (if Jesus led like _______, what can we do to be more _______ ?). Good questions are hard to come by, but when we find them they help to shed light on a passage or idea in ways that simply don’t come with ordinary book study.
Discussion encourages ownership and participation. It is one thing to study alone in our basement or in our library, but another thing altogether to flesh out ideas in a forum. When the forum is trusted and any question goes, the potential to learn grows exponentially. I made it clear to these guys that we can ask difficult, challenging questions of each other, and that is part of this process of discipleship. Iron sharpens iron, and that process is one of heat, pressure, and repeated pounding. This means it is okay to challenge one another, so long as it is done with grace and truth, and a good helping of brotherly love.
I would submit that this is perhaps the best possible learning environment when combined with daily life. I don’t have a boat load of scholastic research to support this, but I know in my life the things I’ve learned the most are those which I have been taught in word, shown in action, and discussed in retrospect. If we can see, do, and then assess, we can improve upon our failures, anticipate mistakes, and grow as individuals. When I say “learned the most,” I mean those are the lessons I remember and try to live out today. We hear, but we must do, and verbalizing what we do helps to solidify the experience and the lessons involved.
Luke 4
Today our focus was on Luke 4. In this chapter, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness, ministers in Galilee in several ways, and then moves on to minister in other parts of Judea. We asked 4 main questions to prompt discussion:
…1) What are some of Jesus’ leading qualities in this passage?
…2) What are some of your leading qualities that may help you as a leader?
…3) Who are you already in the process of leading this summer?
…4) What is at least one thing you can take away from this chapter and try to apply in your life and the lives of those around you?
Here are some of the answers to the questions from each of my co-conspirators, Piper, Chan, and Tozer… you know who you are!
Question 1
What are some of Jesus’ leading qualities in this passage?
Piper
— Knowledge of God’s Word and the ability to use it with authority
— Compassion and servanthood
— Knew where true authority came from (vv. 5-8)
Chan
— He had purpose and a goal in mind (vv. 42-44)
— Focused, stayed on task
Towzer
— He had the Word dwelling in him (used it to rebuff the Devil’s attacks)
— He had discernment about when and how to use it (not just head knowledge)
Maxwell
— Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued throughout the chapter to work in power together with the Holy Spirit
Question 2
What are some of your leading qualities that may help you as a leader?
Chan
— Connecting and unifying the people that I lead, so that we’re all leading, not just me
— Help to get everyone focused outward, instead of everyone just looking to me for leadership
Piper
— Compassion and hunger for God’s Word (John shared an inspiring story here about leading a boy to accept Christ as Savior during summer camp this year)
Maxwell
— Patient leadership (not complacency, but willingness to wait on God to act in the lives of others)
Towzer
— Desire to see young men grow in intimacy with God
— Organizational and planning skills
Question 3
We skipped it! Organic discussion for the win!
Question 4
What is at least one thing you can take away from this chapter and try to apply in your life and the lives of those around you?
Piper
— Using the power and authority of God’s word to avoid giving the Devil an opportunity.
— Using the TIME in my life for God
Maxwell
— Learning more about the Holy Spirit, what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit
Towzer
— Having the word of God abide in me
Chan
— Need to be more prepared, as Jesus was, to talk to and relate to those who are unsaved.
Conclusions
Wow! All of these things out of 1 chapter in the book of Luke! Amazing. These guys are, by God’s grace, totally amazing! It was refreshing to “talk in the round” about Luke 4, its impact on our daily lives, and the incredible example that Jesus was. This and so much more came out of our discussion tonight. Wish you could have been there with us.
The young men of today’s generation need to be given opportunities to lead. We, as members of the older generations, must WORK to provide them with these opportunities. Yes, each of us must listen to God’s call on our lives, but we cannot assume that He won’t use us to make that call clear in someone else’s life. I really am amazed at everything that could come out of that one chapter in the story of Jesus’ life on earth. Given our time tonight, I am certain we just scratched the surface of everything that passage has to offer.
We have some upcoming vacation weeks to throw off our meeting schedules, but we are going to continue working out these leadership topics, not only in discussion, but also in our everyday lives. The Gospel was meant to be lived, not just read. A city on hill cannot be hidden….
Soil Garden, Soul Garden
In different parts of our yard, we have different gardens. Allyson has a green gift, as those of you who know her are already aware. Her mother kept an immaculate garden at their beautiful home for many years, and I think Ally could not help but fall in love with the earth’s splendor.
Robin tirelessly toiled to keep the yard looking so incredible, and Allyson works hard on our yard, too. I think if we do not win a beautification award from the city at some point, she will be quite disappointed, considering some of the awarded yards in years past.
We tilled the soil in part of this garden today, and planted young flowering bushes. There is likely a more appropriate classification for these plants, but hey, I’m not the gardener. Anyway, as we tilled and planted, which is not easy work, I got to thinking about the soil of our hearts.
Our hearts are appropriate as a garden metaphor, and I can see parallels between our yard with several gardens and our hearts with many corners. Much of the time gardening involves getting rid of the things we don’t want crowding the spaces; weeds, rogue plants, rocks, stubborn roots. These things creep in over time and slowly destroy the beauty of the garden if we are not vigilant. Before knowing Christ, we once walked in ways that are no longer acceptable. Paul tells us to put these things away:
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator
Like this side garden in our yard, the soil in our hearts can develop hardness and grow weeds. Sometimes, it is one particular part of our hearts that needs tending. Maybe we keep a secret patch for lies or vanity. Sometimes we harbor a tough plot of bitterness or anger, or resentment toward a particular family member. Left alone they become overgrown with weeds that can eventually grow to reach other parts of our heart, and begin to erode at the beauty they find there.
When they get like this, it may take tough love from the Maker, in the form of tilling that heart-soil to prepare it for something beautiful. While I was tilling today, the ground was tough, dry, and needed to be broken. After I had tilled the soil, it then needed to be raked into order, then holes were dug to 
make room for the plants. I wondered to myself, “How often is my heart just like this? How many times have I neglected things in my own heart to the point where God needs to take drastic action to break me, soften me, get me in order, and pour His growing water into my life?”
The good news about gardening is that when all of the hard work is done, you are left with a thing of beauty, or at least something that is on the way to becoming beautiful. It isn’t that the plants or flowers are instantly marvelous. Rather, it takes even more time and attention to ensure they come to life and are as beautiful as possible. Eventually, though, with tender care, repeated watering, and removing the evil in the soil around, they produce amazing results.
There may be chastening along the way, heartache and sorrow, pain and discipline. At long last, though, the Savior makes way in our hearts to plant the fruit of the Spirit, and He cultivates those things in us that please Him most, reflect Him most, and so are most beautiful and pleasing to him. But oh, it hurts along the way.
2nd Cor. 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Saturday on Monday
Here’s one for all you foodies!
The Saturday breakfast in VollerHAUS is Pancakes and Bacon… You can substitute your favorite breakfast meat, and even occasionally do waffles instead. Today is July 5th, though, so we’re having Saturday on Monday. On the 3rd, we had a fun canoe trip with family, so we missed out on Pancakes and Bacon.
For those who might be interested, this is my tried and true Buttermilk Pancake recipe:
2 cups flour
2 T sugar
1 t power
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla (mmmm)
In the meantime, the large skillet has been heating on 4, because you don’t want the burner too hot.
Here I’ve already mixed together the dry ingredients, then I dump all the other stuff in and mix it up. I leave the vanilla for last, after I’ve mixed the wet with the dry.
Oh, did you notice the chocolate chips? Allyson loves them in her pancakes, so I put several in hers after I get them cooking. If you add them into the batter directly, it makes for an ugly batter, and the chips tend to melt into the rest of the mix, thus stealing the joy of individual chip crunching when consumed.
I cook the bacon in one big mess, the whole 1 lb. package. We use the leftover bacon for other foods throughout the week, and perhaps I’ll do my Pasta Carbonara this week and show that recipe, as well.
Everyone needs a helper!
A few minutes later and we’re in pancake heaven.
From Little Truck, To Dump Truck, To BIG Dump Truck
Again, always in motion… and this weekend he moved from his little blue truck, to his dump truck, to his BIG dump truck.
The yellow boots have become his outside playtime signature. I tried catching him in motion as much as I could, and got several shots. I won’t post the glut that I did in my last post, but here are some Little A. images to satisfy the hunger of those who need a fix.
Little Truck
Dump Truck
BIIIIIG Dump Truck
And the always present little black guest:
The Heidi Birthday Field Trip
Happy Birthday Heidi! We enjoyed a lovely time with Grandma Heidi at Stan Hywet. Such a beautiful estate, lovely flowers and buildings, walkways, ponds, and a greenhouse. The boys were, as usual, the center of the show.
Motion… Motion… Motion… Always they are in motion… And they seem to be great friends. Keep your eyes on the little ones in blue and orange. Click any picture for a nice lightbox slideshow.
There were some other beautiful landscapes, in addition to the tireless runner.
We had a lovely time with the family. Though the little ones take up most of the pictures, we were accompanied by the birthday girl, Heidi, Cynthia and Chad, Luke and Willow, and Jordan too! We had a nice lunch in their quaint on-site cafe, and taking a slow meander across the grounds. Japanese garden above was neat, I hadn’t seen that part before.
Recent Snapshots – Love and Loss
An outfit we just loved, complete with new hat. 
Emma the Cat – I woke up to this one morning – Kneading 
The Boy eats breakfast here. Thinking 1 picture a year to annually remember 
Picking Berries 
Our Recent Guest – Loved and Let Go
Eating 
With Mommy Ally on his second-to-last day with us 
Asleep in my arms as I said my goodbyes with silent tears 
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I do believe that is true.
Making Up For Mother’s Day
Well, I don’t if you can truly make up for missing Mother’s Day the first time your wife is a mother… Yes, I blew it, totally did nothing for Mother’s Day this year. I’ll wait while you scream angry epithets at your screen or stare in disbelief as you re-read that last sentence.
You’re right. How could I? It’s inexcusable. After so many years of yearning and longing for motherhood, and I let her down. I know. Appalling, isn’t it?
While it is shameful to have done nothing special for Allyson this year, I’ll at least tell you why. Mother’s Day, if you don’t already know, is always a difficult day for us. Allyson’s Mom died in 1998. They were best friends, and thoughts like this creep in every year:
Why did Robin have to die?
Why Allyson’s Mom, when she was such an amazing person?
Why don’t our kids ever get to know her as a grandmother?
Why did it have to work out like this?
Does God even care?
For years we have wanted to have our own biological children. Trusting the Lord, we have seen this as His plan, and so have not pursued medical alternatives (not saying those are wrong). It’s normal, right? I’ve found most women can deeply identify with the desire to mother children. It just never worked out for us. Frustration. Hurt. Anger. Pain. Repeat.
Doing my best to make up for my huge miss, I went out today and got some plants for Allyson. Few things make her happier in this world (probably cats and ice cream rank higher). I wrote her an awful poem, and left these out on the front porch for her to enjoy:
Hibiscus
Hydrangeas
Daisies
Probably didn’t make up for my blunder in missing Mother’s Day, but it may have at least served to soothe the pain a little bit. Allyson is an amazing woman, and one who deeply loves all the children in her life. She is a terrific mother, and I can only imagine how she will continue to get even better as the years go by.
So here’s to mothers, and especially the one I’m married to. So sorry I missed the day, Babe. I love you, no matter how many kids come and go, and maybe even stay, in our lives.
– Chad
Boys and Their Toys
Never met a kid who didn’t like a Gator. Naturally, I’m not talking about reptiles, but rather the off-road mini-John Deere yard vehicle. Daniel’s Gator is in full working condition, and I think Little A. would drive it all day if he could.
He hasn’t yet mastered the idea of keeping his foot to the pedal, and so the vehicle lurches as he drives over the rough terrain of Daniel’s spacious back yard. Steering is also a challenge of sorts, but he’s learning. These two are certainly trouble together, but loads of laughs and joys, as well. Here they are.
Getting Going on the Weekends
We have a breakfast routine here at VollerHaus. Each day our breakfasts are planned, and the pattern repeats itself every week. I have the joy of making the breakfasts for the family, and I find the routine has a smoothing effect on our lives. It gives us something to look forward to the night before, something to talk about with the children, and something steady throughout the weeks. When all else fails, there’s still breakfast! 🙂
Monday/Thursday: Eggs and Toast
Tuesday/Friday: Oatmeal and Banana (for Chad and Big Brother, toast/yogurt for Ally)
Wednesday/Sunday: Smoothies and Toast
Saturday: Pancakes!
Pancakes get us going on the weekends, my friends, that’s all there is to it. I remember growing up, Dad would make waffles on Sunday mornings (i think it was Sundays). Those days come back to me each time I make pancakes for the family on Saturdays. If ever we miss this special time, it leaves a gaping hole in the weekend.
The more we grow as a family, the more I love this family, and the more special moments like breakfast become.
How does your family get going on the weekends?