In my daugter’s writing class this week, they will be working on haikus. So I thought I’d give it a shot…
-
My Recent Pics
More Photos
Haiku
April 18, 2011 — Craig T. Owens1-on-1 Time
March 29, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
I love my 1-on-1 time with my kids. It’s wonderful when we can spend time together as a family, but there is something special about the times I can zero-in on just one of my kids at a time.
Harrison & I read Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Teens awhile ago, and now Samantha & I are working our way through it together. Brandon is just beginning to get into some serious reading, and right now we are discussing the situations in which Frank and Joe Hardy find themselves in The Hardy Boys series.
It doesn’t have to be over a book. Go for a walk … schedule a daddy-daughter date … play some basketball on the driveway … debrief the life lessons you just watched in a movie … play a video game.
Listen to this Dad and Mom: It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing together, as long as you are doing it together. Not what you want to do, but what they want to do. Get involved in their lives. The precious time you invest 1-on-1 with your kids will make all the difference in the world!
Sanctuary Needed
March 28, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
Why is it that a bad day morning at school follows you and becomes a bad afternoon at home?
Why is that a bad day at work follows you and becomes a bad evening at home?
We all have a tendency to hang on to things. But the problem is we end up taking out our problem on those who didn’t create the problem. In other words, our family takes the heat from us because we know they will still love us, even after we unload on them. So we make our problem their problem.
Humbled Dad
March 16, 2011 — Craig T. OwensIf you heard a popping sound earlier today, that was probably my suit coat buttons! I attended the Cedar Springs Rotary Club luncheon today as an honored guest, because my son Brandon was a winner in the essay contest.
The essay contest is for the entire 5th grade in Cedar Springs, where they are asked to write about someone who shows integrity. I’ve known for a couple of weeks that Brandon was one of only five winner selected, but he has carefully guarded his essay. Today at lunch was the first time either Betsy or I heard it.
You can watch Brandon read his essay here…
…or you can read the essay for yourself here:
Dad
“And that is why God sent Jesus to earth.” That’s my dad practicing his sermon. If you didn’t just catch that, my dad’s occupation is a pastor. Personally I think my dad shows tons of integrity. Here’s some ways my dad shows this as a pastor.
My first reason I think my dad shows integrity is he speaks God’s word to the people every Sunday and Wednesday at church, so in a way he’s educating people in God’s word.
My second reason I think my dad shows integrity as a pastor is that he goes out of his way to counsel people at the church and people having a hard time in life. When he goes to hospitals or homes to pray for people, he’s showing his care. Maybe someone needs some tips for staying a healthy Christian, my dad can help.
My next thing on the list is my dad helping people even in not so good places. Sometimes my dad has to go to the people when they need help. My dad says, “Jesus went to parties and bad places to spread God’s grace and love.” Sometimes my dad has to go to bad restaurants or has to sit in the smoker’s area of a restaurant. But he does it to show God’s love.
My last reason I think my dad shows integrity as a pastor is he helps the city with activities. He gets the youth group involved and will do what he can.
My dad also shows integrity as a dad. Here are some things I would say about my dad. My dad is always there for his family. If someone is in need of a ride home, my dad can probably squeeze it in. If someone gets hurt, he’s there for sure. If anyone has a problem, he’ll be there to solve it.
My second reason my dad shows integrity to the family is by setting a good example for me to follow. But he still lets me grow in my own way. Those are the reasons my dad shows integrity to the family.
I try to be more like my dad because my dad is a role model to me. He shows me the right from wrong. He helps me grow as a person and will always keep me on the right path. My dad plays with me and shows me humor. He’ll tell me stories about things he did, motivating me to do the same thing. But the thing I look to my dad for the most is to be a better Christian. My dad tells me a small sermon every day. It’s not something you would hear at church, but it just helps me go through my day.
This is why I believe my dad is a great person and I hope from this story that you can see my dad shows integrity to everybody.
I am one humbled and PROUD dad!
Like this:
Missing Ingredient
March 10, 2011 — Craig T. OwensI’m getting ready for week two of our Overloaded series, so I’m really digging into a lot of articles and reports about relationships. I believe that the biggest victim in our overloaded lives is our relationships.
Why? Because for relationships to flourish, they need lots and lots of time. Relationship development cannot fit into a nice, neat timeframe. Relationships are fluid: sometimes they need more time and sometimes they need less time.
Dr. Tim Elmore has a great blog post called A Missing Ingredient As We Teach And Parent Our Kids. His thesis is that we have to teach our kids how to think for themselves. But to get to that place, we need to come alongside them to help learn to do this. He suggests —
1. Process everything that happens. When you see a movie, hear a news report, or listen to a song, talk it over. Debrief its meaning, and the worldview of the people involved.
2. Plan meaningful experiences together. Don’t simply go to ballgames (though I love ballgames) but feed the homeless in a soup kitchen or travel to another country and absorb it together.
3. Ask lots of questions. When your child tells you what they did, enjoy the story, but eventually (without sounding like a professor) ask them their opinion about what happened.
4. Share principles you’ve picked up in your past. At the right time, in those teachable moments, pass along a nugget, a quip or a little phrase you’ve used to keep you on track. You’ll be surprise how they remember it.
What do all of these have in common? They all require parents to have enough time in their schedule.
Can I make one suggestion on where to start? Dinner time.
- Get your whole family around the dinner table as many times a week as possible.
- Banish all technology during dinner (turn off the TV, leave the cell phones & iPods in the other room).
- Ask open-ended questions like, “Tell me something good that happened today” or “What’s the most played song on your iPod? Why do you like it so much?”
- Make sure that only one person at a time is talking. And then make sure you are really listening to what’s being said.
Intimacy in your relationships is spelled T-I-M-E. Make sure you have plenty of it!
Every Moment Is Special
March 7, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
As I was in the midst of studying for our new series Overloaded which we kicked off yesterday, there was one thought that kept coming back to me time and time again —
The biggest victim in our overloaded lives are our relationships
And then the news of a tragic, unexpected death comes crashing into all of my local newsfeeds.
Wes Leonard was a star athlete for the Fennville High School Blackhawks. This 16-year-old played quarterback for the football team, and forward for the basketball team.
Last week the Fennville basketball team put their undefeated season on the line in their final regular season game against Bridgman. The game was tied at the end of regulation. As overtime was running out, the Blackhawks turned to their star player. And Wes Leonard deliver: hitting the game-winning shot as overtime expired!
The other Blackhawk players lifted their hero into the air and celebrated their undefeated season. But just moments later their joy would turn to shock, and then to sorrow. Wes collapsed just minutes after the game ended. Even though medical personnel worked valiantly on him, Wes Leonard was pronounced dead at Holland Hospital.
There were no outward signs of any medical issues. It wasn’t until the autopsy that the corner discovered that Wes had an enlarged heart, which led to the post-game heart arrhythmia, which caused this 16-year-old to have a life-ending heart attack.
None of us know how much time we have.
I pray we’re never too busy to have deep, meaningful relationships.
I pray we make the most of every opportunity to connect with our friends and family.
I pray we live without the regrets of unspoken words of love.
I pray we realize more and more that every moment is special.
I pray that you can overcome the overload in your life that may be robbing you of capturing every special moment that comes your way.
Raising The Dead (book review)
December 20, 2010 — Craig T. Owens
I know, I know, the title of this book sort of sounds like a horror movie, doesn’t it? But Dr. Chauncey Crandall IV’s book Raising The Dead is anything but horrific. In fact, it’s actually more like a love story.
The book opens with Dr. Crandall’s firsthand experience of praying for a patient who has been pronounced dead, and seeing with his own eyes that patient returned to life. This sets the stage for the life journey on which Dr. Crandall and his family are about to embark.
Raising The Dead traces the Crandall family’s journey of spiritual discovery as they battle cancer in the life of one of their twin sons. Throughout this story you will ride the highs as miracles appear for this family, and you will feel the heartbreak as opportunities slip away. Through it all, the Crandall family learns how to draw closer to each other, and – most importantly – closer to God. I know I joked earlier about the book’s title evoking thoughts of a movie, but in actuality this story would make an incredibly moving film.
If you are praying for a miracle in your life, if you work with people in desperate places, or if you would simply enjoy a moving account of a family seeking so fervently after God, you will enjoy Raising The Dead.
I am a Faith Words book reviewer.
Rules Of Engagement (book review)
June 8, 2010 — Craig T. Owens
In whatever criteria you want to measure him, Chad Hennings is a man’s man: accomplished wrestler, US Air Force fighter pilot, Outland Trophy winner, Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys. So when Chad sets out to write a book for men, Rules Of Engagement, you know it’s going to be right on target.
And it is.
Chad doesn’t pull any punches. He calls men out on the games we tend to play to hide our insecurities or our shortcomings. Using his military background, the book is divided into two main sections: basic training and active duty.
In basic training you will learn how to become a well-rounded man. Chad covers the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical regimens that will prepare men for the battles we fight every day. In this section I especially appreciated the section on character and vision, the foundations for a successful life. Chad writes, “Character and vision go hand in hand, because a man’s vision comes directly from his character.”
In the active duty section, you will learn how to put all of this training and hard work into practice. Chad covers the areas of family, accountability with another strong man (your wingman), money, and community involvement.
This book would be excellent for a man to read by himself. But I think it would take on even more effectiveness if two or three men read the book together and then enlisted each other as their wingmen. Accountability is a key factor in making all of this stick.
I am a FaithWords book reviewer.
Happy Birthday To My Son
December 8, 2009 — Craig T. OwensDear Harrison,
It’s hard for me to believe that you are a decade-and-a-half old. Wow, time seems to fly by, but the memories I’ve made watching you grow up are always with me. What an incredible young man you are!
Believe it or not, you have been a huge factor in my own growth and maturity. I can remember the moment you were born how I cried with an absolutely unspeakable joy! I had never known such an immediate explosion of love before. Falling in love with your Mom was a love that grew little by little – and still is growing today. But the love that burst upon me the moment you were born was a Niagara Falls of love all at one instant. As I held you over the first couple of days, it dawned on me in such a new way, “This is how my Heavenly Father must feel about me.”
That’s the day that my relationship with God went to an entirely different level. Partly contributing to this was the responsibility of being your Dad, and knowing how I had to be a better man to train you up in the way you should go. But part of my motivation to get closer to God was that you taught me what kind of love God had for me. I didn’t want to fail you or Him, so I made a conscious decision to rededicate myself to getting even closer to God. And in the process, I got even closer to you, to your Mom, and to everyone else I loved.
And that passion to keep growing hasn’t stopped. You still motivate me today to get better and better as a follower of Jesus and as your Dad. The more I see you mature, the prouder I become of you, and the more I feel the need to push through to the next level. I want to keep on growing so that I can always be there for you.
I love you, Harrison. Thank you for challenging me to be a better Dad and a more passionate follower of Christ.
Happy Birthday,
Dad
Unusual Blessing
October 19, 2009 — Craig T. OwensOn Saturday night I was in the hospital with a family as their loved one took his final breath. It’s not the first time I’ve been in a room with someone as their life here ends. And I’m certain it won’t be the last time. I feel blessed to be able to do this.
Before you think I sound morbid, hear me out on this.
I feel blessed to have had some valuable training for this. Long before I became a pastor (a “doctor” of the spirit) I was studying to be a medical doctor (a doctor of the body). I’m so grateful that I received enough training to be prepared for these settings.
I feel blessed to be there for the grieving family. When the emotions are so raw and the pain so deep, I’m grateful that God places me in a position to truly be a minister to hurting people.
I feel blessed to be reminded of the shortness and preciousness of life. It reminds me that life is fragile and short. It reminds me to hug more often, express love more frequently, and not take any time with my loved ones for granted.
Being in the hospital room as someone passes from this life is not an easy thing. But I wouldn’t trade the blessing of being a pastor for anything.
If this ministry has blessed you, please consider making a donation
