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So it has been almost 2 years since I added a post to my personal blog. It's been a crazy 2022. My wife accepted a position in south-central Indiana and so we moved from Findlay, OH, where we had lived for about 10 years. She/we interviewed with the church board in late January, accepted the position in early February, and we moved down here on March 14, the day after the Upward Sports season ended. (My step-brother Lance also moved down with us, and he landed a good job with Cummins and a place to live last summer.) As for my job, I commuted back and forth to Ohio over 30 times and put over 14K in commute miles, not counting almost another 2K miles to and from gigs once I hit my office in Findlay. Our kids all adjusted well to new schools, activities, and friends. Our oldest survived her first year of college at ONU. We purchased our first home on September 1, and after painting over 8 rooms/areas (and counting) hosted a New Years Eve party and sleep over for my teen girls. And Notre Dame Fighting Irish won the Gator Bowl game under first year head coach, Marcus Freeman. Overall, it has been a monumental and transitional year!
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There has been enormous impact for good on our country from people of black, brown, among many kinds of colors! As Denzel Washington would say, it comes back to the father and mother instilling proper values into their kids minds and good opportunities to be educated and disciplined. All humans matter and are originally created in God's image, and must be restored back to that image thru the saving work of Christ. I believe the BLM narrative started from a false narrative that all white people are racist. It's just not true. George Floyd did not die because he was black. He died because a police officer was a tripping on either power, ego, hate, stupidity, or whatever. The police were called to a scene where Floyd was causing trouble for the store owner. Floyd had a long history of petty or minor crimes. It got out of control, and his knee should never have been on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes. The officer should have applied pressure elsewhere, especially when hearing "I can't breathe." This was such a terrible tragedy and for what happened in the aftermath in the USA. Bad things happen to good people, they say. We've all faced tragedies and death. And what the BLM movement did was proppegate a form of Marxism and communism, and the founders got filthy rich off the whole movement! Saavy politicians say, "don't let a tragedy go to waste", so they got busy pushing a narrative during a pandemic where millions of people were already agitated. I believe that racism had mostly been wiped out in America in the 1900's. I know, I'm rambling, but I believe the bigger issue is not race but people's character, values, and disciplines.
Your personal wellness depends on taking care of stress and emotional health. (The seven pillars of health also include proper foods, water, sleep, vitamins, detoxification, and exercise.) Are you spending enough time alone contemplating, praying, meditating, journal/blog writing, and dreaming about the future? Go into a quiet room with no one around. Turn off the sounds, lights, maybe light a candle or scented candle. Write below what your experience was! I think I am an even mix of introvert and extrovert. I love to spend time alone and spend time with others. I cannot think of which is more important to me. Both are critical for me. How about you?
I came across this post on LinkedIn recently from Daniel Goleman for further consideration. It's an article from Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/solitude-time-alone-mental-health-benefits-relationships.html Today, it's Cyber Monday 2019 and also the very soft launch of Webhook Design Company. It's been a long time coming to this point, but I'm finally ready to serve new clients who need the help with social media management and web design. The staff and board at my current place of employment (Findlay First Naz) is fully aware of the changes that are coming and has given me ample time to make adjustments and arrange for my successors to fill in the gaps. So I will be staying on at the church as a volunteer/leader and will be helping in every way that I can. Meanwhile, my wife Tracy will be taking on a full-time position at the church and keep her current position as Children's Pastor. My plans for the future also include taking a short online course called "Ministerial Entrepreneurship" as I transition in the coming months from being a associate pastor to a full-time entrepreneur. I am thankful for my 7 years on staff at the Findlay Naz and am excited for the journey ahead and wish that anyone reading this would consider recommending Webhook to anyone who is a business owner, corporate executive, non-profit leader. Thanks, and stay tuned to other passion areas that I am venturing into soon.
A month ago, we added a new addition to our family roster. My younger step-brother Lance Lemmerhart (25) moved in with us. He's from White Pigeon, Michigan. His father has been married to my mother for the past 12 years or so. Through a series of events, he has been on a wonderful journey towards recovery. Like so many people's stories, life has many twists and turns, and now I have the privilege to see and participate in my step-brother's track toward success. We share in constant conversation about life, victory, positivity, creativity, faith, mind-set, hard-work, and we both love helping and serving others. He's working his way up from the bottom at a local employer in Findlay and also helping me quite a bit daily in my own endeavors and personal goals. So if you ever get the pleasure of meeting him, he might just brighten your day! Stay blessed. I was exchanging some thoughts several months ago via FB Messenger with a board member from NAMI of Hancock County, and have further thoughts I might share.
I know that a lot of people struggle daily with mental, emotional, physical & spiritual (MEPS) distresses. Some of those in greater degree than others. People react to the pain or stress with nicotine, drugs, sex, entertainment, gambling, porn, alcohol, unnecessary hours at work, even music. And sometimes other people see those behaviors as very bad things. The struggle is a very real experience. But the external behaviors are not the problem. The internal mental struggle is the first problem. That's why mental is listed first in the line. The other three follow the first in this list Mental-emotional-physical-spiritual. (But it's difficult to put any one higher than the others. I see all four MEPS as a package. Each one effects the other three.) The addictive behaviors are often just reactions to the pain and, I would submit, can easily turn into an illness. I further propose that MEPS distresses can cause temporary illness, especially temporary mental illness just like a temporary physical illness. Much like I can get a common cold from being exhausted physically, ran down, lowered immune system, etc, that is just temporary, maybe 10 days long. A more serious mental illness may last longer, some even permanent. But as some symptoms of MEPS distresses are improved, the others can as well. So no matter what problem's or MEPS distresses one is suffering through it's important to remain being strengthened mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. We all can be mentally ill sometimes, but please keep faith that help and strength is on the way! What are your thoughts? It seems like every other week, there is a local fundraiser event in my area. With so many great non-profits and charitable organizations, there is no shortage of ways to give financially or time to good causes that make a huge difference. So if you are looking for ways to help your mission move forward, I recommend you get creative and cast a grand vision for reaching out and bring others along for the ride. Below are some really cool ideas I found online recently.
Here are my initial top 9 favorites:
The point is you will need to continue to build your brand and share your story with your audience. That's why I like to offer StoryBrand Consulting whenever I can. There are plently more ideas and links where the above list came from. Just go to: www.classy.org/blog/25-quick-fundraising-ideas-for-nonprofits-and-charity Have a great day! I love getting together with people, whether to celebrate new life, life passed away, weddings, birthday, anniversary celebration, etc. Recently, I lost a friend. She was a little old lady at the church. Claire was as sweet and faithful servant-minded woman. I'm soon going to her funeral visitation and going to speak with the family to reflect, pray & bless them hopefully. Claire reminded me quite a bit of my own grandmother who passed away almost exactly one year earlier. So, I'm very sad to lose her from this life, but happy she is now at peace and perfect bliss.
Here is a couple great links to reflect on: How do I find comfort and peace when I have lost a loved one to death? What Should Be the Focus of a Christian Funeral?
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Nate StultsMy blog covers several areas of life on a deeper level. Archives
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