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 of recovery from addiction and lacking solid boundaries and direction in life.

​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: 

1. Cooking Contest
2. Breakfast in Bed Delivery
3. Bicycle Relay Race
4. Trivia Night
5. Dance Marathon
6. Dodge Ball Tourney
7. Battle of the Bands
8. Local Olympics
9. Art Show / Auction

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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School dances should be a place to have fun, socialize with friends, and celebrate a special occasion of the school year. It is the viewpoint of this DJ (me) that school dances should be kept at a PG-13 age appropriate level, and not an adult night club. Specific boundaries are recommended for how students are permitted to dance with each other. Adult chaperones are requested to monitor all dance areas.  

Teens have new hormones and emotions bursting and social skills and cognitive abilities are still developing. Thousands of choices are made every day beginning in the teen years. Most destructive habits start young. Many adults, I would argue, still do the things that they started doing as a teen when parents and adults weren't looking, such as smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, etc.  It can be argued that extremely sexual dancing can easily lead to accidentally sexual STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and further destructive choices and addictions. So it makes sense that school-sponsored, tax-payer funded dances do not allow teens to openly glorify sexually provocative behaviors right in plain view of school faculty and all their peers just because "kids will be kids." Measures should be taken to change the grinding and twerking sensation at many high school dances and encourage teens to show one another a level of respect and decency that will hopefully pay-off in the future.

So what specific dance moves should be tolerated at high school dances? I would suggest, students stay upright. Move and step how they like, but don't thrust and bounce private parts together like two dogs in heat.  Ladies may want to circle up with their guy partners behind them, with hands on hips. That's as far as it should go especially as friends, faculty, perhaps even some parents may be looking on. A majority of teens are not ready for the raunchy dancing anyway, and would much rather just dance around and have clean fun with their friends in a safe environment that celebrates their youthfulness and innocence. 

Simply prohibiting dirty dancing is not a quick fix of the bigger issues teens are facing. Right living cannot be legislated and be all about rules. Teens are young people who need loving, caring and patient adults who will pace with them through their difficult choices and rapid growth into adulthood. 

I wanted to share some news about a new development in my career. This news has been announced that past two weeks at my local church and in Pastor Mike's blog statement. The past 6 years I have been a full-time associate pastor at my local church. Before taking on this role, I had worked in several different fields such as youth ministry, sales, biz development, substitute school teaching, pool and lawn maintenance, and even one failed attempt at starting a business in 2008. Now, I am phasing into a transformed role within the position I now hold. I will be expanding my ministry work into the community as an advocate for good and necessary change. I will also be taking more time to be an entrepreneur working for my own business(es). Thus, we will also be looking to hire three small (but vitally important) spare-time positions in key areas of our local church. I myself will equip and empower each of these three persons in the areas of Connections, Discipleship, and Volunteers. I will remain working in these areas as much as needed, and also in church communications, social media marketing, custodial oversight, and expanding local mission efforts. By May 1, my church office hours will slim down to Tuesdays, Wed afternoons, Fridays, and of course Sunday morning services. My wife Tracy will remain in her role as the children's pastor (see her blog), our kids will remain in their schools and we will remain living in the same house. Everything is going very well. I just believe it's best to branch out into new territories. If you wish to learn more about my outside work efforts, please contact me.  Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. 
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Last month, my family and I traveled to Lexington, KY to visit a family member. I never knew "Lex" was the world capital of horses! There are blue horses everywhere on signs and statues. I first noticed it at our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express. 

Anyway, I wanted to make a note about the remarkable hospitality by the staff, that earned my business as a new member. They had a great looking facility and pool house. The beds were the most comfortable I've ever been on. The housekeeping crew were well groomed and polite. There were toiletry items at the front desk, if needed. The dining room and breakfast were fully stocked and hot. The lady even asked me as I sat on the couch if I had any breakfast yet before she started cleaning up (I had not). They opened the pool house early upon request. I could go on. At check out, the manager personally asked me about my stay and, finally, as I was stepping away, if I would like to look at the membership benefits. By that point, I was so impressed I couldn't say no. They were adding value to my stay at every turn. So, for the first time ever, I became a hotel chain member. 

What are you and your organization doing to add tremendous value to your internal and external customers??