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Rome Mission Trip Team Awards

June 30, 2011 in Travel, True Stories with 0 Comments

Our trip to Rome, Italy was awesome!  Part of what made it a wonderful trip is the team…they were a pleasure to lead.  This year I decided to give out Rome Awards for crazy things that happened on the trip.  Although you may not understand all the awards, you must ask the individual associated with the award so they can explain why they received it.  So without further delay, here are the awards:

Worst Foul Award – a tie between Darrell Cleary and Matt Main.  Both of them knocked kids flat on their back trying to get a rebound.  Apparently, no one taught them sportsmanlike conduct!
Italian Man Award – Mandy Ross.  I believe she tried to sneak an Italian man back in her suitcase!
Allergy Award – Cindy Cleary.  She discovered that she was allergic to Rome!
Snoring Award – Josh Steward.  His snoring kept me up the first night and he never apologized.
Bus Delay Award – Darrell Cleary.  He literally held up a packed bus by sticking his arm in the door.  That’s what I call commitment!
Photography Award – Bob Derga.  I believe he took 10,000 pictures!
Language Confusion Award – Josh Steward.  He was often guilty of speaking Spanish instead of Italian.
Gelato Award – Davina Main. Who knew that we would be able to sample all 100 flavors!
Facial Hair Award – Jon Liles.  What is the technical name for that?
American Idol Award –  Sarah Browning.  Sarah breaks out in random song, but at least she has a beautiful voice.
Axe Award – Ben Rodak.   He was hiding Axe body spray in his bag all week.  I think he was trying to smell good for the Italian ladies.
Heaviest Backpack Award – Bob Derga.   It was the weight of a small man.
Bargaining Award – Josh Steward.  The bidding always started at one Euro.
Under the Bus Award – Me.  Everyone kept throwing me under it!
Thief Award – Sarah Browning.  I know you stole my phone, you thief!
Trespassing Award – Ben Rodak.   He got kicked off of the steps by the priest of the church at Trevi Fountain.
Benadryl Award – Cindy Cleary.  You say funny things when you are taking Benadryl for your allergies!
Direction Award – Mandy Ross.  She seemed to always know where we were going.
Gelato Award 2 – Davina Main.  We ate a lot of Gelato and it was your fault.
Sleep Award – Darrell Cleary.  He can fall asleep anywhere.
Not-Shy Award – Matt Main.  I thought you were shy until I spent a week with you on this trip. Boy, was I wrong!
Awesome Award – Becky Liles.  She was an awesome host for our team!

Alright.  Did I leave any awards out?  Feel free to add your awards in the comments.

My St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2011 in Thoughts, Travel with 1 Comment

I love Ireland and since today is St. Patrick’s Day I thought I’d reminisce about my week long journey through Dublin and the small town of Mallow, which is located in County Cork.  Although I was there on a mission trip with our church’s high school ministry, I also had some time to catch the sights.  In all honesty, I’ve never been to a place with such natural beauty and historical richness.  I could talk about all my experiences and the places I visited, but pictures can tell a better story.  In this Ireland photostream, there are over 100 pictures and I hope you enjoy them.  I’m going to have a spot of tea.

IMPART at Elevation Church

October 28, 2009 in Leadership, Motivation, Random Thinking, The Church, Travel, True Stories, Unspecific Ramblings with 1 Comment

On Tuesday, October 27, 2009 I had the opportunity to attend IMPART at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. The eight hour trip from Ohio was well worth it for the “conference” as well as the time I was able to spend with my parents and both brothers who also live in Charlotte. This one day event was full of surprises, stories, staff, and stirring of the soul. Let me break it down.

Surprises:
Steve Fee showed up and played a few songs and then gave everyone a free copy of his new CD, Hope Rising. That was an unexpected surprise! I must say…hearing Glory to God Forever live was inspiring. The third session with Pastor Steven Furtick included a very special guest, Perry Noble from NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Hearing them interact about ministry was very helpful.

Stories:
Throughout the sessions, Pastor Steven shared the story of Elevation Church and how God has used their ministry in the city of Charlotte. His stories were especially near to my heart since I grew up in Charlotte. In just three and a half years, God has done some incredible things through Elevation and those stories were invigorating for me.

Staff:
The volunteer staff was AWESOME and the paid staff were available throughout the day. Those who attended the event had full access to the people who make Elevation what it is. You probably don’t get that at many other conferences.

Stirring of the Soul:
There is so much I could share here, but I’ll only highlight a few of the things God hit me with during the four sessions:

  • Three essential core values which should be a part of the church: Audacity (faith), Honor, and Generosity
  • “We want to be known by what we are for, not what we are against”
  • Act on the vision God has shown YOU.
  • Say it until you see it
  • True vision is holding onto what you cannot see yet
  • Don’t think too small
  • Our generation must restore honor to the church and that starts by honoring God
  • Honor men of God, the word of God, and other ministries
  • Respect is earned, honor is not
  • Excellence is custom designed
  • Simplicity enables excellence
  • Build for what God is going to do
  • Momentum – you don’t create it, you just ride it
  • I prepare, God blesses
  • Embrace the pain that lies between you and God
  • There is an emotional, physical, and relational cost to your calling
Of course, there is much more, but those are a few of the things God impressed on my heart as I listened. Now, I pray that God would help me to apply these things!

Where Are You Going?

July 17, 2009 in Random Thinking, Travel, Unspecific Ramblings with 0 Comments

Over the last several years I have developed an extreme love of traveling to other places, domestic as well as international. Spending time in unfamiliar locations with people I do not know has really opened my eyes to many distinct cultures and enables me to expand my own thinking about life. Where have I been? Here is a short list of the places I’ve visited: Mexico City, Mexico (2 times); Merida, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Santiago, Dominican Republic; Boston, Massachusetts (didn’t even use spell check on that one); and this summer I’ll be visiting Lima, Peru. I’m sure many reading have visited more places than me so I’d like to hear from you. Don’t be shy. I know you’re reading. Leave a comment with the best location you’ve ever visited and what made your experience valuable? Haven’t been anyplace interesting yet? Tell me where you would like to go.