We all get tired…

Even the strongest minded people have their moments. Thats why there is a God like ours. To often we get the mindset that we can do it all on our own. I cant do anything on my own, I just pretend like I can. I was talking to a friend yesterday, and this person just got a great new job, that she is perfect for. She spent the last 20 some years raising her kids and running a home. And now she decided that it is time for her to get back in the career world. One of her kids is making some of the dumbest decisions. Going against everything she was brought up to believe and everything she was taught. She is older and out of the house so what can a parent do? My friend made the comment with tears in her eyes, (and this is a STRONG woman, doesn’t cry very easy)
“I spent the last 20 years raising my kids for what? I could have been pursing my career, but i stayed home for what?”
How do you answer a question like that? Sometimes I think as pastors we don’t always have to have the right answers. We just have to be there to listen and let people ask and seek for themselves. She has a few other children at home still, and they are seeing what the oldest sibling is doing in the lives of the family. This lady is a good mom. No, she is a great mom. She did what she knew to do. The rest we have to give to God. Which is SO hard to do with your kids. Mine are only 5,31 and 1, but I know this first hand. It is hard not to want to try to control it all.
I wish people didn’t have to feel this helpless. Watching someone you hold very close to you fall away from the family is hard to do. I cant imagine being in her shoes right now. I told her I would be praying for her and her family. Didn’t really know what else to say. And I am not going to talk for the sake of talking. To many people do more damage then good when they do that. I heard today something that I really liked. It said, “One job of a pastor is to ASK the questions, not just answer them. That way people think.”
I liked that….

~Learning As I Go~
One-t

Old Blog…

Found a old blog of mine with some random posts. Going to be posting some of them,on here while i collect many thoughts!

~Learning as I Go~
One-t

I need a Silent Night!

You all know Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year. Always has been. Well not always, I dont really remember much before the age of 4, however, as far back as I can remember it has been my favorite. When I was younger it was because of Santa and the presents. And I knew from a very young age that Santa wasnt real, but it sure made things fun around this time of the year. And I never understood why “grown-ups” were always so stressed out. As kids, money wasn’t a issue. Neither was time. It was fun from the end of November till the end of December. Caroling, shopping, eating, parties, family, friends…it was an amazing fun festive time.
Of course as we get older, the “magic” is still there, it is still a fun time, however things start to change. And this change happens to everyone at different ages.
I think this is the first year where I was starting to get stressed by the whole “holiday” idea. And when I say holiday, dont freak out, I still say Christmas, just mean the whole season! Here is a picture of my family, one we tried to get taken to send out our Christmas Cards. And this is exactly what our lives in the Kraemer home feel like…

I started to get “caught” in the whole Christmas craziness, and forgot why it is that we celebrate this day. And it made me embarrassed for myself. I was getting stressed over Christmas Parties, not having money to buy gifts, should I let my kids have fun with the idea of Santa…and then it hit me. I heard a song called “I Need a Silent Night” and it all came back into perspective for me. True with taking classes, work and family, finances, life can get stressful, especially around this time of the year. And sadly it was starting to take my joy away, and that never has happened at Christmas. But through this song, Jesus gave me a slap in the face. Reminded me why I am excited for Christmas. Its not the lights, the tree, the craziness of life, the Peanuts Christmas theme on tv (which all are great and I love), but the fact that we get to worship Christmas because of the gift God sent. It may have taken me a long time to get to this point, however, my joy is not taken because of the craziness of life. Yes, I need a silent night, and I am gonna take it. I needed to be reminded why this is my favorite time of year. So the next 10 sleeps until the big day…are going to be a blast. Celebrating with my family, enjoying it all.

~Learning As I Go~
One-t

She will be 3!

My two year old Morgan is going to be 3 this week. And yes that is both exciting and depressing. And I have to say that she is probably one of the funniest kids I know. On top of her attitude, which those of you who know her know she has one, she is a a very sweet loving little girl. All while growing up, we have always been well taken care of by our churches, and birthdays were a HUGE deal. The two churches we have served at as a family now have really loved our kids. We are so blessed by that. I love how our church loves my kids, there are people waiting at the door, not to see us but to hang out with our kids! As a parent and a pastor that is a great feeling. Like I said, our churches have shown us in many ways how much they love us. This last Sunday a pretty funny thing happened. Because it is her birthday coming up, the church wanted to have her come up there so they could give her a card. Here is how this all happened and how we all got a good laugh! (may not be word for word!!)

Pastor Greg: We have a birthday this week, would Morgan Kraemer please come up here….
(Miss Ella had to take her hand because Morgan was NOT going to go up there alone…)
PG: Hey Morgan how old are you going to be?
Morgan: holds up all five fingers!
PG: I think you are going to be three, (helps her hold three fingers.)
PG: we have a card for you, and may I pray with you??
Morgan: NO!
Audience: LAUGHTER
PG: Ok well I am going to anyway!

As he prayed Miss Ella and Morgan held hands and did a little dance with while holding hands and then came back down to sit. Morgan felt so happy and proud that they did that for her. We all got a laugh and she got some Birthday money!

Love how our church loves us!

~Learning as I go~
One-T

My wife is gonna kill me!

So as you all know, I am a HUGE dog fan. We recently got a dog, that has actually been the best dog we have ever owned. However, I told my wife he would not shed and probably would not get that big. We got a goldendoodle and named him Schulz. He really is the greatest dog ever, however he DOES shed and he is going to be HUGE. So I thought I would post a short blog showing how in a little over a month how much he has grown. He was TINY when we got him, and in the first picture he was already quit a bit bigger then when we brought him home. He really is a great smart dog so we can over look the hair and size. But I just wanted to show off how awesome this dog is. And no he is not named after the TV show…he is named after Charles Schulz, ya know Peanuts creator!
Anyway this is Schulz Oct 10th.

Now here is Schulz a month later. The pic was taken in the same spot. Oh and he is only 17 weeks old.

Now I am not complaining because I want a big dog, and the shedding has slowed down and vet said he wont shed that bad when his puppy coat is gone. Good thing he is a good calm dog or my family might not be to happy with his size. Just wanted to show off a bit of my dog!

~Learning as I go~
One-T

Explains so much….

I think it is pretty cool that my mom has had several articles published in a few different magazines. I was going through one the other day and read it and thought, wow now I see where my kids get their personality. So here is a article that my mom wrote, not only is it awesome that she was published but it is awesome because this one is about me. Yes I am that big headed. (Im totally ok with that!)

Beyond Giving by Lezlie Kraemer

We had just taken our first assignment as the Senior Pastor in the sleepy little town of Regent, North Dakota, population 350 (and that included every loose cat and dog in town). We were once told that your first church is given to you…you have to earn your second one. So we packed up our four very young boys and headed west.

As we settled into our new assignment, it was plain to see that the community was equally excited (after all, their census hadn’t increased by that many in years!).

It didn’t take too long for our little church to begin to grow. Im not sure if it was because we were young or because we had four little boys, but we seemed to attract many others to our church.

You know, I was rather proud of our little church. Every Sunday morning, I would march my boys into that front pew and make them sit like little angels through the entire service. We had no nursery at that time, so I really had no choice but to make them sit still.

It was during one of our services that I had one of my most embarrassing moments in ministry. The church service had just started. I was sitting proudly in my front pew. Next to me sat Shawn, age 5; then Kelly, age 4; Michael, 3; and down at the end of the pew stood 18-month-old Scot. He had to stand so he could see over the pews to watch his daddy as he led the choir and preached.

Everything seemed to be going fine until I noticed that several of the choir members were smiling with more exuberance than I had seen in a long time. Surely, I thought, they must be getting blessed by the music. Then I started to notice a few extra little chuckles coming from the pews behind me, I couldn’t turn around and see what was going on–after all, I was in the front pew and all would notice my turning around. So I just kept looking straight ahead, keeping my eyes on my husband leading the choir and trying to act as a reverent pastor’s wife should.

Soon I realized that there was much more clearing of throats and “uh-hums” than normal. I decided to turn my head just enough to see if my four boys were still sitting respectfully in our pew.

Well, the three sons next to me were…but to my horror, the fourth one at the end of the pew had been creating all the commotion. Scot was standing on the pew imitating his daddy and leading the music…which would have been alright if he had a music baton in his hands. But instead, he had gotten into my purse and was leading with a Tampax in each hand!

Not only was I totally embarrassed, but how in the world was I going to get those things out of his hands without climbing over the first three sons and disrupting the entire service? So I just sent word down the line, starting with the oldest son, to take those things out of Scoty’s hands. I wish I could say that they got passed back quietly, but you try to take an 18-month-olds possessions away without an all-out fight. Lets just say by the time I recovered the Tampax, I was ready to sacrifice all four boys on the altar!

Oh my poor mother, however, I now know why they laugh at me when I talk about Morgan and the things she does! I will find more stories from my mom and post them. She really needs to write a book, she is so good at it!

~Learning as I go~
One-T

Book Review

There have been very few books that I have been unable to put down, and very few authors that I want to read everything they write. Lord of the Rings, Narnia, well anything by CS Lewis catches my attention, the Harry Potter series, but other then these, not many books or authors do that for me. Denise Swank is a newer author and has several books out, and her book 28 and a Half Wishes was one of those books that I could not put down. Denise tells a story about a non-interesting girl named Rose who is more then what people think she is. And how trouble seems to follow this young woman who through a traumatic family event she discovers how amazing she really is. How she can use her “gift” to help out instead of being known as the town freak. Denise created a character that when you are done reading this book you wish you had a friend like her. The way she talks about her town, the people in her life, and the crazy comments she comes up with, will have you laughing through the whole story. There is humor, suspense, violence, silliness, and even a little bit of romance. Something for everyone! 28 and a Half Wishes is a book that everyone will find humor and enjoyment in reading. I had to remind myself a few times that Rose was not a real character, and that I really was not friends with her in real life. That is they type of author Denise is. Her work is extremely believable. There were several scenes in the book that after reading, I thought for a minute that it really happened that that it was from my memory. It is a fantastic book, worth the read! I am really hoping she doesnt take to long to continue the story…

OOOPS

Sorry I have neglected you blog….i will return soon I promise!!

Its mine to protect.

Patience is not a virtue God has blessed me with. I say I am patient, and really try to be. My dad-he is patient. Some days I like to test his patience. its quite fun actually. I pray for patience. That and wisdom. Lacking in both…HA.
Patience has been on my mind a lot. I remember when my wife was pregnant with our kids. I wanted to meet each one so bad. I couldnt wait to find out the sex of them, that is why we found out against my family’s wishes. My kids so it was all good. But after about a week of no sleep, poopy diapers and a lot of crying-you want to put them back in the womb. Not forever just so you can get your wits back. Like I said…no patience. “Your baby will come when he is ready.” People kept telling us that. Makes me laugh when I heard that. Because I knew that. Some people enjoy giving obvious advise. I guess it makes people feel good. In all reality its fun to watch people feel smart and helpful.
WOW! No patience-no wisdom-and I am mean. Maybe blogging isnt for me.
I now fully understand why some pastors get burnt out. This past year has flown by. Between church, kids, church, camps, youth events, moving, finding a house, getting into the house. Im pooped. Been a great year. Just very busy. Glad summer is here. Life can slow down.
I am soon going to be 32. I felt older when I turned 30. I think the excitement of getting old was short lived. Which is good, I think. My least favorite thing about getting older is how people we know at a younger age change. Now of course we all change. But some people really change. Morals and spiritually things I mean. Not normal physical change.
When we were younger, I guess some of those things that were sins are no longer sins. Who knew? I didt know God changed. I was under the impression that God never changed, at least when it came to sin. Sin was sin. Sin IS sin. Or so I thought. I guess for some people that just isnt the case.
Now I am a firm believer in finding out who God is. I mean really soul seeking. But Im getting really tired of people picking parts of the bible to live by and ignoring the rest. Pretty sad. Between divorces, becoming drunks and the horrible party life style some of my friends have chosen really makes me sad. The whatever feels good idea is really getting on my nerves.
If your gonna be a Christian-GREAT. But if you are not, dont claim to be and give the rest of us a bad name. And no Im not being judegmental. Im being protective on whats mine to be protective over.
Growing older does not always equal wiser. Some people grow more ignorant. Where Do I fall in all this? I hope I bring God more honor than anything.
There are days when I have to remind myself that God called me to do this. I LOVE my job- but somedays I would like to not have to deal with church issues. I have nothing major to deal, with but stuff can add up. I mean how many hymns did we sing? Were we to loud, and OH MY WORD DOES THE PASTOR HAVE JEANS ON??? Most of this stuff doesn’t deal with me personally, but we all hear about this kind of thing. When did going to church get to be so hard. Somedays I feel like I was a better minister before I had the title Pastor on my name. I need to change that because I thought we were created for one thing and one thing alone. To worship God. He owes us NOTHING.

Now as I just went back and reread all this, I sound like a bitter old crab. Just the opposite. I am very excited to see where God is going to take our church. I am just sick of people watering down things. Making the sins in their life ok because “times change.” I am done living that way, done letting it go ignored. Like I said earlier, Im just being protective on what was given to me, and it is mine to be protective over. And I have so much more learning to do.

~Learning As I Go~
One-T

Great post from Jon Acuffs blog Stuff Christians Like

I didnt write this, but I really enjoyed it. So much I thought I would post it on my blog. I was kinda shocked to hear about all my Christian Friends going to this movie and talking it up like they did. And then listening to them justify it. No I am not being judgmental, but seriously…its common sense, well at least to me. Anyway, instead of me talking here is his blog. Which I must say is a good read…

Pretending you didnt see the Hangover 2 last weekend.
Oh stop. You did. I know you did. The sense of that movie hangs like a pallor over you like a beard hangs on Zach Galifianakis. There’s still popcorn on your breath and a nervous desire to tell a funny story involving a monkey and a car chase.

But if you did see the movie, which made a bajillion dollars last weekend, as a Christian you are left with only four options to explain why you did:

1. Throw the relevant card.

You saw it so that you could maintain your firm grasp of what pop culture cares about. It was more of a sociological experiment for you. Like I wrote about in the Stuff Christians Like book, how can you be expected to reach people, modern people in your community, if you’re not relevant? You sir, are truly a man of Issachar, who understands the time and knows what to do in a 1 Chronicles 12:32 kind of way. I’m almost positive that’s what that verse is about. The Hangover 2.

2. Explain how you saw it.

I had to cover my eyes during a few scenes that got a little nuditytastic. There was a stretch of the movie where I had to both cover my eyes and also hum a hymn really loudly to block out the audio of what was happening on the screen. And toward the end of the movie, I had to sprint out of the theater and pace the lobby for a few minutes. Definitely some questionable content but otherwise, a good film.

3. Focus on the deeper meaning of the film.

You know, if you get beyond the nudity and profanity and vulgarity, if you dig deep, it’s actually got some really great core truths about mankind and hope. There’s actually a pretty fascinating allegory running through the film if you look at it the right way. I didn’t even notice the filth, I was so entranced with the meta narrative of man’s eternal struggle to find his place in this world and fill the Christ sized hole we all have.

4. Reverse Jesus Juke anyone who questions your attendance.

I have friends who judge other Christians for not drinking beer. They’ll say things like, “Oh man, that guy is so conservative and judgmental he won’t drink a beer.” The irony of calling someone judgmental while you judge them is like the Christian version of the movie Inception. It’s a judgment within a judgment. And you can use the same technique with the Hangover 2. How? Reverse Jesus Juke people who judge you and say, “You didn’t see the Hangover 2? You’re so close minded and judgmental. Didn’t Paul say everything is permissible? Did I edit out the ‘but not everything is beneficial” part of that verse? You’re so nit picky. You didn’t even see it. How can you speak about something you haven’t experienced? I bet you hate the environment too.” It’s always good to throw in something completely unrelated to muddy the waters of the argument even further. What does hating the environment have to do with not seeing the Hangover 2? Nothing, but since when is prideful judgment restricted to logic or reason?

I didn’t see the Hangover 2 last weekend. I was a little thrown when one of the stars of it, Zach Galifianakis, said that it was so raunchy he asked his parents not to see the film. Of course, there’s always the “I’ll wait till it’s out on DVD and I control the power of fast forward” approach. But you know what’s going to happen right? When they release it on DVD they’re going to release the unrated version. They never release the “completely devoid of obscenity” version. Probably because that would be like a 17 minute movie.

But SCL is a safe environment. Fess up, did you see the Hangover 2 last weekend?

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

~Learning As I Go~
One-T