I Survived!

Well, I survived Kayla's first driving experience today.

We went to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles where she took her test and acquired her driving permit.

On the way home we stopped at the church in our neighborhood and she got her first experience behind the wheel.

After maneuvering around the parking lot a little bit we ventured out and drove about 2 miles around our neighborhood before ending up back at the church parking lot.

Time keeps on moving, moving, moving...

Darren Strickland's Eagle Scout Court of Honor

Scoutmaster Gourley: Welcome to this special meeting of Troop 51. This afternoon we are gathered to celebrate the achievement of the Eagle Rank by Darren Strickland. First, I ask Brian Witthoeft to open this Court of Honor by thanking God for this day.

Brian W: (...opening prayer...)

Scoutmaster Gourley: Please stand for the presentation of the colors. Color guard advance...Scout salute...post the colors.


[Scout]: Please join me in the pledge of allegiance (...recite pledge...)

Scoutmaster Gourley: Color guard retreat. You may be seated. It is my pleasure to declare this Court of Honor officially open. Would [names of four Scouts] please come forward and recite the Scout Oath, Law, Slogan, and Motto (...scouts come forward...)


These are the principles on which Scouting is built. Members of Troop 51 please stand and make the Scout sign.

[Scout 1]: recite Oath
[Scout 2]: recite Law
[Scout 3]: recite Slogan
[Scout 4]: recite Motto

Scoutmaster Gourley: Thank you gentlemen, Troop be seated. Now we have an opportunity to reflect on the makings of an Eagle Scout as we hear from a few individuals concerning Darren's journey toward the Eagle Rank.

Brian Blankenship: speaks


Mrs. Beatty: speaks

Dad: speaks

Today we are here to celebrate Darren's achievement of becoming an Eagle Scout…AND an all around fine young man! As proud of Darren as I am, this achievement is not just about a single individual's accomplishment. This celebration is about the accomplishments and teamwork of many people.

It's about Troop 68 in Beavercreek where Darren started his scouting journey 7 years ago. It's about Troop 362 here in Xenia who welcomed Darren when we moved from Beavercreek to Xenia in late 2002. It's about people like Mr. Davis, Mr. Conover, Mr. Seva and others investing their time, talent and energy into Darren and many other scouts along the way. It's about Troop 51 in Waynesville welcoming Darren as a First Class Scout and helping him through the rest of his scouting journey. It's about individuals like Brian Blankenship, Gordon & Shelly Beatty, Alan Carter and others guiding and helping Darren and many other scouts. It's about all the individuals who gave of their time, energy and other resources to help plan and complete Darren's Eagle Scout Project at Apex Community Church.

So to each and every one of you who has invested in Darren and helped him to become the person he is today, AND to become an Eagle Scout…I say, "thank you!"

Darren, the journey to this moment has been one of the longest single journeys you've been on in your 17.5 years. It started when you were 10.5 in March 2002 with your first visit to Troop 68 when we were living in Beavercreek. It continued when you were 11, in the fall of 2002, when we moved to Xenia and you transferred to Troop 362. And it continued on when you were 12, in 2003, when we transferred to Troop 51 in Waynesville. So, Darren, 3 Boy Scout troops and 7 years later, we stand here today celebrating your journey from Scout to Eagle Scout AND all those who helped you along the way.

As Darren's father, I'd like to quickly review the Scout Oath and Law qualities I have observed in Darren over the years.

The Scout Oath:
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
And to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep my self physically strong,
Mentally awake, and morally straight.

The first line of the Scout Oath talks about doing your best - in most endeavors Darren undertakes, he does strive to do his best, whether it is studying for a test, learning a classical guitar piece, or just being a friend.

The fourth line of the Scout Oath says "to help other people at all times" - Darren is keenly aware of the needs and feelings of others and is usually very helpful when he sees or discerns a need.

The last line of the Scout Oath talks about being morally straight - there is no doubt to anyone who knows Darren that he is a person of high morals based upon his personal relationship with God.

The Scout Law:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.

While I have observed all of the Scout Law characteristics in Darren over the years, the following stand out to me:

Friendly, Courteous, Kind and Cheerful - Just by meeting Darren you know he is friendly, courteous, kind, and cheerful.

Obedient - He has been trained in obedience and has mastered that character trait well, unlike his father, who still struggles with authority.

Thrifty - Darren demonstrates the quality of being thrifty by always searching and shopping for the best deal.

Clean - He can't help but to be clean in the German heritage and environment in which he has been raised.

And finally, Reverent - Darren is reverent to his God and to all people he encounters.

Darren, in conclusion, before all of these people (family and friends), I want to say that I am so proud of you, I love you and I respect you. You have indeed grown into a fine young man and one of your rewards is to be able to call yourself an Eagle Scout for the rest of your life. Congratulations.

Dillon: Darren please come forward. I would like to invite all Eagle Scouts in the audience to come forward and introduce yourself, including the Troop and year when you received the Eagle Rank. (...introductions...)

Eagles, please make the scout sign and rededicate yourselves silently while the Eagle Scout Promise is administered. Darren, repeat after me:

I affirm my allegiance
To the promises of the Scout Oath.
I thoughtfully recognize,
And take upon myself,
The obligations and responsibilities,
Of an Eagle Scout.
On my honor, I will do my best
To make my training an example;
To make my rank, and my influence,
Count strongly for better Scouting.
And for better citizenship,
In my troop,
In my community,
And in my contact with other people.
To this I pledge my sacred honor.

Dillon: It is my honor to present the Eagle badge to you
(...pin badge on...)

Scoutmaster Gourley: As your Scoutmaster it is my pleasure to present the Eagle neckerchief and slide.
(...present neckerchief and slide...)

Now, Darren, you have the opportunity to recognize some very special people who have helped you in your journey to the Eagle Rank.

Darren: gives pins and gives thanks

Scoutmaster Gourely: Color guard advance...scout salute...retrieve the colors....retire the colors.

Brian Witthoeft: (...Closing prayer...)


Scoutmaster Gourley: Thank you all for coming today. Please enjoy the refreshments and
congratulate Darren Strickland, Troop 51's newest Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

I just posted Darren's Eagle Scout Court of Honor Invitation here.

Holiday Letter

Our family holiday letter has just been posted for your reading enjoyment.

Long Time, No Hear

So, a couple of months ago I fell off the proverbial blogging wagon about my time in Scripture. Yep, I got lazy and just posted links or articles written by others. Well, I’m back now writing to you thanks to the accountability provided by my MasterMind partners.

Side note: in August my wife and I celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary and our first born celebrated his 17th birthday.

Okay, here are some specific Scriptures that impacted me during the last few weeks.

• The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life (Proverbs 22:4)

• 1 Corinthians 4:1 reminded me that any ministry we have is due to God’s mercy

• In reading through the book of Ecclesiastes, all seems meaningless in life until you get to chapter 12 verse 13 where it states that the conclusion is to fear God and keep His commandments.

• Psalm 46 is such a great passage on God being our refuge and strength. Therefore we should not fear because the Lord is with us.

Allowing Kids the Benefit of the Struggle

This article seemed appropriate today since Darren was involved in his first auto accident on Sunday. It wasn't his fault and he wasn't hurt. Mom wanted to rush over to Centerville where it happened. I said, no, this is a good chance for him to grow. Turns out that he handled it well all on his own.

If we can quell the storm within us as parents and allow our kids to experience the learning process, the payoff is precious indeed!

Read the full article here

Jesus and Praying

This week I finished the book of Numbers and started the book of Deuteronomy along with continuing in Luke and Proverbs. The following are some of my thoughts:

• In Luke 4 the demons acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God

• What boundaries has God established in your life and ministry? (Numbers 34)

• Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16) How often do we?

• God said to Israel, you have stayed here long enough, break camp and advance (Deuteronomy 1:6)

• A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25)

• In Deuteronomy 2 God guided Israel under Moses to move, to fight, to pay others for food and water

• Jesus spent the entire night praying before selecting his twelve disciples the following day (Luke 6)

Well, today marks the completion of my 45th year of life. Highlights of the weekend include dinner with the family and my parents Friday evening, brunch with family Saturday morning, Saturday evening gathering at Apex Community and a small birthday bash with ice cream cake afterwards. Sunday should be a full day of rest and contemplation.

Hope, Direction, and Encouragement

Welcome to the month of February…already! Here are some of the things that were memorable from this past week.

Last Sunday our family had brunch together, as is our custom, along with a time of discussion, planning and calendar review. This time has become more and more important as the kids mature and are involved in their own individual activities.

On Monday evening President Bush gave his final State of the Union address. Although I didn’t see very much of it, I was prompted to ask the question “What’s the state of my life?” That’s probably a good question for all of us to ask one month into a New Year. So, what’s the state of your life?

Tuesday morning, my 16 year old son passed another College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test and now has a total of 21 college credits. Did I mention how proud of him I am?

At house church Wednesday evening, the guys group had some good discussion on 1 John 2 about loving your brother and what that looks like in our lives. We also discussed gratitude, spiritual struggles, and solitude.

After dinner Friday evening our family watched the fourth lesson in the video series “Strategies for Success: Blueprint for Achievement” by Zig Ziglar. This fourth lesson taught more about the things that people really want. As a reader of this blog, if you send me an email (you can use the email link at the VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE page), I’ll send you the list of 10 things people really want. A key thought that caught my attention this week is that people need 1) hope, 2) direction, and 3) encouragement.

Here are the things that stood out to me this week as I read Scripture:

• Consider the end of your life when you will groan and say “How I hated discipline”, “How I spurned correction”, “I would not obey or listen” (Proverbs 5)
• Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven? (answer found in Matthew 18)
• People need to be encouraged and set free (Exodus 6:9)
• Even though I might do a lot of good things, that’s not enough. I either have to be perfect (didn’t happen) or I have to accept Jesus payment in my place (Matthew 19)
• The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Psalm 24:1)
• Whoever wants to be great must serve, just as Jesus came to serve (Matthew 20)
• Questions, Parables, and Old Testament quotes were methods Jesus used to communicate (Matthew 21)

Bonus thoughts from my reading of Lesson 2 of Og Mandino’s University of Success:

• Success is an inside job.
• Do you think of yourself as a success?
• Is your life full of purpose or aimlessness?
• Do you accept your batting average or do you have unrealistic high expectations?
• Do you realize there is a price to pay for success and that it (success) is not free?
• Joy balances effort!
• Do you experience satisfaction or enjoyment that comes from having the right attitude?
• Regarding spirituality, do you have a relationship with God?

So, in summary, what’s the state of your life? Do you have hope? Do you have direction? Who/what are the sources of encouragement for you?

Are We Good Seeds or Weeds?

Wow, what a week! On Sunday the Giants and Patriots advanced to Super Bowl XLII. I guess I’ll have to be a Giants fan for the last football game of the season!

Since Monday was a federal holiday, our income tax returns were started and after a few hours were almost completed. I’ve used TurboTax Online for several years and highly recommend it if you’re debating what to use this year. Monday evening my personal Mastermind group started up for the New Year with one additional person.

On Tuesday my wife had her…um…39th birthday and we celebrated by going out to brunch. For dinner our daughter fixed fettuccini alfredo, and then we all watched The Bourne Ultimatum.

Wednesday evening our family had a good time of discussion and dessert with our house church. We’re currently doing a guys group and a gals group to get to know one another better.

Once again, Friday evening our family watched a lesson in the video series “Strategies for Success: Blueprint for Achievement” by Zig Ziglar. This third lesson taught about healthy relationships, the power of love and respect, and all the things that people really want.

Some key thoughts from my Scripture reading this week included:

• Am I / are you a good seed planted by God or am I /are you a weed planted by the enemy? (Matthew 13)
• Listen, pay attention, gain understanding, obey and live; Wisdom is supreme, pay all you have to gain understanding (Proverbs 4)
• Ministry requires solitude and prayer (Matthew 14)
• Jesus healed others so that God would be glorified (Matthew 15)
• May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed (Ps 20:4)
• Others may intend harm but God intends good to accomplish his purpose (Genesis 50)
• Just like Peter, at any given moment, we can be used of God or we can be used of Satan (Matthew 16)

Bonus thoughts from chapter 1 of Og Mandino's University of Success are: My greatest asset is the ability to read (and think) and my highest aim is to be wise, generous, and loving which are great attributes to be known for.

Being Grateful

Well, the third week of 2008 has come and gone. At least I got to spend part of the week thawing out in the sunny San Diego area on a business trip. Tuesday evening dinner was at The Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido CA. Wednesday brought many new people into my life that I will be working with throughout the coming year. These people traveled for our business meeting from California, Utah, Oklahoma, and Georgia.

My shortened time in Scripture this week included the following key thoughts:

• Be grateful, God is with me, I have food to eat (too much!), clothes to wear, and the ability to share with others (Genesis 28)
• The Lord disciplines those he loves, like a father disciplines the son he loves (Proverbs 3)
• Find wisdom, gain understanding, nothing you desire compares to these
• Anything divided against itself will not stand, if you are not for Jesus you are against him (Matthew 3)
• Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power (Proverbs 3)

My 16-year-old son achieved a huge milestone this week by getting his driver’s license. Now the fun chore of shopping for auto insurance begins.

Friday evening our family watched the second lesson in the video series “Strategies for Success: Blueprint for Achievement” by Zig Ziglar. This lesson taught about understanding your own self-talk, improving your self-talk, and being grateful.

Consider the following this week: What are you grateful for? Do you desire to gain wisdom and understanding?

Another New Year!

Like most of you, this week started a brand-new year in my journey through life. Welcome to 2008!

My time in Scripture this week has been focused on starting the books of Genesis, Matthew, Psalm, and Proverbs in my One-Year Bible. Key thoughts this week include:

• I am created in God’s image
• 6 days a week are for working and the remaining day is for rest
• I am to delight and meditate on God’s law
• Am I currently listening to God or Satan?
• God made garments for Adam and Eve even though they disobeyed Him which illustrates His love
• God drove Adam and Eve from the garden which demonstrates His justice
• Fools despise wisdom and discipline
• Noah waited on God’s instruction before leaving the ark (Genesis 8)
• Jesus was popular because he healed people who were ill (Matthew 4)
• God noticed that when people spoke the same language and started working together they would be able to accomplish whatever they desired (Genesis 11)
• Those who practice and teach God’s commands are called great in the Kingdom (Matthew 5)
• In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:3)

Brunch (breakfast/lunch) and Lupper (lunch/supper) were enjoyed with the family the first half of the week since Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were vacation days. Saturday morning was set aside for a brief date (brunch!) with my wife while my son was in physics class.

The trusty Franklin Covey notebook / calendar got cleaned out and refilled. New month at a glance pages for 2008 were completed along with updated daily pages, and personal goals. “Big rocks” for me this year include maintaining an eternal perspective, selling the house or finishing the basement, a renewed focus on relationships, keeping better notes on the Scripture and books I read, continuing to exercise to maintain weight, and taking a couple of family trips this year.

A Very Important People (VIP) list was started for the first time this year. These are people I will interact with throughout the year that make an impact on my life. This tool will help me implement the thought that “the only differences in my life a year from now will be from what I read and the people I interact with.”

Consider the following as we begin another year: 1) What are you committed to reading / learning? 2) Are you spending enough time with your family and other VIPs? 3) Have you organized your calendar and priorities for the New Year ahead?