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Work Together

4/24/2015

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    It’s only Friday, yet the busyness of this week has only just begun. I’m glad that I just finished up the preparations for our special “Compassion Sunday” service and am very much looking forward to it. Many hands will be making this happen on Sunday.
    You see, yesterday I drove for a field trip to Pittsburgh for the schools 7th and 8th grade class to watch a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game. I wasn’t the only driver or parent, it took five of us to transport and chaperone the kids. It was cold in Pittsburgh, but the Bucs beat the Cubs 5-4 with the snow only falling down at 2 different times.
     After I got home from the game, I quickly ate supper and headed to the church. The church purchased the house beside it that has been vacant for over a decade. Its tear down time as nearly a dozen guys from the church were out with sledges, hammers, crowbars, and drills demoing the house in order for us to increase our parking area. I arrived late because of the baseball game, but significant progress had been made. We will be working tonight also, as well as all day tomorrow to try to get most of it tore down.
     Just looking at these three situations, I couldn’t accomplish them alone. None of us were created to try to make it through life alone. We were made for relationship and friendships. Created to help each other. Some reading this may be more needy of friendships then others, but none of us were meant to live life alone.
     Could I go over and tear an entire house down by myself? Hauling out all the scrap metal, removing all the windows, drywall, ceilings? No, I couldn’t. Could I use a 35 pound sledge hammer to smash out boards . . . Yes. But SHOULD I do that . . . No. That is why working together with someone whose health allows them to smash, they can smash. I found my place by pulling down old drywall from the ceiling. It wasn’t hard and I didn’t need a ladder like everyone else did! We worked together.
     We see a lot of selfishness and “me” centeredness in our society. Our lives were never meant to function like that. We were never meant to live on an island of solitude. We are meant to work and live life together.
     In order to raise our children in the direction that is right, Amanda and I work together. It’s not just her and it’s not just me. We are together to accomplish a purpose.
     Yesterday’s ballgame happened because people worked together. The tearing down of this house will happen when we work together. Sunday’s service will come together because people will work together. I trust our kiddo’s will turn out fine, but Amanda and I will work together.
     I gotta’ run and have some blood work done at the hospital but I wanted to get my post up because I wouldn’t have any more time this weekend. I’m glad that there are teams of doctors and nurses at the hospital too because could you imagine having to draw your own blood from your own arm! Thankful for the team that will be working together to take care of me in the next hour.  


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When You Feel Alone

4/16/2015

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    We all have felt alone sometime in our life. It may be a literal alone where no one is around and it feels like no one even cares. Sometimes we feel alone even though people are standing right next to us, but we feel isolated and abandoned. In many situations in our lives we can and have felt alone.

    Monday night I took this picture of the final pile of snow in the church parking lot. A month ago this pile was ten feet high, fifteen feet deep, and thirty feet wide. It was a huge mound of snow that was plowed during the winter months. On Monday night, though, this was all that was left. Today, of course, that small pile of snow is completely gone.

    I think about the times that I have felt alone and it reminded me of this melting snow. That pile didn't disappear overnight but it gradually melted. Times in our lives can appear that way too where the support of people around us dissipates until we feel like an insignificant, miniscule pile of snow. Alone. Maybe even feeling like we will actually melt away into nothing.

    Often times the felling of being alone comes on gradually. Not always, but often. You see people will fail you. That's not meant to be critical, but it's true, people will fail. If I know you and interact with you I am sorry to say that at some point I will fail you. I'm not perfect. (yes, I'm admitting that) I know that others aren't perfect either and hurt will happen.

    When we allow that hurt to build up in our lives and allow bitterness or unforgiveness to grow we will feel more and more alone. Often times our aloneness is a result of a hurt(s) in our lives. Those days can be some of the most difficult days to make it through. I've been there and it's not a nice place to live. For close to two years I was in the throws of depression. Amanda did all she could to help, but many days I would just accomplish my minimal tasks and then go home and sleep to get away from the empty feeling. It not only affected me, but Amanda and the children were greatly affected by my state aloneness.

    Although many people loved me and cared for me and were right by my side, I had difficulty seeing their love. I enabled the hurt to build up walls between me and practically everyone. I allowed myself to become more alone each and every day. 

    Thankfully, God never changes and he never fails. If it wasn't for that I am not sure what would have happened to me those years ago. Psalm 31 in the Bible was the chapter that changed my heart and I knew that although I felt all alone that I wasn't. "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." Those first two verses plus the entire rest of the chapter gave me the hope that I needed for a renewed sense of vision and passion.

    Many people feel alone. If you feel alone find someone to talk to. You can even contact me if you want. But remember, that even though you may feel like a small melting pile of snow, don't melt all the way. Don't give up. You can find strength and hope in the Lord. God never fails and He is waiting for you just as you are.    

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Take care of Yourself

4/9/2015

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    We had another great Easter this past Sunday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. The kids all got new outfits for church and I thought the bow tie looked especially dashing on Andrew. (He didn't want to put his shirt on because it was pink. We assured him that many men wear pink and that his Grandpa Campitelli used to wear pink all the time. Andrew was only one when his Grandpa died, so he doesn't really have a memory of him wearing pink frequently.) The ritual each year is to get pictures of the kids and also a family shot. 
    Holiday's are very busy times when you have five children. On Easter the kids have to be up early enough for breakfast and to get ready for church before they scour the house for their Easter baskets and seven hidden eggs for each child. That might not seem like many eggs per child, but do the math, it comes out to 35 eggs and we don't have many rooms to hide them in!
    After church we came home to finish preparations for lunch. My parents came over for lunch and Amanda's mom and three of her sister's came over from Ohio. It was a wonderful time of being with family and enjoying the company. My parents and one of Amanda's sisters, who drove herself, played Phase 10 past 9PM until I finally completed all 10 phases first!
    Such a full day and then right back to work on Monday morning at the office. I was running a little slow since I didn't get my normal Sunday afternoon nap in. That little nap is my recharge of energy that gets drained from Sunday church service. It's a good drain, but a drain nonetheless. I have to be careful not to push to hard or allow my body to get too tired or I will begin to twitch.
    Not many people have seen me in that state. If I don't get the rest that I need I will quickly hit a wall of exhaustion and then twitch rather uncontrollably. Amanda has seen it more than anyone. I will be sitting on my chair watching TV and will tell her that I need to bring the dog in and take care of the fire because my body is shutting down. My speech becomes quite sporadic and my arms, legs, head, mouth, you name it, twitches or convulses. It is rather annoying, and that is why I can't let myself get too tired. I know when that wall of exhaustion is coming and I know that I need to get rest quickly.
   
    I look at all the areas where my life gets pulled and I have to make sure that I still take care of myself. I look at the kids and I know that I have to eat and sleep right in order to function for them. I am also sure that Amanda doesn't want my tank to run dry and leave her with all the responsibility either. She is typically understanding when I came home and tell her I need an hour nap. I just hit a wall and things will get worse and worse if I don't get rest. Our family has had to adjust.
    I have to make sure I am rested enough to be an effective pastor too. How can I walk side by side with individuals leading them if I have no energy? We have to focus on ourselves in order to make sure we are as close to 100% in order to help others.
    Time just goes by so quickly. I can't believe that their is less than eight weeks of school left until summer vacation for the kids. Weeks, months, and years come and go so quickly. Am I utilizing my time and energy effectively or am I in a continual state of dreariness? Life is a gift from God. The time we have on earth is a gift also.
    I guess my point today is that you need to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. You're no good to your family, friends, employer, or church if you are just a busybody. I can get far more done in four hours if I am rested than what I can get accomplished in eight sleepy hours. Use your time wisely to take care of yourself and also to help take care of others.
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Gotta Heat the House

4/2/2015

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    Today was the day that I haven't been looking forward to. The day when we ran out of firewood. Our primary heating source for our home is a woodburner in the basement. If we didn't heat with wood, then we would be running electric base-board registers which would significantly increase our monthly electric bill. Since the weather was in the 50's today, I arrived at the office early to finish up my work for the weekend and then Corban and I made our way to my parents property to cut a half a load of wood.
    Our family loves the warmth that a fire bring to the house. On some of the really cold days in January and February, when the temperatures were -10 to -15 degrees, that woodburner in the basement kept the house at 70 degrees plus. Our family stayed warm, but the wood doesn't cut itself, load itself, stack itself, and end up in the fire all by itself. It takes work.
    This has always been a tricky area with me, as we have burnt wood as our primary heat source for six years now. With Marfan syndrome I have to be very careful in how hard I push my body. It's interesting that using the chainsaw at a normal pace doesn't wear me out too much. Even the bending down and cutting the trees on the ground isn't too bad.
    What absolutely destroys my body is the loading of the wood. I can't figure out why, but when I bend down and pick up the wood off the ground to load them up, that drains me. Last year I pushed myself so hard loading one day that I could hardly function for two days. I hopefully learned my lesson. 
    So today when I was cutting wood I took my time. I cut all I needed and then Corban and I loaded it. No rush. I rested if I needed to and was able to accomplish the task at hand without exhausting myself in the process. (Although we did get a little wet) We now have enough wood for the next couple of weeks to burn during the night since the temps are still near freezing at night.
    It can be difficult with a condition that limits what you can and can't do. My heart and mind tell me that I should do more, but my body often puts the brakes on that and then I make sure I don't overdue it.
    This winter the two oldest kids, Michaela and Corban, did almost all of the hauling of the wood from the pile at the back of the yard to the house. Neither of them have Marfan Syndrome. The two boys with Marfan syndrome would typically take the pieces that were brought into the house over to the fire. It would only be 15-20 pieces max, but even with Marfan's, they still needed to be able to help and feel useful. All of our kids have chores and responsibilities because, regardless of Marfan's, they need to learn how to work, how to be responsible, and how to take care of others.
    Parent your children to prepare them to succeed regardless of the limitations that may present themselves. It's incredible the life lessons one can learn (and teach) by cutting a load of wood.

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    Steve Henry

    This is a place where you can find hope without feeling ashamed of your Custom Scars.

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