I've dreamed of it for years, and now I have finally arrived. I'm a dot com!

After the recent email glitches at school, including our email scanner labeling blogspot.com as "spam," I bought joeclauser.com. I had a link to my blog as the signature on all my email messages, but since our email scanner thought it was spam, it wouldn't let messages back in. So if someone would respond to my message, their response would bounce back to them as undeliverable. Since having the address as my signature is my main source of "advertising," I decided that I needed another way to direct people to my blog and still be able to receive replies.

My new address, joeclauser.com, offers many possibilities for communication and navigation of my web presence. For now, I have my main page, as well as blog.joeclauser.com, pointed to my blog site. Soon, internship.joeclauser.com will be pointed to my internship portfolio. I can also create URLs such as work.joeclauser.com, church.joeclauser.com, or anything else imaginable, point those addresses to various websites, and be able to share my life with the world in a whole new way.

I'm excited about the possibilities that this new venture provides - all for only $8.50 a year - just 2 cents a day!

Procrastinator that I am, I usually find time to do things weeks, months, or even years after I should have actually done them. When I finally take the time to complete something, I realize that I shouldn't have put it off so long. It's usually not that I don't want to do it - it's just that other, more pressing things, seem to take precedence at the time.

Take, for instance, my Life Plan. This time last year, we were going through the series at church. We were challenged to write out the plan that we thought God had for our life and some goals that we would work toward accomplishing in the coming year. I never took the time to sit down and flesh the whole thing out - I put a lot of thought into it, and I had some idea of what it would look like, but I never had anything on paper that I could take out to and say, "this is my Life Plan." Until last night.

My wife decided that we should have a weekly family meeting - every Sunday night. Ok . . . good idea. But what would we talk about? I thought we needed some sort of plan for what we would discuss at the meeting. What a perfect time to sit down and write out our Life Plans together, then use them for the "agenda" at our family meetings!

After two hours of hashing over words and discovering the goals that we each have, we came up with individual Life Plans and a family Life Plan. The three plans contain a mission statement, core values, and goals. Our individual plans also include our spiritual gifts.

My core values are authenticity, character, creativity, devotion, excellence, teamwork, integrity, leadership, learning, loyalty, servant leadership, and family. My spiritual gifts include encouragement, wisdom, knowledge, service, leadership and administration.

I wrote three goals that I would like to accomplish this year. Some will be harder than others: have a consistent quiet time, lose 20 pounds before August, and find an administration position that will allow me to provide leadership for a school building.

Our mission statements are short descriptions of the purpose we believe God has for our lives. This is who we are, and why we exist.

My mission statement:
"To use my gifts and abilities to make the greatest possible impact on Missouri public education while providing the best possible life experience for my family."

Jessica's mission statement:
"To raise my children at home in order to instill morals and give them a stable and loving childhood."

Our family mission statement:
"To challenge each member of our family to be a moral, productive individual who commits to follow God and actively seek His will for his or her life."

Now that we have taken the time to flesh out the details of our Life Plans and commit to live them out, we can hold each other accountable for the progress. If you'd like more information about Life Plan, check out meadowheights.com and click on the GROW tab.

On occasion, teachers have those magic moments when the world seems to stop for a second and we realize that we are making a difference in the life of a student. Something happens that brings a tear to our eye or makes us sit a little taller and take pride in an experience that we've helped create that we know will change one child or a group of children forever. I had one of those moments this morning.

Every Friday, my English class reads the Scholastic Scope magazine. There is always a classroom play that we try to do first, and then we continue through the stories and activities in the rest of the magazine. This morning, we read the play "Freedom Writers," which is based on the 1999 novel and subsequent movie that I had never heard of. The movie stars Hilary Swank as teacher Erin Gruwell who shows students the power of their words and help them reject gang life. The teacher uses Homer's The Odyssey to introduce them to the concept of overcoming obstacles on the journey of life. She also uses The Diary of Anne Frank to illustrate how racial injustice and gang violence can hurt society. She then assigns the students a journaling assignment - for the rest of the year, they keep a journal that can be private or shown to Ms. Gruwell. She tells them she will look at everyone's journal to make sure they are doing the assignment, but she will only read them if they are left in a cabinet in the room. And so no one else will read them, the cabinet will be locked when she is not in the room.

After reading the play, we had about twenty minutes of class time left. I decided to have my students write a journal entry about an obstacle they had overcome. This could be something I would read or something they could take home and throw away. Either way, I would check to make sure they wrote something.

After fifteen minutes, I decided to kill the remaining five minutes of class by allowing the students to read their journal entries if they chose. Unlike other times that I have asked them to share orally, I told them I would not give bonus points - I was simply offering the opportunity and there was no bribery involved.

One student shared his story of getting his four-wheeler stuck in a muddy pond. It was a typical middle school boy story about making a foolish decision and somehow having fun almost tearing up a piece of equipment. And of course, the other boys thought that was cool. The other student to volunteer was a girl - not a popular girl, but one who is often rejected by her classmates. Not the brightest student in the class, but one who struggles to pull off a passing grade. Not a well spoken student with eloquent writing, but one whose speech is hard to understand. Even with those obstacles already against her, she had the nerve to volunteer to walk to the front of the room, stand in front of twenty-six of her peers, and pour her heart out in a way that most kids her age wouldn't dream.

She started by sharing that her mom gave her to her aunt and uncle when she was one, but later changed her mind and took her back so she could "get her check for cigarette money." Her real dad was never around, and although her mom was there, she was never available for her. "...all I felt like I was was just something to give her the name 'mom'." She never had nice clothes, she wore shirts that were too big for her and shoes that were too small. In first grade, she was taken away from her mom. There was a large fight and she recalls having to tell the police officer how her mom would see things "on the wall and everything else."

She remembers how two elementary teachers helped her through that time in her life, and how she never knew where she would be going each day after school. When she was asked to decide where she wanted to live, she chose her aunt and uncle, and after four years of legal battles, she was finally adopted. She closed by saying, "I am happy where I'm staying now with my aunt and uncle. They are my new mom and dad."

As she walked away from the podium to return to her seat, everyone clapped and no one spoke a word. She had cried through the whole story, and I have a feeling some of them had, too. I sat on the other side of the room, smiling on the outside and crying on the inside. I was so excited that she was sharing her most difficult struggle with the rest of the class, but I was hurting because I could not imagine the pain she had suffered throughout her childhood. I knew that sharing her story wasn't easy for her to do, but I could just imagine the freedom she was feeling by getting it off her mind and allowing her peers to share it with her.

After class, a few girls came up to her to give her a hug and say something to her. Some of them even walked with her through the hall as she went to her next class. I don't know that she had ever shared any of that with her classmates. Something we have to deal with in public schools is the vast spectrum of personal experience that students bring to the classroom. We work with kids from every walk of life.

In the play that we read in class, one student wrote in her journal, "I'm envious of kids with fathers. I hope they don't take for granted all the little things he does like say 'Good morning' or 'Goodnight.'" Or just asking what they did in school that day. That would be the perfect Cinderella story for me - no glass slippers, just a 'How was school today?'" I wonder what that girl in my class was thinking as those words were read. I wonder how many others feel the same way. And I wonder how many of them hear "How was school today?" and think that having that $100 pair of shoes or that new iPod is their Cinderella story.

Teachers have the best job in the world - we get to help mold lives forever. Whether it's those second grade teachers who helped a struggling girl cope with being taken from her family or the eighth grade teacher encouraging her to share her story with the class, we never know when we'll have that opportunity to make a difference. I'm glad I had that opportunity this morning - I'll never forget it.

Each Wednesday, Mark Toti interviews a Fredericktown School District employee about an education topic. This morning, I was in the hot seat to talk about the Middle School Academic Team. I was a little nervous because it was a live interview, so if I messed up, there was no way to go back and fix it before broadcast. But it was actually a lot better than I expected. Like most interviews, it turned into a very casual conversation and most of the thoughts flowed very well - until he asked me for a sample question, and I wasn't prepared. I recovered, but it was a little awkward not being prepared for that.

Here's a summary of what I shared with Mark about the team.

This is my fifth year coaching the team. Each year, I've been assisted by Jane Stephenson, and I don't know that I could have done it without her. I really appreciate her willingness to help out. Every year, we have a team that represents our school well. I have been very proud of all of them. Two years ago, we placed 3rd at the conference tournament.

This year, we have thirteen team members (grades 7 & 8) and two managers (sixth graders). We compete against other schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays in February.

Matches consist of four rounds lasting fifteen minutes or fifty questions. The questions are about topics such as math, science, literature, grammar, history, geography, and current events.

This year, we have three returning members; the other ten are new. Even with the lack of experience, I think this will be a great season for our team. We started practicing in November, and we'll have eighteen practices in before our first match. This team has worked very well together, and I think that they definitely know the meaning of teamwork.

I think the best thing that involvement with Academic Team can offer a Middle School student is a sense of belonging and community. They learn that each of them is just as important as the other. When one of them gets discouraged because he or she hasn't answered any questions, my assistant coach tells the story of cookie baking. When you make cookies, you only use a pinch of salt, but that little bit of salt is just as important as all the flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients that seem more important. When a match is close (and they are sometimes won or lost by one or two points), the contribution of the teammate who answered one question is just as important as the one who answered ten.

We start the season January 30 when we host Farmington at 4:00 in the Middle School cafeteria. Parents and other spectators are welcome!

When Fox announced a new show back in 2001, promising edge-of-your-seat thrills and surprises at every turn, with a countdown clock that followed a man through twenty-four hours, I wasn't very impressed. I didn't want to watch it, and for the first three or four episodes, I didn't. Until the night I watched the last half of an episode . . . and then I was hooked. I've been a 24 addict for five seasons, and this weekend I started the sixth season like most other Bauer devotees - in front of the TV through the intense four-hour season premiere. And like every season before, it's clear to see that the next five months will be VERY interesting.

After two years in a Chinese prison, Jack was brought back to die. But since the show revolves around him, he couldn't - and he escaped. Did anyone not see that coming? And that was just the first five minutes. It's amazing what Jack can do in a few minutes - even more so in an hour. In the past hour, I got dressed, fed Ella a bottle, drove to school, and checked my email. That's it - my hour is up. In an hour last night, Jack was asked by the President to lead the search to find a nuclear scientist, drove across town to Jillian's house, convinced Curtis to work with Assad, got a Presidential pardon for the terrorist, shot his friend, lost it, told Buchanan he quit, and watched a nuclear bomb explode. We both had 1 hour - 60 minutes - 360 seconds.

At the end of hour four, Jack was faced with one of the toughest decisions we've ever seen him make - let Curtis shoot Assad, or shoot Curtis. My heart stopped for a few seconds when Jack pulled the trigger and shot the man who had protected him and worked with him for years - possibly his best friend now that Tony is gone - and I could only imagine what he felt in that split second. Thinking that was the biggest shock of the night (and it was definitely big enough), I was almost numb as I watched the guy push the detonator on the nuclear bomb and the mushroom cloud rise above the city. Jack and his team weren't able to stop the terrorists this time, but as all 24 fans know, there must be a bigger plan. We got a glimpse of it in next week's previews, and it looks like we're in for an exciting season.

In 24, Jack Bauer has twenty-four hours to save the world. For the past five seasons, he hasn't let us down. He's faced with many difficult decisions, and most of them deal with national security. Each day, we all get twenty-four hours to use as we choose. We are faced with many decisions, and most of them do NOT deal with national security. Actually, many of the decisions we make on a daily basis are more important than that. Each day, we are given choices that affect eternal security - for ourselves, for those we love, and for those we've never met. How are you using the time that God has given you? If we could all sit down and watch twenty-four hours of your life tick by on a TV screen, it may not be as exciting as Jack's story, but would it be as powerful? Would we see you make good decisions, do the right thing, and protect the Word of God the way Jack protects the constitution? Jack works for the President of the United States, but we work for the King of the Universe. Live life like every second counts!

Ok, what's up with the weather? Everyone else in Missouri got ice and snow from the storm over the weekend, but it was warm enough here that we only got rain - and a lot of it. Then I wake up this morning and the temperature is twelve degrees, and there's a trace of snow blowing around. Where was the cold when we had the moisture - and now that we have the cold, where's the moisture? I've about had it! I want snow!

Nothing about politics gets under my skin more than for someone to say, "I vote based on the issues, not the party," but when they're asked about the stance of their candidate of choice, they don't seem to know the candidate's position on most issues. They don't read newspapers; they don't really watch the news; they simply listen to media hype and spin and vote based on what they take for granted is the person's platform, based on party affiliation. I've watched the vicious cycle in my own family for far too long.

A few years ago, I stumbled across a site that allows you to select responses to various positions on current issues. It then provides a list of the forerunners in the campaign, with a percentage match based on your choices. There are over 20,000 selectors for all kinds of topics, from religion to refreshments; from Harry Potter to hair styling products. While many of the decisions that the site can help with are menial and should require no thought at all, more important decisions, such as who to vote for, can be well worth the investment of time.

Check out the 2008 Presidential Selector today!

Here are my top five five:
(100%) 1: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R)
(87%) 2: Rep. Tom Tancredo (R)
(80%) 3: Sen. Sam Brownback (R)
(66%) 4: Sen. John McCain (R)
(66%) 5: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R)

And bottom five:
(27%) 19: Sen. Christopher Dodd (D)
(22%) 20: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D)
(22%) 21: Ex-VP Al Gore (D)
(22%) 22: Sen. John Kerry (D)
(16%) 23: Sen. Barack Obama (D)

When I was on staff at church, our annual retreats often began with a time called "Celebrate and Evaluate." We would share three accomplishments in our particular area for the past year, and then three challenges or goals that we faced for the coming year. It was a time to celebrate what God had done in our ministries and be honest about where we needed to work to improve in the future.

I decided to take that concept and have a similar time of reflection for the Southeast Region MSTA Executive Committee at our January meeting last night. When I emailed the members of the committee to remind them of the meeting, I asked that they each begin thinking about something (personal or professional) that they could share during that time. Once I started concentrating on the agenda and trying to finish the meeting in a timely manner, I forgot all about the reflection time. At 7:30, I adjourned the meeting and thought the night was over. Then one of our field reps reminded me that I had overlooked part of my plan.

When I originally considered the share time, I almost backed out, thinking no one would want to participate. Why would they want me prying into their personal and professional lives? They are volunteers, serving on a committee, meeting every other month to make decisions concerning the regional organization. What business do I have asking them to reflect on 2006 and make plans for 2007? When the night was over, I understood that the entire exercise was not at all about me leading a time of reflection - it was about God showing up in a group of nine teachers and touching their lives.

As we went around the table, we shared personal burdens, health concerns, family issues, financial decisions and career challenges. We had plenty to be thankful for - don't get me wrong. We weren't having a pity party for ourselves. God provided in big ways in 2006 - from new babies to spiritual breakthroughs; support at work to reaffirmation in leadership. It is amazing to me, as I sit here thinking back over everything that was shared, how much God did through nine very ordinary individuals in just 365 days.

What I had intended to be a five-to-ten-minute time of sharing turned into forty-five minutes of building relationships. I'm quite sure that at no point in our lives will any of us look back on January 8, 2007, and say, "I wish we would have left forty-five minutes earlier," but from time to time we will all look back and say, "remember when we sat around that table and shared life together? Remember that struggle you were facing? How are you doing? Remember what I was concerned about last year? Look what God has done in my life since then."

How many times do we look at our professional lives as an obligation to get the work done, without any thought to the struggles and victories of the people we are working with? Sharing life together is as simple as asking a group of nine people to share one thing they're thankful for and one challenge they face. God may not bless all the time that you invest in turning a profit, making a name for yourself, or being the leader of the pack. But I know that He will bless every second that you spend investing in others.

Words are all around us. We see them, hear them, and speak them every day. Loving words and harsh words . . . words to encourage others and words to tear them down . . . memorable quotes and trite cliches . . . informative snipits and meaningless babble. Words are all around us.

From time to time, godly people speak words of truth into my life. Sometimes it's unwanted (but needed) advice; other times, it's something supportive. I've appreciated the wisdom of many people over the past few years on my journey into adulthood. Last year, one of those individuals shared an insight that stuck with me through 2006 and reminds me not to get discouraged when what seems like defeat comes my way.

Last fall, I applied for a job that I thought was made for me. On my list of dream jobs, this one was definitely at the top, and I just knew that God had provided the opportunity just for me. A lot of people were praying for me through the whole process, including the person who was retiring from the position. For months, I poured everything I could into getting the job.

I can still remember every detail of the day I was interviewed. I can visually walk through the entire day and relive almost everything that was said. At the end of the interview, one of the men interviewing said, "sometimes God says 'yes,' sometimes he says 'no,' and sometimes he says 'not yet.'" I didn't realize how important that sentence would be until I read the letter saying someone else had been chosen to fill the position.

Since that time, I've worked with the person who was chosen for the position, and I understand where I was not quite as qualified at the time. I'm aware of the areas where I need to improve to be a better candidate the next time, and I will continue working on those things. I still believe that the position is one that God is preparing me for in the future, but for now I will continue to seek His will for the steps between here and there and remember that His answer is not always either "yes" or "no." Sometimes, He's just saying "not yet."

I'm facinated with the proceedings of a state funeral - the pomp and grandeur surrounding the final farewell to a public servant who has devoted a lifetime to making a difference. Over the past few years, I have been glued to the television through three such funerals, including Governor Carnahan and Presidents Reagan and Ford.

I recorded Carnahan's funeral via a very fuzzy antenna connection and watched it on a 9-inch black and white TV. A few years later, I had Tivo for capturing all the sights and sounds of Reagan's funeral to watch and dump to VHS later. For Ford's funeral, I not only had the DVR going at home, but I was able to listen live on satellite radio as the motorcade moved from the National Cathedral to Andrews AFB.

The past week has been filled with bipartisan praise for the nation's 38th president, fostering a sense of political unity in Washington, D.C. that was again abandoned this morning as the power in both houses was shifted to a different party and talk of shutting one party out of legislative decision-making took the spotlight on Fox & Friends. What was it about Gerald Ford that made politicians from both sides get along? Was it just a dream that Jimmy Carter and Donald Rumsfeld both eulogized the same political leader? Was Gerald Ford really that great, or was it all just a show of respect?

I grew up in a family of Democrats. I've commented before that my dad and grandpa thought Bill Clinton walked on water, and if it were possible for him to be elected again, they would vote for him over any other person alive. Reagan and Bush were bad words in our house. Growing up, the only thing I ever heard my dad say about Ford was "he wasn't bad for someone that no one elected." That was better than anything I heard about other Republicans. Over the past few days, I've learned a lot about the man who occupied the White House for 895 days just a few years before I was born.

Shortly after 9-11, David Frum wrote a book about President Bush called The Right Man. It's an insider's view about how Bush handled the national crisis in a way that few others would, and how he was the right man for the job. The same title could be used for a biography of Gerald Ford. Given a failing economy, a presidential scandal and a war, few men would have had the ability and courage to lead the country the way President Ford did, especially with a nation that was so hurt by the previous administration. Then again, few men would have been the right man for the job.

Normally, pardoning a president with such a record as Richard Nixon's would be political suicide, and in 1974 it would make sense that many people would hold that against the newly installed leader. It stands to reason that those whose confidence in elected officials had been so deeply hurt by the Watergate scandal would be ready to burn Ford at the stake for allowing such actions to go unpunished. Anyone could clearly reason that it was a case of someone who had been hand-selected as Nixon's replacement repaying the deed to his friend by granting a presidential pardon. But Ford had something else in mind, and he disregarded what political pundits and the general public believed and chose, instead, to do what he felt was best for the country. In hindsight, we can see that his decision to forego allowing the nation's nightmare to continue with hearings and lawsuits to take down the entire leadership was the right choice. Unfortunately for Ford, it wasn't easy to see at the time, and it cost him the gratitude he deserved and instead bought the scorn of the country.

Being the only president to ever serve without being elected president or vice president, Ford didn't carry the baggage that burdens most politicians. He was thrust into the position in a matter of months and was given the chance to heal the nation in its greatest time of need. It must have been a humbling experience to stand in the Oval Office and realize that he did not belong there - that he was not the person chosen for the job - but that he was entrusted with the course of the country. We've been told that he was chosen because of his impecable character - something that Nixon lacked, but something he sought in a vice presidential appointment, knowing he would soon be leaving office. The humility with which Ford approached his new position must have been something rarely seen behind the president's desk. That humility and servantheartedness was made clear as he stood before the cameras and told the American people, "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers."

As a member of what has come to be known as "the Greatest Generation," Gerald Ford was a true patriot. As a World War II veteran, his national pride was the backbone of his presidency. He knew the sacrifices that had been made to create and protect the government that he was now charged with defending.

One more observation of Ford's character - as a former president, he did not openly criticize the actions of the sitting president. Although he disagreed, he kept remarks private, insisting that they not be released until that president's administration had ended. One of the most respectable virtues of a true American President is the ability to disagree with current policy and not be vocal about that disagreement. I believe Ford showed true respect for the office throughout his post-White House years.

He had the character to make the unpopular decisions, the humility to serve a country in need with no regard to his own ambitions, and the dedication of a true patriot. In the "hour of history that (troubled) our minds and (hurt) our hearts," Gerald Ford was the right man. My prayer is that when history writes its stories about my life, the same can be said of me.

Wow . . . the past two weeks have flown by. Today is the last day of Christmas vacation, and tomorrow it's back to the normal routine for a while. Most people have lots of plans for their vacation. This year, my family and I spent ours at home . . . sick.

The first night of vacation, Ella began running a fever. We kept an eye on it overnight and then called the nurse help line around 5 am when her temperature reached 102. The nurse suggested calling the pediatrician when the office opened, but she said not to get too concerned until it reached 105. After a checkup and a nose swab at the lab, we found out that she had Type A Flu (the popular version that was the illness of choice in Madison County all month). We were quarantined for Christmas vacation! We were able to go to our parents' houses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The next week provided even more time stuck at home! How exciting! We were able to get out on Wednesday when my mother-in-law stayed with Ella for a while. We used most of that time to catch up on sleep that we've lost over the past four months, so I'm not complaining about not being able to get out. It saves money and gives us an opportunity to rest that we would not otherwise have.

Yesterday, Jessica felt sick, and Ella started running a temperature again. Hopefully we're not headed into round two!

Rest is God's way of renewing our bodies, souls and minds. I usually don't take time to slow down and rest, and my wife often reminds me that it's not a sin. Even with all that I should have done this December and all that I just wanted to do, taking a break and just staying home was probably not that bad. Especially since it gave all three of us a chance to just spend lots of time together.

After nearly eight years of part-time employment, I have resigned my position at Meadow Heights, effective December 31. The past eight years have been the greatest of my life. I have developed friendships that I cherish more than anything else in life. I have learned leadership skills and developed abilities that I never dreamed possible. The past eight years have provided opportunities to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually, and for that I will be forever grateful. But as 2007 approaches, it is time for me to move on from this point in my life - to begin a new chapter, beginning with this step.

When I started attending Meadow Heights, we were a small, country church with an average attendance of around 75. I started attending the weekend after Bryan and his family began, and we've been together since. At that time, he was the youth pastor, and I was in the youth group. A couple of years later, he asked me to serve as the youth representative on his new advisory council. At that time, I never would have dreamed that our journey would have lasted this long and reached this far.

In 1998, when he formed a group of volunteers to transform the student ministry (called the Dream Team), Bryan asked me to come alongside and volunteer as his administrative assistant. I attended Dream Team meetings that lasted until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning; we dreamed huge, unimaginable dreams for the student ministry and for the church. I created flyers and bulletins and PowerPoint presentations for the student ministry; I maintained the database and kept him supplied with reports; I helped promote Youth Explosion, with posters, mailouts, another database, and even some websites. In the fall of 1999, Bryan offered to pay me $25 a week to help compensate for the time commitment and so that I could qualify for a scholarship as a church employee. And then the fun began!

Throughout my junior and senior years of college, I would drive home from St. Louis every weekend to perform my duties at church - and during the week, we operated virtual offices through email and IM. I was in my dorm in St. Louis and he was in his classroom at FMS. I can't imagine how much bandwidth we used sending stuff back and forth to get ready for the next big event. I also kept up with some of the work while I was holding down the midnight shift at Black River Electric on the weekends, and during my stints at the gas station, I would sometimes field cell phone calls about church work.

Then, sometime in 2000, I was sitting in my dorm room and the phone rang. It was Bryan. He had some news to share. Our pastor, Jim, was resigning. Things on the church-wide level were about to shake up, and that was about to take me from being the youth pastor's assistant to being the interim pastor's assistant, all the way to being the pastor's assistant . . . in a very short period of time.

After the change in leadership at the church-wide level, the philosophy of the church began to change. We began to abandon the traditions of Southern Baptist practices in exchange for simpler, more biblical ways of doing church. We adopted mission and vision statements to reflect who we were, and we began to be the purpose-driven church that God had in mind. With a new pastor with a background in education, the style of the messages also went away from a traditional sermon to more of a teaching style, and with that, PowerPoint support was added in the messages. Hymnals had all but been replaced by PowerPoint slides a few years earlier. And the design and presentation of the songs and message became my responsibility. I loved it!

Most churches lose members and attenders while they experience a change in leadership. Many become stagnate and take a while to start growing again, if they ever do. But Meadow Heights had grown during the interim, and we continued to grow as Bryan took the lead. So by now, it was time to add a second service, and that was about the time that Bryan asked me to start designing the bulletin rather than the secretary. I didn't think it could get any better than that!

We were on the fast-track to creating a new image in the community and being able to promote our church and the gospel in a way that few other churches around could do. We had a website! And at some point in there, we started a whole identity campaign, including a logo, that has really professionalized what we do ever since. I remember sitting in my bedroom floor, staring at a preliminary logo design, and talking on the phone with Bryan. We were trying to figure out if the sun had enough rays, if the rays were the right shape, if the MH looked right . . . it just went on and on. The preliminary design also had green on the top and blue on the bottom. We decided if that would be flipped, it would look like the sky and a field. Some people would have referred to us as idiots . . . but the logo was VERY important to us, and we had to get it just right. That was just one of many items that we've discussed and debated for well over an hour.

We started pumping out a more professional bulletin, mailouts, and newspaper ads. We bought a huge, color laser printer to do most of the printing in-house. It was about this time that I started focusing mainly on technology and graphic design, and my official title became Director of Technology & Publications. We went through some secretarial changes for a while, which provided the opportunity to professionalize the operation of the office.

With the addition of a third service came a change in my life. I was introduced to my future wife, and with that came a desire to back off from my commitment to church a little. I had become so involved that there really wasn't much room left for her in my life. There was a period of adjustment, but we worked through it well. That's when I started seeing the need for help. I couldn't devote every Sunday to being at church all morning (5:30 am - 12:30 pm) and still keep my sanity and help her keep her own. I had to get help. Dave was a huge asset to me by allowing me time away during those first couple of years of grown-up life. I would get everything ready for the weekend, and then he would run PowerPoint when I needed him to.

Then came service number 4 - Saturday nights. The days of the one-man technology show were over. I had been married a few months, and I already knew that adding that commitment was not going to work. I recruited additional help and started training them so they could take the weekend load. They have been great! We've also added more staff members - many of whom have taken some of the load that I used to carry. By the end of 2006, my weekend responsibilities are almost gone. I've worked maybe ten of the last fifty weekends, and I've loved it! I've been able to enjoy the weekend services . . . gatherings . . . as a participant rather than a performer. And I've been able to go to church with my wife (and now with my daughter). Having that opportunity over the past year is something I'll always be thankful for.

So 2006 is wrapping up. With only seventeen days left, it's almost history. With the end of this year comes the end of an era for me . . . almost a decade of being employed by Meadow Heights. With all of the wonderful memories that I've shared, you may wonder why I'm giving it up. After all, I'm resigning - not being fired. If I've loved it so much, why am I walking away? It's very simple - one four-letter word: E-L-L-A.

I've said it before - parenthood changes everything. It's time for me to re-evaluate my course in life and decide where God is leading me, then focus on that. I have to give up the good stuff that I've been a part of for the great things He has in store. In that re-evaluation, I've realized that I'm holding onto a part-time job to supplement my income, while taking time away from my family each week - sometimes their best time. As a member of the church, and as a follower of Christ, I'll continue to serve, but I need to step away from the position as an employee. I met with Michael this morning to work out a transition plan . . . an "exit strategy" . . . and to talk about some of the things that I will continue to do as a volunteer. By the first of the year, I will only have one job - after having two (and at times three) for the past six years. But more importantly than any job that I could have, I now have a family to devote my time and attention to.

To those of you that I have worked with over the past eight years, thank you for the opportunity to serve with you and to share life together. To the members of Meadow Heights, thank you for the opportunity to serve God and you. To everyone else, if you've never taken the opportunity to volunteer or work in your church - if you ever have that opportunity - go for it. If God can take what I was in 1998 and put me in the position I have been in since then and use and change me the way He has, I know that He has something in store for you, too.

Last week, I finished my fifth class toward my Master's degree. I now have fifteen hours of graduate work behind me, and I'm looking forward to graduation . . . with only twenty-five more hours in my way. No problem! I have registered for eighteen hours this spring, and I'll take seven over the summer. If I can finish my internship before the end of the summer, I'll be finished. If not, I'll have the fall to complete it. Either way, I'll graduate next December.

With all the excitement of tripling up on classes to finish early, I've also been caught up in planning the next step in my education. I'm weighing the options of working on a Specialist degree or going straight from Master's to Doctorate. A large part of that decision will be based on cost and the programs offered at various universities. I narrowed my list to four institutions: Southern Illinois University, St. Louis University, Ohio State University, and Mizzou. From there, I started looking at tuition, availablity of distance learning (which is a must), and the overall convenience of the program.

This morning, I found out that SEMO is part of a cooperative program through Mizzou where I can get my degree through Mizzou without leaving Southeast Missouri . . . much. I also found out that my current advisor received her Doctorate through the program. So . . . I have decided (subject to God's approval) that I will enroll in Specialist classes through SEMO following graduation next year, and then in the Doctoral program through Mizzou.

Lofty goals? Maybe. Some people have the philosophy that if you "aim for the moon, you'll land among the stars." I believe we must always keep dreaming about the next step - in our professional lives, in our spiritual lives, and in our relationships. Do you have plans for your future? God does. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." He's not satisfied with the plans that we have conjured up based on our limited knowledge. He's dreaming big things for me and you - things that we couldn't imagine, even if we were told.

Dream Big. I am!

Quiz: What's Your American IQ?
Questions from the citizenship exam.

Here is my president's report for November. It was written for certain people, but it also applies to many other people that I am blessed to call friends.

At the end of the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey opens the book that his guardian angel has left for him to read the inscription, "No man is a failure who has friends."

The past few months have been very interesting for MSTA and for our region. Since we met last, we had a very successful Open Hearing and Assembly of Delegates, where issues that are near to the heart of our region's educators were brought up for discussion. Election night came and went, and with it, 90% of MSTA's endorsed candidates won. This year's Convention marked a milestone that few associations ever achieve, and we celebrated it in style. We also adopted revised Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that will allow us to operate in the 21st century as the professional organization and business that we have become. We have plenty to celebrate!

We're just getting started. Following Convention, the board met for five hours to discuss the future of our Association. The future has never been brighter for MSTA. We are poised to take on Jefferson City this year and come out with victories like we haven't seen in some time. We have passionate leaders who will lead the charge, and we have many more passionate members who will be right behind them.

With all the excitement from November, there was also some disappointment. On election night, half of the candidates lost. Some of them lost by a large margin; others by just a vote or two. I was also disappointed by the outcome of an election when I lost the write-in campaign for MSTA Vice President. I understood the disappointment felt by so many political candidates just a week earlier. But I was also encouraged by the support that I received from so many members from across the state and from our region.

The quote from "It's a Wonderful Life" helped me remember that success and failure aren't determined by how much you accomplish or at what level you lead. If you look around at the people you call friends and consider why they call you their friend, it's easy to remember the successes you've had in life. As I think about the friendships I have with fellow leaders throughout the state, I realize the impact of my involvement up to this point. And as I think about those of you that I am blessed to call my Southeast Region friends, I can't help but think I'm the most successful person in the world. You are the greatest friends anyone could ask for, and I appreciate your support and service to the children of Southeast Missouri.

Individually, people make mistakes. Collectively, they make even bigger mistakes. No one's perfect. This form of government that we call democracy protects the rights of the minority, and it gives privileges to the majority. Sometimes the minority is wrong. Sometimes the majority is wrong.

Since I converted to a Republican in October 1996 (wow - ten years ago) I have never heard the Republican party referred to as the minority. We were the party in control back when I still believed my dad and grandpa when they said Bill Clinton walked on water. We had control of Congress for twelve years. Half of that time, we had control of Congress AND the White House. A lot has happened in those years.

Tuesday night, I watched helplessly as the majority became the minority - as we lost races all across the country to give up control of the House. I awoke in the middle of the night to find out that we even lost our own Senate seat to the other party. And then I finally realized yesterday that we had lost control of the Senate, too. It's just been a week of loss!

But no matter how horrible we feel about what happened this week, or how much we think life as we know it is about to end, we have to remember that it's not as bad as it seems. God didn't wake up in the middle of the night on Tuesday to realize that Claire McCaskill won, or that the cloning amendment passed. He wasn't surprised by that. He knew it was going to happen long before Claire was talked into running, or Michael J. Fox sat in front of that camera. He's in control. He knows what's going on.

Neil Cavuto had an interesting take on the whole ordeal. It seems like the media just added to the despair that I was feeling and the depression that many Republicans were sinking into as headlines and bright-colored graphics announced to the world that the Democrats ruled. Headlines don't last. Heroes are mortal. Life really is, as Neil described it, "a series of snapshots." It changes all the time. They won this time, but we'll have our chance again.

"Don't Know What You've Got Until it's Gone"
by Neil Cavuto

"Good headlines. Enjoy 'em while you got 'em. Because unfortunately they do not last.

Just ask Donald Rumsfeld. There was a time he was a media rock star. His press conferences were legendary. His reputation even more so. That was when the Iraq war was going well. Then it wasn't. Then he wasn't. Then he resigned. Happens all the time.

Two years ago Republicans were feeling pretty cocky, a president re-elected, a House and Senate secure. They got arrogant. Then, they got walloped.

Just like Democrats got arrogant in 1974, when they rode an anti-Republican Watergate-dominated mid-term election wave that two years later produced a Democratic president... Only to lose it all in 1980 to something called a Reagan revolution.

Twenty years later Republicans were feeling pretty cocky, convinced that their takeover of the House had all but madeBill Clinton a one-termer. It hadn't.

I guess nothing shocking or profound here, save this:

Take life as a series of snapshots. A flash in time. That changes...all the time. In the moment, at the moment, we in the media record them as great seismic events. Until they're not. And the only debate is who's the greater fool...the folks who thought the good headlines would last forever...or the folks who wrote 'em?"

Politics aren't eternal. Relationships are - relationships with God and with others. Make the most of both.

Most expectant parents have nine months to choose a name. We had eight. But we had agreed on four names before we were even engaged, so that made the whole process much smoother. Of course, since that was two years ago, her feelings about some of the names has changed. So I don't really know if we will stick with our original agreement or compromise. Either way, we are trying to make our children's names very meaningful.

We decided to name our first daughter Ella Rose. As soon as we tell most people, they say, "that's pretty. It sounds like a family name." To which we reply, "it is!" You see, my wife and I have two wonderful grandmothers. We have very special memories of these two women who helped to shape our lives. My grandmother who passed away in July was Fern Castella. My wife's grandmother is Rosanna (with no middle name). To honor both grandmothers, we took Ella from Castella and Rose from Rosanna.

Ella has a cousin named Julianna Rose, who was born on September 15, 2003. Ella was born on September 16, 2006. We didn't know she would be born so closely to Julianna's birthday when we chose to use the same middle name, but that is something else that adds some meaning to her name.

Other names that we still have are

• Joseph William Marc (my name, my dad's name, and my father-in-law's name),
• Jace Henry (we just like Jace - and my grandpa had an uncle Jake, and Henry is my grandpa's middle name and his dad's first name), and
• Allison Lynn (my great grandma was Alice, and my wife's middle name in Lynn).

Now if we can just have two boys and another girl, we’ll be set!

The names that we give children are special to us. We call them by their names; they answer us; when they’re babies, we sit and rock them and repeat their names over and over and over and over. One day, they may be famous. Their names may be on billboards or in newspapers. They may be in books or important documents filed in government offices. They may be on TV or radio or known across the globe. Or they may only be known to a few local people and nothing more.

I have two goals for my children’s names:

1. That when someone else hears my son or daughter’s name, the only thought is about what a difference he or she has made, and
2. That one day, when time is over here on earth, they’ll all be written in the only book that matters for eternity – the Book of Life.

Nothing else matters. You see, when we get to heaven and get our time to speak to God, He’s not going to be the wicked judge that people imagine. He’s not going to point out all of our faults and tell us how we don’t deserve to be there. He’s not going to point to all the good things we did and tell us how much we deserve to be there. The only thing God is going to say related to why you should be in heaven will be “what did you do with My Son?” and “what did you do with what you were given?”

My goals for my children’s names will give them the answers for those two questions. To the question “what did you do with My Son?” I want my children to be able to answer, “I accepted Him and served Him with my life.” And to the question “what did you do with what you were given?” I want them to be able to answer, “I used it all to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Are you playing the name game? Am I playing the name game? Are we chasing fame for fame’s sake? Are we striving to achieve power and prestige just to be able to impress people or have a lot of money? Or are we striving to make the name of God known? Are we striving to make a difference in the world?

I think so many times we get the whole idea of names wrong. We think our names should be known on earth, and God’s name should be known in heaven. But that’s backward. God’s name should be known all over the earth, and your name should be known in heaven.

Two things – Honor God. Love People.

Ok - I couldn't come up with a creative title! So . . . here's a little bit of what's on my mind about politicians, related to education.

Wouldn't it be great if those in power would seek advice from teachers before passing laws that shape what we do in classrooms? I believe MSTA has the ears of many of the movers and shakers in Jeff City. Many times we've spoken, and they have listened. But there are still people in control of our profession who never stepped into a classroom in their adult lives before entering politics and having more power over what we do in classrooms than we do. Including the US Secretary of Education!

As we turn for the homestretch of this year's campaigns, we are being bombarded with ads from people who want to control education. And isn't it great how many of them use "holding teachers accountable" as a reason they should be elected? And then they throw in "mandatory testing" to garner public support.

It's funny how the constituents who will vote for these candidates have no idea what they are talking about or supporting . . . but they are eager to vote for them because they're "improving education." Unfortunately, when it comes to education, we have a very uneducated public.

We had parent-teacher conferences this past week. As I explained MAP scores to the parents, many of them commented that 100% of the students achieving proficient or advance would be impossible. Hmm . . . .

How many people know that NCLB requires 100% of students in every school district to score either proficient or advanced by the year 2014 or else the state will take over? I would bet the only people who know that are teachers . . . and maybe their spouses. How many parents know that their child's "Proficient" score actually means they performed ABOVE grade-level?

Maybe we just need a little honesty in campaign ads! Maybe instead of saying, "I will hold teachers accountable," candidates should just be honest and say, "I will set unattainable goals for schools and then when they don't meet them, I will fire all the teachers and replace them with political appointees who will do a better job." Instead of saying, "I will improve education in all schools," they should say, "I will give schools just enough money to entice them to start programs that will help their students achieve, and then I will cut off the money so they will be forced to find it somewhere else or cut the program."

Ok . . . I'll stop now. Make sure you vote on November 7. Vote your conscience; vote your morals; vote for education!

Any "How I Met Your Mother" addicts??? Every time Barney wants someone to join him on a new adventure, he says, "Suit up!" Well . . . this whole parenthood thing is a new adventure for me. So . . . SUIT UP!

Parenthood changes everything. Don't argue. Just believe me.

I never believed that - I thought it was a crutch that people used to get out of responsibilities . . . to not be involved as much as they were when they were single or just married. I thought I could handle a new baby and everything else that I did before . . . and more!

The last six weeks . . . wow - it's been six weeks already??? . . . have changed the way I see everything in life. From relationships to positions to my life's purpose. This has been an opportunity to re-evaluate everything that I do and stand for.

Now don't get me wrong - pre-September 16, I was just as purpose-driven as I am today. I knew that I should give up some good things to do God's best. I knew that my life had a purpose that was much greater than myself, and I wanted to fulfill that purpose with everything within me. Parenthood didn't change my approach - it just gave me another filter to see the world through.

I can't wait to get home every afternoon and hold my baby girl. I love rocking her to sleep; I love having her sleep on my chest; I love watching her look around the room in amazement. I don't love when she cries and I can tell that she's in pain . . . but that will go away eventually. The time I spend with her is invaluable.

A few months ago, my wife and I decided that we were going to try everything possible to put us in a financial position that would allow her to quit her job and stay home to raise our children. When we set the goal, we knew that it would be important. We understood that being a stay-at-home mom was a very noble undertaking that would have lasting effects on our kids. We didn't know, however, how much that would mean to us once the babies started coming.

A week before she has to go back to work, my wife is now wishing she could stay home immediately. She doesn't want to leave our daughter during the day while she drives an hour each way to work and spends seven hours in a classroom. She loves teaching - but she loves mothering even more. I see the care in her eyes when she cries at night, wishing that she didn't have to work. I know how much that means to her, and I want nothing more than to make that dream happen . . . soon.

So we have worked on a budget. We've paid off a lot of debt. We traded in my 2000 Ford Expedition for a 2004 Dodge Caravan so we can have a longer-lasting vehicle that will be cheaper to maintain and that we can pay off in a year's time. We are devoting 66% of our gross income to paying off as much debt as we can so we can refinance our house and just have one payment next year. No one could imagine the sacrifices that she is making so we can do that. I am really proud of her for her dedication to making this dream a reality.

So now I've started thinking. Am I making the most of my time that I have for my family? Are they included in everything that I do? Is it worth the sacrifices that I make to be away from them in order to make money? Hmm . . . should I quit my job and do something where I could work from home? Ok - maybe that's pushing it a little. But my new goal is to maximize my potential to provide for my family in the best possible way while not robbing any more time from them than I absolutely have to. Will there be changes in the future? Probably. Do I know what they will be? Maybe. I'll definitely keep you posted. But for now, I am in a state of re-evaluation that may lead me down some paths that I may not have ever imagined traveling just a few months ago.

Parenthood changes everything. Don't argue. I'm living it right now. I am seeing why so many people give up jobs, positions, and dreams to take part in the greatest thing that God has to offer. My priorities are still the same: family, God, kids. My calling is still the same - make a difference in the lives of kids. In fact, knowing that I have a child who will be going through public schools in five years is even more of a reason for me to work for the improvement of education in Missouri. What I work to accomplish in life will never change. How I accomplish it may be changing soon. I'm ready for the journey. I'm strapping in for the ride. I'm excited that you will share the ride with me!

Most of my conversations related to education are with fellow educators. I spend a lot of time communicating in online communities, reading blogs, and forwarding emails - but it seems like my circle includes mostly fellow MSTA members from across the state, or teachers in Southeast Missouri or my school district.

When I visit with anyone outside of the education community, it's either with people from church or family. In those cases, conversation usually focuses on church or family issues (unless, of course, the person is also a teacher, which is often the case).

So you see, I realized this morning that I don't often get an outsider's perspective on education issues. What does an average Missouri citizen think about the state of our education system? What improvements do they think we need to tackle? Where do they feel we fall short as educators, or as school districts? What is the number one education problem?

Comments are definitely welcome!