*START THE FIRE.

This punched me in the gut today, so I thought I’d share:

“We humans are so proud at how much smarter we are than other animals. We live sixteen years, and we think we have the world figured out. We live ten, twenty, thirty more years, and then we laugh about how we thought we had the world figured out “back then.” But our laughing is a result of us thinking that we have a realistic grasp of the world now.

There’s this passage in the book of Job where God responds to this characteristic human arrogance with outright sarcasm:

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment … (Job 38:4–9)

At least God is poetic in his sarcasm.”

Have you ever had those moments where you couldn't put what you were feeling into words? I'm sure we all have. It's part of being human. It's part of that emotion-filled soul that we have all been graced with. It's part of who we are. One of my favorite worship songs is an oldie-but-a-goodie by David Crowder called "All I Can Say." The reason it resonates so much with me is because it is raw and it is simple. Here's verse 2 and a chorus to give you a taste if you haven't heard it before:

And didn't you see me crying? And didn't you hear me call your name? Wasn't it you I gave my heart to? I wish you'd remember where you sat it down? And this is all, this is all that I can say right now. And this is all that I can give. And that's my everything

I wish I could say none of us has had to go through a season where there are literally no words. But, as we all know, death, loss, hard times, etc. are all part of a broken world that is in desperate need of a Savior. Luckily, that Savior has always been there and has come to this place to save us from all of this. I find my hope in that today. Nevertheless, I am currently in and working my way out of a season right now where there are hardly any words. I wanted to write some of my thoughts down so that maybe, just maybe, it might ring true for someone today who is going through a similar season or a general hardship. Brother, sister, be encouraged today that you are not alone.

I wrote this about my mom and for those who attended to celebrate her life during the Memorial Service held on May 1, 2014 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, IN. I wanted to share it with all of you:

Jan Elizabeth Arkkelin was my mother. She was also a mother to my older brother, Justin, and my younger brother, Adam. She was a daughter and sister in the loving Randall family. She was a wife to my dad, Dan. And she was a grandmother to 5 beautiful grandchildren, Noah, Teagan, Jenzey, Phoenix and Jax. These are all things you probably are already aware of. But, I want to talk a little bit about who she was as a mom and as a role-model to me and so many others.

As early as I can remember, my life was always filled with love and support from her and my dad. I can remember wanting to snuggle with my mom as a kid and she always had open arms for it. Whether it was cuts and bruises or words of affirmation, she always knew just what to do and say, it seemed. She was also brutally honest when she wanted to be. This loving trait of hers stayed with her to the end of her life. I remember one time getting a pretty bad sunburn when we were camping. I don’t know how old I was, but I was pretty young. For some reason, I got in my mind that I might get skin cancer because of the sunburn. I asked her if she thought I would get skin cancer from this. I don’t know why, but I’ll always remember her answering, “I can’t tell you that you WON’T.” Wow, that was tough to hear. But, I learned from it and now I never go outside.

She would do anything for us. Fast forward to high school. I decided to try taking Advanced Placement English, even though I hadn’t tested appropriately for it. Needless to say, my mom was never ok with someone undervaluing her children. She fought hard for them to allow me into AP English. She talked personally to the principal and guidance counselor until they relented and allowed me to take it. I was so grateful for her doing that. On a side note, I not only got an “A” in the class, but also had straight “A’s” in every class that year. I guess she was right after all, as she often so subtly reminded us.

She and my dad raised us children with such a strong commitment to faith. Even when we didn’t want to go to church, they knew it was good for us. I probably wouldn’t have my faith today if my mom didn’t encourage me to pursue my love for Jesus the way that she did. Her love for us like Christ loves was such an encouragement as I began to develop my faith as a teenager and even to this day. 

Her love for family and others was immeasurable. As many can attest, she not only had her immediate family, but was an honorary mom to many others. She taught me how to love others relentlessly. She loved her son’s wives and grandchildren as much as she loved her own kids and when they needed it, sometimes more. She absolutely loved spending time with family and friends. Whether it was trips back to Bedford, OH for Christmas or other visits, visiting family in Iowa, vacations as a family, trips to support her nieces and nephews in various performances and milestones, New Years Eve parties with friends in Ohio and at home, and many more momentous occasions, she was obviously in her element with family and friends.

As we all know, it wasn’t always, as they say, “rainbows and butterflies.” Through family crises, death in the family, and health problems, one thing was certain: she was strong. She was tough when she had to be and never complained—well mostly never. Her only concern in life was that she wouldn’t get to beat everyone at every word game known to man. Even in this hour, as we celebrate her life and miss her already dearly, we know that her legacy truly lives on in her children and grand children. I know that we all brought her so much joy and in many ways kept her going through some of the most difficult times. But in all reality, it was her love for us, her tenacity…and stubbornness…that kept all of us going and giving us joy. 

Today, I’m thankful for the memories. I’m thankful for her laughter, for her courage. I’m thankful for teaching me how to be a loving husband. I’m thankful for teaching me how to love my children, unconditionally and unlimitedly. I’m thankful for her sassiness. I’m thankful for the dances I had with her and the tears we shed together. I’m thankful for the way she taught me how to live. 

We love you, mom, and can’t wait to see you again someday.

I'm going to start this by saying I'm not a tech blogger by trade, I don't work for Apple, nor do I claim to be an expert. I will say technology is a bit of a passion of mine and happens to be what most of my job is about. I follow a lot of rumor sites that talk about the latest and greatest to come for Apple. This allows me the unique perspective of knowing about most of Apple's big announcements before they announce them. It also gives me a big picture look at what the company has done over the last few years that I have been watching. I love the hype just as much as the next guy. 

Speaking of hype, unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard someone say something about iOS 7 (or "the iOS 7...") being released just the other day. Now, we've known this was coming for some time now as they announced the big change back in June of 2013. Let's get one thing straight, this is a BIG move for Apple. This iOS (aka iPhone OS) has looked mostly the same since it's introduction in 2007. It has taken on some new flavors and has added a ton of features over the years. Those who are complaining about the change in look have got to get over it. It's been a long time coming. But, I digress.

What I really want to address is the point that I think everyone is missing: Apple wasn't trying to add a bunch of features and gimmicks with this update. To those who say, "I was pretty underwhelmed" or really any naysayer, you're missing the point. Grant it, they did add over 200 features, but you're probably not going to catch most of them. That's ok. Because that's how Apple works. They design things (software included) that JUST WORK. And they wait to do it until they can say with 100% certainty, this is going to be smooth. Now I don't know enough about Android to say one way or another, but I do know with the fragmentation of the market, smooth is hardly a word that can be associated with it.

Let me try to clear up a few things for those who are missing the point and try to encourage those who are Apple users and are freaking out:

1) The changes are subtle, but they are powerful.

It's important to remember, this update was overdue. They had a lot of catching up to do. Yes, I said it. Some visual updates were needed along with some basic functions that were ridiculously hard to navigate to. All that said, you may not notice these changes at first, but they will change the way your iDevice looks and feels forever. You should be glad for that.

2) This wasn't Apple's feeble attempt at innovation.

Neither was the 5s or 5c for that matter. Historically, the "s" release has been minimal improvements. It's ok. Apple is not stopping. iOS 7 was no different. It was a huge change in look and function, but it was a stepping stone for the next great products Apple will undoubtedly have on the horizon. If you are ready to sell your stock (literally or figuratively), I'd hold on just a little longer to see what big "surprises" Apple might have up its sleeve in the next few years. 

3) Apple is not worried about Android.

Ok, so that may be a bit overstated. Android is its closest competitor in mobile software, but Apple was first with iOS (before Android) and continues to lead the industry in customer satisfaction. Say what you will about the software, but the charts continue to show that people are happy. That is a number that I'm sure is at the forefront of every Apple employee's mind in decision making. Not to say Google doesn't think the same way, I just don't see it coming across as effectively.

4) Don't listen to the hype and the haters.

It's easy to hear all that is going in the news and in social media and get caught up in it. If one person says something negative about iOS 7, hundreds more will cheer in just because. Don't buy into it. Spend some earnest and valuable time with the software before making your judgements. Don't hate it just because it's different. Realize what positives are there (control center, more modern icons and looks in about every Apple app, photo and file sharing additions, dynamic backgrounds, multitasking, notification center, sound, Facetime, Maps, Siri, animation, security, camera, speed, app update and folder improvements...to name a few) and what positives are yet to come in future updates. Like I said before, Apple's not done yet. 

5) Apple is not about gimmicks.

There's a reason you didn't see Apple do a lot of things you see people do on their S4 or other phone. Plain and simple, Apple is not about gimmicks. If it doesn't serve to help the customer in a practical and effective way, why do it at all? I'm not saying there aren't some cool things I wish Apple would incorporate from some of the Android phones. I just wouldn't hold your breath for those. Some would say the fingerprint sensor introduced on the iPhone 5s is gimmicky. I would argue it is not. It will serve great security purposes and be a great asset in app store purchases. They're not using it to start and stop videos. It's saving people a step that often was overlooked because it was annoying to type in numbers or draw shapes on your phone to login. The same can be said about iOS 7. It's not full of gimmicks and that's for a good reason. I, for one, am happy for it.

I am no expert in volunteer-ology, but I have been both a volunteer and a leader of volunteers in multiple positions within the church and outside the church. I have learned a lot from both sides of the spectrum, but there is one thing that I think is most important of all: encouragement. Now, when I say encouragement, I mean more than just the everyday, "you're doing a good job." What I really mean is so much more than that. It's investment, expectations and thriving together for a common goal.

This is going to sound harsh, but I think if your volunteers are struggling or failing, it has a lot to do with how you are leading them. Sure, there will always be that volunteer that is just too stubborn to learn a new area of the tech ministry or practice before band rehearsal. However, for most of our volunteers, we have to be willing to invest and breathe life into them so that they find the same passion that you have. Take for example the often quoted "Remember the Titans" scene between two hotheads, Gary and Julius. As they go back and forth on who is misunderstanding who, Julius drops the bomb with the comment, "attitude reflects leadership." What we have when we start working with each other to achieve a common goal is a cause and effect relationship. The more you put into something, the more you will get out of it.

The challenge for leaders becomes more apparent as we look at the people who we are leading. We have a great responsibility every weekend to pull off extraordinary things. We truly couldn't do this without our teams. As a side note, if you feel you can do this on your own, it won't take long for you to crash and burn in your own glory and arrogance. Ok, back to the case in point. I often hear people say they wish their team could do this or that or we find ourselves comparing what we can accomplish to bigger churches or even the church across town. It's not bad to aspire to be better, but the problem lies in seeing what you COULD be and not pushing your volunteers to actually do it! Sometimes, the most frustrating thing we can do for ourselves and for our team is to just accept mediocrity. Our God in Heaven never accepts it. He aspires for perfection and He is the only one who achieves it. Yes, there is grace for our shortcomings, but as children of God, we should always be striving for our very best.