Tag Archives: family

Sports, Church, And Family Are More Similar Than You Think

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I spent this past weekend attending and coaching my three older kids in their sports. It’s so much fun. I am a sports fan on many levels. I love playing, watching, coaching, you name it.

Ethan’s 12AA baseball team on Friday night was in a tight game. Understand, Ethan’s team has had a really up and down season of some good wins but also really hard losses. It was affecting everyone because sports take emotion. We had won in the morning but it felt like a rough win.

The night came we played well with solid defense and a good spirit.

It had it gone back and forth and literally came down to the last inning. Our pitcher, Trayton, had just struck out the previous batter which was huge! They had two outs, runners on second and third, and their best hitter was coming up.

In his previous bat, this kid hit a rocket to right field over the fielder’s head. The coaching staff told Noah, our right fielder, to back it up.

Trayton threw two amazing pitches and put the batter in an 0-2 count. The coaches, parents were on fire, so loud, so intense. The batter then fouled off the next pitches. Even though we were up by one, the runners on second and third would go when the ball was hit so any outfield ball meant we had no chance.

Then Trayton threw an outside fastball…

CRACK!

Another rocket to right field! Nobody breathed. The coaches were silent. I heard some voices say “Oh no!” It felt like slow motion.

In right field, it was just Noah. All eyes watching, waiting. He backed a step and stopped. His glove went up, he leaned back, his glove went up as high as possible…

Catch! WE WON!

The coaches, players ran onto the field, screaming, cheering, jumping all over Noah.

It was so fun!!!

Ethan's 12AA team qualified for 3 state tournaments! Love the faces:)

Ethan’s 12AA team qualified for 3 state tournaments! Love the faces :)

Friends, I really see church and family being a lot a sports team. We have coaches (pastors, parents), team names (church name, family name), players (the congregation, children), the game (our mission, our life), and goal (1 Cor. 9:24-27, Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:17).

It should be intense, fun, full of action, voices cheering each other on, hugging, victories, and most of all delight and passion in the One who owns the team, the game, the purpose and by His grace allows us to play. Even more than that goes crazy with us and over us simply because He is our Abba Father and loves to watch us, coach us, and, I dare say, play with us!

It reminds me again to remind you. Respond and engage in worship at least like a ball game. Celebrate family and church family moments of marriages being healed, baptisms, weddings, sermons, the offering like it’s “the catch”!

Because it is way more important than that!

What are your thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

Goodbye Microwave

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My daughter Makenzie is a great helper. She loves projects. Cleanup, reorganizing, creating with paint, crayons, you name it. She loves to try to do it herself. She also loves to help make meals and does an amazing job of making her own lunches and even has made meals for the whole family.  She is a very independent, amazing young lady.

The other day Kenzie decided to make some Ramen Noodles for lunch. To make it quickly she uses the a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. She has done it a hundred times before. (Ok, maybe not a hundred. That’s a lot of Ramen. But you get the idea).

Sometime things can happen.

Apparently in her moment of doing too many things at the same time, she forgot a few details:
1. the water for the noodles
2. 5 minutes only needs two zeros rather than three

Somewhere between 5 minutes and 50 minutes later, billowing smoke and the smell of melting microwave safe dish came from our microwave.

Makenzie felt awful. It was an accident and not typical of her whatsoever.

The microwave is finished…so was the Ramen. The bottom of the dish was completely melted like hot tar. I took the leftover bowl and debris to the snow.

Such a small dish. Such a big amount of smoke!

Such a small dish. Such a big amount of smoke!

Getting a new microwave is not an option right now so we have gone old school and are using the stove more than ever. Reheating leftovers in the oven is a lost skill. When my coffee gets cold before it’s finished, I either warm it up with a pour from the pot or drink it as is. We even found ourselves making the popcorn old school because we had become so used to quick microwave popcorn.

It’s not a tragedy; it kinda fun. It’s also good the house is in tact, though the smell is taking a while to leave.

It’s also a good reminder of how easy some parts of life are.

It’s not a big deal. It’s just a little adversity. How we handle it is the real character definer.

We still have a house, food, each other, a purpose, a ministry, and a God who is faithful.

So I can’t heat up a little leftover pizza. I can make an open fire or just heat it up over the so-called microwave safe dish that’s still smoldering. :)

What’s your best microwave mishap story?

God is good,

Peder

The Honor of a Son

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When I travel, I love to run and people watch as I go. A few days ago I was out for a run on the sandy beaches of Tampa, Florida. Yep, February, Florida, 70 plus degree temps. Running on sand is pretty good gig especially while Minnesota is under a couple of feet of snow.

The Eide TTeam on the Beach

The Eide TTeam on the Beach

The beach runs along a whole shoreline of condos and hotels, and we pale northerners come out from our private accommodations to join a community as we acquire a new level of sunburn. I saw people running, walking, and splashing in the waves. I saw kids and adults building sand castles and sand turtles. Really, it was pretty neat.

As I looked to the beach entrance of one complex, I noticed a middle aged gentleman putting sunscreen on an elderly gentleman. As I researched a bit more I realized it was a son covering his elderly father with the sun protection.

I know it might sound awkward but it was beautiful.

The son wasn’t embarrassed as he rubbed the lotion on the hairy, worn back and shoulders that he sat on when he was younger. The father didn’t complain or act like he didn’t need the help. Instead of being prideful, he seemed to welcome the assistance.

The son wasn’t condescending or rude. He didn’t use gloves or work quickly. Rather the two laughed together as the son’s skin gently moved across his father’s, careful not to miss a spot.

I’m sure it might have looked weird to see this runner staring as he passed by but I was moved immensely.

How wonderful that the son would not be overcome by any impressions he thought onlookers had. Maybe it’s not true for you but even though I’m well past high school, I still experience the pressure of what my peers might think. Instead the son honored his father by humbling himself, staying focused, and making sure no piece of skin was left unprotected.

I wonder what the father experienced as he felt the tender touch from hands he once taught to throw a baseball. The hands that needed his help as his son walked for the first time now helped him do something he could not do by himself.

It was beautiful worship to our Lord because it was loving touch. In Taste Worship, we believe touch is an act of worship because touch is loving and loving someone is worshipping God.

As I kept running I was grateful for God’s creation of touch, especially between fathers and their children. The only touch we seem to hear about is bad touch when the fact is that God created touch for good and for His beautiful purpose.

As I write this blog, it’s Valentine’s Day and I’m on a plane sitting beside my children. If Valentine’s Day is about love, then whether you are a son or daughter, father or mother, husband or wife, reach out and touch someone.

Really!

Genuinely be loving with a gentle hand, hug, hand holding, or whatever might stretch you just a bit. You will communicate a lot more than you think you are.

It really is worship.

God is good all the time!

Peder

What Does Church Look Like?

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I have traveled a lot of miles. By plane, by highway, by both. I’m afraid to add them up. In those travels I have gotten to see and still see a lot of different churches and a lot of different worship services. I’ve seen pretty much every style, format, and size. You name it, I think I’ve been able to be a part of it. It’s actually a real honor and it has shaped me in amazing ways, and even more so it has influenced how I write music and lead worship. Something is simmering in my mind and I want your opinion:

Scripturally-speaking, what is church supposed to look like? What is the picture? Who is there? What are the main things you notice in a service or maybe a building?

The book of Acts comes to mind for me as well as the conversations the Apostle Paul had with the different churches. What about for you?

All of this questioning comes from an experience I just had as a presenter at an amazing conference called D6. D6 draws from Deuteronomy 6 and focuses on children and family worship. I learned a lot and hopefully offered something good. It has pushed my mind and heart to take an important look at church focus.

I’m not trying to fix anything; I’m hoping for some good conversations. Church is God’s idea and I want to understand it more, not just go along with it or make any assumptions.

So, let’s talk it out. Would you leave me your thoughts about what church looks like in comments section of this blog?

I hope to hear from you. Thanks for the time to talk.

Blessings and (as always) God is good all the time!

Peder

P.S. If you are looking for an amazing resource for family worship and family formation, please check out my friend Rob Rienow and his ministry Visionary Family. Awesome stuff for marriage and family!

Independence Day

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photo credit: sunsurfr via photo pin cc

I can’t believe it’s July already. I love summer in Minnesota, and July marks the middle of the warm weather to me. It’s baseball, fishing, swimming, camps, MLB All Star break, really green golf courses, fireworks, and, of course, Independence Day.

July 4th carries so many memories for me. Growing up on the farm near Hitterdal, MN, we would spend the day mowing the lawn, hand washing all the vehicles, blowing things up with fireworks, and then we would travel to Detroit Lakes, MN, for a picnic, swimming, watching fireworks with the family on the beach, and then falling asleep in the back of station wagon as Dad drove us back to the farm.

I loved those times. My dad and mom did so much to make it fun and yet didn’t say yes to everything we wanted. They would try to be economical and pack as much food and drink so we wouldn’t buy anything we didn’t need. They provided all the blankets, sunscreen, sand castle making equipment, water, coffee thermos (for Dad), mosquito spray, and sweatshirts for the evening show. We were free to enjoy the day with no needs to be worried about. Freedom feels good.

That’s what Independence Day is about right?  It’s about the Founding Father’s declaring they no longer subject themselves to the tyranny of the King and England itself. Even after the declaring independence, the cost to achieve that freedom would not be measurable until it was attained. The cost of human lives sacrificed on the battlefield was not projectable. The attitude was “whatever it takes to get it done.”

It got done, and this freedom has been challenged, defended, protected, and preserved with many more lives “no matter what it takes.”  Freedom is just that important and worth it.

It’s a freedom that doesn’t allow us to do whatever we want but a freedom that says we can pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Look, my friends, I want to point you in a direction to remember the most important freedom you have. That’s the freedom from the bondage of sin that God gave us through the death AND resurrection of His Son Jesus. That Independence Day is eternal. It’s not just heaven and eternal life but it’s also freedom to pursue the Father God’s love, presence, will, grace, and not have to be afraid. No worries. It’s all been provided for you to approach your Abba Father God.

In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Jesus took care of all your needs so you can have the freedom and independence to come into the presence of God and have no fear. The cost and sacrifice was great. In Jesus, your freedom from death has been challenged, defended, protected, and preserved. He did whatever it would take because you are worth it to Him.

No more tyranny of sin and condemnation.

Thank Jesus even as you read this for your freedom and celebrate Him. Sing. Dance. Fireworks.

God is good all the time!

Peder

Excellence

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Switchfoot opens with a great look!

The other day I was given a fun gift by a friend and co-laborer in the kingdom of God: tickets to Switchfoot! This is a favorite band of the Peder Eide family. The seats were great! My wife Sherri and two of our children, Ethan and Allison, sat and prepared ourselves for a rare treat to be together and enjoy a concert where I wasn’t a part of it.

From the beginning song all the way through the end, the whole audience sang every song with the band. People celebrated, were inspired, and were moved by the experience of being in a room with other people who have a common love for a style and presentation of music.

Still there was more. What is it about Switchfoot that made it so welcoming to sing these songs loud and like they are your own?

During the concert, I recalled a conversation I had with a friend on our trip to India in January. We were talking about art and the church, favorite groups, what makes a group or an artist last in this industry we call music. It really comes down to the song. It’s about really great songs. Great communication using music, drama, art, etc. Yes, we all have different tastes and preferences but within those it’s still about an excellent creation of a song, painting, story, play, and so on.

What so powerful to me is how a writer like Jon Foreman of Switchfoot writes these amazing songs we get to hear and sing a long with yet these are not all the songs he has written. These are his best, his favorites, the ones that make the cut for the records. They are the most excellent. The result? Years of powerful messages, inspiring lyrics, and changed hearts because of the commitment to being excellent!

I think about what we create in our everyday lives. We all create. Whether we’re ministers, business people, educators, computer technicians, students, singers, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, we all create! We create a level of which we do our occupation or study in school. We create and form the shape of what kind of man or woman we will be. We create an environment by our attitudes, temperaments, words, and actions that direct and affect all those around us.

Do we do it with excellence? Scripture is loaded with verses doing whatever we do with the highest regard to imitating the Father. Running to “win” the prize. (1 Cor. 9:24-27). If anything excellent, pure, praise-worthy, think on these things (Phil. 4:8). Be holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). It’s not because we will impress God but truly it is a response to who God is and to glorify Him. It’s always about God.

Here’s another example of excellence from Lake Michigan. What God has created He lets us enjoy and see Himself in it. It’s a loving thing God has done.

(View it on Youtube under “Excellence from Lake Michigan” on the Peder Eide channel)

Do you think that your pursuit of excellence in whatever you do is not only glorifying God but loving to those around you? Imagine your effort towards your art, music, parenting, studies, responsibilities, verbal responses, facial expressions, being a husband, wife, brother, or sister are truly something to be done excellent and your effort to be excellent is loving?

Thoughts? Email me at Peder[at]pedereide[dot]com and give me some feedback.

Peace to you,

Peder

Waiting…

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I’m sitting in the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport right now. I have about three hours before my flight to Memphis and then home to Minneapolis. I’m here so early because I was trying to get on an earlier flight home. I looked online and the possibilities to get a seat were good.

I’m not sure what happened but somewhere between looking online and arriving at the airport, all of the seats were filled with no chance of standby. I am so bummed. I love the idea of getting home earlier than planned. Instead I wait…and wait…and wait.

It’s not like I don’t get to go home. I will still get to go home and see my family, but I had built up some anticipation about the earlier homecoming.

I think it’s like that when God asks us to wait on Him. I don’t know about you but I love to have plans and have them work out they way I want, when I want. Yet my timing is not God’s timing. When the scripture says “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14), I always know it’s right and good but it sure can be hard to change my anticipated plans.

Every time I have forced the issue, every time I have taken matters into my own hands, I have been disappointed. God’s plans are always better than mine.

It’s not about getting home early; seeing my family earlier seems like nothing but upsides. It’s about trusting God even though I want something different than He has planned. It’s about trusting God even when things aren’t going my way.

It’s hard.

Yet still I wait because (this is the best part) my Abba Father is waiting with me and He is doing something in me while I wait. I believe it!

Take heart, my friends. Though the waiting isn’t fun, His plans are always worth it.

Peder

The Power of Relationship

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I referenced in an earlier post about a special reunion that happened on our trip to India. We flew to Bhubaneswar the night before and in the morning I got to witness one of the neatest experiences I have had since being an artist for Compassion.

Julia Jones is a 17 year old young lady from Oregon who has sponsored Remya, a child from southern India, since she was eight years old. For eleven years, Remya and Julia exchanged letters, photos, cards, and a special friendship. Now they had the once in a lifetime meeting. This is not an exaggeration.

Remya had flown from southern India the night before. So Julia waited at our hotel for Remya to arrive with her mother and a translator. When Remya walked through the door… I think the picture tells the best part of the story:

This was years of letter writing, picture exchanges, and praying for each other. Oh how the day was amazing! They laughed, talked, laughed, cried, and talked some more. Remya would hold Julia’s hand or arm as much as possible. It was like she was making sure that she took in every experiential moment she could. As I stood and watched, I would glance over to see Steve, Julia’s dad, beam with so much pride and love for his daughter’s faithfulness and love for Remya.

This is what the gospel is, not just about, but is! By God’s grace we get to share His Kingdom through our own life with others and even receive His Kingdom from others at the same time! The above picture is one of the best tastes of heaven you can have.

When we live Philippians 2:3 and consider others better than ourselves, we see God’s Kingdom as bright as day. I read scripture to say that our Abba Father God watches and beams with so much love and affirmation for us.

Today, what if you actually said you are going to sponsor a child, not a number, not a picture but a child. A Remya. You have God’s Kingdom in you through Jesus Christ. You can’t lose when you love, when you build that relationship. It looks like this:

Visit Compassion‘s website to learn more about sponsoring a child.  To get a first hand read on Julia and Remya, go to the http://jonesbones5.com/ . It’s awesome blog.

God is good all the time!

Peder

The Voice of Family

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I love to coach my kids in the sports they play. I have been blessed coach all my children at different stages and in different sports. It’s a treat for me and fills my cup. I love the atmosphere of practice and, of course, game days. Win or lose (though winning is more fun) the amount of life lessons on a game field or court with a group of people called a team are endless.

Allison drives to the hoop

One thing I have realized is the importance of the sound of my voice. Whether I’m a coach or in the stands when my kids hear my voice, they respond. They play harder, look for me, find new energy, pick up their tempo. The words I shout to them are all affirmation, at least that’s what I try to do. Things like “Keep going, move your feet, go hard!” It blesses me when they respond to the voice of their dad.

Did you know how powerful your words are to anyone around you? The thing is that you and I, because of Jesus, carry the Kingdom. When we express words of affirmation and blessing to anyone, we do more than just say something nice. We actually bring a spiritual blessing that is beyond our understanding because of God’s Kingdom in us. It’s a beautiful way to love someone whether they are easy or hard to love.

Here is an idea from our Taste Worship events for you on this fourth Sunday of Advent. Take a sheet of paper and write across the top “I Love (name of someone here) because…” and then write 20-25 reasons why you love that person. Write it for Mom, Dad, a friend, brother, sister, Grandma, etc. Then give it to them in person or via a letter and let God use your words to do what He wants.

It’s what family does. The voice of a family member is important.

Peace,

Peder