The Appleton Christmas Parade is the largest night time parade in the Midwest. Below are a few pictures from the parade.

My Brother Tim and I

It was a lot of fun even though it was freezing. When it was all done it was nice to be able to go home and grab a bowl of homemade chili! (Thanks to mom)

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If you are a childrens minister (which includes childrens pastors, assistants, Sunday school teachers, etc) and have a blog let me know as I really would like to add your blog to my blogroll! Just visit my contact page and send me your information.

Also feel free to subscribe to my twitter account. My screen name is jfietzer ( http://www.twitter.com/jfietzer )
Pudge has started a list of a childrens ministers on twitter. Feel free to check it out at http://www.pudgehuckaby.com/people-who-twitter/

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We past the first accident and noticed the next accident in front of us that we would have to pass. It was almost like “Frogger” as we swerved between accidents. As my father was slowly (less than 10 mph) traveling down the road I had seen a car in the other lane that was facing the wrong way. The car must have spun in a circle and was now trying to turn around so they were traveling the right way down the highway. He had turned around but didn’t notice the semi coming behind him. He managed to get out of the way of the semi but by that time the semi already had started to swerve on the icy road. Next thing I knew there was an 18 wheel semi heading right towards our vehicle. We had no place to go. Time went extremely slow. I watched as the semi jackknifed and started to fly across the median. It was heading straight towards us. I started saying “Father, Father, Father, Father, Father, Father” and my mom in the front seat starting saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Jesus, Jesus”. Dad froze as he watched this semi approach our vehicle.

That’s when the miracle happened. I believe God allowed time to crawl so we could see His hand. The jackknifed semi was coming straight towards us until we called on God. When His children are in need He always takes care of them. The semi was about 10 feet away from us before it suddenly (not slowly … but abruptly) took a turn and started heading the opposite direction. It was almost as though there was a wall put up to protect us. When the semi got to that wall it has no recourse but to move in the opposite direction.

We all thought that we were goners. We thought the worse unfortunately but thanks be to God who always protects His children, we are alive and well. A traumatic event that truly showed His love.

I thank God for sparing my life and for sparing my parents lives. God is so faithful. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve Him day by day.

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The day I met Brenden Foster, I met an old soul in an 11 year old’s body.

“I should be gone in a week or so,” he said calmly.

When I asked him what he thought were the best things in life, Brenden said, “Just having one.”

I didn’t understand how this child, who was a year younger than my own son, could be so courageous facing death.

“It happens. It’s natural,” Brenden told me.

Three years ago, doctors diagnosed Brenden with leukemia. The boy who once rushed through homework so he could play outside found himself confined to a bed. But there was no confining his spirit.

“I had a great time. And until my time comes, I’m going to keep having a great time,” he said.

Brenden’s selfless dying wish was to help the homeless.

“They’re probably starving, so give’em a chance,” he said, “food and water.”

But Brenden was too ill to feed them on his own. So volunteers from Emerald City Lights Bike Ride passed out some 200 sandwiches to the homeless in Seattle.

Then Brenden’s last wish took on a life of its own.

A TV station in Los Angeles held a food drive. School kids in Ohio collected cans. People in Pensacola, Florida gathered goods.

And here in Western Washington, KOMO viewers from all over took part in the Stuff the Truck food drive in Brenden’s honor. Hundreds with generous hearts donated six and a half huge truck loads of groceries and more than $60,000 in cash to benefit Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline.

Brenden touched hearts all over the world. His wish came true, and he lived to see it.
“He had the joy of seeing all of the beautiful response to his last wish,” said his grandmother, Patricia McMorrow. “It gives him great peace and he knows that his life has meaning.”

“He’s left a legacy and he’s only 11,” said his mother, Wendy Foster. “He’s done more than most people dream of doing just by making a wish.”

Days before dying, Brenden surprised us with a sudden burst of energy. He wanted to get off the oxygen, hop out of bed and go buy a video game. Wise beyond his years, but still a kid.

“I have been so blessed to have this child. A mother couldn’t ask for a better son,” Wendy said.

The B-Man, as his family called him, had one more wish before going: sprinkle wildflower seeds to save the bees. He had heard bees were in trouble.

Someone answered B-Man’s wish. A retired pilot asked his pilot and flight attendant friends to sprinkle wild flowers around the world, from Bali to Brazil, on Brenden’s behalf.

When asked what made him sad, Brenden said, “When someone gives up.”

Brenden Foster never gave up. Even as he clung to his last hours of life, Brenden kept giving.

“Follow your dreams. Don’t let anything stop you,” he said.

By Elisa Jaffe BOTHELL, Wash

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The massive central door in the side of Noah’s Ark was thrown open Saturday — you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years — drawing a crowd of curious pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.

Of course, it’s only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

Reckoning by the old biblical measurements, Johan’s fully functional ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That’s two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.

“The design is by my wife, Bianca,” Huibers said. “She didn’t really want me to do this at all, but she said if you’re going to anyway, it should look like this.”

A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine — biblical scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.

On the uncovered top deck — not quite ready in time for the opening — will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats. And one camel.

Visitors on the first day were stunned.

“It’s past comprehension,” said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape.

“I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big.”

In fact, Noah’s Ark as described in the Bible was five times larger than Johan’s Ark.

But that still leaves enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater, where kids can watch the segment of the Disney film “Fantasia” that tells the story of Noah.

Another exhibit shows water cascading down on a model of the Ark. Exhibits on the third level show ancient tools and old-fashioned barrels, exotic stuffed animals, and a wax model of an exhausted Noah reclining on a bed in the forecastle.

Genesis says Noah kept seven pairs of most domesticated animals and one breeding pair of all other creatures, plus his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law together on the boat for almost a year while the world was deluged.

Perhaps it was only logical that the replica project would be the brainchild of a Dutchman: fear of floods are ingrained in the country’s collective consciousness by its water-drenched history.

Lois Poppema, visiting from California, said she thought the Netherlands was exactly the right place for an ark.

“Just a few weeks ago we saw Al Gore on television .. saying that all Holland will be flooded” due to rising sea levels, she said.

“I don’t think the man who made this ever expected that global warning will become (such an important) issue — and suddenly having the ark would be meaningful in the middle of Holland.”

Under sunny clear skies Saturday, Huibers said he wasn’t worried about another biblical flood, since according to Genesis, the rainbow is the sign of God’s promise never to flood the world again. But he does worry that recent events such as the flooding of New Orleans could be seen as a portent of the end of time.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where churchgoing has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. He also plans to visit major cities in Belgium and Germany.

Source: FoxNews.com

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– Isaiah 1:13-17 (The Message)

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Below is a link to one of the news networks that were on the scene providing live coverage.

My Fox Milwaukee - Click here to watch coverage.

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Hope you enjoyed!!

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Over the last few months we have completely revamped the ministry. COMPLETELY!! We have a new logo, new policies, new leaders and even a new sign in system. We have been doing extensive training in our department. Our staff is becoming fully prepared for the harvest that is coming.

Since we have made the changes we have seen major growth. We have literally packed out our current sanctuary and are now debating on holding two services just for KidZone alone. We are currently using the entire floor dedicated to our ministry here at World Outreach & Bible Training Center and may start using a second floor soon as well so that we can minister to everyone that is coming.

World Outreach is also reaching out to the community through the grace of God. We have partnered with “Feed the Children” to feed 400 families in the Milwaukee Metro Area on Saturday November 16^th, 2008. We will be giving away two boxes (per family) of food and miscellaneous items so that the children of the city are taken care of. The amount of food we are giving each family will feed a family of four for two weeks. This has been a huge undertaking and we have been flooded with support from the community. We have everything from schools to stores like Target participating in this event. It’s really getting Milwaukee’s attention. While the event is to feed the children of the city of Milwaukee we also hope to share the love of Christ with all those who come.

Working at the church also opens up my ability to travel and assist other churches in setting up their ministry or training their staff. As many of you know my background is in three areas: service, organization, and training. These three areas are areas that I have built my life around and am always willing to help anyone that needs help in any of these areas. Like I said we recently revamped our own children’s ministry and the flow is so smooth right now that you can’t even feel the pebbles under the current and it’s not because me … it’s because of what God has put in me to share with others. Anyways, I said all that to say I am really excited to be able to start expanding my ministry into the training of staff involved in children’s ministry and to be able to network with even more ministers around the globe.

This past week I read a quote online that blessed me so much. “We set young leaders up for a fall if we encourage them to envision what they can do before they consider the kind of person they should be.” Ruth Barton said this and it has been eye opening to me. Teaching people what they can do before they know who they should be can not only hurt that individual but also those around him or her. Think on this.

Ok … I gotta be done for now … but … more later!

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