Archive for the ‘Personal Growth’ Category
Losing It!
I orginally wasn’t going to blog about this as at first I thought it was rather personal and wasn’t really “ministry related” but after thinking about it more …. I have determined that your health is very important to the ministry. Especially those involved in children’s ministry.
Over the last 6 years I have really allowed myself to get unhealthy. Often you will hear me blame it on a depression I went through about 6 years ago … although I believe that’s when a lot of my unhealthy decisions were first made … I don’t blame the depression. I blame myself for not having the will power to keep healthy.
Now, I am at a point that I can’t allow this to continue any longer. I have to change some things to get back in shape. When working children’s ministry you have to be able to jump around and get a little crazy and believe it or not … that’s not easy when you are in the 200′s.
With all that in mind I have been doing some research and have found out some really interesting stuff.
For instance, do you know you are suppose to drink a minunum of one gallon of water a day? (for you Ausies that’s 3785.41178 ml) That’s a lot of water. Normally when I drink a lot of water I feel bloated. I found out why …. If your body isn’t getting enough water, it does everything it can to hold on to the water it does have. The problem with this, is the way it holds onto the water. You see, over 70% of your muscle is made up of water. It helps to give your muscles that full, pumped look (along with glycogen).
However, if your body is not taking in enough water, that water is used for other things, leaving you bloated (uggg). And the way to get rid of that excess water, believe it or not, is to take in enough water.
This will rid you of that excess water weigh that bloats you, and begin to help your body run more efficiently and priming it to begin dropping body fat.
Once you begin taking in enough water, your body starts dropping weight, possibly 4 or 5 pounds in the first week. Now, this is mostly water weight. However, doing so does optimizes your bodily functions, allowing it to run more efficiently and start burning stored body fat for energy.
Wanna help burn even more fat …. Instead of just drinking water, begin drinking ice cold water. There is a metabolic cost to eating. In other words, the digestion of food takes calories. So does drinking ice cold water. The body needs to heat up this water in order to be able to use it properly and doing so takes energy, i.e., calories. You can burn another 50 to 100 calories a day by drinking one half gallon to a gallon of ice cold water per day. It doesn’t seem like much. However, in addition to all the other benefits of taking in enough water, by drinking ice cold water, you can drop almost a full pound of fat each month, or 12 pounds per year. That rocks my face off!!
Also, I have never understood why they tell you to eat six meals a day. I do now though. Sometimes I work 11pm to 7am without eating anything … then I come home … eat some cereal or something … go to bed … and then get up and eat a large meal. This is a no no!! Eating one large meal like that throws your body into starvation mode because it thinks you are eating a lot because you aren’t getting any food for a while. This is a bad thing … second of all … going hours upon hours between meals also puts our bodies into starvation mode. STARVATION MODE IS BAD!!! When your body is in starvation mode it stores as much as it can. THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON.
Anyways .. I am going to make some changes here … drinking a bunch more Ice Cold Water and eating six meals a day now vs two.
Over in the right had column I am going to place a weight loss counter. My goal is to lose 95 pounds over the course of the next six months. That’s only 15 pounds a month. I know that’s steep but I believe I can do it and will do it.
Going from being a person who looked “anorexic” to someone that looks like “Porkies Brother” has had it’s experiences. Now it’s time to find a middle ground and enjoy it.
Are you happy with your weight? Does your weight hinder you in ministry? Do you wish you could lose or gain weight?
Updates ….
As you all can see I haven’t posted much lately … been super busy so I wanted to quickly post some updates to keep you all in the loop as to what is going on in my life.
- Moving – I am actually moving later today. I am really excited about moving. I love the adventure of moving to a new city. It’s like a treasure hunt. You get to scope out the city and find out what the city really has to offer. The best part of it all is that I am moving far enough away from family to have my distance but yet close enough to visit often. LOVE IT!!
- New Phone – (and number) – As many of you know my phone number changed a couple weeks ago. It’s because I got new service and got a new phone. However, that phone … wasn’t the best and so it’s going back to the store (on its way now) and I am upgrading to a blackberry. Never thought I would ever get a blackberry but after visiting the Sprint store the other day and checking it out … I wonder why I didn’t switch to a blackberry a long time ago.
- Personal changes – I am actually reading an awesome book called “Boundaries”. The book is rocking my world almost as much as “The Approval Addiction” did. Its really allowing me to create boundaries in my life and develop right friendship/relationships with people. It’s a book I recommend every melancholy and phlegmatic person to read.
- Ministry Update – I recently received sponsorship to start working the ministry God has given me. I am really excited about what God has planned. In February I will be traveling to Las Vegas to attend the Napkin Conference. Really excited about it!! Hoping to meet many of you fellow children’s ministers there.. Including all my mates from Australia!! If you are children’s minister in the state of Wisconsin please post a comment to this entry letting me know so that I can let you know of some awesome things that are going to be launching in January of 2010 here in Wisconsin.
- Peeps – Just wanted to give a big shout out to my mates in Australia and my peeps in Brazil. You all have been on my site a lot lately. I appreciate you guys a lot. Hoping to see several of you in Feb at the Napkin Conference. Also, want to send a quick shout out to my friend Henry in Africa!! Keep up the awesome work over there man. Been praying hard for you brother.
There is one other large announcement coming soon … but can’t share it with you yet. Don’t you love it when people do that … they tell you they have a secret but then tell you that they aren’t going to share it with you yet? I hate that …. But love doing it to other people. LOL
Anyways … if you aren’t following me on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nfietzer ) or if you haven’t befriended me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kidmin ) I encourage you to do so. Those are the only two places where you can get daily (sometimes hourly) updates from me. (Was there a subliminal message therel?)
Ok … so I am about to end this post …. Ready ……….. THE END!
Are You A World Changer?
God has really been pushing this whole “World Changer” mentality over the last 24 hours. He keeps prodding me in ways I can change peoples lives. One of those ways I feel is by sponsoring a child. I have never done this before and am rather ashamed to admit that, considering I am a childrens minister.
Do you sponsor a child? If so, who (what organization) are you going through to sponsor that child?
What other ways are you changing your world?
Prayer: Four Ways God Responds To Our Prayers
Over the last few weeks Pastor Kevin Bradford has been teaching on the Essentials of James. He has really been going through the book of James and talking to us about the essentials of life. The book of James is quickly becoming one of my favorite books in the bible (next to 1st & 2nd Timothy) because of the direction that it gives us.
This past weekend I spent four to five days away from common technologies such as twitter, email, phone calls, etc. It was a weekend or a period of time for me to really seek God about some things that I needed answers on in my life. Some HUGE things and some small things.
During this time I was taken to James chapter 4 many times and found it interesting that every time I was taken there I was giving the same information. God was pushing it into me every way He could. James chapter 4 tells us about answered and unanswered prayers. It says we have not because we do not ask and then it also says that we ask but we don’t receive.
I have learnt that there is basically four ways that God responds or answers our prayers.
- 1. Direct – Either it’s a Yes or a No
2. Different – Something better than what we asked for.
3. Delayed – It might not be time for you to have that answer yet.
4. Denied – God refused to answer because you either aren’t asking correctly or you are in the right place to hear the answer.
Sometimes the answer is denied because we aren’t in the Will of God, sometimes it’s because we aren’t in obedience with the Word of God, sometimes it’s cause we don’t pray in faith, in His Name, or in the Spirit. This weekend I really had to learn how to pray out some things.
The situations or questions I had needed to go through an evaluation. I had to make sure that I was praying right and was in the right place to get an answer.
Have you ever prayed for an answer and not gotten it? How has God answered your prayers? Have you experienced a season of silence? What did you learn from that time?
Side Nugget: If you don’t get an answer from God through prayer maybe your answer is written in the Word. Study the Word. It’s the blueprint for life.
Sixteen Years … and counting
Many of you lately have been curious as to how and when I first found out what God had planned for my life. The story actually dates back 16 years ago this past week (Thursday, July 1st, 1993).
I was attending Family Camp with my girlfriend and her parents at the United Pentecostal Church Campgrounds in Shawano, Wisconsin. We were staying on site for the week of services and while my girlfriend’s intentions were to spend a lot of quality time with me … my intentions were to find out everything God had in store for me.
I went to Family Camp that year for one reason. To find out where God wanted me and what His plans were for my life. I didn’t care about anything else that week. That was it. My girlfriend didn’t appreciate that but it was what was on my heart. I prayed for direction during every service that week, both morning and evening. I grew closer to God during those services but wasn’t getting the information that I was requesting. Finally Thursday afternoon I decided it just wasn’t time for me to know and so I decided I wasn’t going to service that night with the intent to petition God. Instead, I was going to worship God with everything I had (Whew … there’s a message here). We got to service and God came in a mighty way. The presence of God was so powerful. All I did all night was worshiped God.
An hour after service was complete I was still at the altar worshiping God. Speaking in tongues and growing closer. I was in the throne room and didn’t care what was going on anywhere else. Finally my girlfriend came and got me. She really wanted to spend time with me and I hadn’t given her much time during the week, so we started to walk around the campgrounds but I couldn’t stop. I continued in worship, speaking in tongues and giving God everything. She got frustrated and so we ended up going to the campsite. Some how I ended up in the back seat of the van however God was there and I didn’t want to let go. And then it happened. I heard God as plain as day. He said “Look up …”. I looked up and out the front window of the van there was a playground filled with kids and God said “They need you .. all of them.” Finally I broke. I literally felt like I broke. My body was under such pressure that it became unbearable. I sobbed liked never before. At that moment my girlfriend knew something happened in the spirit realm she looked at me and immediately broke and began interceding for the ministry God had birthed in me. We sat in the van for a couple hours just crying out in worship. Is was a night I will never forget.
Since that day every door has been opened in children’s ministry. Before I knew it I was the assistant children’s minister at Calvary Apostolic Church. In 2004, I left CAC as I found that some of the things they were preaching were man made laws and not Biblical. At that time I started attending World Outreach & Bible Training Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Even though I didn’t want to at first God lined me up. Soon I was the assistant children’s minister and even more doors began to open.
In 2008, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Kenneth Copeland Ministries and serve in their Super Kid Academy services being held at the US Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, WI. This allowed me to not only make more connections with Children’s Ministers from around the globe but also allowed me to get the inside view as to how to run a large children’s ministry. I took everything I learnt there back to WOBTC and re-organized our children’s ministry. The training I got from KCM helped re-organize our ministry and launch one of the best children’s ministries in the state of Wisconsin.
However, in November God told me that my season in Milwaukee was coming to an end and that a new season had begun in the Fox Valley. After much additional prayer and fasting, in April of 2009 I moved to Appleton, Wisconsin and partnered with Overflow Church.
I am currently in the planning stages of launching K.I.D.Z Studios which will become one of the largest and most powerful children’s ministries in the Midwest. We are also currently planning some awesome children’s ministry conferences that will be free to children’s ministries. These conferences will launch in 2010 so please watch for additional information in the upcoming months.
Well … you asked where I got my beginning from in Children’s Ministry. That’s where I came from and I am excited to see where God is going to take me. He has given me many dreams and visions. One particular dream is repetitive and I can’t wait to be there saying ‘Oh … Déjà Vue’. It will come to pass. I am called to be a child evangelist and to travel not only ministering to children but also teaching children’s ministers.
So look out … this children’s minister is storming hell with a super soaker!
For Serious Christians Only …
This post is only for people who are serious about reaching and being all they can be in Christ. This post may be a little strong for some people. Accountability starts now.
This past week has been awesome. God has really been speaking to me about being yielded. Being yielded not just at church but 24/7. It’s something that most of us refuse to do subconsciously. We hear God speak or feel that God has prodded us to do something but because we choose to not be yielded and because we choose to listen to our flesh sometimes more than God, we don’t do what God has requested. Just being real folks.
Have you ever been in a hospital and felt led to pray for someone but didn’t do it because you were afraid of what people might think or say? If so, you yielded to your flesh not to God.
Romans 6:13
says “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
We have to be yielded at all times, even when we feel that we are not where we need to be emotionally and spiritually.
Yielding to God not only affects our lives but it also affects the lives of the people around us. You want to know why you church is growing as fast as you think it should be? It’s because people aren’t yielding. You want to know why you services (including children’s and youth services) have been dry? It’s because people aren’t yielding.
We have to stay yielded to God. Romans 12:1-2 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
That scripture says so much. Not only does it say be yielded to God but it also tells you how!! It’s by the renewing of your mind. You have to decide who you are truly in love with. God or your flesh? If you love God more than you love your flesh then you should have no problem being yielded to God. Real disciples love their leader more than they love themselves and they don’t care what other “people” think. To many times we hear God say something but we don’t do what he says because our flesh get’s in the way. We have to crucify the flesh.
If you are yield yourself to God something will always happen that will change and bless your life.
We need to stop going to church to be entertained. Going to church to be blessed or to get something from the service. Instead we need to go yielded. We need to go giving God everything we have. In total surrenderance … with our hands up saying “Here I am Jesus”. I can’t help but think that if we do this, we will leave more blessed then ever before.
God desires to be in a passionate relationship with us and I don’t know about you but when I am in a relationship with someone it’s not always about me. It’s not always about what I am going to get from it. So why do we go to church or live our lives just for ourselves and not for Him. If I was God, I would have broken up with myself a long time ago, but God loves me and you more than we can imagine.
It’s time for change. Real revival in our country will come from yielded people. People giving God everything and people who have laid down their flesh.
Updates . . . .
I know … I know … I haven’t been very faithful in posting lately. Been really busy actually (mainly with moving). Anyways … just wanted to post about some recent changes in my life.
1. Got my Blackberry!!! Yes, I have crossed over to the dark side and have purchased a Blackberry (or as some of you call it a “crackberry”). I always thought my Motorola Q was a smart phone but let me tell you … the Blackberry goes three steps forward. You actually have to BE SMART to use a Blackberry. I still don’t know how to use everything LOL.
2. Weekend Guests - I had the awesome opportunity to have the found of Blue Ark Ministries stay at my place this weekend. It was an awesome time of encouragement. Blue Ark Ministries is a ministry located in Milwaukee that provides blankets, hats, coats, mittens and scarves to homeless children and those less fortunate during the winter months. Last year they blessed so many people in Milwaukee. Looking forward to hearing the numbers of people blessed this year.
3. Weight Loss Plan In Progress - I have officially started my program to lose 95 pounds in six months. Actually, according to a friend who is a personal trainer … I should be able to reach that goal by the end of February. I am really excited. I have high expectations. Watch out ladies … this guy is going to be rockin come valentines day!! LOL BTW … the “Losing It” update on the right will only be updated weekly as I will only be weighing in weekly. Just a FYI.
4. Schooling - I am making steps to get back to school. Thinking about going back to school for family counseling. Many people have said that Liberty University as a great degree program in Family Counseling. Looking into it … Will keep you posted.
5. FULLY MOVED!! As you may or may not know. I moved recently I think I am finally getting settled in and finding everything. I still need to find an interior decorator as I have literally a 25 foot wall that has nothing on it yet. LOL and I haven’t found that “perfect” arrangement in my living room yet but anyways … it’s a great place. It’s nice to have the place to myself. I can come home and sit in perfect silence … oh .. and I can sing at the top of my lungs in the shower!!
Anyways … just wanted to give you an update. I will be posting some “deep” stuff soon.