Without a doubt I love to make things with my hands. It makes no difference to me if the project is big or small. I've overseen the building of churches, schools, houses, garages and many wooden pens. Currently I'm working at improving my wood turning skills by making small Christmas trees. I'll post some pictures in upcoming blogs to show what I mean.
What these projects have in common is that it takes more than an idea and resources to fulfill the tasks of completion. It takes a process of follow through that must be attended to as one moves through the the various steps of getting the job done. Let me illustrate this by talking about making a slimline ball point pen that has metal, ink, and exotic wood as its various parts.
To begin we start with the basic idea of a pen that is to be made using premanufactured parts, some pieces of wood, and the skill set that includes, wood turning, assembly, and applying a suitable finish.
Here you see the various parts of the project before anything has been done to accomplish the goal.
If I gave you these parts and said, "Bring me a pen in an hour," you probably wouldn't know where to begin. If,however, you had the tools, skills, and all the rest of the supplies needed, you'd smile and say something cute like: "What's going to take so long?"
One of my other favorite occupations is to train young people and to teach them about Jesus. Even though the project of eduction can be guided by lessons plans and tools of the trade and facilities, there are some major differences which make the project of teaching quite different. The one singlemost important element is the student. Every single one is unique. Every child in my estimation is "special."
That is why when I have youth confirmation classes, part of my preparation, in addition to reviewing and freshening up my knowledge of the material of the Bible and Luther's Catechism, is the process whereby I make a list of the students and try to think through presenttion formats, object lessons, and learning goals that will be especially appropriate for each student. Yes, there are many things that are common to all, but at the same time there are sufficient dissimilarities among the individuals to justify and prove profitable for me as a teacher to address the circumstances and needs of each one.
At Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hudson, WI our youth confirmation program will begin on Monday, September 12th. We will meet from 6-7:15PM at church throughout the school year. We enoucourage all our parents to take advantage of this program as it helps the parents train their children, and provides opportunties for the youth to grow spiritually in an organized program of Christian Education. These classes are for members and non-members alike. If you would like more information leave me a note, or give me a call (651-283-9876).
Oh, yes, about the pen, here's a completed slim line made from the material pictured above. You may have me make one for you. They make great Christmas gifts.($15 ea. with two week completion time...more than an hour if its done well).
Oh, by the way, any money I make after the costs, is used to buy instructional materials for training the youth.
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