Past and Present: Snow Daze

Man, we've been blasted around here with snow lately. That's one of the perks of living in this part of the US; snow. Not to mention the lack of sunshine, temperatures barely going above 30, slush, shoveling, freezing, scraping, school closings, accidents, power outages... need I go on? But before I talk about snow, I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer. This area was very rich in American Indians. Chippewa, Shawnee, Delaware, Ottawa and others called Ohio home. Since we know that winter was a difficult time for Indians, do you think they ever knew that they could walk about a month south and never brave another Ohio winter? Hmmmm...

OK, now to Thoreau Ave. in Akron, circa 1968 or so. All of us kids on the street LIVED for the snow. Our street was somewhat of a hill so if it got real slippery, you could ride your sled down the middle. Granted, it wasn't much of a hill so you really didn't go very fast but you did move some. The best thing though, was the woods that surrounded our neighborhood.

Thoreau Ave. dead-ended right into the woods. You could walk into the woods on level ground for several hundred yards, but then the woods dropped steeply into a valley type of thing with a creek at the bottom. This made for some killer sled riding hills - right in our own backyard.

Back in those days, there were no plastic sleds and everyone had the wooden-slatted sleds with metal runners on them. You could either lay flat or sit upright with your feet on the steering handles. We would go blasting down the hill in the woods and have to be careful we didn't fly into the creek at the end. Now this happened to me once. I couldn't stop and my sled and I went out onto the creek and my foot promptly broke through the ice and my boot filled up with freezing creek water. Well, that was the end of my day of sledding, and I cried all the way home with a frozen foot while the neighborhood kids laughed and laughed.

Another time, my good friend Lori Vannatter and I had an accident on one of the hills in the woods. If I'm not mistaken, she ran over my ankle and somehow my sled cut her ear open - hahaha! I can't even imagine how that happened! I think we both stomped out of the woods mad at each other.

Ahh, those were the days. We would literally stay outside from morning till dark and play in the snow; sledding, shoveling driveways for cash, building snow forts and snowmen and on and on.

For some reason, the snow isn't that fun anymore. How about you? I'd love to hear your comments and snow stories!

Really Big Year

This will be a really big year for me. Well, I don't know if the year will be really big but there is at least ONE day in February that will be really big... that's the day I turn 50. There. I've said it. JOHN'S TURNING 50! So I said to Donna the other day...hummm, I've been on this planet for 50 flippin' years! That is a really long time.

It's funny - I don't feel like I've been on this planet for 50 years. Well, I guess I do kinda feel like that. My knees hurt sometimes when I walk up stairs...I've got to be really careful that I don't blow my back out, my hearing stinks, I have bi-focals, I love to take naps. So maybe I do have the symptoms of being 50 but in my mind I don't feel that old.

I'm reading Donald Miller's book called "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." In the book he talks about how we only remember little snapshots of our lives; usually the milestones or triumphs or tragedies. Sure, I can remember Mrs. Claytor, my 4th grade teacher at Voris Elementary in Akron. She had to be close to 90 and walked all hunched over with a cane. Everyone was terrified of her. I had a 33.33 chance of having Mrs. Claytor or one of the other two 4th grade teachers, and low and behold, I cracked open my report card envelope at the end of my 3rd grade year in anticipation of who my teacher would be next year...imagine my dismay when I saw her name. The thing is though, I don't remember much else about my 4th grade year. Same with 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th...see what I mean? We only remember (as Donald Miller says) little snapshots of our lives.

His point in the book is to live every day as significant and memorable - to write a story with our lives. Is your life a story worth telling? Are you making a difference? Are you building into someone else's life? Are you making your kids, your spouse or coworkers feel valued? Are you sharing and showing unconditional love to those who don't look or believe the way you do? I need to ask myself these questions as I look at my 50 years on this planet and consider the time I have left.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4

Wow, I wish I could live out the verses above for the remainder of my time here - that could be a life lived with significance.


What do you think? I'd love to hear your responses.

Past and Present - Plan B

We've started a new message series at Mainstreet Church based in part on the Pete Wilson book, Plan B. Plan B is about when your life takes a different direction than you had thought. Things like divorce, an illness such as cancer, job loss, a wayward child etc. can force us to rethink our direction and change the plans we had in mind for ourselves. As I've worked through the different weeks of the series planning our church gatherings - music, drama, videos and such, it has caused me to consider my own life, and if it's gone down the path I had in mind.

I can remember as a very young child telling my mom that I was going to be a doctor; I know... just about every kid says the same thing. When we started going on vacation to Florida and I saw the ocean, I decided I was going to be a marine biologist. And in my early teens, as I got really involved with church stuff and attended Christian school, I just knew I was going to be a missionary. Of course, all of that went right out the window (including my church involvement) when I discovered the guitar; now I was going to be a rock star!

I bought my first guitar from Staff Music on Canton Rd. in Akron in about 1974 or so - a Yamaha FG75 acoustic. The first rock song I learned all the way through was Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd; I was on my way. In 11th grade, I sold everything I had and bought an Ibanez Les Paul 59'r from Akron Music. I even paid the price on the hang tag (I never forgave Roger for that one) and I was really on my way. At some point in my blog I'll detail out my 15+ years in the NE Ohio band scene, but for now, suffice it to say that my "Plan A", becoming a rock star didn't pan out; I guess I'm living in Plan B.

"I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I've certainly had some amazing adventures in my Plan B and long ago came to the realization that God's plan for me (my REAL Plan A) was to work full time in ministry, which I've done now since 1997. The really amazing part of this plan is that right now, music and playing my guitar are a main part of what I do for a living - hmmm.

God's plan is always better than anything we can dream up. I was thinking this morning that I never, ever thought I'd be a worship pastor at a church, it never crossed my mind, but I can tell you that I wouldn't change God's plan for anything.

So, tell me about your Plan A and Plan B - how has your life turned out for you? Please respond!

Change of Life 2

It was about a year ago I wrote in a post about how my life was changing due to the fact that my inlaws and nieces were moving here from Florida. Well, they have settled in nicely this past year and we are really glad to have them in our life - and yes, our life has certainly changed with their arrival. With some new things that are coming up in my life yet again, I've taken a minute to reflect back about how we go through many "changes of life" as we pass through our short time on this planet.

Think about your changes of life; like the kindergarten experience. I remember I cried like a kindergartener when my mom took me to Voris Elementary and introduced me to Mrs. Gray. That day is followed by milestones like your first crush (Joyce Houston), your first fight (Chuckie Martin) and your first really nasty school teacher (Mrs. Trustly) and even your first trip to the principal's office...my best friend Joe Scaglione and I saved our lunch money in 5th grade and snuck off the playground to buy candy at the gas station on Waterloo Road. Boy did we freak out when Mrs. Armoroid came on the loud speaker later that day "Mrs. Kinney? Will you send John Authenreith and Joe Scaglione to my office please?" How did she know? Then of course comes junior high (yuck - Rosswell Kent Jr. High) and high school (Garfield) and hopefully if you've done what your supposed to do, high school graduation. Which brings me to my current change of life.

My little boy Brandon is graduating from high school in a few weeks. Mourn, wail, sniff, sniff. I can't believe we are already at this point in our journey of life. It seems like only yesterday I was cutting his umbilical cord with a weird pair of scissors (those things are really thick), taking him to his first kindergarten class, blessing him at Confirmation, beaming over him when he graduated from 8th grade at Salem School in Tomball Texas and dropping him off for his first day of high school at Concordia.

We have so much to be proud of. He is a great kid errr...former kid. He's very smart, fun to be around and has made our life and our family a joy these past 18 years. Now he's off to his own change of life as he heads to Bowling Green State University in the fall. Way to go Brandon - your mom and I are very proud and love you tons.

Present: Worship Lessons

It's so easy to plug along week after week in ministry and lose sight of why we do this in the first place. I have to continually remind myself (or be reminded by God) why I really do what I do.

I'm reading a book called "The Cross and Christian Ministry - Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians" by D. A. Carson. The premise of the book is whether or not the Cross is truly the center of your ministry. I'm only a 3rd of the way through the book and God has "reminded" me of areas of worship that can, little by little, head off course. Here's a few examples from the book (I'm paraphrasing)-

"We have become so performance oriented that it's hard to see how compromised we are. Here's an example: In many churches, prayers now function as the time to change the set in the sanctuary. The people bow their heads and when they look up a minute later, the singers are all in place or the drama group is ready to perform. It's all so smooth - it's also profane. We are in prayer addressing the King of heaven. In reality, some of us are doing that (addressing the King of heaven) while others are tip-toeing around the stage - still others are wondering what happy configuration will confront them when they open their eyes. Has the smoothness of the performance become more important to us than the fear of the Lord? Has polish displaced substance?"

OK, I'll be the first to admit it...I've used prayer as a transition.

A little further on he writes: "As long as people are impressed by your powerful personality and impressive gifts, there is very little room for you to impress them with a crucified Savior."

OK, I'll admit this too - I sometimes worry about how "well" I'm doing when I'm leading worship.

Wow. I need to be reminded of these things continually. I DO worry about smooth transitions in a worship service and sometimes forget the important things. I also have to continually be aware of my human need to "perform" and keep my purpose as a worship leader in check - an on-going battle with my human nature.

I love it when God reminds of things and keeps me in check - I need it and I'll be the first to admit that I've got a long way to go. How about you? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Past and Present: Summer is Over

Summer was always such a great time of year for me as a kid. I absolutely loved playing outside and would go out from the time I got up until I had to go in when it got dark. Riding my bike was a favorite activity as well as playing cars in the Cramblett's sandbox, kickball in the field behind my house, "olden days" in Kent woods (at the end of my street) where we acted like we were settlers, and on and on. Most of the families on Thoreau Ave. in Akron had lived in their houses for years, so I grew up with mostly the same bunch of kids from the time I was a toddler until they either moved away or graduated from high school - I never moved. Today when I think of summer I often think of the kids on Thoreau.

There was Timmy Simmons, the red-haired kid who lived next door until he moved away in 5th grade. One time I pushed him off the front porch (see earlier post about the porch) into the bushes and he had to get stitches on his back. He was also friends with my future wife Donna when she was in junior high - strange. Curt Cramblett and his sister Colleen lived across the street until they moved away; Curt was younger than me and we didn't often get along too well. I accidentally (?) put my fist through their storm door window and almost had to get stitches myself. Next to the Cramblett's were the Vannatters; another anchor family that lived in their house for many years - we loved the Vannatters and all four of us Authenreith kids hung around with them at one time or another. Lori was a best friend from kindergarten until high school, and her brother Kelley was great friends with my sisters and even became close to my mom and dad later on. There were the Colliers who lived two doors up (lots of stories there) and Kim was a good friend up into high school.

There were other "anchor" families on Thoreau: The Mays, the Goodwills, the Hackets, the Saunders, the Falveys, the Glasses and many more that I can see in my mind - and see their house, but can't remember their names! Some of them may still live there today.

For my boys now, summer is a little different. We've had the curse or the blessing (depends on how you look at it) to have lived in 5 states in the past 12 years - all for my job/ministry locations. I hurt sometimes when I think that my boys never really got to experience very many "Thoreau" summers because they were always the kids that moved away. I look at my time on Thoreau as a pretty positive growing up experience and have often wished the same for Brandon and Marshal. Fortunately for Donna and I, they are very adaptable and have done well with the moves and school changes - praise the Lord for that.

So summer 2009 comes to a close. The boys are back in school and all the fall activities are starting up. I know we are only on this earth for a brief time compared to eternity, but why does it have to go by so fast?

How about some thoughts and comments?

Present: Back in Texas

It's really hard to believe that we've been gone from Texas half as long as we lived in Texas. To come back is always a blessing - we have so many fond memories of the six years we were here.

Every year in July I have the opportunity and privilege to come back to Tomball Texas and help with a preschool teacher's conference called PTAC - Preschool Teachers Adventure Conference. About 800 preschool teachers from all around the U.S. gather for three days to get better at what they do. It's three days of speakers and workshops covering topics like safety in the classroom, CPR , quick and easy snacks; and everything in between. I was asked to help out with the technical a/v stuff about 4 years ago or so, and have been coming back ever since.

This year was an added blessing - I brought Donna, Brandon and Marshal with me for a mini-vacation. Donna was here last year but the boys haven't been back in almost 3 years. It's great driving around and seeing all the new stores and restaurants, driving by our old house, seeing old friends and eating at our favorite places with our favorite foods - Mexican and Barbecue!

We miss Texas but we know that God has moved us on for a reason and we love Ohio. I've already been booked for PTAC 2010 so hopefully Donna and the boys can come back with me next year.