Skip to main content

Where's my mind lately?

Sometimes church members (and family members) will look at me and think/say, "What are you thinking about?" I have to admit that I get a terrible and sick sense of joy in knowing that people can't figure me out. I'm sick. I know it.

Lately, though, there has been one thing taking up most of my precious mental energies. Disney.

Walt Disney is one of my heroes. I have been reading about his life and the philosophy Disney had toward life. He is not what I would call a devout disciple of Jesus Christ. But he is someone I admire and am learning from.

Walt Disney World is my absolute favorite place in the world. I have been twice. There is something about that magical place. It is so powerful that I have used it as an example for our Vision Team leadership training this year.

So why is Disney filling up my waking moments. Cue the commercial: "I'M GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!"

My family and I will be taking a vacation in September to Walt Disney World in Orlando. I am totally excited about this. It is taking up my spare mental energies. If there is anything that gets me totally out of character, it is Disney World.

And this year's trip is very important. Regrettably, I have not had a decent vacation in almost 2 years. I have been experiencing a considerable amount of fatigue related to work. That is why I am going to be scaling back some of the work load. And for me there is no better vacation than Disney World. Again, I'm sick. I know it.

But there was something that made my heart beat a little quicker this past weekend. There will be a youth worker's summit this Fall. And that summit will be at none other than.... you guessed it - Walt Disney World. There is a 3 day event scheduled for adults who work with youth sponsored by 11 mainline denominations. This 3 day event includes 2 training sessions with Walt Disney Corp. trainers. One of the dreams I have had in the last two years has been attending one of the Disney Institute's leadership training programs. While this is not going to be a full DI training, it will be a portion. I am working toward going to this event as a part of my continuing education. And I am hoping to get a couple of extra days of working vacation out of it.

So if anyone is wondering what I am thinking about at any given moment of the day, you can bet Disney will be part of it. Ask me about Disney and I will be glad to share.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It may still be a little early yet, but I have yet to receive my invitation in the mail. Please make sure you get it out soon so I can make sure my calendar is free so I can go with you. I'll be watching my mailbox....
Anonymous said…
Disney permeates every part of life here in Orlando. There are entire subdivisions devoted to its 'cast members'. Lots of seminarians have jobs there. But I haven't heard of their business leadership training.
latoberg said…
John it is called the Disney Institute. Follow this link to find more information: http://www.letsmakeadifference.us/wdw.html.

The Youth Worker Summit will only include a small portion of the Disney Institute training. But I have heard that it was transformational for those that experienced it.

Popular posts from this blog

What dreams may come

Now it's time to say goodbye To all our company.... The Mickey Mouse Club closed out it's episodes by singing this tune. I feel the time has come to sing this song for my blog. It isn't that I don't have anything say. It has more to do with my change and changing life.  I am still very much a postmodern - even though that word is not used anymore. Modernity has slipped and is a shadow of the past. Where we are now is cultural revolution. We are in the midst of it. Those who have moved on from what we were are now trying to establish the foothold for climbing to a place of cultural security. Meanwhile those who hold onto what we were are grabbing at the last places we have moved beyond. At the same time, they are pulling at the shoelaces of those who have moved upward, trying to dislodge our forward and upward advance.  I am still very much a renaissance person - but not for the sake of others. I still like having a connection to as many subjects as possible. A little bi...

Frequently Asked (and Unasked) Questions of Your New Pastor

A week ago, I got the call that informed me that I will be appointed to a new church. My family will be moving to the Panhandle of Oklahoma. I will be serving the Turpin and Baker UMChurches. Lisa and I are excited about the possibilities. But moving into a new setting always brings questions. So, for anyone from the new churches who may end up reading this, here are some of the answers you will be wanting to know. What do we call you? Pastor, preacher, brother, Hey You? What you call a pastor depends on your background and tradition. I don’t expect anyone to call me anything specific. But here are some helpful guidelines: • Reverend is a formal title best used for official address and invitations or business letters • Pastor is what I do and my relationship to the church. It is fine for people to call me Pastor Todd. Or even just Pastor. • Preacher is also what I do. I don’t mind people calling me Preacher. • “Hey, you” is perfectly fine until you get to know me. • Above all...

Displaced

We have moved into our new appointment. Thus the delay in posting. Plus a week at camp. But mostly an overwhelming sense of being displaced. I'm not sure where it is coming from. It's really a feeling of disassociation with what is going on around me. I normally feel fairly secure in any environment or setting. But I have really been struggling with a mental "wall" around me. It's not really anything to do with the new churches. We have been warmly welcomed and received by everyone that we have met. The men of the church were there to help us move in. The new house is having the finishing touches put on. The worship services are not too stressful. This is really a sense of feeling like, "I'm not really here." It could be a very mild form of depression or grieving our last appointment. But I am very excited about what can happen in this appointment. So I have been pushing myself out of my routine and beyond my personality limits to meet and connect wi...