One of "My" Glimpses of the Bigger Picture

by Chet 17. November 2010 23:29
This past Sunday I was reminded about the reality of the bigger picture, even the "more real" world that The Matrix gave us a great picture of, although it was quite allegorical. Much of my world is nice and neat, surrounded by what I would imagine are God-fearing and God-honoring people. If I want to really reach out into the hearts of teenage kids, I need to go hunting for them outside my church doors, right? I mean, these guys and girls are doing fine, doing great, and loving and worshipping God at any chance they get... right? Right? Wrong. Dead wrong. And I should know better. I've seen how "hurt" a heart can get by just putting a mirror on my own. Not just hurt by mean people, but hurt by my own false impression of myself, of God, and my picture of what others think. Even if it's totally false, I still bought into it. How much more so the young men and young women I'm getting to know better and better. While it's not a mid-life-crisis as we often think of it, it certainly is... [More]

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Thoughts | Youth

Heart Freedom Isn't Free Either

by Chet 11. November 2010 06:30
As we celebrate Veterans Day today, it's rather easy to look around life and pick out the men and women who I know that have served me and my country through military service. I'm sure I'd miss some of them, but I can certainly name a few, and I thank them. But what about freedom of the heart? Who has paid THAT price? Certainly, Jesus did. The sacrifice he made for me on the cross completely paid the price for my Salvation, Freedom, and Life. But is that it? Is freedom of the heart like freedom of speech, where once it's paid for I can just walk out the door and exercise it to my heart's content? I don't think so. I'm thinking today of three other places where the price for freedom must be paid. First is all the men and women who have fought for my freedom without even knowing my name. Missionaries, authors, speakers, and those random people you see on the street who make you think, "what do they have that I don't?" Those people have paid a price to become the people God made them ... [More]

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Friends | Thoughts

Freedom Isn't Free

by Chet 28. May 2010 09:24
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE(I don't know who wrote this) I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease.. I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd. I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears? How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free. I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen," When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend. I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives. I thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free.

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Friends | Quotes | Thoughts

The Bigger Story

by Chet 14. October 2009 09:41
Finding Your Place in the Bigger Story  A lesson for youth on freedom and significance Tonight (10/14/2009) I'm leading our youth group,and want to start talking about "The Bigger Story." This is actually much more than just what could be accomplished in a single night, much less even in an hour a week, once a week, for any period of time, so tonight I just want to start cracking the door open... seeing where they are, what their expectations and hopes are to what the future holds, and how they came to that "conslusion." Are we aiming to be what the world has planned for us, what we feel we can accomplish, or what God has specifically designed us to be? That's not all that hard to answer on a surface level, but down deep, who am I really LIVING as if I'm going to be when I "get big?" ICE BREAKER - What do you want to be? Give each person in the group two card to write on. On the first card, have them write their name, and answer the question "What do you want to be when yo... [More]

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Teaching | Youth

Topics for Youth

by Chet 13. October 2009 06:34
Some topics I'd like to cover in youth group... Freedom Fear Promises / Language / Words "Matter" "The Bigger Picture" / Finding your place in the story Some Resources Games Movie / Video clips Music Stories More thoughts and comments to come...

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Youth

About Me

Chet Cromer

Hey there. My name's Chet. This is my blog. By trade, I'm an IT Consultant, focusing on data driven software and web development. By identity, though, I'm much more than that. I am an adopted son of God, strong and courageous. I have plenty of faults, but they do not define me. I have a past, but it is not my destiny. I have lots of blood relatives, but most of them do not share hemoglobin with me, but rather simply the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is one of my spots to write. I love writing, but don't do it enough. I run a website called A Walk Through The Word that is also all about writing, but it's more in the context of a once-a-year trip-through-the Bible. This is simply my spot to let stuff out. To vent. To praise. To commentary on whatever it is I want to commentary on.

I'm building a new site called ME2U. This is a set of tools for adults invested in the lives of teens and kids who need useful communication tools founded on accountability, safety, and persistent positive input.

And so that's that. Read along. Discover who I am and what makes me tick. I hope here that you will find glimpses of a life beyond the shallow world often defined by our careers, relationships, and expectations.

If you'd like to catch me on some other parts of the web, just Google me... there's only one other "Chet Cromer" that I know of, and I think you'll be able to tell the difference. Or you can find me here:

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It now appears that every member of my family has a blog. My wife has a most interesting take on the world, and I've set up a blog for each of my kids for me to write them notes, share memories and photos, and hopefully prepare a gift to hand them later in life.

Erin: Myrtles and Muffins

Colton: coltoncromer.com

MaKenna: makennacromer.com

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