Pursuits - Personal  Family  Communal  Professional On this page are found the qualities and actions that define who I am and who I strive to be as well as links to organizations to which I am connected. I describe briefly each item in the list. Personal   [top] Piety - my relationship with God is paramount Integrity - living in accordance with my beliefs and ethics provides credibility Humility - vanity serves only to detract from me and those whose teachings I espouse Erudition - intensive study and research, particularly in multiple areas, yields a synergistic effect on my understanding and my outlook Mettle - the courage to live out my beliefs and the fortitude to follow-through on my commitments increases my confidence and garners the respect of others Family  [top] Daily Renewal - I make every effort to read a portion of the Bible and to pray for others and myself (Our Daily Bread is a good resource) Weekly Recreation - in addition to our usual daily interaction, we plan something special to deepen our bond Monthly Rendezvous - my wife and I plan a date to focus on one another Semiannual Review - evaluate whether our commitments are beneficial or baneful Annual Retreat - time away to broaden our experiences and create lasting, positive memories Communal  [top] Service Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, local congregation - I pray and volunteer in support of the mission of our local church Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, local chapter - I serve on the local chapter board which oversees the distribution of grant money Habitat for Humanity, local affiliate - I serve on a committee which helps to realize the building of two homes Rotary International - I intend to join this service organization in April (list of 100 prominent Rotarians) Support Concordia Lutheran Church - each year I pledge to give a portion of the money God has enabled me to earn Christian Children's Fund - our oldest daughter is a pen-pal with a girl from Mexico whom we sponsor Health-related Foundations - various family members and I raise funds through sponsored exercise events (e.g., American Heart Association and March of Dimes) General Philanthropy - it is a pleasure to contribute to numerous organizations which strengthen my community (e.g., Macungie Ambulance, Habitat for Humanity, Boy Scouts of America, and Girl Scouts of America) Resource Friendship - the importance of being friend to another individual cannot be overstated Public Speaking - I continue to make myself available to share my expertise and experience on a variety of subjects Professional  [top] Pedagogy - I aspire to teach at a learning university either in an adjunct or full-time capacity Mentor - working closely with others to nurture their development is extremely rewarding Invention - creative thinking has a compounding effect Design - skillful realization of every undertaking