The First Easter Morning - Darkness, Fear, and Surprise

by Chet 31. March 2013 22:46
  Today I had the pleasure of one of my students asking me what MY favorite part of Easter is. Love it when they ask me for my opinion. My favorite part? The surprise. That first Easter morning wasn't full of the expectation and joy we experience now... the disciples were AFRAID, huddled in a dark room, let down by their rabbi, and uncertain of what to do next... and then Jesus shows up (literally), and just says "Peace be with you." I can see the smile on his face, I can hear that first nervous laugh, and then everything breaks lose... HE IS ALIVE!!! That's my favorite part. The surprise. The hope that springs from fear. The joy that can only be known AFTER the terror. The gratitude that can only come from knowing what it would be like to have been alone. I was also asked today whether or not I felt Judas went to Hell for his betrayal. Not an easy-answer question, that's for sure. I am no judge of person's hearts, and certainly could imagine that Judas went for years as a disc... [More]

Tags: , ,

Thoughts | Youth

Faithful and True

by Chet 5. March 2013 11:40
My favorite new song from the conference I was at this weekend is called Faithful and True, by the Jordon Howerton Band. When I boil down the doubts in my life, what remains is a fear that God really ISN'T who He says He is. This weekend reminded me that God isn't like any other friend, any other family member, or any other father. He IS faithful and true. Here's the song on YouTube. Hope you enjoy it.  

Tags: , , , ,

Music | Youth

Day One at SYMC - My Clenched Fist

by Chet 2. March 2013 01:16
I'm attending the Simply Youth Ministry Conference here in Indianapolis this weekend. It's a conference for youth workers, BY youth workers. I'm there for a number of reasons, one of which is to share with some of those I meet my passion for building more effective ways for ministry leaders to connect with the kids around them in a manner that's founded on protective boundaries and consistent parental involvement. I have high hopes for making new friends and creating opportunities for followup following the conference, and know that I'll also have the opportunity to learn a TON about my own ministry work to high schoolers in my home church. Tonight wasn't about that, though. Sure, I shared a bit about who I am and what I do, and met some interesting people I may reconnect with. Tonight I felt the urge to RELAX, to sit back simply BREATHE for the evening. That was reinforced by the first session I sat in, where the woman leading reminded us that we can't feed others if our own souls ar... [More]

Tags:

Thoughts | Youth

Tell YOUR story - That's where the power is

by Chet 6. February 2013 15:17
Today I sent an email to a TV news station about a project I'm working on called ProtegaText. The station had recently reported about a school who's level of trust is being torn from its community because of an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student fostered partially through private text messaging. As I put the email together, I tried to add that personal touch to share not only the "business" side. I'm not quite sure how I did, but I think there's plenty of room for improvement. The thing is, this all started off as an idea to encourage a small group of about 10-12 kids in my own home town. As we ventured down that road, we hit some roadblocks and warning signs, and I started to see the bigger picture of what we might do with this, but all along, though, what still matters is that same group of kids. The ones I know. The ones who know me. We may be planning to achieve a larger scale, but going back to that initial glimpse of seeing how I could personally connect ... [More]

Tags: , ,

Thoughts | Youth

Post Tryptophan Thankfulness

by Chet 27. November 2012 23:16
So this past weekend we made a quick 4 day trip up to Northwest Pennsylvania to spend some time with the in-laws. It was a good trip, full of plenty of time to relax, unwind, and give thanks. It wasn't until I got home, though, that the depth of all I have to be thankful for kicked in. We came home to a mess. A crappy mess. As in a backed up main sewer line so no one could shower mess. And did I mention a toilet had backed up while we were gone? Yeah. A mess. One doesn't start shouting "Oh thank God we're home" in such a situation. I didn't, either. I think I was actually a little bossy and stressed towards my wife. In the end, though, we got things cleaned out of the bathroom and closet and piled out on the deck. I'll probably need to replace some flooring, but that's all doable. So I ventured out with my little snake to see if I could clear the clog, and couldn't. I got some bloody, dirty knuckes, but no draining sewage. Put a call into a plumbing company - they might be able to co... [More]

Tags: ,

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:

Facebook   MySpace   Twitter   LinkedIn   Skype   YouTube

Subscribe to Blog Via Email

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

Calendar

<<  May 2013  >>
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
293012345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829303112
3456789

View posts in large calendar