Joseph F. Radosevich

My kids asked me about my blog, and I struggled to answer why. I didn't want to be proud. I don't want to be driven by vanity. So I asked myself, "Why have you kept this blog for 5 years? Why have you kept other versions of this blog for close to 20 years?" Why do I keep a blog? This is my professional resume. It is where I process out loud what I'm thinking, what I work on, what I know, and what I do. Some people call that doing your work publicly. I have 5 years worth of thinking and work on here so that if someone wanted to know me, they would get a pretty good idea by reading through this site. This gives me practice writing. By writing, editing, and publishing regularly, I practice the skill of writing that I use in my current work and may use someday in other forms. I have enjoyed writing and written for years. I loved journalism in college and planned to write in some form for my career. Blogs have always been one way that I can practice for what I want to

I switched my workout journal this month from a spreadsheet in Google Drive to a composition notebook with grid lines. I've kept track of my weight for years in Google Fit and a then spreadsheet so that I can make a chart over time. I had kept my workout journal along with it to make it easy. I decided this month to switch to a physical journal, and grabbed an old composition notebook with grid lines from my garden bookshelf. I started in two places. In the front, I started a chart to track my weight and waist each morning. Halfway through the notebook, I track my workouts, heart rate, and blood pressure. The main use for tracking my blood pressure is that it helps me know when I am overtrained and need a break. It shows when my blood pressure is up ten points over a normal workout. I always thought that having a digital copy of my workouts and the ability to make a chart out of weight, waist, or heart rate made the digital version better. When I switched to the physical journal, I

In the afternoon, the Midwestern Seminary For The Church National Conference hosted breakout sessions. I went to the second one on prayer led by Jed Coppenger. It was so good that I went to book tables in the lobby of the conference to see if his book on prayer was for sale. I couldn't find it so I ordered it the next day. After this afternoon breakout, I told a friend that Coppenger said extremely profound stuff on prayer but also extremely obvious once we looked at Matthew 6. I couldn't believe that I'd never noticed those things before. Here are some quotes and pictures of my notes: "Your prayer life shows your view of God." "Pride doesn't pray." "We don't know what or when or how the problem will be fixed. We know who will handle it." *I took my notes for myself without a plan to post them on here. I had the idea after I got home. You can tell by my handwriting. I used a pencil also to prevent fountain pen leaks and messes while mov

 I went to the For The Church National Conference at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. I thought I would do a quick review. Bullet points summary: The campus was beautiful. It was the first time I'd been there, and evidently it has changed a lot in the last 10 years. Parking was a little packed but not as bad as it could have been with 1000 people there. The chapel is perfect because it holds a lot of people without feeling large. The student center is amazing. The Spurgeon Library is a museum quality space with so much to read, look at, and listen to. They had unlimited black coffee that was good quality. I talked to a student that told me it was brewed by the on-campus coffee shop.  The speakers were really good. Some of them were more my style like Tony Merida, Jared Wilson, and Crawford Lorritts.  The conference was too short for me. It was over in 25 hours. I prefer a slightly longer conference for my own growth and refreshment. The worship band was e

  I learned this method of taking notes before college. On the left, I write the main points. On the right, I add any quotes, supporting ideas, and my thoughts. I usually have space at the bottom to write things to remember or apply. It's really fun to add a picture of the speaker or something visual. At this conference, each speaker had a version of a stained glass logo that was slightly different than the others. Above is the logo/icon for Merida's sermon.

 I pick conferences that help me grow personally. I've been to how-to conference but I prefer ones that are rich in theology and encouragement. I bring a mostly empty backpack. There are lots of giveaways, so I need space to put things. I also usually have a cup of coffee so if I didn't have a backpack m then both hands are full.  I try to be friendly and meet people. I met one of my best friends at a conference.  I take notes in the same notebook I use for other conferences. It is fun to know where my conference notes are. This time, I used a mechanical pencil and loved it. I use a special note taking method that I learned years ago. It helps me stay engaged,  I avoid phone use. It's a chance to get away from work. Even then, I had to put my phone in power saving mode because I wasn't near a charger much, and it was easy to drain the battery by checking it. I do stay in contact with my wife.  I take lots of pictures to show my kids or to text my wife during the day.  I

I know of two kinds of conferences. One focuses on what and how to do your job. As a pastor, there are leadership conferences that teach skills. The focus is on how to set up discipleship or small groups, how to develop and cast vision, how to do evangelism. These are how-to conferences. The second focuses on developing the person. In my case, it is developing the convictions, theology, and character of the pastor or leader.  I choose the second type of conference as one that develops my heart. I need regular breaks to grow in my convictions and character. 

 "What do you have that wasn't given to you?" the old man continued. "That's grace, man--what you're given, not what you deserve. And that's as true for Maynard as it is for you, as it is for me. Grace is the very air we breathe." (210) The Secret of the Swamp King Jonathan Rogers

If I live 36 more years, that is only enough time to read around 1800 more books. I read 70 books last year, but I think 50 is a realistic average for the rest of my life. That only turns out to 1800 books. I get that figure from the life expectancy for males in the USA--76. There are so many books published every year. More than I have time to read. If I cared to skim books, I could probably triple that number. That's still not that many compared to the number of books in a normal library. I've been thinking about this lately. It encourages me to choose carefully.  People should read what they want. There are better and worse books, but there's no list that everyone should read. If you only have so much time, then you should read what you want.  I can easily get caught up in the latest books. There are a lot of podcasts that feature interviews with authors about their latest books. If I listen to those interviews, then I feel like that book has to be the next book that I r

My goal is to read 50 pages every day from a variety of books. I read some in the early morning, some at work, some for fun before bed. Here's what I'm reading right now (how many pages I read each day is listed in parentheses): Devotional Reading: Letters of John Newton , John Newton (1 letter per day). These are so golden and encouraging. They also encourage me to slow down and think through the letters and cards that I write to make them a blessing to the recipient. Work: Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1 (1 poem per day). I gain a lot by slowing down to read and notice poetry. Make Disciples of All Nations , (5). This is a history of the IMB. Each chapter is by a different author. Some are better than others. I've found a few helpful models and ideas. Deuteronomy in the NIV Application Commentary Series, Daniel Block (5). Holiness , J.C. Ryle (5). I was scared of this book but shouldn't have been. It's so good to read it slowly. Nighttime: The Wilde

I cook on Tuesdays. That's not totally true. I cook breakfast every morning. I often cook part of the meal on the weekend-grilling especially. I cook chili sometimes. I cook dinner on Tuesday so that my wife has a break in the middle of her week homeschooling our kids. Normally, I make something like sloppy joes. I often roast veggies or make fries with it. The kids and I love Autumn Frost squash roasted in the oven. We want to eat at a decent time, so I use convection. Convection shortens the time needed to roast or bake because it circulates the heat with a fan. I wouldn't use it for cookies or cake, though.  You may have heard the hype around air fryers. Convection is the same as using an air fryer--circulating hot air is what air frying is.  I have eight mouths to feed. That would be a very large air fryer. Instead, I just use the oven.  Convection and air frying are the same thing. You are welcome.

If your strategy for spiritual growth and change does not involve theology, then it is bankrupt.   I hear and read church leadership material and attend church leadership events regularly. There is a whole industry of people ready to tell me and everyone else how to lead Christians and churches. They speak to pastors and leaders. They speak to people in the congregation. They tell us all how to lead and change. They will work with any group that claims to be Christian.  Any spiritual leadership that does not explain and build on spiritual foundations is destined to fail. There is more help for church leadership than ever before and more closing churches at the same time. A reason is that many attempt to lead spiritually without the Spirit. They want to lead the church without the Word that makes the church. They want the methods but don't have the reason for the mission. I'm reminded of a quote from Jonathan Roger's novel  The Bark of the Bog Owl. "Yes, Radnor, Corenwa

I went in a bookstore last week with my daughter. It was pretty magical in the way the shelves were overflowing with books. There were old rugs on the floor, and the back hallway had even more books. There was a problem though. There was nothing to read. Well, there was nothing I would read. I have a list on my phone of 50ish books that I want to read next. I keep a list in a notebook of other books that I want to read. I have an album in Google Photos of books that I want to read. I'm not hard to convince to get more books. I went there looking to find something to buy. In that bookstore, though, there were only gimmick books or argumentative books. There were books with viewpoints and philosophies. Nothing just for fun and beauty and the joy of reading a good book. Nothing to draw you in, hook you, and make you come back for more. It's not just that store. It's libraries. It's publishers. They all do it. They offer their perspective first. Take our view.  The bookstor

Every church should make their sermon podcast and video feeds easy to search. Our church secretary edits and uploads our sermons. I think she does a spectacular job, and we worked out how best to caption them. Here is what we do for our podcasts and our YouTube page with our sermon from last week: Series: I AM Title: "What Keeps You from Coming to Jesus?” September 8, 2024 AM Scripture: John 6 Preacher: Joe Radosevich Subscribe to see the latest sermons: Connect with us: Website: www.manchesterbaptistchurch.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterBaptistChurchIL We just change the info for each sermon and series. We always title the sermons with a question. I learned that trick from Brady Shearer at ProChurchTools.

I can't tell other pastors how to dress. I can only describe what and why I do what I do. In 2024, I wear dress pants, a dress shirt, and either a sweater or sport coat on top. Occasionally in the summer, I don't wear the jacket. I also wear a tie sometimes, often a knit tie.  When I pastored a church plant, I wore dark jeans every Sunday. Often with a collared shirt and sweater. Why the change? Because I think the pastor should dress one step above the congregation, especially a younger pastor. Me dressing up a level shows respect for the expectations and history of the church. I now pastor a church that is almost 200 years old that has a lot of older people in it. They remember when the pastor wore a suit every Sunday. I don't always wear a tie. I often make my dress clothes more casual by layering a sweater on top. I don't wear matching pants and suit jacket because the culture around us is pretty informal, and I don't want people in our community to be put off b

 The wagons I pull my kids in during the fall have gotten heavier. My two youngest are bigger, and the wagons at our local pumpkin patch are monsters (shout out to the best orchard and pumpkin patch around-- Greene Fields Farm in Greenfield, IL).  My kids still love riding in wagons, so what am I going to do? I have been teasing that I need to do some training for pulling wagons in the fall.  Today, I came up with a plan for wagon-pulling Dad fitness. Here it is: Load up our wagon heavy with kids and kettlebells or sandbags. Make this a little heavier than I would normally pull. Walk the 2 block circuit around our house. It has a hill on two of the four streets. Repeat for 2 rounds. Because of the weird position of your arm and back, I don't plan on doing too much of this or doing too heavy. I looked up overuse injuries in factories with pulling like this and want to avoid injury. 

  This is based on a graphic that I used earlier this year during a breakout presentation I gave on prayer. The prayers are based on a resolution from 1837 that Illinois Baptists made. I found it in Myron Dillow's Harvesttime on the Praire .  The map on the right show the cities and towns most in need of a gospel preaching church (or churches.). This has never been accomplished in the over 180 years since the resolution was made. I still pray these things regularly.

I was sorting tomatoes last night when we took these. I need to see what were ripe and what still needed time. This season's tomatoes: Golden Cherrywine (and some volunteers from last year's Golden Cherrywine that are not true to type because the parent is a hybrid) Green Zebra Bear Hollow Purple Abraham Lincoln Jet Star Sungold Pink Bumblebee German Pink Chocolate Cherry Benevento Amalfi Pink Rainbow Jazz Heart

Sometimes you outgrow your kettlebell. You get too strong for it, especially on exercises like the kettlebell swing. You can get a bigger kettlebell, but I've used a band to make my kettlebells harder. It's an exercise called the kettlebell banded swing. Why I love it:  It's cheap. Instead of buying a bigger ball for just a few exercises, you can buy a band for $7-$15. It builds strength, especially in the glutes.  It builds explosiveness. It's a fast snapping exercise that is similar to jumping. Here is a video of Matt Chan demonstrating how to set the kettlebell up for banded swings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN9dppWJcGQ He does the American-style swing. I don't care for that type and do the Russian-style that just comes up to the shoulders.

There is not one right recipe or way to make coffee.  I post my recipes here because I think it can be helpful and give people ideas. I've learned that there are better and worse ways to brew coffee with different equipment and beans. There isn't one right recipe, though. You can make better and worse coffee with a pour over cone or an Aeropress. I use recipes and ideas that I find online.  There are too many variables to say that there is only one right way.  Factors that change how you brew coffee: Equipment Coffee beans Roast level  Individual taste Individual history and experience Don't listen to anyone who says there is only one way to make coffee or that you don't do it right. The key is to learn what and why coffee works the way that it does and then make it the way that you enjoy. I really like my coffee beans to have some visible oil these days. If the roast doesn't bring that out, then I will likely not enjoy it as much. In other seasons, I preferred ligh

Last night and today, I dehydrated hot peppers to make crushed red peppers. Then I used them to make an Italian spicy oil.  I used Quickfire F1 Prius that seen to be in the Thai pepper family. I like the heat and wanted a way to use them going forward without making hot sauce.  The Italian spicy oil is just olive oil and crushed peppers. I left the seeds in. And I left some of the peppers whole.

Robert's Rules of Order have become a regular part of my life as an adult, so I thought I should learn some of them (Ebay is my new place for used books). I see the rules as just a way to have orderly meetings. I've seen people who are jerks about the rules. I think we should all avoid being jerks at all times. Knowing the rules is just knowing the rules.  S.D. Smith describes good writing as hospitality. A writer is trying to be  kind host to his readers. You could probably apply that to every job and situation. Robert's Rules can be a way to be hospitable and kind during meetings.  

 I grew up in larger churches with multiple pastors and ministers. Music ministers and worship leaders were normal for me. That's not the only way churches function. Pastor's used to lead worship in every church no matter the size. That is history. Pastoring a small, rural church means that sometimes I fill in. That's normal here. So if you are preparing to pastor, it's a good idea to learn to lead worship. It is normal and will bless your church.  I use a guitar and sometimes a pad. You can use a piano. You don't have to be amazing but learning to do it so you can lead in a nursing home or small church will pay off on the long run.

I often think of a line from J.D. Greear's book Gospel . It came to my mind on Sunday morning, and I realized that it calls out a lie that I hear inside every Sunday. It is part of a prayer that he teaches. "Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy." I'm tempted on Sunday morning to think that a certain person, visitor, or attendance number will make me happy. I'm tempted on Sunday morning to believe that people's approval of me, my sermon, and my performance will make me happy. Christ will be present on Sunday morning. Christ approves of me Sunday morning. Your presence and approval are all I. . .

Five reasons I write about fitness: There is not enough fitness content on the internet that is actually healthy and good for you. So much is driven by sex or sexual appeal. So much is unrealistic and dishonest because it is secretly powered by drugs and shortcuts. So much is unhealthy because it focuses on identity and says "you are what you look like." I want to write things that are actually good for people. Physical training is good for people so I want people (and especially pastors) to be inspired to train their bodies. Movement, sweating, training creates endorphins so you feel good and have less depression. Fitness helps people be healthy long-term and avoid knee, shoulder, hip issues and avoid some diabetes and other health issues. I have expertise as a former personal trainer. I enjoyed my time as a trainer and learned a lot. I still use it today. I like physical training. Writing about fitness helps me think clearly about fitness and health. This helps me apply wha

 A few years ago, I did a writing challenge to write and post something every day for the month of August. Those posts are still some of the most popular posts on my blog. They must show up in search. I'm doing that again for this September 2024. All topics are fair game, well see what happens. I will take one day off each week on my day off from work which should make for 26 posts.  See you tomorrow!