A Little Chatter

Fix N Mix

2006-04-25T16:39:00.000-05:00

New inventions are all around us. The new show American Inventor is not that great really. They need to take a lesson from Wendy's. That's right my friends, I said Wendy's. Recently Wendy's did something to improve their already amazing dessert treat, the Frosty. Now, you can get a Frosty with a bag of Oreo's or M & M's or even Butterfinger. And for just $1.29 you can mix your favorite candy in with an already wonderful chocolate treat.

Koodos to you Wendy's. May we all aspire to your greatness.

Who is poor?

2006-02-08T14:09:00.000-06:00

Poor - 1. having little or no means of support; needy. 2. Indicating or characterized by poverty. 3. Lacking in some quality 4. Scanty; inadequate: as, poor crops. 5. barren; sterile: as poor soil. 6. Lacking nourishment; feeble. 7. Lacking excellence; inferior. 8. mean-spirited; contemptible. 9. Lacking pleasure, comfort, etc. : as we had a poor time 10. Worthy of pity; unfortunate

I have been reading a lot lately about the poor. Bono had some good words to share at the national prayer breakfast. My good friend gets to see the poor quite regularly. I am constantly confronted with images of devastation. We are gearing up for another 30 Hour Famine. But as I listen, as I look, and as I read, I keep coming back to this question:

Who is poor?

It's amazing how many different ways there are in the dictionary to define or use the word poor.
Usually, we think of #1. But I want to talk a little bit about #10.

You see, I understand how spoiled I am now living in my quiet, safe neighborhood. I know that I have far more than most people. I know I am selfish, living beyond what I would ever really truly need. I give but know I can give more. I know these things because I used to live a different way. I was not white trash. Yet, I was a poor white country boy. In a family of seven, we had needs and never seemed to have surplus. I remember the X-mas we would not have had if someone would not have showed up at our door with Hefty sacks full of toys. Yeah, we don't need X-mas. But, I think you get the picture that we didn't have a lot.

In those time of being without, I think they were some of my best years. Because in those years, I had love. I had the support of a family. I had no stress. (I still have some of these things). We may have been borderline #1, but we were definitely far from #10.

Who is poor?

The family that has a six figure income but never sits down to eat a meal together.
The daughter who gets anything she ever asks for but never hears her father say, "I love you."
The son who recieves praise for being such an outstanding athlete, but never for just being a son.

On a trip to Mexico, I learned a few things from the Mexican people. They didn't have much. But they were proud people.

Who is poor?

My heart breaks for the "rich" who are surrounded by emptiness.
My heart breaks for the "poor" who would like to have their empty belly full.

I know John 3:16 is so cliche that we seldom study it. But I hope you remember that Jesus came to die for the world. He came for the "rich" and the "poor".

So, let's not forget the poor (#1) or the poor (#10). Because the word's of Jesus ring true. They are striking words from Mark 14:7 - "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." He said these words after being annointed by expensive perfume. Perfume that could have fed many hungry and clothed many naked. Jesus' point, I think, was we need to honor him. He said that the woman "did what she could."

That calls me to do what I can. Sometimes I feel like the little drummer boy. "I am a poor boy too... I have no gift to bring... that's fit to give a king. Shall I play for Him? I played my drum for him... I played my best for Him... Then He smiled at me."

Please forgive me if I don't help the poor (#1) like I should or can. I am trying and getting better. I really do care and am taking action to do more. I pray; I offer what I can. But, I feel God has called me to help the poor (#10) for this season of my life. That means I have more luxuries (a.k.a a roof over my head) . Because of the country I live in and the family I was born into I have the responsibility to shine the light on Christ and honor him with the people who may be "rich".

Who is poor?

Anyone I encounter who does not know The Life.

My Faves

2005-12-29T12:14:00.000-06:00

For 2006, my most common blog will be about my favorite things. Categories will vary. But, I think by having a theme I will be more likely to blog more. Also, if you see some things that you like you can resonate with me and even share some of your faves so I can check it out too. If you see things you don't like, then you can say so as well :)

Favorite Things about 2005:
1. Sydni Mae Wilson (how could she not be #1?)
2. My wife's toughness - any woman who goes through that much is way tougher than me.

Favorite X-mas Gifts:
1. TiVo
2. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
3. Nerf Crossbow

Fave Books for 2005:
1. Seven Practices of Effective Ministry - Stanley
2. Radical Reformission - Driscoll

Fave Song 2005:
Don't Funk with my Heart - Black Eyed Peas

Fave Album:
Monkey Business - Black Eyed Peas

Fave New Group:
Mae

Fave Old Group Newly Discovered by Me:
ColdPlay - I'm a loser for taking so long - these guys are incredible

Fave Movie:
Narnia

Biggest Surprises of 2005:
Brad and Jennifer, Jessica and Nick - I thought they would be together forever :)

Fave Restaurant:
Buffalo Wild Wings (Does anyone have a half million I can have to bring one to Q-town?)

Fave Food:
Lobster Lasagna from Macaroni Grill

Fave Drink:
Chocolate Milk (always will be)

Fave Dessert:
Chocolate Tall Cake - Ruby Tuesday

Fave word that I over-use:
swell

Alright, that's all I got for now.
I hope your year was swell.
Have a Happy 2006.
Matt <><

Paste

2005-12-21T17:19:00.001-06:00

I love Relevant Magazine. Inside a recent edition they wrote about the magazine "Paste". Imagine that, a magazine promoting another magazine. I thought that it looked pretty cool and I would keep my eye out to check it out sometime.

So, I am in my local County Market (that's right, go Nieman foods!) when I see Paste on their shelf. I pick it up because although it costs $8 it has a free sampler CD and sampler DVD inside. I honestly did not read much of the magazine which includes mostly reviews on music, films and books. I did however take advantage of the free CD sampler and DVD sampler. It is worth the cost of the mag alone. Their latest edition has Fiona Apple on it. The one before has Death Cab for Cutie.

Paste's theme is basically to bring to light music and film that is not necessarily popular but maybe just under the radar. They don't get wrapped up in fads and go more for substance. It is good stuff. You might know them from CNN where they do weekly Paste picks at 1:54 PM. They cover some new music and film. You can check out the mag at http://www.pastemagazine.com/.

Today, I discovered the music video by Tracy Chapman called "Change". The song is incredible. HBO is using it for their spots this winter. I don't get HBO, but I can understand why they like this song so much. The lyrics to Chapman's song is so good and the video is basically her just strumming. It is very cool. The lyrics are so thought provoking. I would like to know what you think she is singing about. You can read her lyrics here:

If you knew that you would die today,Saw the face of god and love,Would you change?Would you change?
If you knew that love can break your heartWhen you're down so low you cannot fall Would you change?Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?How many losses? How much regret?What chain reaction would cause an effect?Makes you turn around,Makes you try to explain,Makes you forgive and forget,Makes you changeMakes you change
If you knew that you would be alone,Knowing right, being wrong,Would you change?Would you change?
If you knew that you would find a truthThat brings up pain that can't be soothedWould you change?Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?How many losses? How much regret?What chain reaction would cause an effect?Makes you turn around,Makes you try to explain,Makes you forgive and forget,Makes you change Makes you change
Are you so upright you can't be bent? If it comes to blows are you so sure you won't be crawling?If not for the good, why risk falling?Why risk falling?
If everything you think you know,Makes your life unbearable,Would you change?Would you change?
If you'd broken every rule and vow,And hard times come to bring you down,Would you change?Would you change?
If you knew that you would die today,If you saw the face of God and love,Would you change?Would you change?Would you change?Would you change?
If you saw the face of God and loveIf you saw the face of God and loveWould you change?Would you change?

You can hear a sample of the song at http://www.atlanticrecords.com/tracychapman.
This song alone makes me want to buy the CD. Let me know what you think of the song.
I know this post has nothing to do with Christmas. Except for the fact that if you are looking for something for the music lover in your family, I would check into Paste. Obviously, it would be something more for adults than kids. And by the way, if you still have not purchased me a gift, I don't yet have a subscription to Paste : )

Paste

2005-12-21T17:19:00.000-06:00

Sydni Mae

2005-11-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

In the swarm of things, I have not had a chance to post. If you have not yet heard, my daughter is here. She came on November 19th, at 8:30 AM. She weighed 7 lbs and 14 oz. She was 21 inches long and had a full head of hair. She is the cutest baby I've ever laid eyes on. My wife and I are truly blessed in having her. The experience was so amazing! It truly is a miracle and words can't really describe it. If you have a child, you know what I mean. And now, I finally know what so many of you have tried to express.

Thank you for your prayers. Mom and baby are completely healthy. Sydni is growing already. I rush home to see her every chance I get. She has found this way of cuddling with me that is the best. I can hold her two feet and little butt in one hand and then she tucks her head und my chin and curls up. She even takes her little hands and grabs at my chest. It is the best thing I have ever experienced. And I get to experience it every night!

I would love for you to meet her. Things are pretty calm around the house and it will be a couple weeks before we go out. But, I can't wait to introduce you to my baby.

Strong & Never Wrong

2005-11-17T11:24:00.000-06:00

I know that I often try to appear as strong and never wrong. Now, there is no way I can hide how I am weak and have no clue.

I am 5 days away from being a father (if we hit the due date exact). In these past few weeks, my life has changed so much. I feel emotions that I have never felt before. I find myself praying more than ever and praying for the strangest things. Recently, I have been praying for gentleness and kindness. I know that they are fruit of the Spirit and I should always be praying for them. But somehow, in my monkey brain, I figured I had those two mastered. After all, those are the two we talked about the most while I was in elementary Sunday school class. But boy, do I need those two (okay and the rest too).

I guess what I am saying is that God is softening this heart. I know I take great risk of sounding like a weakling when I say that. I fear that if Pee Wee Herman read this he would be encouraged in the strength of his manhood. Yet, I don't really care to share because it is a place I love to be.

I have not even met this girl yet and I am madly in love with her. I would somehow try to find a way to make the north and the south pole meet if she wanted it. In these moments, I am more in love with my wife than I ever have been. It just grows more each day. I have become chief cook at my house and I abso-freakin'-lutely love it (I made a killer chocolate midnight cake last night). I think I have fixed every thing that needs fixed in our home. I hear that women start to nest, well, I think I have done more of that than Nik. But I have to be ready...

Wow, I thought becoming a father was going to be cool, but I didn't even know the half of it. I am reading a really great book now called, "Becoming a Dad" by Stephen James and David Thomas. It's a Relevant Book (I love Relevant!!! It's the best thing since Cool Whip!). This book has been perfect for me; very pertinent. In the book they talk about how becoming a father starts to clue you in on what it is like for God to be a Father to us. I had never really given that much thought before. I had always seen it from a child's viewpoint. I think this whole experience is more than just a normal thing that happens to lots of married couples. It definitely is an experience that helps me get a peek at the Creator. It shows me more of his nature than I ever have seen.

I say all the above and realize that I am at the edge of what is yet to come. I know there are tears, fears, frustrations, poop, sleepless nights, wailing (both by my child and me), more poop, puke, fevers, (did I mention poop yet), bruises, etc. I know I won't have every answer. I know I won't always be strong. That is why this whole process shows me that it is my Father that I have to rely on. That is the true beauty of what is to come.

Missing: Two Glow Sticks

2005-11-01T14:25:00.000-06:00

Last night I answered the doorbell about 5-6 times before heading to a Halloween party. When we left we thought we would stick a couple glow sticks to the side of our Halloween bag and leave it on the porch. This would be a convenient way for kids to have some candy even though we weren't there to divy it out.

What I found out was it was a good way for one kid to have a whole stinkin' bag full of candy and a couple cool glow sticks to boot. I hope he enjoyed them (I say he because no sweet girl would ever conceive such a plot). The next time I see a kid with two glow sticks and no teeth you can bet that I will have some questions for him.

It was a great night of Halloween though. Most fun I have had on that "holiday" in quite a while. (I do remember having a sweet Mr. T mask in grade school. I also remember being Man-At-Arms from Hee-Man; good times) I know it is supposedly of the devil, but what a better time to teach people to be innocent of evil (Rom. 16:19). My new Werewolf mask was so much fun at our spook walk and then again last night. It would make my dad proud. My dad, by the way, used to put on this tremendously scary devil mask and chase us boys under the bed. He was so scary. I would get as far under the bed as I could and he would reach his hand down and grab at my feet. I literally thought my dad dissappered and Satan had come for a visit. It was horrible.

Dreams Do Come True

2005-10-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

Dreams do come true. I, at many points in my life, have given up on dreams. I gave up on the dream to be a Major League baseball player a long time ago. That is all I ever wanted as a kid, but when I didn't get the skill set to match the job description, I let that dream die.

I have noticed that God gives me new dreams. Dreams that I never would have had as a kid, I have now. I dream about seeing a teen baptize another teen into Christ. I honestly would have to admit that has not always been a dream of mine (I know I am a creep). I always want to see people baptized, it's the coolest thing on earth. It's not that I didn't want to see it, it's that I wanted to be the one involved. I wanted to take the stage. Through time, God has changed my heart. I realize how great a thrill it is for me to have the opportunity and then I had an epiphany, I thought "Why don't you let someone else feel that joy?" Then I thought, "Can I deal with being replaced?" That last one is a threatening thought.

It is a tough thing to learn that you can be replaced. I think I used to spend a lot of time in fear of it. I used to believe that some how I am indespensable. Like somehow, humanity will not continue without the likes of me. Man, Satan can puff me up so quickly.

I don't know when the day was that I discovered my life's theme. But I do know that it is so cool when that theme, that dream comes true. I want to make disciples, who makes disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, (repeat that throughout time). That's my purpose - to make disciple makers. So, when I see a young person lead a friend to Jesus, it shakes me to the core. I cannot help but have tears to see it take place. I cannot help but be thrilled from head to toe when it happens.

The sweet thing is, I saw it happen this past week. Not once, but twice. I have no greater thrill than seeing someone get it and then turn around and pass it on to someone else. It just about makes my heart explode.

Psalm 37:4 rings true - "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Now, if I can just weed out the rest of what's left of me...

40 Days

2005-09-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

Our 40 Days of Purpose kick-off party was yesterday. It went quite well. It was a fun time. My highlight was when a friend of mine showed up. I really intended to invite my whole neighborhood block, it just didn't happen. However, I did get a chance to invite a friend that I went to high school with that lives here in Q-town. We graduated together in '95 and it is pretty weird that we end up in the same town.

I bump into him at the mall occassionally, which is odd because I don't go to the mall much. Then, last week I met up with him in frozen foods at Wal-Mart. Okay, not met up like "hey, wanna meet next Sunday in frozen foods" but met up like bumped into one another. Okay, not bumped literally, but I think you get me.

Anyway, we start talking and I invite him to come check out things at our open house. He said he would because he likes to make Sunday a family day. So, him and his wife/girlfriend (sorry, can't remember which) show up with their kids. It was really great. We had a good talk. I don't know where he is spiritually, except to say he is searching.

I hope he has found a safe place to search. I hope he comes again. I hope we get to randomly bump into one another again. Better yet, I will make sure we do. This leads me to a question:

Do you think anything is random to God?

I have a friend who says that "coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous". I really like that. Don't wait around for a glowing sign or a burning bush. Just make the most of every opportunity. Man, Paul should have put that in a letter or something.

The Afters

2005-08-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

I really dig "The Afters- I Wish We All Could Win"
You probably have heard of them by now. If not, branch out a little and take a listen. I find the entire album to be quite delicious. If you want a free listen go to www.wal-mart.com and check out their music section, which by the way is the best place to buy mp3's. You can't beat $ .88 - if you can please let me know.

Some Entries

2005-08-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular to my blog, you probably have figured out that I am good for a post about once a month. I hope that improves over the winter months. No biggie if it doesn't though. I have taken up journalling. I journal when I get the chance. Nothing too profound in it. That is my goal really- to keep it simple. I always failed at journalling before because I thought I had to write such great stuff or fill the page. Now, I just write down some stuff and move on. It is really fun to me. One other thing that helps is I got a nice notebook and pen. Something about not using a Bic pen and a 5 Star notebook makes it a little more fun as well.

Some highlights and updates from the past 30 days or so:

"Jesus is my Fireman"
At CIY - IL3, Traveling Mercies performed a skit called Jesus is my Fireman. It was a spoof of a children's show where they taught about God. Really funny skit. Later in the week, some people had made T-shirts that said "Jesus is my fireman" on the front. Robin and I were finishing supper and getting ready to head to Shryock when a lady (read:adult sponsor) came up to us pointed out her shirt to us- well mostly to him. This lady was, shall we say, well-endowed in the chest region. She came right up to Robin and shoved her chest up into his face and says, "Look at the shirts we made!" Then she pointed to the words right across her chest. She very well could have just said, "hey, here: stare at my breasts." Robin was like, "uh... yeah, that's nice." I was doing my best not to laugh out loud. Needless to say we told that story the rest of the night.

Speed Reading
Robin taught me how to speed read. It is fantastic. I finished a book in 3 hours. No, it was not "The Three Little Pigs". It is so amazing and simple. I can teach you for only $15.95.

Grandparents
Got a chance to visit my grandparents. It was good to get the chance to visit. However, it was the worst health I have ever seen them in. Grandpa's knees are in awful shape and his body will not keep up much longer. I expect if he lives long enough, he will be in a nursing home with grandma soon. It kills him to leave grandma at the home everyday, but there is no way he can care for her. How sad it must be for those two to be apart. They celebrated 55 years together by going to seperate homes and beds for the night.
When I went to visit grandma at the home, I hardly recognized her. She had her false teeth out and her face was twisted in a different way. I remember when I was a kid, grandma used to take her false teeth out and it scared me. She got a kick out of that. Her mind has gotten worse as far as short term memory. She hates to be away from grandpa. Yet, in the midst of it all, she says the nurses are nice and the food is good. Which I find pretty hard to believe either of those is true. Yet, that is my faithful, loving grandma. Never complains.
On the drive home, I think I cried the hardest I have since my other grandma died this past spring. I was always so very close to my grandparents as a kid. When you only get to go visit your grandparents for a couple weeks out of the summer or on the holidays, your really make the most of your time. I remember as a kid becoming sad when I knew the day was coming close that I had to return home. I honestly was pretty "TO-ed" at God. I just want them to be together. Really, deep down, I just want everything to be how it used to be.

The Ten Commandments
Chuck's sermon series on the Ten Commandments is amazingly good. The best I have ever heard on the subject; hands down.

Six Flags
The youth trip to Six Flags was a good one. I spent the afternoon in the lazy river, floating in circles on a tube. Also spent a little time in the wave pool. Good times. Good times.

Milwaukee's Best
Have you seen the Milawukee's Best Light commercials? They are so hilarious. I love the one where the guys are in the garage playing poker and one guy sneaks away from the table. He calls up his wife and says "hey, honey, just calling to see if you were doing okay." Then a huge beer can falls from the sky and crushes him. Then there is a tag line like "Be a Real Man". I don't buy into the philosophy, just think the commercial is funny.

Fraps
I recently purchased two bags of Frappaccino (sp?) mix from Big Train. So, now, every day I can have my own Kona Mocha Frap or Heath Mocha Frap from my very own home. All for about $ .75. Can't beat the taste or the price. Come over sometime and I will make you one.

OCC
Just got back this past weekend from Joplin. Helped Becca move in to OCC. Got to play some golf with Seth. Got to spend some time with Gil. His son is a genius. It is great to hear him say Waffle House. Also, he makes good contact with the baseball now. Gil just needs to start teaching him the 1-2-3 of hitting. It looks like he is going to be a lefty, so that is sweet for them. If he can just have good control and get clocked in the mid-80's he will be set. I had lunch with Bryce. He poured a huge cup of water in his crouch, by accident of course. It was the most histerical spill of all time. He seriously had more water on the back of his shorts than the front. It looked exactly like he wet his pants! Good memory.

Lamaze
Started Lamaze classes. Boy are the fun! :) The video selection is amazing. Please pray for Nikki. Please pray for my patience. 90 days til our due date. Woo Hoo! Getting pretty close to naming the baby now. That will be kept a secret til the day of birth though.

Sav-A-Lot
One more funny event: I went to Sav-A-Lot. I love this store because it was the store my mom had to shop at. When you have 7 people in the family you go for the best deals, not the name brands. Anyway, I am standing in the check-out line when the guy in front of me notices a friend shopping down the aisle. He makes eye contact, then I kid you not, says to his friend, "Shoppin' ?"
I about died. Then it got better. He then said "You gonna cook too?" By this point, I am thinking I wish Bill Engvall was there. "Here's Your Sign" was written all over this moment. "Nope, not shopping, me and the wife are just pricing items so we will be ready for the "Price is Right"."
The guy in front of me had like 10 bags of sugar. So, his friend that is shopping says "Boy, that's a lot of sugar." His buddy replies "Yeah, I am gonna bake a cake." To that his friend says, "That's a lot of sugar for one cake." "It's gonna be a big one" the man responds. Then the clincher, and you really had to hear this guy say it- "I was gonna say, cause that's an awful lot of sugar for just one cake, it must be a big cake." that was it- end of conversation.
Needless to say, I am going to do a lot more shopping at Sav-A-Lot.

Many more exciting things have happened since. Getting ready to be a daddy grows more intense everyday. The nursery is done and is beautiful. I can send you the pix if you like. Got our first shower this weekend. Much of the family will be all together in one place. That will be pretty sweet. I let you know if I get anything cool :)

I will leave you with this verse which is so great about how we are to proclaim the good news- these are words from Christ's mouth:
Matthew 10:27 -
"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."

Reunion

2005-07-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

I am a weird one. I admit that I loved high school. A lot of people I talk to hated high school because of how they were treated or the things they went through. I can understand. For me, high school was great because I had some really fun times with some fun friends. So, I was looking forward to the big 10 year reunion which was this past Saturday.

"Gee, Billy, I can't wait 'til I get to hike school!"
"Don't say that! Don't you ever say that! Stay here! Stay as long as you can!"

Mistake #1 - Having the reunion at the Elks Lodge.
Mistake #2 - Having party people plan it.

I admit that I knew that people from my class were going to drink at the reunion. I was just a little upset that all they did was hang out at the bar. The bar is shoved off in a small room. The room was smoke filled and crowded and the reception hall was wide open. Yet, for some reason people stayed packed into the back room. All the reunion reminded me of was a wedding reception. That part was bad.

Yet, there was a silver lining. I did get to see some people I had not seen in a while. I did get to catch up with some friends. I did truly find out that people don't really change. Their looks do, but their personalities don't. I made a fool of myself a couple times because I couldn't remember some folks, but oh well.

I didn't have anything to drink but I did almost puke. That occurred when a few party crashers showed up. They really enjoyed the DJ and the music that was playing. They were tearing up the dance floor. I say tearing up because I am pretty sure when two large women who have had too much to drink dance in the same vicinity there will be some damaged incurred. As we sat at our table, we couldn't help but notice the dirty dancing on the floor. When you catch a glimpse of an older, out of shape woman swirling around a pole, you can't help but wanna toss your cookies. I have nothing against older, out of shape women. I do detest them performing lude acts in public.

I did get to preach at my home church on Sunday. Or at least where my dad preaches now. It is somewhat my home church. I enjoyed that immensely. To be able to open up a hymn book and sing while my mom tickled the ivory is always a treasured time. I cringed a little cause the piano was out of tune, but hey it usually is at my home church. I thought back to times of listening to my dad preach as he lead Sunday school and led the service. Was thrilled to sing Happy Anniversary to one of my high school classmates and neighbor growing up. She married a good friend of mine that I played baseball with. I finally got to see their two kids. That was a thrill! Attendance was something like 25-30. That's my home church and I love it.

My Sunday school teachers for 7th and 8th grade were both there, Genevieve and Georgia. They are two sweet older ladies who taught me a lot. I am amazed that they are still plugging along. They really are my grandmas since I have lost one and the other one is mentally not all there. I closed up my sermon and couldn't help but think about how far I had come. Life does come full circle some times. "Not that I have already obtained all this but I press on..."

I thank God for my roots. You may have never known your parents or never been loved by them and for that I feel deep remorse. For me, I have always known the love of my family. I am a rarity these days as my family is fully functional. I have 6 people who I grew up with and helped to fashion me into who I am. I only hope that I can provide that same family for my coming child and to my wife.

Thanks Lord for the chance to "go home" once again.

One other bonus from the reunion was the food. We had chicked wings galore. Too much to eat actually. So, I brought home 3 massive trays of chicken wings for our youth event this Sunday. We are talking $100 worth of wings. I was in heaven as I carried them to my Jeep.

This Is Me

2005-07-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

I had a gut feeling that CIY was going to be special. Not much of a risk to say that it would be. But, I had a hunch it would be super special. Once again, God exceeded my expecatations.

I really do not know where to start with this fantastic week. So, I will try to go day by day.

Monday- Leave at 8:00 AM- Everyone got here at a decent time. We set off for a grand adventure. I really enjoyed seeing the teens faces when I pulled a surprise on them. As tradition has it, Seniors load up on the buses first, then on down the line. The whole idea is for them to get the seats they want. Well, anytime I know of a tradition that is silly, I like to shake things up. So, I let me Seniors load first (okay... I am not totally wanting a riot), then I announced Freshman next. You should have seen their faces. They couldn't believe it. "But we always load this way." If you know me, never say we always do something a certain way. You are just inviting me to change your world. I figure that if I can find small ways to shake up their comfort zones that is a good lesson.

So, I get on the bus and get to sit next to a couple kids that I love and have not gotten to talk to in a while. It was a nice journey down. The Schnucks has some nice Chinese food now, so lunch was good too. We got moved in without many surprises. Why are roommates such a big deal to girls? My guys went up to the 14th floor. Hey, it's closer to heaven, so no complaints here.

It was a typical good start to CIY. They introduced the theme "This Is Me". "I am Love" was the theme for the evening and Sigars got us off on the right foot. A pretty big T-storm blew up while we were in the Arena. It was good to be inside.

Tuesday - "I am Grace"
I was surprised by the number of downed tree limbs from the storm the night before. I didn't realize how sever the t-storms were. The day was a good first day. Actually, it was probably one of the best first full days I can remember. Aaron Pelsue band rocks as I figured they would and Mark Moore was particularly "on" for ABF. I think I learned more in that one session from him than I ever have. We were part of the biggest CIY week's ever at 2400 people. I was worried the size was gonna be a downer, but we actually made it around campus pretty good.

That morning we prayed for a kid in our group. That night, he came forward. Jay St. Clair is such the perfect guy to talk about grace. It was all very moving. Sometimes it takes a little bit for the walls to come down in worship. However, this night was a grand opening. The presence of God was sheerly awesome.

Each night we had an encounter with Christ at Celebration. This night, we took on the role of Peter. The recorded voice played the role of Jesus. We were guided to turn our backs on him by facing the back of the room, then turning around after we heard the rooster crow. It was so powerful.

Wednesday - "I am Here"
Another grand day. Spent some time watching the kids swim and playing some basketball. I soon realized how much bigger the regulation size basketball courts are compared to our WH. Geesh I am old! Bart Stone did a great job speaking. Although, he preached two sermons but they were both good :) He had a telescope, a pair of binoculars and a microscope on stage. They represented the ways we view God. Either we think he is distant, or spying on us, or inspecting us to see if we are any good. It was a neat object lesson. He had some funny stories. Later that night, I had a girl tell me she was ready to be baptized. I could also visually see God working on the teens. I had a good conversation that night with the guys about accountability. For some reason this was the best year for convos in the dorms than any I remember.

Thursday - "I am the Way"
Neat stage setting for this night with Jesus' face and two huge hands all sketched out on massive canvases. Hard to describe but very sweet. The day's message was more about materialism than anything. Mark Moore threw down again. Man, he kicked my rear. Now, I have to sell all my possessions and give to the poor. Do you realize how much you have? Do you understand the amount you spend on needless stuff? Do you even know how much you are wrapped up in conspicous consumption? Wow.

That night Brewster McCleod filled in for Jon Weece. I must admit that I was bummed that Jon was not going to be there. But Brewster rocked. I had supper with him and I am pretty sure he is the most creative guy I have ever met. He pulled out his wallet to share family photos with Sigars. They were hilarious. He had a picture of a lady with a cyclops. He said, "this is my aunt Cindi, with an "I". Oh, that was a good one. He said he had a picture of Jesus. It was a pic of a fetus. He said it was what Jesus really looked like. Funny funny stuff.

He sold everything he had on that night to the crowd. Even his pants. Raised $250 for a mission in about 5 minutes. Very strong challenge.

Had a visit to the ER. One of my guys was wrestling and somehow punctured a hole in his shin. You could see the bone. Pretty cool. But I was up til 2:00 AM. He is fine. Only had to amputate half the leg.

Friday - "I am Life"
Really great wrap up to the week. Had some more amazing conversations with kids. Everytime I turn around I have a conversation with someone new. Not to mention I had a chance to catch up with my SHCC group. The teens shared their decisions that night after Robin threw down. Shared some stuff from the Barbarian Way. If you have not read it yet you need to do so. McManus is the man.

Overall, it was a truly awesome week. We have like 5 baptisms coming up and we had a couple rededications. There is so much more I can share. But this is long as it is. I am sure I will share more in follow-up soon. For now, I need to make some follow-up calls to some kids.

The biggest thing on my heart right now: Satan is working so hard on our teens. He seems to turn stuff upside down every chance he gets. There are so many situations our teens are in and they need prayers. But ultimately, some awesome warriors are going to come through these times and be bold for God.

I'm out.
I will post about class reunion later.

Weird Dreams

2005-07-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

I have always been fascinated with dreams. I always try to remember them, but am never very good at that. I think there is some sort of study that explains why. Some of those same studies say you remember your dreams or have weirder dreams if you eat before you go to bed. I dunno, but my wife has been having some weird dreams.

They say that pregnant women have all kinds of nightmares during pregnancy about losing the baby and all that. It is really scary stuff. I am already finding myself becoming protective of my kid even though I can't protect my wife from having bad dreams. Anyway, this whole pregnancy thing is completely different from what I ever imagined. It is all really great for me to experience. I am sure Nikki has a whole other side of the story. But outside of the weird dreams, fatigue, and sickness, it is completely amazing.

I had a weird dream last night myself. I dreamed I was at my ten year high school reunion, which is coming up in two Saturdays. It was really a funny dream. All my classmates were weird looking and I pictured myself driving through the rural settings with all these small homes that are now completely huge buildings and apartment complexes- crazy stuff.

I know I am a weirdo because I am so looking forward to it. I completely loved high school and my friends and I had some really great times. I will let you know how things turn out.

I must be making this my final post before CIY. We head off to Carbondale next week which shall be a blast. I am looking forward to it, more than my high school reunion. You would think it weird if it were the other way around. I have this feeling deep inside that this will be a monumental week. I think God is up to something big, but I am not sure yet what it will all look like. I expect some walls to come down but not sure which ones those will be.

On an unrelated note, softball was really great last night. The stinking game before us took forever and we began our game at 10 instead of the scheduled 9:00 start. The two teams acted like neither one wanted to win. The score was tied up at 17 in the 7th, then at 20 in the 8th. Then, the 9th inning they used some international rule where you begin with a runner on second to start the inning. The first team did not score that run- sad isn't it? The second team pushed a run across for the win. It was really great watching though. I was sitting on the bleachers with the guys spitting seeds and it took me back to my baseball days. Tommy, Ken, Chris, Jason, and John... all these guys are my boys. They are so much fun to play softball with. We really have a great time. I am truly going to miss Jason when he moves, but that is another story.

So, our game finally starts and we have a great night. John leads off with a single in our half of the inning, I hit a ball through the shortstops legs reaching on his error and make it to third. Then Tommy smacks a dinger to dead center field with John's new bat. It was funny to hear John's reaction. I think deep down he believed it would be him to get that first dinger. I have to admit when I went yard with Chris' new bat last year, I felt a little guilty being the first. The greatest part of the night was when the rain began. It is so much fun playng in a light rain shower. It continued on through the evening. So refreshing, so awesome. We went on to win by 10 just so you know.

I am ADD

2005-07-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

My good friend Tina pointed out to me recently that I have adult ADD. I admit that I do, but I always joke about it. Now, I think I have a serious problem. Just a second ago, I put a CD in my comp to preview some materials, the next thing I know, I am on the phone calling a guy and then, I have my e-mail open. Finally, I discovered that I had inserted this CD and realized what I had originally set out to do. I am so spontaneous that immediately I think, "hey, this is somthing to blog about". So, here I am. I really think I may have to check in to medication. Of course, if I do that, then I have to face the side effects of nausea, diarrehea, anal leakage, and Gonerrhea. Oh well, I already have half of those. My ADD coupled with procrastanation puts me in some real binds sometimes. I need some help.

On a side note, I just got a call from my best buddy from high school, Bryan. He is one of the funniest guys I know. I am so looking forward to seeing him in a couple weeks for my 10 year high school reunion. The guys are all planning a golf outing seperate from the reunion which should be fun. You would have enjoyed my flyer for the reunion. At the bottom it says: "9:00 - Tap the kegs and hit the cash bar." It should be a grand time :) I just hope that the drifters stay away. We are having our bash at the Elks Lodge (real high class I know). It sits at the highest point of our fair town of Potosi. When you have a party there, the scent of beer brings every local up the hill wanting a free pass in. (Just for a little background, my home county of Washington usually has the highest unemployment rate of any county in the state. We are definitely talking Redneck, USA.) All that aside, it should still be a great time. I always wanted to have my wife knocked up when my reunion rolled around. Job complete.

Okay... now... what was I doing?

It's been a while

2005-07-05T16:23:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted. Truthfully, I have had a lot of cool things happening and I don't find myself stopping to write about them. Instead, I find myself getting wrapped up in those moments. But, I blog because I like reflection. I hate to write in a journal, but typing always seems fun to me. I actually sat down to blog a couple weeks ago and my computer went all screwy. Okay... enough excuses, on with the entry. So many cool things have happened in the past month that I really don't know what all to share, but I will start recently then work my way back.

July 4th- Awesome time yesterday! My wife's twin sister and her husband came up for a visit. I love them so much. They are like our best friend's really. For some reason we have not found that in Quincy yet, but we will always have that with them. I am sure we will have best friend's here that are couples that we hang out with all the time. I have lots of good starts for that. Anyway, I grilled up a sweet rack of Baby Back Ribs. They turned out delicious, let me know if you want the recipe for my dry rub. It turned out better than I expected. Also did Kabobs, for some reason, you cannot ever top a Beef Kabob. They are even great reheated. Finally, we went down to the riverfront and saw the explosions. The finale was a great moment. I held my hand over my wife's stomach and felt our little one wiggling around like crazy. I bet she won't be gun-shy when she arrives. We have had four straight nights of fireworks now.

June 28th - Oh yeah, if you couldn't tell from above- we are going to have a little baby girl!!!! Our, well Nikki's really, ultrasound went really well. The baby looks like it is in good shape and they are pretty certain it will be a girl. That thrills me! Honestly, I always wanted a boy first, but after watching a friend of mine's cute little girl melt his heart, I am sold on girl.

June 12th-17th - Had one of the best weeks of church camp ever. It was a great week all around. I wouldn't know where to begin to describe it. We did close out the week dunking three kids, which was the highlight of the week.

May31-June4 - Took a trip to Colorado. It was truly great. It was everything I needed at that point. I was thrilled to think about driving across country with Gil and Pete. It would give me a chance to get to know Pete better and spend some time with my best buddy. It all turned out bueno. I honestly think that if Gil and I were trapped in a sewer we would still make a good time out of it. It is always amazing to me how God took a guy from Oregon and put him on the same campus as he put me in northern Missouri and began such a great friendship. I always use to hate it because I didn't have a vehicle in that first year of college, but it turned out to be great because I spent weekends there when a lot of kid's went home, and Gil spent the weekends there too. If I'd had a car, I would have missed out on building a great relationship. So, thanks God for the no car situation. I always think about how great it would be to go back and soak up every minute of that year of college. Wouldn't it be cool to have that all to do again?

Other random thoughts-

- Do you watch the "Real Gilligan's Island"? Well, I don't really, but I was a couple weeks ago. I was watching with my wife, when I suddenly saw someone on T.V. that looked familiar. It was really freaky. I was like, I know her. Then it came to me. I had this girl as a camper back in 1996 in church camp a couple weeks. She was on the show as Mary Anne Randi. Sure enough, Randi Silvers from KC. Talk about crazy. I was so proud, until I saw her actions. It was real nice when the showed the clip of her dropping the f-bomb. Yeah, that's right, real impact I made in her life.

- Just read an interview of Moby. It is truly a great article. If you could only have one magazine subscription in the world, I would recommend it be "Relevant Magazine". It is wonderful. The interview with Moby was so great. Sometimes you hear musicians talk about how God influences their writing and it goes something like, "yeah, I went to church when I was a kid". But with Moby, he knows the Scripture. He knows the character and person of Christ. It was so great to read his understandings of what it means to be Christian.

- Softball is fun. Playing three times a week and loving it. My old swing is back and my defense is improved. I attribute that to a couple things. One, my attitude. I am not letting the ball play me, instead I am playing the ball. All about confidence really. Secondly, losing some weight. Okay, you won't really notice it when I step on the scale but this diet I am doing really eliminates a lot of the junk that I don't need to eat. It makes me feel so much better.

- CIY is coming - it shall be a great week. I am really happy that it is almost here. I really want to pour myself into these teens this week. It always brings people closer together and have no doubt it will do it again.

- Half-Way - Today is the half-way point in the pregnancy. So, appropriate that it is in the half-way point in the baseball season. My wife and I planned that out perfectly :) It is totally crazy to think about it being half-over. I guess the easy part is done.

I am done.

Good Bye Busch

2005-05-26T13:58:00.000-05:00

I went to a Cards game last night. It is always good to go see the Redbirds. Thanks to my good buddy Pete who had the four tickets he passed on to me. Wishing I could have found three other people to go (I exhausted my phone book looking for names). It is hard to do on short notice I guess, never seems difficult for me though, that will probably change. It is a good thing that the Cards don't play in November because if someone asked me to go on the day of the birth of my child, I would still be torn :)

I didn't think I was going to get sentimental with this season being the last one at "Old Busch", but that changed last night. There I was hovering over home plate in the third deck (which I am starting to think is the best place to sit if you are going to sit in the upper deck) when all the sudden memories starting pouring into my mind. I began thinking about my first game at this old stadium back in 1986. I was 8 years old and did not know much about baseball then. My love affair began on that day. I saw the Cards, who had the championship stolen from them the year before (thank you Don Dinkinger), playing the New York Mets- pond scum!. Those Mets went on to beat the Boston Red Sox in the Series thanks to Bill Buckner's error (actually, for other reasons, but Buckner always gets the blame).

I attended another game against the Mets where I saw something never been done at Busch before or since. I saw Mike Laga hit a foul ball out of the stadium. I didn't realize how monumental it was at the time. I do remember thinking about looking for the ball on the parking lot when I left. Now, I think how weird that would have been to be on the street and have a ball drop from the sky near you.

Here's the report from baseball almanac: Laga’s foul ball on 9/15/87 vs. New York was the only ball, fair or foul, ever hit out of Busch Stadium — it went out on the first base side about 2/3 of the way down the line.

I sat back in my seat last night and took in the view of the arch as I could just see the southern portion edged out from the side of a building. I took in the beauty of the arches built into the Stadium's design. I will never forget my memories of Busch. Especially one's like last year as my friends and I watched the Cards beat the Astros in the NLCS. I really hope we go out with a bang. Things look good now. And for the numerologists out there, Tony Larussa is in his 10th season as manager of the Cards, he wears the #10 and the Cards are going after their 10th title.

Bring home # 10 boys.

On a totally unrelated note: The dead bird count it up to 8. I am hoping to find two more.

Goatee woman

2005-05-19T12:44:00.000-05:00

I was ordering some food today at a fast-food establishment. As I was ordering, I could not help but notice a few things. One, people that move quickly and seem to be in a hurry talk LOUD. Two, the lady taking my order had a goatee. I have seen women with facial hair before but this was uncanny. It seriously looked like a goatee. To top things off, she spoke in loud mono-tone. I honestly do not know how I walked away without laughing out loud. I am sure she is a sweet girl with a wonderful heart, but I could not get over her yelling out my order in a mono-tone voice, all the while, I am trying not to stare at her goat.

What is it about odd features that make people want to stare or indulge? For instance, when someone says, "gross, you have to smell this!" What do you do? You stick your nose in. Not me. I gave up on that one. The same thing happens when there is an ambulance or fire truck pulled over taking care of someone in need. I am driving home the other day and some dude was laying on the ground in the driveway of a church. The fire truck was already there, so no need for me to help or to stop (I assumed the role of the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan but hey, the Samaritan was already there). But I noticed that everyone within viewing distance (blocks away) were trying to get a look. I guess we are enthralled with carnage.

On other notes, my wife is at week 13 and getting over the first trimester stuff. The cravings will begin soon I guess. I am still waiting for all this to really, truly sink in. I guess I will have to hold "it" or see the ultrasound for that to happen. Here's your chance to throw some names out if you like. We don't want common everyday names, looking for less-used names. If you have some good ones, I would be willing to hear. I am wrestling with Napoleon; really like that one.

I am super excited for my buddy Gil. I just hope he makes it through this move and does not have to move for a looooong time. I am going to catch two games at Coors (the redbirds go to Denver in two weeks) with him and my friend Pete, should be a blast.

Still building fence in my back yard. At this rate, should be up by X-mas. I hit a major root last night. Hopefully, the most difficult holes have been dug.

Oh, and for my one weird thing, as if above mentioned experiences weren't weird enough. What is up with all the dead baby birds in my yard? Seriously, it's like the 11th plague at my house. I picked up 5 dead baby birds and threw them into my neighbors yard. Don't tell. Actually, it is more of a bunch of shrubs not their yard. I am starting to get really TOed. It is hard to keep my dogs from trying to eat these birds (really nasty) when I take them out to do their dooty.

Urban Legends

2005-05-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

Wondering if the stories you have heard are true or false. I ran across a cool website today that will help you figure that out. Check out www.snopes.com . They have catagorized all the urban legends then tell you if they are true or false and even give you the evidence to support the verdict. Some pretty funny stuff.

I am about done reading "In But Not Of". I am putting it down as a recommend but for the right person. If you know someone high school through mid-20's who is just beginning their career, it would be a very good read. It is fairly quick and easy to read due to the short chapters. Nice for people like me who have ADHD. It is written by Hugh Hewitt who was an aid to Nixon in the White House and also has a radio talkshow. It centers upon how a Christian can gain influence in the world while making wise choices to expand that influence on others. Good stuff that matches up well with "Max Q" by Andy Stanley.

One thing I learned last week

2005-05-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

I like to read baseball columns a lot. Probably too much. I seriously need to repent of the time I spend reading about stats that only .5 % of true baseball fans even know about. I am a nerd. But, I do read a column that is funny called 10 things I didn't know this time last week. It is usually an entertaining read. So, in order to try to get some consistency in blogging, I am going to adapt this method each Monday. But, since it would be lengthy, I will do one instead of ten, although at times, I may post more. At the same time, I also will post one weird thing that has happened. Although, I am sure there will be plenty of other things I can add in that column.

One thing I know this week that I didn't know at this same time last week:
Dairy Queen is one of my favorite places in the whole wild world. I frequent it often. If this town had a 7-11, I am pretty sure that their slurpees and DQ ice cream would give me diabetes in about 5 years time. It would all be worth it. I am thankful that this town has three DQ's. This week, I pick up a cup of soft serve ice cream for my pregos wife. She wants ice cream, I am not gonna argue; ever, whether she is pregnant or not. So, when I buy the ice cream, I realize that for about $ .60 more you can get (a) a MLB hat and (b) more ice cream. Shazzam!
I am now officially collected DQ MLB hats. I am going to decorate my office with them. I am also such a baseball freak that I will also keep them updated according to division standings. I am starting with the NL central and will work my way around the league. So, if you are buying ice cream at DQ think of me, give me a call and see which teams I need. Currently, I have STL, HOU, PIT, & BOS.

One Weird Thing:
I am at the Cards game Saturday. I get back to my Jeep and there is a playing card tucked underneath my windshield wiper. Never had that happen before. I am wondering, what does this mean? Is it some sort of sign? Some sort of party to attend? A drug deal? I dunno.
After I am thinking these things, I pull out of the parking garage and another strange thing happened. My father-in-law, brother-in-law and I see a "Legalize Weed" parade around the courthouse square. There must have been 100 people out marching, banging their drums and holding up signs pushing their agenda. It was quite a monumental moment for me. I don't think I have ever witnessed so many dreadlocks in my life. Talk about some nappy hippy hair. One sign even read something along the lines of: "Read your Bible; legalize the medicinal healer." So, I immediately begin searching for that passage. It was truly amazing to see the types of individuals that were marching. I think the term of enderment is "stoner". This was not a group of people you look at and say, "wow, I bet they are holding down a really nice job!" Most of them looked like they just climbed out of their own or their mother's basement. I am thinking that will be a once in a lifetime episode, but I sure hope not.

Being a Daddy

2005-05-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

I think most of you who read here know that my wife is expecting. I do not really know what to expect. I have a lot of dreams. I saw a commercial today with a list called "Things to do before the kids grow up." I thought that may be a pretty cool list to make. So, I figured I should give it a shot by listing 25 things I want to do with my kid before he/she grows up. My kid has 6 more months in the womb, so I cannot officially begin these things sometime in November or thereafter. In no certain order of priority:

1. Play catch - (I have to admit, I believe if I have a son, he will be a major league pitcher, so there is much more than playing catch that I hope happens.)
2. Wrestle in the living room floor
3. Tickle them until that can't take it anymore
4. Star Gaze
5. Catch lightning bugs
6. Go fishing in the dark
7. Wade in a river
8. Play Basketball (and lift them up so they can dunk)
9. Bake some cookies (and eat them too)
10. Have an ice cream cone together in the dead heat of summer and watch them try to eat it before it melts
11. Ride a tractor
12. Go floating down a river
13. Go camping
14. Take him/her to their first St. Louis Cardinal's game
15. Enjoy a Krispy Kreme doughnut
16. Finger paint
17. Spend the morning watching cartoons
18. Spend a rainy day cuddled up together watching movies
19. Take a nap on a hammock
20. Go Four-Wheeling
21. Teach them how to drive a stick shift
22. Build a treehouse
23. Take a walk together on my grandpa's farm
24. Hunt
25. Fly a kite

As you can tell I am excited about all the things I get to do with my kid. It is going to be such a journey. I also get really excited about who they will be. It is fascinating to think about the personality that will develop within them. Pray with me now that they do not get mine nor my wife's stubbornness :) God has so much in store for this child. I certainly know I do not deserve this great gift. That little rapid heartbeat is so much more than I can handle. I am glad he does not strand me alone in this.

A Little Peace

2005-04-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

Last night I got kicked out of the house. It happens every Monday. Every Monday is girl's group which Nik hosts at our home so I choose to leave. I decide to go read a book. I am not a bookworm by any stretch of the imagination. I bask in the greatness of a friend I have who I am pretty sure just finished reading the letter "j" in the encyclopedia Brittanca series. Any time I make to read better be good. So, I loaded up in my Jeep (I love that thing) and drove out to a park.

I'm sitting there reading and listening to the Cards game. A nice combination. The book is pretty good, the Cards are winning. I recommend reading it. It is called "In but not of" it is by Hugh Hewitt. I am sure if you pick it up today you will finish it before I get done. I have adult ADHD. The chapters are really short and easy which I like. If only they would put more pictures in books. That way I feel like I am getting somewhere. Anyway, things are great. It is like 75 degrees. The cool of the evening is setting in. Then at about 7:30, "peace on earth and good will to men" no longer exists. In to the park comes some retard blasting his car stereo. I am thinking, "relax, he will turn around then leave." But then he pulls in and turns his car off. Good, no more music. Then, the moron cranks his radio up even higher. Hello! This is a park you friggin' idiot! There is this unwritten code that you just don't disturb someone at a park when they are trying to enjoy a relaxing peaceful time. The music is awful too. He parks behind me so I don't get a good look at him. But I am guessing he was a total loser. Hey, it could have been the new pope and I still would have thought the same.

Suddenly the music changes to some All For One - "I Swear". Now, I am thinking I parked in some unknown make-out spot. Makes me wish I would have brought my wife. It is now approaching 8:00, of course I have not left. I was there first. I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he ran me off. So, I stayed. Rolled up all my windows and kept reading. Soon the light of day had faded so I decided to call it a night. Thanks for that experience buddy, I appreciate your kind consideration. You won! I hope your time was relaxing.

Okay... I am not really that angry. My time was good until that last half-hour. Before then something interesting happened. Along comes this older man who justs stands out in the meadow in front of me and to my right. Other people have passed by playing frisbee golf, walking and all that. But this guy is just standing there staring at something. He then starts to come my way and I notice he is holding something. It turns out to be a leash. He has this little weiner dog on a leash that was probably 100 feet long. I kid you not. It was hilarious. But then I noticed that the man was not out there for himself. He was out there for his dog. That thing was free to go wherever he wanted. I thought, "now that's creative having a long leash, that little guy can go a lot of places without the man having to keep up." Soon though, the dog had stretched the 100 feet out. If my dog does that (on my 15 foot leash) I give him a little tug or make him stop. Not this guy. He justs take off running towards the dog like the dog is pulling him. It was pretty cool.

I thought, hey that's kinda like God. He is running along with us. He has a leash of parameters for us. But ultimately he wants us to enjoy our time in the meadow.

Jesus Walks

2005-03-31T12:40:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know it has been a decade since I last posted. But I am new to blogging and have never been super great at journaling anyway, so forgive me (the 5 of you who might read this).

I love Relevant magazine. When I get that mag I want to read it cover to cover non-stop. The title is so fitting. I hate Christianity that is irrelevant to today's real world. Sadly, most Christians I know don't even know the real world they live in. Even more sad, I sometimes find myself getting sucked into the Christian culture and losing touch with reality.

In Relevant their whole approach is staying in the world, being real, being relevant. So, they find pieces of truth in culture and entertainment that have lasting qulaities. They have referred to Kanye West's album "College Dropout" and particularly to the song "Jesus Walks" quite regularly. I thought, "I really need to check this out". Yesterday, at K-Mart, I picked up Kanye's work. I wanted to find the edited version, but K-Mart didn't carry it. So, I went ahead with the parental advisory one. Okay, the song Jesus Walks is great and real. But the whole album is filled with so much vulgarity and perversion that I am seriously wandering if I have committed the unpardonable sin in purchasing it.

I understand that is the world that he is coming from, speaking to and living in. I appreciate that he knows his need for Jesus. I am not at all comdemning him. I just can't own this CD. So, now, I gotta try to find someplace to sell it. I would offer it for sale to you but the whole millstone around the neck picture comes to mind.

How commonplace is it in the world to use crude language? So much so that no one even flinches when they here an obscene word or see an obscene gesture. I understand that crudeness and ludeness come from evil sources but it is so ridiculous how far we as a society have fallen.

Speaking of obscene gestures... my wife and I were traveling to see the parents on Easter Sunday (7 hours of driving and about 7 hours of visiting) when we (I say we; I was driving)decided we needed to pass this vehicle in front of us that was going about 50 in a 55. No too bad, but come on buddy, I want to get there today. There are not many stretches on this highway to pass someone. So, I took advantage of the one stretch that I knew would be safe and easy to accomplish this. Plus, I am driving our new Jeep Grand Cherokee and that baby has some get up and go. I pull out to pass and behind me pulls out another truck to pass. I get around the vehicle I am passing and this truck pulls in behind me. They had to be going about 80. A few miles up the road came another spot for a pass and I could tell that this truck with a youthful crew on board wanted to get around me. So, I slowed down a bit, so they could get the message. When they did pull out to pass, my wife and I received "the bird" from all 5 teens in the truck. Wow! I think that is the most I have ever got at one time. I just didn't understand why. Other than the fact that they wanted to drive 90 and I slowed that down a bit. I was really hoping they would get pulled over by a trooper a couple miles up the road so that we could drive by, wave, and smile. No such luck.

Enough obscenities for one day. Nothing says "Happy Easter!" like 5 middle fingers from a truck full of teens.

Gifts

2004-11-23T16:58:00.000-06:00

What if there were no gifts? I know it is hard to fathom, but think for a minute about it. What if you never received a gift ever in your life? What if you never gave a gift either? What would you be missing? If there were no gifts I think we would be missing plenty. We would miss the glee of receiving and we would miss the joy of seeing someone’s face light up after they opened our gift to them. I think there is greatness in each of these. Gifts are amazing to receive because we have done nothing to warrant them. Whether given or received, true gifts come from a place of love.
Being a preacher’s kid, our family lived in a parsonage for about seven years (a parsonage is a house next to a church that the church owns and lets a preacher live in as part of his “pay”). It was literally a “stone’s throw” from our house to the church building (but don’t ever tell my dad I threw stones at it). It was a little country church and a neat place to live. On another part of the property, about 50 yards from my bedroom window was a cemetery. You may think it would be creepy to live that close, but it was pretty cool. We had some fun games of “Ghost in the Graveyard”!
I remember the times when someone would die and the gravediggers would come out to dig their grave. The Missouri soil is very rocky in that area. So, it was quite a job for the workers. They had heavy machinery to dig up some pretty massive rocks. I used to love to go out and watch them dig. Notice the emphasis on the word watch. I do not recall ever lifting a finger to help the workers. Regardless, there was always an older man; he was the head of the crew, who always gave me a half-dollar for “helping out”. I used to love visiting with him and watching him work because it was intriguing, but also I knew there was probably a half-dollar in it for me. I never spent those half-dollars. I saved them all and still have them today. They were special gifts given to me for no special reason at all and it meant so much. I did not know why the man gave it to me other than the fact that he was cool. Looking back now, I think I have some hunches as to why he did it. Maybe he just wanted to give me a gift to see my face light up. Maybe he just wanted to let me know that I was special. Whatever the reason, I am sure of one thing; it was good.
Our Father in heaven looks down on us and sees us as dirty kids who are intrigued by His works. He does not have to give us a half-dollar or an ounce of His time. Yet, He gives us so much more, something so good that every time I think of it, my face lights up and every now and then a tear comes to my eye. He gave to us the gift of His Son. I do not know the fullness of why He gives this gift, but I have some hunches as to why. Maybe to show us we are special. Maybe because He wants to see our face and our lives light up. Whatever the reason for this awesome love, I know it is good.

Arrested Development

2004-11-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

I very seldom but mostly never get to watch TV on Sunday or Wednesday nights. It is fine though, it is part of the gig of being a youth minister. So, sometimes I miss out on some great TV shows. I really find the commercials for "LOST" intriguing and would love to watch it, but will simply have to wait. I know that Hollywood loves to find ways for us to spend money on them. Sometimes, I am bothered by that, other times I am fine with it. This time I am fine with it because they have chosen to put TV shows out on DVD. So now, you can just run down to Blockbuster and pick up seasons of shows and watch them at your leisure. This is really nice since I don't yet have TiVo (you hear that Santa? T-I-V-O). Due to this new found way of making another buck, I now have experienced the most hilarious new show, "Arrested Development".

I must tell you that I absolutely love crazy, off-the-wall comedy. That is a great way to summarize this show's content. The scenarios and depictions are completely crazy and will have you laughing at the quick one-liners. This family is more dysfunctional than the Simpsons. It is funny to me how much the characters are similar to cartoons, many times, the consequences to their actions are erased by the next episode. I must also place a disclaimer; this is not a show where you will find high morals or values. Occasionally, there is a bleeped word or immoral remark, but this show never really goes to the point of showing raunchy scenes. It was the winner of 5 Emmy Awards last year, including best comedy series. You can check out more about the show at: http://www.fox.com/arresteddev/ I definitely recommend checking it out. I am even contemplating about adding it to my Christmas wish-list to own on DVD. I have just finished disc two of the first season. I am going to pick up the next disc at lunch today. I am finding myself addicted to it and can't wait to see the next episode. Part of me wants to go slow to stretch it out over a period of time to make it last. The other part just wants to watch it non-stop.

Wednesday to Wednesday

2004-10-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how things change from week to week? For instance, my posture last Wednesday was one of leaping and much joy. We have our Junior High program on Wednesday's called Morph. I know Power Rangers are coming to your mind. Anyway, during the program I have a little time to monitor our groups as I walk back and forth. During this time, I could not keep from checking the score of the Cardinal's game on my phone. They were facing elimination against the Astros in the LCS. It was really a tense moment as we were in the 12th inning. I hit refresh to find that Pujols had walked. I hit refresh again to suddenly find out that the score was now 6-4 Cards, Game Over. Hit it one more time to find out how. It was Jimbo who hit the 2-run homer to send it to Game 7. I literally jumped up and down in the hallway. I could not contain myself and had to go tell my fellow Card's fans.

We did go to Game 7 and we did win. Now, to the World Series. Last night, Wednesday night, I watched as my Card's were stomped into history by being swept by the Boston Red Sox. My posture now is to bury my head. Not only did we not win a game of the series. We never even led at anytime during the series. What happened to that awesome team that pounded teams with that potent offense? Today, I am blue. I wore my Cards hat to work, as is customary for me after any playoff game or series is over, I wear my team apparel whether win or lose. Do not mistake me as a "Fair-weather Johnson."

Don't get me wrong. I am happy for the Red Sox. They are my second favorite AL team. I am happy that the curse is gone for them. All I wanted was a competitive series from the Birds. Is that too much to ask? Can we at least pretend like we knew how to play all season? Boston makes 8 errors in the first two games and we can't win. Then, we come home and forget how to run the bases.

Alright, I have much more to say. But, I am done for now. Funny how things can go from Wednesday to Wednesday. I am really hoping that next Wednesday something good will happen. Like, maybe the NHL will end their lock-out. Or maybe they announce that the World Series will have to be replayed because they discovered that Curt Schilling is indeed the Bionic Man.

2004-10-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

Begin to Blog

2004-10-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

My mom always asked if I would jump off a bridge if my friends did. I always answered yes, because I liked to smart off. Well, mom, everyone is now blogging, so I have to do it too.

I don't know what it takes to be a blogger. But, I was thinking of some words that blogger rhymes with. I came up with clogger- which is a dancer, flogger- which is painful, and lauger- which is a drink. I feel now that I have that covered I may now begin.

I will be posting from time to time my thoughts on some favorite things, things that tick me off, and things that make me go hmmmm. I would love it if you replied to my posts, but never feel obligated. I would also love it if you would link up with my page so we can read and respond to one anothers ramblings. Hopefully, throughout this maze of words we can find our way on a great journey that lies ahead and share our lives along the way.