some of my thoughts...

turtle x-ing!

2011-05-31T17:21:00.005-05:00

I know this is extremely random... but I've seen tons of turtles crossing the roads lately! Makes me sad because I know so many of them never make it to the other side!

My dear friend Lindsey recently posted about a little turtle she saw & rooted for and it made my heart smile!
Watch the roads people!

The Land of the Living

2010-12-24T11:15:00.004-06:00

A friend sent the following link via email today. I thought it was well worth sharing. It's called Christmas-As Celebrated by the Presidents.

A scripture that I have prayed over friends and family this year is found at the end of Psalm 27. It says: "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."
Be confident that God's plan for your life is not only a good plan but a plan worth waiting for. And, it's a plan for the land of the living... for today... for the here & now. Trying to solve my own problems by my own strength has never ever turned out well. The truth is that when I decide to be patient and wait on God's plan and His strength to solve my problems... it's always WAY, WAY better than anything I could come up with. Seriously. When it seems like nothing is changing or nothing is happening... you're wrong. God is working and moving on your behalf. So, stick that in your pipe and smoke it. No really, whenever you start to freak out: stick the "GOD IS WORKING I JUST CAN'T SEE IT" in your pipe and chill. That's what I try to do... anyway... take it or leave it.... that's my 2 cents.

Merry Christmas!! I pray the rest of 2010 will be happy for you and that 2011 will be a year of growth and joy in your lives! LOVE & HUGS!!

MEN!! Stand up! Be courageous! LEAD!!

2010-10-10T22:18:00.011-05:00

Luke 10:27
He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

A very dear friend of our family passed away last month. He was one of the few men who I looked up to in this world. One of the men who cause me to continue to believe that good, godly men exist. I called him: "Uncle Danny". He was a man's man. A veteran. A great father to Tony & Eric. A loving husband to Teri. A man of God. A man who followed Luke 10:27 with everything he had. And I will always love him for being all of those things. I remember my dad & Uncle Danny would come out and play baseball with us kids growing up. He always had the heart of a child- he loved to have fun and laugh. I loved watching him wrestle with the boys... teaching his sons to be men. Even as a kid, I found something awe-inspiring about it. I loved how he taught them to be tough and unafraid even in the face of uncertainty. I will always be eternally thankful for the godly example that Danny was to me.
I am SO sick of the obsession of our society to feminize men. I gotta tell ya, the boys I always liked as a kid were the ones that got muddy and caught bugs and snakes and weren't afraid to skin their knees or bleed or be ADVENTUROUS. And guess what? I still like those kind of guys!!! A guy I dated in college pursued me like that day was his last day on earth. He risked looking like an idiot to get my attention and it worked. He loved to get dirty and sweaty and guess what? I thought it was sexy.
I remember my little brother, pretending to be a superhero, took a flying leap off the sofa when he was about 3 years old. I'm pretty sure the coffee table knocked him out cold. All I remember was the end result was a pretty black eye and my mom freaking out. All I'm saying is... what happened to the little boy sense of adventure in men?? What happened to the little boys who weren't afraid to get caught passing love letters in class? The boys who climbed trees and built treehouses? What happened to the boys who dressed up like superheros and firemen? (Not that I advocate grown men dressing up like superheros in skin-tight pants). Men: Look for your sense of adventure... if it's lost... go find it.
My girlfriends and I considering setting up camp in the men's clothing section at Bass Pro Shop hoping to check out the men shopping for Carhartt gear. Ok, that's a joke... kind of. The truth is that real men have been missing from our society for awhile and we'd like to know where all of you manly men are. Please tell me you're not a dying breed. I have to watch "Man, Woman, Wild" to catch glimpses of a man. I'd like to see the girlie men in our society go hang out with that guy, Mykel Hawke. Mykel and Uncle Danny would have been great buds.
I recently bought a book called "The Ultimate Man's Survival Guide". I don't know why I bought it but I'm glad I did. It's encouraged me that there are still real men out there who LOVE GOD & aren't afraid to get dirty. I love it. Let me tell you, if any guy interested in me doesn't have this book at the top of their favorite list... then we probably aren't going to work out. I had lunch with my parents this weekend and of course my parents brought up my dating life. You know, like "what are you doing to meet people"? Ugh. My response was to tell them about a conversation my roomie had with a friend recently. This friend was also inquiring about whether we girls were dating and what we were doing. He said: "You just need to put yourself out there." REALLY? IT'S THAT EASY??!! We just need to put ourselves OUT THERE?? Hmm, ok. So my very wise roomie asked: "Ok, where is this elusive out there? Is there a secret hiding place?" And not surprising, after much discussion our friend could offer no advice outside of church singles groups. Anyway, back to the response that I gave my parents... I told my Dad: "I want my husband to be like you, Dad. A man who lives his life honorably as unto the Lord." And guess what? THAT'S THE TRUTH!! THAT'S WHAT WE CHRISTIAN WOMEN REALLY WANT! Sounds simple, huh? I live MY LIFE in that way... and I expect him to do the same. What's so damn complicated about it??

The truth is that I'm not going to go hunting for anyone. I'm sure my man is looking for me. And I'm sure my God who created the UNIVERSE and EVERYTHING in it, can manage to get us together. My bro met his wife at a dog park. Another couple I know met because she was his waitress and she accidentally spilled a drink on him as she was passing by. Seriously, God is big enough... He can handle this. This entry is not about me or my dating life. The purpose is to encourage men to BE MEN!!!! To encourage you that we want you to be men and LIVE "The Ultimate Man's Survival Guide". Most importantly, we want you to live Luke 10:27!! Because if you do that... then you can't help but be real men.

I've been dabbling in some ancestry stuff recently. I gotta tell you, it's also boosted my belief that men are created to be courageous. Looking at my genealogy, it's filled with guys who were warriors, soldiers, fighters, victors. They were the type of men who were naturally "ultimate". Men who weren't afraid to risk everything for the people they loved. Men who went against the grain went the going got tough. And I believe many of them loved God with all their hearts and with all their souls and with all their strength and with all their minds.
Certain things really fire me up. And this is one of those things. Men: Please stand up and be men. Take off your girlie clothes, put down that "messenger bag", go camping, go fishing, make a fire, and sleep under the stars. Don't forget to take your bible and talk to God. I'm praying that He will help you be the men that He has created you to be. The men that we need you to be. Don't let us down... go watch Braveheart, put some warrior paint on your face and get revved up. We need men to stand up for the truth of God's Word. We need men to stand up for their country. We need men to stand up for their families. We need men to stand up. STAND UP! STAND UP! STAND UP!!!!!!!!!

There are only a few songs that cause me to involuntarily move. I've been listening to "Cosmic Love" while writing this... it's just the kind of song that makes me want to get up, march & fight. Maybe I like it because she's shouting at the top of her lungs and I can hear gun-fire somewhere in the background. But unlike this song, I believe that the men in this world aren't going to leave us "in the dark". I'm praying that men of God will stand up & be courageous & be the leaders that God has created them to be.

I love what Jesus says to Saul (aka Paul) in Acts 26: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."

Men: You can thank my father & my Uncle Danny for my crazy 100% faith in the "manly man". I can hear your hearts beating. Don't leave us in the dark. We need you. We miss you. Live Luke 10:27. Help us light the darkness.

some thoughts on LOST finale

2010-09-26T20:11:00.009-05:00

Ok, let me just say right now that if you have not seen the series finale then stop reading now.

I've decided to take the time to write up a few thoughts on LOST. I know, this is more than likely the nerdiest thing I've ever done but who cares. I've been meaning to post this for a VERY long time. If some of this is something you already know, then great... here's my translation anyway.

Here's the deal... if you're an extreme left brained person (like our beloved Jack) then you're probably not getting the whole picture. If you're an extreme right brained person then I'm guessing you might also be a bit LOST. To my Jack-like friends who are focusing and zeroing in on things of no consequence, I'm just going to say it... like Jack was told, you're going to have to "let go". This show is a sci-fi show. It should be understood that not ALL of your questions are going to be answered. It's a story about a strange mystical island... so things are going to be strange & mystical... period.

If you have a chance to watch the "Enhanced" version of the show, I recommend it. It may explain some things for you. I was happy to see that it confirmed many of my thoughts and theories.

I want to briefly talk about the show's pilot, with the backgammon reference. John tells Walt: "Two players. Two sides. One is light- one is dark." The entire show was about the light vs dark or the good vs the evil. Backgammon is a game of not only luck, tactics, strategy... but also of choices. Kind of like the saying "You have to play the cards you're dealt" in the game of backgammon you have to choose wisely how to play according to the roll of the dice. I believe the writers were giving us the main idea of the show with the backgammon reference. Life for our characters (and dare I say us) is about light vs dark and about how we choose to live our lives according to the hand were dealt. Do I think the writers knew what they were going to do or how they were going to end the entire show at the very beginning? Yes, I think they did to a certain extent... hence the backgammon reference in the pilot. Did all the story lines in every single episode line up with this main theme? No, not every episode... does any sci-fi show? So what was the point of Dharma? Dharma was simply a group assigned to study the island and all the crazy, mystical things that go on there such as the electro-magnetic anomalies and other strange happenings like the smoke monster, etc. Think Bermuda-Triangle weird. There's no explaining that kind of weirdness. Seriously, not even Ben(who lived there the majority of his life) knew what was going on with the island. And unfortunately, the "Man in black" used Ben's confusion and frustration to get him to kill Jacob.

Watch the Jimmy Kimmel's LOST after-show... or at least first part with Matthew Fox. Within the first segment, Kimmel chatted with Fox about his theory. Matthew confirmed Jimmy's thoughts/ideas and added a bit more explanation. Jimmy suggested the the "sideways" life that we have been seeing in this 6th season is actually an "after-life". Now, here's where a lot of people get confused based on whatever their religious beliefs are. Here's the deal, it's not just one religious/spiritual road that they have taken! They actually took the beliefs of a handful of different religions and tried to morph them into one ending. Matthew Fox attempted to explain some of this to Jimmy on the after-show. For example, some religions believe that you have to remember your previous life in your after-life before you can "move on" to the next place or life. This "after-life" that we have been watching all of them go through is a sort of purgatory type place where they live until they realize their pasts and are ready to move on. Not all of our characters are ready to move on... for example, Eloise Hawking, Daniel Faraday, Charlotte, Ben. Also, did you notice that their "after-life" is slightly different than their real life? If you examine the afterlife of each character, in most cases you will find that they chose the better road... or the things they always wanted in real life but never had. Hurley has good luck instead of bad. John is still in a relationship with his girlfriend/fiance(in real life they broke up). Jack has the son he always wanted but didn't have in real life. Kate was innocent and not guilty. Sun & Jin are able to conceive a child. Eloise didn't kill her son. Daniel is the musician he always wanted to be. Charlie quits the band(Hurley has to kidnap him to get him to the concert). Sawyer is a cop instead of a con-artist. Ben is kind, is looked up to and admired and makes the right decisions (including not killing his father). Desmond is loved by Penny's father and not hated. Claire decides to keep her baby. It goes on and on. In other words, our characters have chosen different paths in this afterlife... they attempt to right their wrongs in a way or they have the things they always wanted but could never have in their real lives. In the case of Eloise, she has time to spend with her son because she didn't kill him... remember what she asked Desmond? Eloise understands what is going on, and isn't ready to move on yet. She is enjoying a life she didn't have before and tries to keep Desmond from revealing their pasts to people because she fears this will cause her & Daniel to be forced to move on. She asks Desmond if he's going to take Daniel along... to which Desmond replies "Not with me, no." It appears that our characters who aren't willing and ready to "move on" don't go to the church. Eloise isn't ready to move on because of the aforementioned, Daniel & Charlotte just met at the concert so they're not ready, Ben is finally admired and has a healthy relationship with Alex.... so you see the pattern?

Obviously, there were a lot of clearly defined "Christian" references throughout the course of the show. But as I've already mentioned, the finale is not to be translated strictly from a "christian" point-of-view and cannot be. They try to clue us in on this by using symbolism in the last scene with Jack & Christian in the church. The window in the background had not only the christian cross to represent Christianity, but it also included symbols of a handful other religions: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Side note: Funny the show is called "LOST" because that's what usually happens to people when they try to live life according to more than one true belief system at a time.

There has been some discussion on whether or not their lives on the island were real or were they all dead? They were not dead in the island life... they were alive. There were hints/clues & symbolism throughout this season to explain that... but for sake of time, I'll just give you a couple... the conversation between Richard & Jacob when they meet for the first time and another example was the conversation Jack has with Christian Shephard in the church.

Also, an important key to understand is that this "after-life" does not coincide or line-up on the same time-line with their real lives on the island. This is explained during Christian & Jack's conversation at the end. Jack asks, So we're all dead? And Christian tells him yes, but some have died before you and others died LONG AFTER you. Also, when Kate approaches Jack after the concert, she says, "I've missed you SO much waited for so long". If you remember, on the island life, Kate left the island on the plane... and it is assumed that she then went on to lead a long life off the island. Also, Hurley & Ben at the end when Hurley tells Ben he made a good #2 and Ben telling Hurley he made a good number #1.... this also insinuates that they lived & stayed on the island for quite awhile.

I'll close this with a video clip from IGN. If you are still looking for answers... maybe this can help... and if it can't then I charge $20/hour if you want to discuss LOST theories with me. Ok, just kidding about the $20/hour thing.

2,977 lives lost

2010-09-11T11:25:00.005-05:00

2,977 victims.
Some went down with the towers.
Some were firefighters.
Some were paramedics.
Some were police officers.
Everyday people who went to work but never came home.

2,977 lives lost.
2,977 families affected.
2,977 souls.
2,977 laughs no longer heard.

2,977 people died... but here's a few who didn't.

I wrote some about my memories of 9/11 last year. I hope you will always remember that terrible day and never forget the 2,977 lives lost.

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

2010-06-03T20:28:00.003-05:00

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
John 14:6

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name...
John 1:12

Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
John 8:19

He who hates Me hates My Father also.
John 15:23

And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:28-29

"Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:19-21

Oldie but goodie!

2010-02-19T18:23:00.004-06:00

Some of my friends took me to dinner for my bday last month. Since we were discussing aging, I mentioned to them how I used to listen to the "Oldies" radio station from time to time. I remember listening to it one night & thinking: One day my music is going to be the "Oldies" station.
Well, that day has come. Our local radio station changed it's format at the beginning of the year from the "Oldies" to "Gen-X" radio. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But part of me doesn't love it.
Thanks 106.1FM -- I have mixed feelings-- but I'm sure I'll get over it.

Psalm 147:3

2010-01-24T00:18:00.002-06:00

Quote from Lindsey's blog:
I read a little random article in Prevention about how it's proven best for healing to keep scabs or wounds covered and unexposed. It felt like an odd little reminder to shut up about these things and not talk about or rehash them, but to let God cover me and "bind up the brokenhearted."

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

birds on a wire

2010-01-06T17:15:00.005-06:00

picture from discoverpa.blogspot.com

so about a year ago I was sitting at an intersection & watching some birds flying over to perch themselves on a wire. it made me wonder: what do the birds who sit on tree branches think of the birds who sit on electrical wires? I shared my thoughts with Tara Lynn. she suggested I blog about it. again, this was at least a year ago... but i just thought about it again today.

anyway, so do the "tree" birds like the "wire" birds & vice versa?

is there a social class among birds? do the "wire" birds consider the "tree" birds old-school?

do the "tree" birds consider the "wire" birds as living on the edge? are they the "Gen-X" of the bird world? I bet it's the Gen-X "wire" birds who fly around dropping bombs on freshly washed cars while the "tree" birds respectfully drop it somewhere else.

this is just one example of some of my random thoughts.

hope everyone is having a very Happy New Year so far...

watch out for those edgy, Gen-X birds.

for the life of you

2009-12-21T21:38:00.008-06:00

I can’t let this year end and not say it. It’s been a hell of a year.
Is this going to be a depressing post? I hope not. Hear me out.

It started with… death.
Death of a friend’s father.
Then a 2nd friend’s father.
Then a 3rd friend’s father.
Then a tragic loss of a another friend’s family.
Then one of my long-time friends after a long illness.
Then another friend’s father.
Then another.

Why do I bring this up? Because when I think of this past year, it has been defined by these losses. You know how at the end of every year you see those celebrity lists of famous people who have passed on? I saw one of those today and it annoyed me. None of our real-life friends and families are on those TV lists. And it’s ok to be mad about it. It’s ok to grieve our loss. It’s ok to hurt. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to be ticked at the world for not stopping to take notice.
When I first experienced great loss, I hated the world & I hated God. I was SO SO SO MAD at Him. I thought He didn’t care. I thought He was a liar. I thought He was deaf & dumb. I didn’t think I could ever trust Him or love Him ever again.
I was young and it messed with me for a long time. I hated God & lost interest in life.
I had so many questions. And so, so many regrets. I thought: If only I had spent more time with them. I never told them. If I could just have 5 minutes more. Did I tell them that I loved them? Did I hug them enough? What was the last thing I said to them? Did they know I loved them? I’m forgetting the sound of their voice!!! NO! God! Please don’t let me forget their voice!

Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…

It took a long, long time for me to heal. A long time for me to come back to God and recognize & feel His love. It’s one thing to lose someone to old age… it’s another to lose a loved one by tragedy or illness unexpectedly. It hurts more. It takes longer to heal & the scar is much worse. When you have a deep cut, the nerves get damaged. You lose feeling for a long time… sometimes years… and that's what it’s like when you experience great loss. But slowly, your feeling starts to come back & those nerves begin to heal. And the scars fade… with time. Not that you stop missing your loved ones… even when the healing comes, you still miss them. That never changes.
Do you have physical scars that hurt sometimes? I know I do. When I see a lot of blood or see someone else get injured… my scar starts to ache. Seeing all my friends go through their losses this year… has been like that. Experiencing losses of my own this year, has made that old scar hurt again. Those questions replay in my mind & heart. It’s hard to understand & hard to move on.
The love of friends helped bring me out of my depression & grief all those many years ago. You have to allow yourself to be around people and be loved… and love again.
It is through love that we are repaired & heal.
I realize now that God was using others to heal my broken heart and reach out to me. Give it a try… and let Him bear your chains. It was for life that God sacrificed His only Son. It was for life and love. It was for your life and your love. I know, it’s hard to believe right now. It may take years, but I assure you, He’ll prove Himself to you again. Your wailing will be turned into dancing.

Isaiah 26:19
But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.

We will see our loved ones again. We will be reunited. No more lonely holidays, no more tears of sadness… we will shout for joy and rejoice in the everlasting life of the Lord Jesus together. We will shout & jump & DANCE.

So what am I praying for 2010?? I’m praying for this next year to be a year of LIFE. I pray that for each of you reading this. I pray your wounds begin to heal. Let me know if you have anything you want me to specifically be praying for you about… otherwise I pray you have a Merry Christmas & feel God’s love surrounding you.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to this earth to bear my chains & walk to Calvary for the life of me. For the eternal life of us all.

Bring on 2010. Let’s do it.

Like a Bee

2009-10-20T23:21:00.015-05:00

Last night I got into a discussion about life. Roomies are good for that a lot of times... my roomie, Tara Lynn, is really good at it.

It started by me expressing my concerns and feelings about my job and life in general. It's been a rough year... in a lot of ways. But TL always has great words of encouragement to help me through the times when I'm tired and ready to throw in the towel. That's what friends do. We encourage one another and lift each other up.
We talked about God's plan. Talked about how we don't understand it. Part of growing up is realizing that you don't have to know or understand the big picture because God does... and He's the one who knows the best plan for you, your life, and your future... because why? Oh, yeah... because PS: He's the only one who knows the future. The problem is learning to trust God with stuff can be a very difficult thing... a daily struggle at times. But I believe that God has a specific purpose and plan not only for my life but for others lives. He has a plan and a purpose in every living thing.

I have to believe that if God has wired bees to have and fulfill a specific purpose, then He probably has wired me and you for a specific purpose too. I read the following excerpt in "Our Daily Bread" from RBC Ministries the other day & wanted to share it on my blog here:

The honeybee has one of the most highly developed social structures in the animal kingdom. At the heart of the hive, which may house as many as 80,000 bees, is the queen. Without her, the colony has no future. But the 80,000 don't just sit around watching their queen. Each bee has a specialized duty to fulfill.
The forager bees encounter the perils of the outside word to collect food. The guard bees protect the hive from intruders. The undertakers are responsible for removing dead bodies from the hive. The water collectors bring in moisture to regulate humidity. The plasterers make a kind of cement to repair the hive. And the fanners station themselves at the entrance and fan the scent outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety and specialization of the worker bees seem endless.
In a similar way, the Lord has given special gifts and tasks to all His people...

God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 1 Corinthians 12:18

For more thoughts about God's plan for our lives, see the Rubik's Cube Lesson.

in loving memory of Billy Anderson...

2009-09-26T19:23:00.013-05:00

Today I slept in. I stayed up too late. And my neighbor across the street likes to have loud parties until 4:00 am. Before I popped the earplugs in my ears last night, I turned my phone off. When I finally got around to waking up today, I checked my phone and saw I'd missed a message from my friend's wife, Nikki. She was informing friends & family that the doctors where telling her to call them to come to Billy's side. Having been in the hospital with a mysterious illness for nearly 2 years... it's been a long, hard battle for Billy... and his family.

Nikki and Billy

Today Billy's pain ended and he walked through the gates of heaven. I'm glad to know he was greeted by friends today... I'm sure Tim greeted him with a hug. And I'm especially glad to know that he's face-to-face with Jesus.

I've been thinking of Billy all day. Remembering high school and other memories with friends throughout the years. I was so glad to hear that he made things right with God before he left this earth.

Many of my friends have experienced so much loss this year & I've cried hard tears... more than I have in about 15 years combined. But as Thessalonians says, we do not grieve or mourn like those who have no hope. I am comforted by the fact that I will see Billy and all my friends again and we will all spend eternity with Jesus. I look forward to heaven more & more. And I look forward to seeing Billy's bright eyes & big smile greeting me as I walk through those gates.

Please be praying for Nikki, Billy's daughters, and the entire family.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Isaiah 40:31
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Remembering Sept 11, 2001

2009-09-11T13:01:00.011-05:00

If you're wondering where I've been, I've been spending more of my online time on Twitter. Between work & life, it's hard to find time to blog these days. However, today being the 8-year anniversary of 9/11, I'm taking time to honor those lost on that horrific day.

I've recently read statements from some public school teachers that trying to teach kids about 9/11 in schools today is like trying to teach them about the Civil War. The kids don't remember because they're too young, most of them have no personal impact nor memory of it.
I have some friends in their early-twenties who admittedly don't remember much about 9/11 either. Again, they were too young 8 years ago to really understand the tragedy of what was going on.

As for me, I had just graduated from college in May 2001 and was busy working at a local company in Tulsa. I do remember Sept 11, 2001. I had arrived at work as usual that morning. I started to make my daily calls to customers and clients. At the time, I worked with churches helping them with their websites. I decided to call my customers in New York because it was almost 9am EST. The first church I called (located in downtown NYC) said: "Hello? Kristin, we can't talk to you right now... we don't know what's happening... but we're being evacuated! I think the city is being attacked!" CLICK.
I was left listening to the dead line & thinking: What? New York City is being attacked? I turned around and called out to my manager & co-workers: "Anyone know what's going on in New York?" Someone responded: "Yeah, a plane accidentally hit one of the World Trade Center towers."
Me: "Accidentally? No, sorry, but planes don't accidentally fly into buildings like the World Trade Center. That's nuts."
The next thing I know, my phone was ringing. It was my mom.
Mom: "Kristin, do you know what's going on in New York? Two planes have flown into the WTC buildings in downtown NYC."
Me: "Yeah, I just heard about it. One of my churches is down there and..."
Mom: "Kristin, Donnie was in one of those towers."
Me: "What...?" and my heart skipped a beat... and the room started spinning.

My friends, Donnie & Andrea, were married while we were still in college. They're the type of couple who you meet and you instantly love. You just need to spend a few minutes with them to see that they were made for each other and will be together forever. We met our freshman year. We spent a lot of time together... Donnie, Andrea, Stacey, & me. These are "salt of the earth" people... people you'd like to know all your life. They were my closest friends at the time... and I still love them very much.

Donnie, who worked for Morgan Stanley, had been sent to NYC for some training. He was in the South tower of the WTC the morning of 9/11. He'd called Andrea to tell her he was okay... before the towers fell. When my mom called me on 9/11 to tell me that Donnie was in one of the towers, I couldn't believe it. I remember spending the evening with Andrea. I remember watching the news coverage with Stacey, Andrea, and some of Andrea's family. I remember us waiting for Donnie's call. I remember Andrea screaming at the TV: "Why do you keep showing that? I don't ever want to see those planes again! I don't want to keep watching the towers fall! Stop showing it! It's terrible!"
We all waited to see what would happen next.

Donnie was one of the lucky ones who made it out alive on 9/11. I remember hugging him when he made it home days later. I remember wanting to ask him about it, but being afraid to. I remember the relief of having him back in Tulsa. Seems like yesterday...

I remember watching the scenes of the planes & towers for days. I remember the photos. I remember the "jumpers". I remember watching the families on the news who were desperate to know of their loved ones whereabouts... begging and pleading people to contact them if they'd seen them... not wanting to believe their loved ones were dead. I remember watching the denial and pain in people faces. I remember adults sobbing. I remember the stories that began to emerge of heroism and courage. I remember "Let's roll." I remember the quiet. I remember the eeriness of not knowing what would happen next. I remember the pictures of the guilty Muslim foreign terrorists. I remember the security videos released days later showing the terrorists checking in for their flights. I remember praying more than I'd ever prayed before. I remember my grandmother suggesting I join the military. I remember the songs. I remember the conversations. I remember the waving American flags. I remember President Bush. I remember the tears. I remember God's peace. I remember the names & faces of those lost in the attacks on 9/11 flashing across the TV screen.

I remember. I will always remember. And I will never forget.

This vid is powerful & difficult to watch... but we must never forget the horror of those attacks.

This vid is a little over an hour... a documentary called "The Falling Man".

Beautiful Ending

2009-08-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

just bought this song... love it.

BarlowGirl
Beautiful Ending lyrics

Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

fun CO pics!

2009-07-26T09:09:00.001-05:00

Spent some time in CO recently. Loved it. It was great to spend some quality time with some quality friends!

It's a Wonderful Life

2009-07-26T08:57:00.003-05:00

I'm thinking of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" today. Yeah, I know, Christmas in July. But that's ok- I love that it's a story about life & what it's really all about.
If you haven’t figured it out yet— life is about relationships and how you treat others.

Your relationship with the grocery clerk.
Do you smile at them & ask how they are doing?

Your relationship with the video store girl.
Do you take time out & stop to hear her latest story?

Your relationship with your waiter.
Do you treat him with the respect and tip well?

Your relationship with you family.
Do you call them just to say “I love you”?

Your relationship with your co-workers.
Do you strive to do your best work and get along even when you don’t feel like it? Even if they treat you awful?

Your relationship with friends.
Are you someone they can count on and trust?

Your relationship with God.
Do you take time out to talk to Him & then stop to let Him talk back to you? Do you listen?

Notice that I didn’t list these in any particular order. I did that on purpose. I hope that you are treating the waiter just the same as you would your friends.
But I have to say- I would hope that your relationship with God doesn’t rank last on your list.

Luke 6:27-49 would be a good excerpt for you to read today. If you don’t have time, let me list a handful of the verses for you:
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

43 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

nothing left but God

2009-07-05T12:30:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a happy & safe 4th of July!

I have this little devotional book I read every once in awhile. This morning I read something that I felt like sharing on my blog. So here it is:

"Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said:

"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " 2 Chronicles 20:3-17

In today's Bible reading, the people of Judah were in trouble. They admitted their lack of power and wisdome to conquer their foes. All they had left was God! But King Jehoshaphat and the people saw this as reason for hope, not despair. "Our eyes are upon You," they declared to God. And their hope was not disaapointed as He fulfilled His promise: "The battle is not yours, but God's."

Are you in a position where all self-sufficiency is gone? As you turn your eyes on the Lord and put your hope in Him, you have God's reassuring promise that you need nothing more.
{excerpt from April 2009 Daily Bread publication}

Forgotten Language

2009-05-27T22:40:00.008-05:00

When I was a little kid in elementary school, we had weekly class trips to the school library. I wasn't a big fan of books or reading when I was a kid. Honestly, reading is something that I'm just now starting to really enjoy... ha. Anyway, every time we had a trip to the school library, I would look at all the Shel Silverstein books or I would sneak over to the "big kids" side of the library and check out the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I loved those books!
Anyway, I've bought a couple Shel Silverstein books lately... I don't know why exactly... sentimental I guess. Suppose I should go get one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books now! But anyway, thought I'd share one of Shel's poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends.

FORGOTTEN LANGUAGE
by Shel Silverstein

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.

Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers....
How did it go?
How did it go?

p.s. In case you haven't, you should check out The Giving Tree. It's probably my favorite of Shel's books.

Daylight will come

2009-05-25T23:25:00.011-05:00

My heart and my prayers go out to Melinda & Brian... I love you guys and I'm thinking of you.
Since I realize that the words I offer can only bring small comfort... I'm offering you comfort from God's Word... and what He does and says will last... for all of eternity.

To everyone who might be experiencing loss, I pray that God will envelope you and surround you with His Love... may you feel His arms of peace wrapped around you. Know that He can be our strength when our hearts run out of faith. We grow weary but He does not. We must look to Him- God is our everlasting hope and our salvation.
He is our Daylight- and Daylight will come.

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 33:2
O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

Isaiah 49:14-16
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

1 Corinthians 15:52
In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?

Isaiah 51:3
The LORD will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

Lamentations 3:21-23
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

2009-05-24T00:59:00.003-05:00

Hey! Just wanted to say Happy Memorial Weekend and thanks to all of our servicemen & women! And thank you veterans! God bless you all.

Speaking of veterans, I had a rare opportunity to take a flight in a WWII T-6 Texan Warbird last weekend.
Below is a 30 second video of some of the pics. I found this really cool site that makes music videos with your pictures... you should check out Animoto.com

And since I had so much fun... I made another vid with the pictures from our fun snow day back in March... enjoy!

Timothy Etzkorn

2009-05-07T22:24:00.014-05:00

I've been on a writing hiatus. Actually, I've been on a hiatus in many ways lately. Not allowing myself to get emotional or feel anything. Maybe because I've been afraid that if I allowed it... there would be no ending it. That hiatus has ended.

It ended this week when I learned that Amber, my best-friend from high school, lost her father. Tim Etzkorn passed away suddenly in his home on Tuesday. This is a very hard loss for many... as he was such a wonderful and giving man. He was a father to many of us.
Personally, I do have a very wonderful father and am blessed to have him but there were many of our friends who weren't so lucky.

Tim was a father to the fatherless, a friend to the friendless. He loved the least of us and gave all he had to every one of us. I can honestly say I am a much better person because of Tim. I am a more generous person because of the example I saw in Tim's constant giving and caring for others. Tim and Patti always opened their home up to everyone. They have been true examples of Christ in my life and I am so eternally thankful for their love and friendship in my life. Thank you Brendan, Amber, and Megan for sharing your parents with the rest of us.
This is the most recent picture I have of Tim. And I realized how perfect it is... because the picture is focused on someone else... just as Tim lived his life... always focused on others. In this picture he's holding Brady, one of his many grandchildren. And Patti, his beautiful wife of 36 years is smiling in the background.
Although I have a great dad, Tim was another father-figure in my life and a very important one. I will always cherish all the memories spent with their family in my heart. I know there are many others who truly share the same feelings and sentiment. Tomorrow we will be honored to attend his funeral and lay his body to rest.
Yes, my hiatus is over and I am crying as I write this... but as Rita Schiano said in Sweet Bitter Love: "Tears are God’s gift to us. Our holy water. They heal us as they flow."

Just after I'd learned of Tim's passing on Tuesday, I opened up an email that a friend of mine had sent earlier in the day with a seemingly random scripture at the bottom. This passage comforted me so much on Tuesday and I shared it with some of the family this evening... and it is perfect. When I read it, I know that it's a specific message straight from God to give us comfort... and I read it with all the heavenly hosts in mind.

⁶But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. ⁷Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ¹⁰Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹²May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
-1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (New International Version)

Thank you Tim for all the love and laughs... I look forward to you greeting me with one of your big, warm hugs again one day... soon.
Love you.

long overdue

2009-02-20T17:50:00.012-06:00

I know, I know... I'm just not good at keeping up with blogging.
It's easier to blog when your thoughts come together and are easy to put into words. I've had a lot of fragmented thoughts as of late... no comments about my age. Speaking of my age and bday... it was fun... here are a few pics from that night. We ate an excellent meal at McGills, drank some fine wine, hit the slots, ate some Krispy Kreme donuts... and yes, we were driven around in a limo all night. Me and some of my favorite single girlfriends... we lived it up for the night.

Thanks for the great b-day girls!

the Rubik's Cube Lesson

2009-01-03T23:01:00.012-06:00

Yes, it's been awhile. Things have been busy. I haven't been very good at keeping up the blog lately. Right now I'm working the 10 hour shift days at work in the month of January... so if you think of me... say a little prayer as I'm not especially looking forward to this month.
And in other news, I'm turning 30 this month. Hmm. 30. Weird. When I was a kid, I had lots of ideas of what my life would like at 30.

Anyway, I had a weird moment tonight. Tara Lynn (my roomie) went to bed early because she wasn't feeling well and I thought I might read a book and go to bed early too. But instead, I picked up a Rubik's cube. I guess I wasn't ready to sleep. After unsuccessfully working on it... I decided to look for tips online. I visited several sites... but none of them were very helpful. I was getting ready to put it down and call it a night when I saw another site. So I go to this site where it tells you to enter in the configuration of your cube... and it calculates the moves you need to make to solve the Rubik's cube. Ha. I thought I'd give it a whirl and see if it actually worked. So I fill in the blanks and the hit "solve". Ok... so then it tells me that I have 108 moves I need to make. 108 moves. Awesome. So I carefully begin to follow the step-by-step moves. Keep in mind, I've had a long day... and I'm kinda in this half-awake mode.
I get to about Step 26 and I'm thinking : what the heck am i doing? I hate Rubik's cubes. I should be going to bed and sleeping. No. I want to see if this works.

Step 35: I think this might be working. Cool. Only 73 more steps to go.
Step 50: Why am I doing this? 108 freakin steps? What's wrong with me? I'm wasting time.
Step 52: Did I mess up? Did I make one of the moves wrong? This just looks like a freakin jumbled mess.
Step 54: This website is probably just somebody's idea of a joke and they get bored idiots like me to fall for it... sitting here... carefully counting step by step. This is ridiculous.
Step 55: Over half-way there. But what if I messed up? Keep going. Pay attention.
Step 65: I just want to see this cube with solid colors on all sides for once.
Step 66: I'm not built for puzzles like this... I can't do this thing on my own.
Step 76: Hey, I think it's working!
Step 80: 3 sides look almost complete... but the rest still looks like a freakin mess.
Step 81: Is this what You do God? How many steps are there in my life? When all I can see is a bunch of different colors... and confusion... are You really solving the puzzle? Is this really working?
Step 87: All I have to do is follow Your steps?
Step 88: If I screw up on one now... then that will mess it all up. Pay attention. I don't want to start over.
Step 98: Still looks like a mess... I don't think it's working.
Step 103: Nope. Definitely not working.
Step 106: Wait... it might be...
Step 107: Maybe...
Step 108: Holy crap. It worked. Dang. That was ridiculous.
Step 109: Hmm, pretty sure God just taught me something through a freakin Rubik's cube.

So, God used a Rubik's cube to teach me a life lesson tonight. I'm not the type of person to put a spiritual context on everything... but I did learn something tonight. I'm 20 days away from my 30th birthday and my life is not what I expected it to be at this stage in the game. There's lots of different colors all over... on all sides... and I'm not real sure what goes where or how or when. I'm not made for figuring out puzzles like this on my own. I'm not sure how my hopes and dreams and passions and desires and abilities and talents and colors work together. I don't know how to make them come together and solve this puzzle called life... specifically the job side of life. But He does. And all He asks of me is to follow each step... one... by... one. It wouldn't work any other way. He has to get you to one place in life before He can move you up to another.
One thing I noticed as I was working on this thing: you had to get the piece or color that you wanted on the top.... you had to get it on the very bottom first. And then twist and turn and then... there it is... on the top. We have to be willing to be moved around... even when it doesn't look right or make sense to our heads.... as long as we hear God's voice directing us... that's what's important. It's through His steps that He will make sense of our lives. And if we mess up... He knows how to fix things. He knows how to solve the puzzle and make everything come together. Not only the things in my life and your life... but everything in everyone's life... and everything in the entire heaven and earth. I wonder how many steps that is? Probably a lot more than 108. I'm so glad we don't have to figure any of it out... we just have to follow His instructions.

Ephesians 1:9-11 (New Living Translation)
God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.

So, Happy New Year to you.

And Happy Birthday to me.

Merry Christmas vids

2008-12-20T23:25:00.001-06:00

Thomas Jefferson

2008-11-28T10:40:00.006-06:00

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever."
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia,
Query 18, 1781

Thomas Jefferson's religious views have been debated and argued both in and out of court. But what do his writings, as sampled above, tell us? What did his actions tell us? I wonder what people in the future would argue about my religious views when reading my writings? What do you think they would say about you, yours writings, your actions? How will they sum you up? What conclusions will they come to? Or will they even read the things you wrote on your blog? Will they just go by the stories they heard of you? And which story will they hear? Do you think it depends on the storyteller? Will there even be stories to tell of you? Wouldn't you want them to base their conclusions on things you actually said and did? Just a thought. So what did Thomas Jefferson actually say and do?

Voices From Thanksgivings Past

2008-11-26T12:04:00.010-06:00

I saw this on newt.org & I thought I'd share it.

The centrality of God in Thanksgiving in America comes through in the words of some of our greatest national leaders:

Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson, in 1779:
[I] appoint … a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God … to [ask] Him that He would … pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would … spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth … and that He would establish these United States upon the basis of religion and virtue.

President George Washington’s first federal Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.… Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 … that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.

President Abraham Lincoln, making Thanksgiving an annual national holiday in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War:
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

think you're informed?

2008-11-17T22:00:00.011-06:00

I was excited to see that several of you enjoyed my American History 101 entry. Thanks for all the comments! I can guarantee you that I will continue to give you more of the same. I, like many of you, have been blessed with a very strong education built on historical truths. Unfortunately, it seems there's not many left in this country who have the same facts or knowledge... please help me spread light on this dark world. Teach your kids & grandkids.

Let me ask you, when you read a magazine article about your favorite actor or actress, don't you expect to see direct quotes from that person? Then why don't we expect it in our history books?? If you want to know the original intent of our founding fathers... read history books that quote them directly and reference where those quotes are pulled from. I really wish that the books in the American public school system followed this very logical & simple requirement... but they do not. This is why I will do my best to redistribute the wealth- the wealth of knowledge, that is. I will do my best to write more entries on American History from here on out.

Tara Lynn put a video on her blog last night that reminded me of a letter that was published in the Tulsa World newspaper on 11/8/08. Why? Because after watching the video (see below) I was thinking the same thing this guy was:

My disappointment in the result of the election is great. That disappointment is aimed at the American people. Those who were able to set aside and dismiss Barack Obama's associations with shadowy people and organizations. Those who chose to elect as president a man with such a short resume. Those who voted for him out of knee-jerk reaction to George W. Bush and the Republicans.
How many know that the Congress has been controlled for the last two years by the Democrats? How many know that the sub-prime mortgage crisis and Wall Street melt down has its roots in Democratic programs signed by Bill Clinton? More than 63 million voters had the wool pulled over their eyes. The Brooklyn Bridge has finally sold. Change was wanted so badly that a man has been elected that we know nothing about, to be president! Our enemies are dancing in the streets.
At least we here in Oklahoma know a snake oil salesman when we see one, 66 percent of us anyway. Remember the story of the Pied Piper? Obama is playing the flute.
I thought Joe the Plumber would make a difference. It turned out that the election was swayed by Joe the Gullible.
America, what have we done?

Again, this is why spreading knowledge is important... this is why I ask people to look at facts... because the misinformed outnumber the informed. Thanks for reading- see you next time.

God bless all our veterans

2008-11-11T23:28:00.001-06:00

"Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives."
—John Adams, letter to Benjamin Rush, April 18, 1808

Let's go barack to the Clinton era

2008-11-08T16:39:00.003-06:00

Over the past several weeks, I posted more on my facebook than on my blog. But I'll try to change that... I'll try to post equally. Above is a video that I've posted on my facebook recently.
Have you noticed many of Obama's potential appointees are former Clinton advisors? And I thought he promised change? Oh well, so much for that idea... it sounded good anyway. Ha.

rude awakening

2008-11-08T16:21:00.004-06:00

The truly funny thing is there are people who really do think that Obama is going to pay their bills and lower their taxes. It should be a fun 4 years... they're in for a rude awakening. Haha... and I will be laughing all along the way... and yes, I will tell you I told you so.

Yes I Can. And I will.

American History 101

2008-11-03T01:18:00.013-06:00

Instead of talking about the election, I’ve had some other things on my mind lately. About why we’re here. And by “here” I mean the United States of America. Why are you here do you think? I mean, why weren’t you born in Ghana, or Egypt, or Indonesia? Ever wonder about that? I do.
I have to wonder how many of you will actually read this particular blog entry in it’s entirety. I think I’ll lose some of you… just because you don’t think it’s important... or it's just too much for you to read.
Anyway, a few of my close friends could tell you that in the last year or so I’ve become somewhat of a US history junkie. I’ve always been interested in history… but it’s become kinda like a hobby. I’ve been in search of true history… not the kind they make up in the movies… but the real, the true history… the kind you can only find in old history books… before they were revised and re-written. I went and bought some US history books and have become a student of a man who has a library of tens of thousands of original writings from the Founding Era. He’s kind of like the guy Nicolas Cage plays in those National Treasure movies… but way cooler because he’s actually real… and he owns more original writings of the founding fathers in his own personal library than anyone else in the United States. In fact, only the Library of Congress can compete with his library.
Every once in awhile I crack open one of those US History books and just read… but I think I prefer just soaking it in from my teacher. Wonder who it is? He has spoken to numerous state legislatures, consulted with both state and federal legislators on various bills, and has written amicus briefs in cases at the US Supreme Court. His exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues and he serves as a consultant to state and federal legislators. He also addresses well over 400 groups each year. He has received numerous awards including several Who's Who honors and the George Washington Honor Medal.
He spent eight years as an educator and school administrator before founding WallBuilders. Did you know that Congress once printed Bibles for use in the schools? He owns one of the rare copies of that Bible. His name is David Barton.
The first time I heard him speak, I was in high school... it was probably 10 or 12 years ago. This man probably knows more about our US History and our founding fathers than any of us could ever hope to learn. That’s cool… I don’t care what anybody says… he’s awesome. Now I buy his DVDs and sit in my living room and take notes. No lie.
Besides there being confusion and indecision about the candidates in this election… there seems to be a new disease spreading… confusion about the founding of this nation. So, I thought that I would take the time to share some true American history with you.
I’m sick of hearing that the founding mothers and fathers of this nation did not intend for it to be a Christian nation. Really? The truth is that many of the original state constitutions actually sounded more like a requirement for seminary than a requirement for politics. You didn’t know that? Let me share some of those required oaths of office with you:

Delaware Constitution – Everyone [elected or appointed to office] shall make and subscribe the following declaration, to wit: “I do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed forever more, and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.”

Pennsylvania Constitution – Each member [of the legislature], before he takes his seat, shall make and subscribe the following declaration, viz: “I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the universe, the rewarder of the good and the punisher of the wicked, and I do acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration.”

Massachusetts Constitution – written by Samuel Adams
[All persons elected must] make and subscribe the following declaration, viz: “I do declare that I believe the Christian religion and have firm persuasion of its truth.”

North Carolina Constitution – No person who shall deny the being of God, or the truth of the [Christian] religion, or the divine authority either of the Old or New Testaments or who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the freedom and the safety of the state, shall be capable of holding any office, or place of trust or profit in the civil department, within this state.

In 1892, the Supreme Court noted that each of the forty-four states then in the union had some type of God-centered declaration in its constitution. But yet, you’ll have people tell you that our founding fathers weren’t Christians.
When Tara and I went to Boston last year, we went on one of those bus tours of the city. I remember the guide saying disrespectful things about the “original settlers” and called them “hateful Puritans”. Well, I’ve got news… not all of them were “hateful Puritans”. It doesn’t take much research to find that out. Want to know the religious affiliations of the Founding Fathers? Find some info here.
We also visited the Granary Cemetery. This is where Paul Revere, three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine are all buried… among other Revolutionary heroes and Boston Massacre victims. Anyway, while we were visiting that honored burial ground, there was a tour going through that we happened to find ourselves in the middle of. I was surprised to hear some of the things coming out of the tour guide’s mouth. He’s lucky that the dead didn’t rise up to choke the lies coming from his mouth. I’d hate to see what Paul Revere would have done to him. I couldn’t believe it… we stopped to challenge him and question him on some of his points… which he could not defend. When did American tour guides start spreading bias and untrue statements? These experiences still bother and concern me. I’m afraid that these things are becoming more and more common… and there’s not many who know any better… like kids… I guess that’s why I started buying US history books and filling myself with the true historical facts… before they try to re-write and take that away from us too.
I’m hoping to visit Washington, D.C. in the spring with some friends. Last time I was there, I really wasn’t able to see everything I wanted to see. On this visit, I’m hoping to see the Library of Congress. The intent and beliefs of the founding fathers can be found inscribed all over this building.
Two Bible verses can be found inscribed on the ceiling and walls:
The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth not. John 1:5
Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
In the Main Reading Room, statues of Moses and Paul represent Religion, with the inscription, What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, And to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God. Miach 6:8
And in the another example of their beliefs can be found in the Science area, The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork. Pslam 19:1

If the founding fathers didn’t intend for American patriots to make following God a priority in this nation, then why is it that when you visit Washington, D.C., you run head first into something about God inscribed in stone? Why is it they required statements of faith of the elected leaders like the ones I've shared with you above?
I wonder how the founding fathers would feel about us just removing and taking that stuff out… taking God out of the picture... and making up our own version of history. Well, it seems another revision of America's religious history has been underway – this time at the new $621 million, 580,000 square feet Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Want to help keep God in the picture? Write or call the Architect of the Capitol communications officer (202-228-1793 or emalecki@aoc.gov) and tell them to correct the religious omissions that they’ve made to our US History.
And I’d appreciate if you’d think twice next time you hear something about our founding fathers & religion. Think twice when you hear people like Bill Maher… actually, if you hear Maher on the TV just go ahead and change the channel or turn off the TV… because not only is he absurd… but he’s also a complete idiot.
Don’t take the movies word for it. Don’t take the tour guide’s word for it. Don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself. Go visit Washington, D.C. and go read some history books… go buy some Wallbuider DVDs… go investigate for yourself.

“A true patriot must be a religious man… He who neglects his duty to his Maker, may well be expected to be deficient and insincere in his duty towards the public.”
Abigail Adams

don't judge

2008-10-28T21:18:00.002-05:00

more from the funny papers

2008-10-23T20:34:00.003-05:00

just another cartoon from GaryVarvel.com

2008-10-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

the funny papers

2008-10-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

Opposite Way

2008-10-13T16:48:00.010-05:00

I’m listening to one of my new favorite songs. It’s called Opposite Way by Leeland. I’ve been thinking lately- I’ve started to run the opposite way- and I would really love for you to join me.
Things have been really hard for me lately, I feel rejected in my own town. That’s why I haven’t blogged much lately- I haven’t had the inspiration to.

Not too long ago, a long-time friend of mine told me that I was opinionated. Well, I guess if she wants to call me opinionated because of my convictions and beliefs… that’s her opinion. As for me, it’s conviction. It’s strong beliefs I have- not opinions. Dictionary.com calls it confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof: a statement unworthy of belief.

Here's a list of just 5 people who had convictions in their beliefs.
Francis Lewis
New York delegate saw his home plundered & his estate completely destroyed by British Soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners through the efforts of Congress, she died from the effects of her abuse.
Who was Francis Lewis? One of the brave 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. What was he convicted about? Religious freedom & liberty for all.
Call him opinionated if you want. There were those who did and still do.

Samuel Adams
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was instrumental in garnering the support of the colonies for rebellion against Great Britain, eventually resulting in the American Revolution, and was also one of the key architects of the principles of American republicanism that shaped American political culture.
He once said: "It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men."
Call him opinionated if you want. There were those who did and still do.

Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln began his political career in 1832, at age 23, with an unsuccessful campaign for the Illinois General Assembly, as a member of the Whig Party. The centerpiece of his platform was the undertaking of navigational improvements on the Sangamon River. He believed that this would attract steamboat traffic, which would allow the sparsely populated, poorer areas along the river to flourish. He was elected captain of an Illinois militia company drawn from New Salem during the Black Hawk War, and later wrote that he had not had "any such success in life which gave him so much satisfaction."
Before becoming the first Republican elected to the Presidency, Lincoln was a lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, and a member of the United States House of Representatives.
He was an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery & he introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
He was the sixteenth President of the United States. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, only to be assassinated as the war was coming to an end.
Call him opinionated if you want. There were those who did and still do.

Martin Luther King
An American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today.
"Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man... I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because "truth crushed to earth will rise again." How long? Not long, because "no lie can live forever." "
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. national holiday in 1986.
Call him opinionated if you want. There were those who did and still do.

Sojourner Truth (aka Isabella Baumfree)
Truth was an American abolitionist and women's rights activist.
She was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York.
The state of New York began, in 1799, to legislate the abolition of slavery, although the process of emancipating New York slaves was not complete until July 4, 1827. Her owner, John Dumont, had promised Truth freedom a year before the state emancipation, "if she would do well and be faithful." However, he changed his mind, claiming a hand injury had made her less productive. She was infuriated. She continued working until she felt she had done enough to satisfy her sense of obligation to him by spinning 100 pounds of wool. Late in 1826, Truth escaped to freedom with her infant daughter, Sophia. She had to leave her other children behind because they were not legally freed in the emancipation order until they had served as bound servants into their twenties. She later said: “ I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right.”
On June 1, 1843, Truth changed her name to Sojourner Truth and told her friends, "The Spirit calls me, and I must go." During the Civil War, Truth helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. She worked diligently to improve conditions for African-Americans and she met President Abraham Lincoln. In 1865, while working at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington, Truth rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation.
In 1870, Truth tried to secure land grants from the federal government to former slaves, a project she pursued for seven years without success. While in Washington, D.C., she had a meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant in the White House. In 1872, she returned to Battle Creek and tried to vote in the presidential election, but was turned away at the polling place.
Truth spoke about abolition, women's rights, prison reform, and preached to the Michigan Legislature against capital punishment. Not everyone welcomed her preaching and lectures, but she had many friends and staunch support among many influential people at the time.
Call her opinionated if you want. There were those who did and still do.

I have recently asked friends to join me in praying for our nation. We meet on Sunday afternoons and pray for country, it’s leaders, it’s liberties, and it’s problems. The turn-out has been spectacularly small. How dare we take for granted what so many before us fought & died for. How dare we bask in apathy not only concerning our freedoms but also concerning our faith, our beliefs, our convictions.

I will not be apathetic. Call me opinionated if you want to- but it’s conviction- it’s belief. Has anyone ever accused you of being opinionated for what you believe and hold fast to?
Has anyone ever tried to intimidate you for what you do or don't believe? Well, get ready, it's happening.

As for me, I will continue to stand & believe as our forefathers & foremothers did. Go ahead, call us opinionated. I'm running the opposite way. And as Martin Luther King said, "...however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because "truth crushed to earth will rise again." How long? Not long, because "no lie can live forever."

i wish we could time travel

2008-09-15T21:11:00.014-05:00

I am under 45 years old.

I love the outdoors and hunting.
I am a Republican reformer.
I have taken on the Republican party establishment.
I have many children.
I have a spot on the national ticket for Vice President
with less than 2 years in the Governor's office.

Who am I?
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States

Who did you think?

When did it become okay for people to question faith? I thought it was politically incorrect to question one's faith? Or does it just depend on which faith is in question?
I really wish that Charlie Gibson could go back in time and ask President Lincoln and our previous leaders the same questions that he's asked Gov. Palin. Wouldn't that be cool to hear their responses? I'd love to hear what they'd have to say... and I'd love to see what they'd do.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a five-star general and the Supreme Commander during WWII, was instrumental in the addition of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, and the 1956 adoption of "In God We Trust" as the motto of the US, and its 1957 introduction on paper currency. My guess is that if Gibson could go back in time and ask these same questions to President Eisenhower.... well, I'm thinking Gibson would get his ass kicked.

Lastly, I would like to know what Gibson would ask of President Lincoln's beliefs? This is how our beloved Lincoln said it:
"The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party—and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to effect His purpose. I am almost ready to say this is probably true—that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By his mere quiet power, on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds."

for mickeyb

2008-09-09T21:20:00.009-05:00

Thanks to CBS, here's some info on how the candidates differ on taxes.
They did a story on how it would affect 3 different families.

Watch it.

If you don't have time to watch the story, here's the breakdown:

Obama's Plan:

Would eliminate Bush tax cuts for families making more than $200,000
Proposes $500 tax credits for workers making less than $150,000
Eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000
Proposes 2% Social Security tax on those making more than $250,000
Proposes raising top tax rate to more than 39%; second highest tax rate to 36%

McCain's Plan:

Supports making Bush tax cuts permanent
Proposes doubling personal exemption to $7,000 for dependents (phased in over 10 years for those making more than $50,000)
Proposes keeping investment income tax at 15%
Proposes keeping top tax rate at 35%

must see video

2008-09-06T13:10:00.005-05:00

Do you believe that life is gift? I do. I believe life is a gift from God.
Would you kill a living, breathing baby? No? I wouldn't either. I think most people wouldn't.

I don't know about you, but when I consider all of the issues surrounding this next election... there's only one that I really need to know about. It's called induced labor abortion or infanticide. It's the killing of fully born infants who have survived a failed abortion attempt. They are left to die without any medical attention. Here is a video of the nurse who testified at the US House committee and various state committees. This is the same nurse who testified in Illinois, in front of Obama, about a 21-22 week old baby who she held until he died.

How many times did Barack Hussein Obama vote for infanticide? Records show: 3 times.

Please take the time to watch the video. Thank you.

do your homework

2008-08-29T10:21:00.007-05:00

McCain picks Gov. Sarah Palin as VP running mate.
Wow... this lady is something else. Read about her. Find out all you can about how candidates on BOTH SIDES VOTE on issues. Afterall, it's how they vote that really matters... not what they say when the cameras are on them.

Some people think that if Obama isn't chosen as our next President that it means America is racist. At least that's what Newsweek's Jacob Weisberg is feeding us. How ridiculous. Well, does that mean that the same thought process can be assumed of McCain/Palin? Does it mean that if they're not chosen that America is sexist? No... it doesn't. And if Obama/Biden doesn't win it's not because of any reason other than they weren't the ones for the job. What's important is how the candidates on both sides VOTE... not the color of their skin or whether they're male or female.

Do your research and find out how they vote on the ISSUES that matter to you. If you don't do that then you're not being a responsible voter.
I'll help you get a head start:

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

ISSUE	JOHN McCAIN	BARAK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore US	Yes	No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it	Yes	No
Served in the US Armed Forces	Yes	No
Amount of time served in the US Senate	22 YEARS	173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan	No	Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy	No	Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately	No	Yes
Supports gun ownership rights	Yes	No
Supports homosexual marriage	No	Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase	No	Yes
Voted against making English the official language	No	Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals	No	Yes

You can verify the above at the following web sites:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

oh brother...

2008-08-22T11:10:00.001-05:00

i saw this on Tara's blog...
and i had to post it too. :)

last night's "debate"

2008-08-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

Read this article from the NR White House Correspondent, Byron York. The gap between the two candidates continues to widen.

Nike's "Courage"

2008-08-10T22:59:00.002-05:00

i love this Nike commercial... i love most Nike commercials actually...
Everything You Need Is Already Inside

more truth for you

2008-08-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

i thought this youTube vid was worth sharing on my blog... go check out the link... this kid is discussing the lyrics from a new Ludacris song... it's funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL64fPtGDj8

I somehow came upon this video while searching for more info about Pelosi turning the lights, microphones and cameras off this week on the GOP... and going on vacation with all the other Democrats instead of voting on the Drill Here Drill Now. Interesting that the real reason why the Republicans wanted to stay... and vote... is being twisted in the media. I thought the Democrats wanted to help find solutions for our energy crisis anyway? hmm, guess not.

anyway, thanks to
http://hiphoprepublican.com/
for posting the funny kid on their site.

madness

2008-07-15T23:43:00.005-05:00

Image from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/2005/48013.htm

When asked what it was like to work with fellow actor, "republican" Clint Eastwood, Angelina Jolie said: "Actually, we don't disagree as much as you'd think. I think people assume I'm a Democrat. But I'm registered independent and I'm still undecided. So I'm looking at McCain as well as Obama." Read more at The Washington Times. Wow, I guess I'm surprised she's not an Obama lover like everyone else seems to be. Hmm. Interesting.

So I'm sure you've noticed I've been posting more political and/or current events stuff lately. That would be because I work in the news industry and I'm sick and tired of people being misinformed. So many just believe whatever NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, or whatever tells them. It's sad and it's got to stop. Educate yourselves people! Go learn the facts for yourself. Go read some History books! How much US History and Government do you really know? Do you know your rights? The media doesn't always tell the truth. Start reading more History and less news... or you can go with Thomas Jefferson's approach... "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers."

from our US ambassador to Iraq

2008-07-11T12:08:00.002-05:00

“[W]hen I hear people say let’s bring the troops home and end the war...it’s not going to end the war. I think it’s going to give you a war of significantly increased proportions. I remember how we reacted to Rwanda. How could we have let that happen? Why didn’t we step in? Why didn’t we get the international community engaged? Well, you know, what if you have a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq and it’s not a question of why didn’t we step in, it’s we stepped out. How is that going to affect people?”

—Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq

And for an eye-opening essay regarding Obama's thoughts on our national security...

click here.

food costs up 75%

2008-07-11T11:35:00.000-05:00

A report by the World Bank estimates that biofuels have driven up food costs by 75 percent over the last six years, contrary to the U.S. government’s assertion that biofuels have caused only a three-percent increase in prices.

47% say...

2008-07-09T23:45:00.002-05:00

have i mentioned that I recently became the proud owner of a scooter? yes, it's my way of bringing down the price of gas in my own life... since i can't afford a natural gas car right now.
but we've got to do something about this energy problem.

The Associated Press says: "A new poll shows high gasoline prices have dramatically changed Americans' views on energy and the environment. More people now say expanding oil drilling and building new power plants is a bigger priority than energy conservation.
The poll by the Pew Research Center shows nearly half of those surveyed -- or 47% -- now rate energy exploration, drilling and building new power plants more important, compared with 35% in February. "

hmm... i guess we're starting to understand that we've got to start taking care of ourselves...

a favorite quote

2008-07-09T23:20:00.001-05:00

Success is not spontaneous combustion. You've got to set yourself on fire.
-Alex Benningfield

July 3, 1776

2008-07-02T13:24:00.005-05:00

I get an email from The Patriot Post every day... and today I thought I'd share this quote in honor of our upcoming Independence Day.

A letter from John Adams to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, as the Declaration of Independence had just been approved. “It ought to be commemorated,” said the man who would become our second president, “as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Day’s Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

Enjoy your 4th of July holiday... and remember to pray for our country, our soldiers, and our leaders.

coughing and thinking

2008-06-24T19:05:00.001-05:00

so I’ve been sick for the past few days- I have an upper respiratory infection that I’m trying to get rid of- coughing up a lung or two- no fun. Pretty disgusting actually. Blach.

I woke up this morning thinking about my blog… wondering why I haven’t written in such a long time. I think it has something to do with my current job. It has something to do with my lack of passion for my everyday life… the lack of interest in my everyday doings. It makes me understand why people end up lifeless. People who hate what they do usually don’t have much passion in their life… it dies. I don’t think my passion has died by any means… but taking a couple of sick-days and being away from the job has given my brain some room to think… it hasn’t been filled with meaningless thoughts. I woke up this morning wondering if I was still the same person who has been writing this blog for all this time. I believe I am- I wondering if it’s been a lack of time more than anything else- but I decided to go back and read some of the entries to kind of reacquaint myself with me. My thoughts on the game of life, risky business, worship, talking vs. walking, residue, and just weird people. On one hand, I am still the same person… and on the other hand, I think I’m a little different… maybe a bit wiser.

There are things I’m passionate about for sure. Sometimes all it takes to reawaken me is a song. Sometimes it’s a quote. Sometimes it’s a photo. Sometimes it’s a friend. Sometimes it’s an argument. Sometimes it’s scripture. Sometimes it’s a good movie. Sometimes it's good conversation. Sometimes it’s a memory. And sometimes it’s an upper respiratory infection.

When was the last time you took the time to reacquaint yourself with you? Have you taken the time lately to remember who you are and the things that spark life in your soul? There is a reason you have passions about certain things. You are to do something with those passions- you are to live and breathe them- you are to share them with others. God made you unique for a reason- it’s time you figure out why- and do something about it.

Anne Frank was someone who did just that- she figured out what she was passionate about- she was passionate about writing. And because of her devotion to her writing, millions of people were able to get a glimpse of what the Jewish nation suffered under Hitler. Her first-hand account is priceless and considered a historical record and masterpiece. Who would have thought that such a young girl had so much to share? What do you have to share? I bet there are people who would consider your passion a masterpiece.

Tara Lynn and I are about to launch a new blog that I think many of you will be interested in. And many of you will not. Stay tuned. It’s coming soon.

i want one!! only $1.25 per gallon!

2008-05-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

find more info at http://www.cleanskies.org
or at Honda's site for the Civic GX

investigative report on Israel

2008-04-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

over 10 years ago i had the opportunity to visit Israel. as a Christ follower, i have always been intrigued by the Holy Land... and my short trip there only reinforced the nation's sanctity in my heart and soul. it is undoubtedly the Holy Land. if you ever have to opportunity to visit Israel, I suggest you go. go walk the streets where Christ and other Biblical heroes have walked and find out for yourself.

I saw a new series the other day that I'm pretty excited about... it's about Israel and it looks pretty dang cool. It's called Against All Odds.
Check out the purpose of the series on their website: "Given the circumstances surrounding Israel's birth as a nation, and the odds against its survival, Israel should not exist as a nation today...
Journalist Michael Greenspan confronts military leaders, battle commanders, strategists, and common soldiers on the field who provide their viewpoints of remarkable stories of heroism and bravery...some that defy human understanding...
How did Hebrew become the only dead language in history to be revived after 2,000 years? Why would millions of people from around the world leave their homes and move to a desert wasteland to build new lives for themselves? How did these people manage to turn a land more than 80% desert into one of the largest food and flower exporters in the world? Why have incredible achievements in science, medicine, and new technologies happened here in greater concentration than anywhere else? There are no logical answers. Some say these things can only be explained as miracles."

oh, and by the way, Michael Greenspan (former senior correspondent for CNN) was a confirmed agnostic at the outset of the project. there's 13 parts to this series... i'm thinking it's probably worth checking out.

4 quotes from Booker T. Washington

2008-03-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

Booker T. Washington

"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."

"Character, not circumstances, makes the man."

"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs—partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."

"Character is power."

do you know Him?

2008-03-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

ThatsMyKing
Uploaded by alexsipes

Obama's audacious minister of hate

2008-03-17T00:32:00.000-05:00

please, read my favorite New York Post article from Friday.
God damn America??? talk about audacity....

internal invader

2008-03-06T00:15:00.000-06:00

"A general dissolution of principles and manners will more
surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force
of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot
be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be
ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or
internal invader."
-- Samuel Adams (letter to James Warren, 12 February 1779)

speed bumps

2008-01-27T02:35:00.000-06:00

Speed bumps. I hate them.
I thought that I would be rid of them after highschool. I remember thinking: I can’t wait to graduate! I won’t have to drive over stupid speed bumps ever again!
WRONG.
What does every college parking lot have? Speed bumps.
After college there would be no more speed bumps… not in the real world, right? Nope.
What does every apartment complex in the city have? Speed bumps.
Oh, and every office complex? More speed bumps.

Just the other day, as I was driving over the speed bumps in the parking garage at my new job, I got to thinking…

Seems like they’re every where- in every stage of life.
I hate them. They’re unavoidable and annoying.
But we all know why they’re there. To keep people from speeding through places they shouldn’t so that they won’t wreck anything hurting themselves or someone else.

Just when you think that you can speed through life – you hit a speed bump.
That first one is always a nasty surprise if you’re speeding through and you don’t see it.
It could cost you too- you might need new struts and suspension on your car- especially if you just try to fly over all them without slowing down like I did.
Lesson learned- I’ve learned to slow down.

Let me ask you this: Ever seen anyone just completely stop at a speed bump? Get out of their car and call it quits? They’re just bumps- not walls- you can still drive forward.
Like asphalt speed bumps, life’s speed bumps are only intended to slow us down- not stop us entirely. They’re not walls.

When I was in college, a fellow student had taken a bulldozer and tried to take out all the speed bumps in one of the parking lots. That didn’t prove effective. All it did was rip some serious holes into the road.

I know I’m not the only one who wishes to be rid of speed bumps forever.
But, I can’t be rid of them forever- I have to learn to deal with them and slow down. After all, I’d rather slow down than deal with repairing some major holes and doing road construction in my life.

I kinda feel like I’m going through a life full of speed bumps right now. Doesn’t God know I’m a safe driver? Speed bumps aren’t necessary in my life, right? I’m always cautious and never irresponsible. But maybe it’s not about learning something at all… maybe I could speed through life like a professional race car driver without bringing harm or injury to anyone.
Or could it be that I might miss something? Is it the scenery that He wants me to see? Or is it that He wants me to be a part of the scene? I wish I could see the overall picture that He has in mind.
Every once in awhile, I get in a funk… I feel like I’ve hit a wall. Feel like I’m not going anywhere and there’s no way of escape. Then I get on the other side of it and see… it was just a bump.

Four and a half.

2007-12-09T03:45:00.000-06:00

Four and a half years.

that's how long the adventure was... my adventure at the BMC.
I turned in my resignation over a week ago. c'mon, give me a congrats. my last day is quickly approaching. it's been quite a time... these last four and a half. good times & bad.
lessons learned... and hopefully some taught.
friends made... and lost.
patience tried... and kept.
fun had... love, laughs, and tears...

and now...
i move on.

i will miss seeing my friends everyday... but we'll still see each other...
leaving the job is one thing... i'm not leaving my friendships with it.
We've journeyed too far together.

coming up on the next episode of life's adventures:
i will go to work w/a new company and learn something new...
and i will help start a web magazine.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

holiday movies

2007-11-18T23:06:00.000-06:00

so Tara & I watched While You Were Sleeping last night. love this movie.
it's one of my most favorite holiday movies ever.
in fact, after we watched it, i went to amazon & bought the dvd.
let the holiday movie watching begin.

living among the dead

2007-11-03T01:34:00.000-05:00

w2 reminded me that I needed to blog a couple days ago. and i've been meaning to... just haven't been able to get around to it. thanks w2. i think you might be one of my only faithful readers. :)
i have a cold. so annoying. i think i've had it for way too long.
anyway, I've posted a few pictures from our St. Louis & Boston trips below.
i gotta say, Boston wasn't that great. met one lady who i thought was really cool. at first, i thought she was just another typical Bostonian... with her sweater tied around her shoulders. as we approached her, we were walking down the stairs of the Boston Commons. there was a homeless man sitting on the steps, and when he saw her walking by, he said "going to lunch?" and she said "well, i will be. you want me to bring you the salad again?" and she preceded to ask him what he wanted on his salad this time and was there anything else from the menu he wanted? then she told him that she had some errands to run before grabbing lunch but she would be back in about an hour.
wow. this unknown, typical woman taking time out... it was cool. and it made me stop and ask God to forgive me for thinking that she was just another sweater-toting, snotty Bostonian. i'm sorry Boston. i thought you were all the same. but i was wrong. there are living among the dead. and i met one. and she's cool.
what is it about acts of kindness like that... that we find so amazing? when did acts of kindness like that become so rare that they're unusual?

pics from St. Louis & Boston

2007-11-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

quick quote

2007-10-04T17:40:00.000-05:00

"The minute you settle for less... you get even less than you settled for."
-Maureen Dowd

planning on sharing a little about the recent Boston trip soon...
check back...

on the road again

2007-09-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

He has pitched a tent for the sun.

So we went to Colorado and it was AWESOME. I’ve finally posted some pictures below. It was a great time. I can't even tell you how great it was- it was just what i needed. And I always love to visit Ingrid!
Anyway, I went with my family to Kansas City this past weekend for my cousin’s wedding. I’ve posted a few pictures of that blessed event below too. It was beautiful. And Joel & Layna are perfect for each other. It was a lot of fun.

Wondering about that cloud pic above? I snapped that on my way back from Kansas City this weekend… I’ve been seeing a LOT of beautiful clouds lately. Kinda unusual... so I had to throw one up on here.

So I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple days about how ridiculously self-righteous people are. Who do we think we are? Seriously? All the songs I’ve heard on the radio lately are all about how important you are over everyone else. And that’s simply not true. I am not more important than you. And you should not think that you are more important than anyone else either. What is it with society today? Seriously- the movie stars, the musicians, the writers, the christians, the non-christians, the men, the women, the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the beautiful, the ugly, the married, the single, the child, the parent- it seems that everyone suffers from this disease. It seems like everyone thinks they are "it". Everyone seems to think they're why the world spins ‘round.
I heard someone say one time “There is a God. And you are not Him.”
When we finally figure out that it’s about love and loving others unconditionally (not loving OURSELVES unconditionally) then there might be a world changing shift. If you don’t know the definition of love then find it here.

Leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. Going to a conference about purpose and passion. Do I really need more education about purpose and passion? Really? Ha… I guess I probably do… who doesn’t?
When I get back from St. Louis, I’m headed to Boston for a week! It’s a work thing… but I’m totally expecting it to be TONS of fun. I’ve never been to Boston before and I’m super excited. Which means that I’ll take lots of pictures… which means there will probably be lots of pictures that land on my blog... eventually.
Ciao for now!

Joel & Layna's wedding

2007-09-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

finally... pictures from Colorado

2007-09-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Colorado or BUST!

2007-08-24T19:05:00.000-05:00

hey! i'm leaving for CO tomorrow morning! whoohoo! going to visit Ingrid!
going to have a blast! and Tara is going with me!
i'll be posting pictures I'm sure!
btw, did i mention this vacation is a full week?! WAO!
and when i return, my friends Steph & Matt will be back from Korea!
i'll blog more when i get back & have some fun pictures to share!

oh, and check out this cool scripture:
Matthew 11:28-30
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Anne and her diary

2007-08-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

Photo taken from http://www.annefranktree.com

everyday i get an email that lists things that happened that day in history. i don't always read them... and in fact, i usually delete them before i even open them. but on wednesday i decided to actually read it.

among the many things listed that happened in history on August 1st was:
1944- Thirteen-year-old Anne Frank made the last entry in her diary; days later she and her family were taken to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died at age 15.

i read The Diary of a Young Girl when i was younger... but i really didn't remember much about it. since getting this email on wednesday, i've spent a lot of time researching what happened to Anne & her family. there are several different websites with info... including annefrank.org
the story of Anne, her passion, and her courage inspire me. through her writings she's touched so many thousands of people. the diary has been translated into more than sixty-five languages and has sold more than thirty million copies... and she only lived to be 15 years old. 15! can you imagine? and by the way, she received her first diary only 2 years before her death... on her 13th birthday.
the picture above is the view that Anne had from the annex window... where she and her family were in hiding. she wrote of it: "Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs, from my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy."

i've been thinking a lot about passion lately... and when i saw this about Anne... i couldn't help to think about it more. if you have never read her book... you should... i will be re-reading it soon.

"A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks."
Henri-Frédéric Amiel

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Dr. Howard Thurman

Do what makes you come alive.
Anne once wrote: "I know that I can write..."
what do you know that you can do?
Do it.

some pics from my NYC trip last week...

2007-08-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

it will be like Facebook

2007-07-20T19:15:00.000-05:00

so i've been on Facebook since May. i love it. i wish everyone on myspace would come on over. it's awesome. anyway, i'm not writing this to talk people into switching... i'm mentioning this only to say i love meeting cool new people & reconnecting with old friends. I have a new friend in Alaska now... it's such a fun little world.

i was listening to an old Rich Mullins song the other day... I miss that guy. Unlike a lot of singers/artists, he wrote most of his own music. He was a seeker. He was different. He was bold and courageous... and he understood God's grace. Anyway, I was listening to If I Stand and as I was listening to it... I started to miss something... I started to feel this strange longing well up inside of me. Does that ever happen to you?
later on that day I was listening to another song by someone else and it said i'm missing someone but i don't know who...
and i got to thinking, i know who and where i miss. i miss home (a place i've never been) and i miss my friends... the ones i know and don't know. it will be like Facebook when i get there... but for real... in person... everyone connected to everyone else... we'll meet new friends... and old ones. and hopefully i'll meet Rich. i can't wait.

tomorrow I'm heading to NYC for a few days of vacation and fun. yes, i will be taking LOTS of pictures. prepare yourselves! ttys!

just a phone salesman

2007-07-03T10:05:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to put this on my blog... a friend of mine sent this the other day... it's amazing... and inspiring.

CHALLENGE:
is there anything in your life that you are holding inside?
STEP OUT and take the chance! Don’t hold yourself back!

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
-George Eliot

time for a blogdown

2007-07-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

heard any good music lately? If not, then you’re not listening hard enough. Go find some great music that you love and chill with it. May I suggest Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls & Boys album? Check it out.

One of my closest friends, Steph, has been living in Korea for the past 3 years. Every once in awhile we get Skype and chat together. Sometimes she sends me video messages when we can’t Skype. I love it… and I love technology. BUT today I saw something that kinda bothered me. Steph & her husband Matt have seen some pretty sad things while traveling in Asia… like when they went to parts of Cambodia. So, like I was saying, I love technology and all the things it allows us to do… but… sometimes… our gluttony sickens me.
This is about the iPhone. Look, I’m sure it’s great. And I’m a huge Apple fan… and I love electronic toys… but something about people waiting up to 12 hours and then shelling out large amounts of cash seemed a little ridiculous to me. Reports say that there were 500,000 sold this weekend. That’s over the top. Way over the top. While I was reading about it I just found myself shaking my head and thinking about how much money people in the US waste on the latest and greatest thing…
Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m a new media consultant and I LOVE my iPod & my Mac & would like to have an iPhone one day… but… I don’t know… guess I’m just not into that kind of crazy yet… the kind of crazy that spends 12 hours waiting in line and then spending $600ish on a gadget… even if it is the coolest gadget around.

I moved this weekend. whoohoo! I’m still unpacking… but it went well and is going well. It’s a good thing I like my new roommate or I don’t know if I could share space again… TL and I get along quite well… I think we’ll be cool. :) I have a good feeling about it.
I’m just bummed cause I wasn’t able to say goodbye to my cool neighbor Barney. I’m thinking I’m going to go visit him tonight… or sometime this week.

Has anyone notice that I’m addicted to quotes? here’s another one I thought was worth sharing: “Irritability is immaturity of character. If you are subject to being cross and unpleasant with others for no apparent reason, you need to come face-to-face with the fact that you are thinking too much of yourself. After all, your feelings are not the most important thing in this world.” -Lawrence G. Lovasik

Yes, this is a randomly organized blog.
But what can I say- I’m random.

Hope everyone has a SUPER Independence Day!!

stop

2007-06-19T19:05:00.000-05:00

I’ve been doing a lot lately.
And I’m ready for a break.
Ready for a break from everything.
I’m tired of fighting the wars that I’ve been fighting and I’m tired of running the race that I’ve been running… the rat race. I’ve tired of rats.
Rats are selfish, nasty things.
There’s a reason it’s called the “the rat race” and I’m not interested in being a rat. There’s more to life.

Do you really believe there’s more to life? Seriously- do you? Stop and think with me for a minute about what the most important things in your life are right now… what do you spend the most time doing? Priorities? What do you spend the most time thinking about?
Stop. Be quiet. Meditate on God. Spend some time thinking about what God wants you to do. If you think that God doesn’t have anything for you to do… think again… He does.
Stop and take some time to look at the map of your life- where you’ve been- where you want to be- where you don’t want to be- where you’re headed- which direction you need to go.
Stop- check it out- check the Compass- and redirect/remap things if need be.

This week the fish in our office died. Yes, it’s true. He finally kicked the bucket. He was a good little beta fish… and many loved him. Amazing little story actually…
He was on his way out of this life and dying when Nita (our current Administrative Assistant) first came to work with us. He hadn’t had a very good life before Nita… didn’t get much attention… in fact; I think he’d even attempted suicide once or twice. That was about 3 years ago. Nita brought our little fish back to life. He started swimming more and he grew beautiful purple and blue fins… it was a miracle that everyone noticed. Nita spent a few minutes talking to him everyday and… on occasion she required that many of us greet him. It’s amazing what attention and love can do… even to a little fish… sounds ridiculous… and I’m shaking my head and laughing as I write this… but it’s true. Our fish became quite the thriving little fella… and became pretty popular too. Nita brought him back to life and he lived much longer than he would have without her. So, yesterday, he passed away… but he lived a good & happy little life… thanks to Nita. Before she came, most of us just passed by the little fish on the way to another meeting and didn’t stop to talk to him or notice him… but Nita made us stop and pay attention to the little things. If you can’t tell, Nita is someone who I look up to and consider a mentor in my life. (I can write this because I know she doesn’t ever read my blog.) Anyway, I hope you have someone in your life who reminds you to stop and pay attention to the little things. Just in case you don’t, let me be that person… STOP. PAY ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE THINGS. Stop and take a look at the world around you every once in awhile. There really is more to life than the rat race.
When our little fish passed away yesterday, Nita got on the intercom system and announced it to the entire building. And she allowed for a viewing of the body before orchestrating the funeral service. Only a few of us attended the service… but it was a memorable experience… and he was a memorable little fish. Our office will not be the same without him.

Everything is going to be okay.

2007-05-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

one of my favorite teachers in highschool was Mr. Cap.
Every day Mr. Cap would say "Everything is going to be OKAY."
Yes, every day. I'm not kidding. Every day.
I remember one particular day where he threw a pop test at us... NOT a quiz... a pop TEST. you know, a biggie, the kind that can really hurt you if you screw up?
Well, everyone started freaking out: "BUT MR. CAP, YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT THIS! WHAT IF WE FAIL?!"
and I remember saying to him: "Are you kidding me?! You could of at least warned us... I'm gonna fail this." To which he said "Like you would have studied anyway? C'mon. Let me tell you something- you're not going to care about this 2 years from now. You're not going to care about this 5 years from now. You're not going to care about this 10 years and especially not 20 years from now... TRUST ME... EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY. Sometimes life throws you things you're not expecting... and that's just too bad... but everything will be okay."
I cannot tell you how much I think of this. Usually at least once a month- but here lately- it's been more like once a week. Kristin, everything is going to be okay.
Just recently my boss lost one of his best buddies in a tragic accident. It was sudden. Unexpected. He was gone. I did not know this man but I've heard wonderful things about him. And then just a week ago, one of the administrators of the highschool I attended passed away after a courageous fight with cancer. Chip Olin was one of the most reliable and kind men I've ever met. He constantly served and encouraged other people... his life was truly about serving others. Chip's memorial service was Monday... it was a great service.
guess who I saw at the service? Mr. Cap.
And what did he say to me?
"Everything is going to be okay."

Sometimes it doesn't feel okay- sometimes when you lose someone you love it doesn't feel like things will EVER feel okay AGAIN. BUT you will be okay. When you feel like things will never change & you'll never get out of the prison you're trapped in-- when you've been betrayed-- when you've been forgotten-- when you've been abused-- when you've hit an unexpected bump in the road-- when you've been misunderstood-- when you've been rejected-- everything will be okay.
How can I be sure?
One of the hymns we sang at Chip's memorial was "In Christ Alone".
you should buy it on iTunes.
The lyrics are powerful.

this weekend one of my closest friends gave birth to a little 7.5 healthy baby boy. Logan is awesome. Mel said that when he was born he heard Brian's voice and immediately looked in his direction... how cool is that? Yup, we had some quality hang time... it's not very often I get to hang out with people who are 5.5 hours old. He was extremely alert... wide-eyed and ready to see what this world is all about. Just 5.5 hours old and already curious about what's going on. He's got his whole life ahead of him... and he's wiggling and ready to start learning, experiencing, living... he even came 2 weeks early so he could get a head start!
You know how newborns can't really visually focus with their eyes at first? I googled about it today and found that newborns can only focus eight to twelve inches. They can't see the distance. Yup, I'm like that. Can't see what's ahead- I can only see the few inches that are right in front of me. I can't see the things that are far away... so i just have to follow the sound of the voice holding me... the sounds of the voices I recognize and trust the most.
Life is an amazing journey. Sunday I'm holding a new-born baby and the next day I'm attending a memorial service... there is a time for everything. Seasons change, the circle of life continues... regardless of how we might try to slow it down or speed it up. It's God's timing... and we just have to get used to trusting that Everything is going to be okay.

Thanks Mr. Cap.

mac vs pc parody vids

2007-04-19T01:35:00.000-05:00

today one of my coworkers pointed out some videos to me... the Mac vs PC Parody vids... i think there's 4 of them. anyway, pretty funny... done by Community Christian Church in the Chicago area.
i love it when a church has a sense of humor.
i'm down with the JC.
enjoy.

click here! click on the title!

2007-04-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you who receive this blog via email and have asked why you don't see pics or vids, you just need to click on the title of the blog post... and you'll get the full benefits... pics... videos... everything. you know, like the Rocky vid i posted a couple weeks ago. :) whoo hoo.

i read this quote and thought it great food for thought...

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well." -Theodore Roosevelt

hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday! I'll blog at you more soon.

wii wants to play

2007-04-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

what's up.
i've been wanting to write about an experience i had with some 10-year-olds... an experience where they blew my mind via their Nintendo DS system skills. I had asked them what games they were playing… and if they’d show me how to play them. I couldn’t believe it… these game systems have come a LONG way since our “Game Boy” days. I was completely baffled by the kids’ skills on the DS. Unfreakinbelieveable. Did you know that they use touch screens and the buttons and watch 2 screens... all at the same time? And DS is wireless so they can play each other from across the room. Ok, that wi-fi part may not be mind-boggling but the graphics on the games are. And the kids worked together, recognizing each others skill-sets and utilizing them to beat level upon level. I was pretty impressed. i'm thinking i should get a DS... or a PSP... or maybe a Wii. well, anyway, these kids are amazing... they were telling me about their favorite websites and their favorite tv shows... i can't wait to see what their generation does... they're going to do some incredible things... i just know it.

well, i thought i'd share a little something that my friend, Chris Tabberer had emailed along. (Side note: you should check out his podcast.)
anyway, here's the story "Two Wolves"... enjoy...
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

stuff in the basement

2007-03-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

ever start writing something and then stop... and just rest your finger on "delete"? yup, that's what i just did.
sometimes wish i could do that with things in life. but then again, who would i be without those things?

i watched ROCKY BALBOA this weekend with my family.
if you've seen the movie, you probably remember when Rock is telling Paulie why he wants to go fight again and says, "There's still some stuff in the basement."
yeah, it may be cheesy... but where would we be without a little cheese life? the point: you should never dismiss what's in your basement. shoot, Sylvester Stallone thought it was so important that he based his entire movie around it. people bought tickets to see this movie... the guy is almost 61 years old... and people bought tickets!
so it's never too late... and if they make a seventh Rocky movie people will still probably buy tickets... because it's about the message... the underdog.
it's about everyone who has stuff left in their basement... in their heart... looking for the chance to bust it out.
it's never too late to clean out the basement... get it out for good.

think you're inferior? you're not. if you're a follower of Christ, the Bible says that your righteousness is in HIM. you don't have to depend on your own strength... you can depend on HIS. if you're the Bible reading type, it will tell you that it's not about keeping a list of rules... it's about trusting Christ and making Him Lord of your life. He's done all the work... it's why He died for you. Read Galatians 2:19-21 and Philippians 3:7-9.
He's ready to make covenant with you. He sees no stain of sin on you... and you can come find rest in Him. God's promise from Jeremiah 31:33-34 was fulfilled through Jesus.
Read Romans 8:31-39.
Keep seeking... God will not let you down. Read Luke 11:1-13.
Lucky for us that He's done this... none of would ever make it. I know I wouldn't.
Don't know why or how I got into this preaching mode... but oh well... every once in awhile it comes out.

okay, i'll stop... here's a little ROCKY BALBOA for you. TTYL.

"It's kinda fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

2007-03-12T01:40:00.000-05:00

have you started reading Chazown yet?
no? well, don't.
it will just make you more uncomfortable than you already are. so... don't bother... really... you don't want to read it. not now anyway. now is the worst possible time... because you don't have any money... or time... and you'd probably just screw it up. you know you're crazy... and there's no way that'd work... no way you'd make it... no way you could succeed. you're no one... and no one cares about what you think you can bring to the table. what do you have? you're nothing... and besides, they'd all laugh at you. you'd be made fun of. so, just stick it out where you're at... you're safe there. stay where you're comfortable... that's where it's at. no one will ever know.... just keep it ALL to yourself... bury it... and that way no one will ever know or be able to laugh at your stupid ideas... and stupid impossible dreams... just keep it all to yourself... keep it to yourself.

or maybe... it's too late.
maybe you've already started reading it... maybe you've already made it to page 83 and you've read: "Please understand one very important point: When God gives you a dream, you will be anything but comfortable. Why? Because God's vision for you is bigger than you can imagine and impossible for you to do on your own."

i have a little black book that i've been writing quotes in.
you know, the kind of quotes that inspire...
the kind that bother you... the sort that make you uncomfortable... kinda like those dang dreams.

anyway, here's a couple from Mr. Mark Twain:
"Every man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds."
and
"It doesn't matter whether you think you can or you can't... you're right."

Walt Disney:
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Paul of Tarsus:
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."

so, yeah, i've been writing quotes in this little book for almost a year now.
what can i say? it's been one uncomfortable year... and i think i'm ready for the impossible... how about you?
i've jumped off the edge... wanna join me?
no? well, then just stand there... on the edge...
and listen to the rest of us screaming wildly...
yeah, you don't want to jump with us... we're crazy...
and you're safe just where you are.

the force

2007-02-20T15:05:00.000-06:00

so i've been in orlando since friday. i've been at a conference for work... the national religious broadcasters conference. unfortunately, no disney world for me... i was hoping we'd have time to make it over there... but no such luck... oh well.
let me take this time to remind you that the views expressed here on my blog are my views and my opinions... not necessarily the opinions of any one else i work with, work for, know, love, met yesterday, or will meet tomorrow... these are my opinions.
having said that... during much of this conference i've been thinking... wow... these people are odd... and not odd good. don't get me wrong, you meet some really great and normal people... but they are very few and FAR between. i better not say anything else... i never would have come here on my own will... i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my employer.... but yet i'm glad i came. it opened my eyes even more. again, there's some really great people here... but maybe we need to start our own convention... and get away from the oddness.
funny thing- there was another conference going on in this convention center at the same time- it was on the other side of the convention center. it was some sort of comic and gaming conference... you know... the kind where the fans come dressed as their favorite comic or game and/or sci-fi character? yeah, i've never seen anything like it. i had Luigi on one side and Chubaka from Star Wars on the other. and dare i say i felt more at ease with these people and had more fun walking around them than i did on the other side of the convention center. oh well, it's all over and i'm leaving for the airport soon... i'll blog more about some this jazz later on.

life

2007-02-05T23:15:00.000-06:00

I have had an interesting last week or so. Very thought-provoking things going on.
Went to a funeral last week. But not just any funeral… the funeral of a man who many will always hold high and remember with great esteem. I did not know him very well… but I’d had the privilege of meeting him and being around him a few times. You know how sometimes people talk other people up so much… that they make them seem like heroes? Well, little did I know how true things were in this particular case. I thought saints of this nature were only in biblical times… or in movie scripts… or stories… or fairy tales.
But no… what this man did with his spare time and his money... what he did quietly… I truly believe all of creation will know about one day. He literally went to several SEVERAL other countries… spreading the gospel.
The scripture verse that the officiating minister read was this:
Then the king said to his men,
"Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?"
2 Samuel 3:38

And to think… many people have the exact same opportunities… same resources that this man had… and to hear what he did with his life and his time… made me want to be a better person. Even in his death, he inspired us to be better followers of Christ. Amazing… he was a prince for sure.

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you…
1 Peter 1:4
_______________________________________________________________

Have you ever read the words of martyrs… ever read any of their historical last words? Or have you ever read any historical account of someone who died for what they believed? If you haven’t, you should… trust me…
I feel sorry for people that don’t have some sort of passion in their lives. I’ve been reminded of what life looks like without it… and what life can look like with it. I guess the trick of it all is to live out your passion for the right reason…

For those of you who have been crazy enough to have been reading this blog of mine for a few years, you may remember when I was reading Perpetua…
if you want to stroll down my memory lane… feel free to read what I wrote back then about the story and the passion.

I was at my parents’ home on Sunday afternoon and I went through some of the stuff in my old room… I was looking for something I’d written when I was 13. I found it. i knew I’d find it. But I didn’t know how much more I’d find along with it. There was a journal from my senior year in high school that my AP English teacher had required us to keep… she would give us topics to write on… and so… I was reading in it… and it was a very surreal experience to think about how much my life has been molded… and slowly shaped. I hope you've kept a journal that you accidentally find 10 years later. Maybe you should give yourself a topic every day for 5 months… or 8 months… or a whole year… and then hide it away… and then it’ll be like Christmas when you accidentally bump into it again…

oh, and among the many books I'm attempting to read right now... is one about vision. It's called Chazown. I'm thinking you just might enjoy it... i have a feeling that many of my entries to come might be from thoughts i'm having thanks to this book.

BDay fun

2007-01-27T23:50:00.000-06:00

almost forgot... so my bday was Tuesday... and it was a fun time... had dinner with friends... and then closed out the evening w/a lovely time over at Vintage 1740. here's a few pictures from dinner... unfortunately didn't get pics w/all the girls... the pics were too dark... my camera doesn't like PF Chang's lighting too much! anyway... thx to everyone who helped make my bday fun this year... love ya!

beauty of grace

2007-01-27T23:25:00.000-06:00

you know how sometimes you might love the sound of a song... the music... the beat... the melody...? but then you read the lyrics and you're like what the $#%@* are they talking about? and then there's times when you really like the lyrics of a song... but maybe it's not the most well composed musically? or the singer might not be the greatest?
yeah, well, i heard a song the other day that i loved the lyrics to... and i'd hate anyone to miss them because they may not enjoy the music... so... click on the link below if you're interested...

sometimes you just need something... and the other day these lyrics were the something for me... surprised i got through the entire song... i almost changed it when i heard the first "La de da, la de da da" but for some reason i didn't... who sings "La de da, la de da da" anyway? that should only be allowed to be sung by leprechauns or something...
oh well... i like the rest of the lyrics anyway.

love thy neighbor

2007-01-16T22:20:00.000-06:00

tonight i caught a M&M commercial that said to go to www.becomeanmm.com
and so... i did. and i became an M&M. Earbuds and all. i'm wearing gloves & snow boots because WHAT? it's freakin cold outside right now!

so i'm going to try to go to sleep at a normal hour tonight... last night it was reading... the night before i think it was tv... the night before that i'm sure it was music... and who knows about the nights before that...
anyway... my point is that this is going to be short and sweet...

the other day, after it started sleeting and icing and all that... my neighbor (who is an elderly man) was outside in his tall boots and knit cap shoveling the sidewalks. and i'm talking he was going around the entire section of our building... cleaning it off for everyone... even up to their front doors. and then later i saw him out walking the sidewalks and throwing that salty ice-melt stuff down... walking through the entire length of our building... throwing the mixture down on the sidewalk...
one day, when i grow up, i hope to be like my neighbor... shoveling and de-icing sidewalks out of the goodness of my heart... even if it's freezing ass cold outside... not saying a word... just shoveling... and de-icing. i think i might ask him to dinner sometime. i wonder if he's ever been to Diamond Jack's...

anyway... i had to blog about my neighbor... cause his act of kindness made me stop and think...

BRRR...

2007-01-13T17:46:00.000-06:00

it's cold... the roads aren't super friendly due to all the sleet we've been getting.
i had to get out of the house though... i was experiencing cabin fever... went to the store and walked around a bit... rented a movie... interacted with some other humans... got some batteries in case power goes out... got some more food...

i've been browsing around the web and watched a podcast... look at one of the things they featured: http://www.babyrockrecords.com
kinda cool...

and another site i visited... thanks again to ABC's podcast: http://www.barcodeart.com
hope everyone is staying warm... ciao for now...
k.

lipsaver

2007-01-12T13:20:00.000-06:00

I have to tell you about this wonderful product. For the last couple weeks... with the changing weather going on... i've been experiencing some serious chapped lips. it just kept getting worse and worse no matter WHAT i tried! i've never had such a bad case in my life... I'm talking parched, cracked, & bleeding. anyway, THANKFULLY, my dear friend Rebecca intervened. She bought me a Carmex click stick (cherry flavored!) and i'm like a whole new person. I'm not exaggerating... i'm completely serious. i love it. let me tell you... you need to stop wasting time and go do yourself a favor and go buy some of this right now... you will be so glad you did.
Ever have one of those weeks when you feel like no one sees you? Ever feel like no one notices and no one ever will? And then someone surprises you w/a random act of kindness? Yeah, me too.

gifts...

2006-12-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

don't know if anyone read my super long entry from Dec 18... but I've been thinking a lot lately about the gift(s) that God puts in each one of us...

and if any of this strikes a cord with you... or speaks to where you're at in your life...
then here's something you should read that was written by my friend Mike. no, really... read it... what else are you going to go do right now anyway? go check out some more stupid clips on YouTube? you have 3 minutes... i know you do... so take it.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! much love, k.

it's late...

2006-12-18T00:22:00.000-06:00

you know how sometimes the things that are obvious to you are simply not to other people? like when someone you know is extremely talented or gifted in one area and they don't see it? well, i realize that can be true with myself too.... and so tonight i asked Rebecca if there was something that she could see in my life that maybe i don't or don't pay enough attention to that she might see as a natural thing... something that i could/should do... a path or direction i could go... that would be more natural for me. there are special unique things that are in each individual life that is a part of their own unique dna... and some people never make use of their uniqueness... they never use their gift. never flex that muscle or go that direction... i do not want to waste what i've been given.
and i will not. i will not be one of those people. well, Rebecca's response was thought provoking... and as she mentioned, to NOT do what God has gifted me in... would be wrong. why run from the things that God has put in you? it's funny because i hear stories about people who spend their lives going one direction and then one day they decide to step out and do something totally different- do the things that God put in them. be one of those people... start small if you want... but START. start moving in the direction where your gifts lie... those things are in you for a reason. and it's your duty to share them... right? i feel like i'm already using some of my gifting... i'm not sure what it's going to look like 40 years from now... but at i'm going to start working it more... and more.
i dare you to ask one of your closest friends if there's something they see in you that maybe you don't (or don't want to see). don't ask your smart-a friend... ask the one who really knows you... the one you can talk to about anything.
side note: have i mentioned that i love music? man, i'd love to work in music in some capacity... geez... (YES, i'm listening to music right now.) maybe i can have 2 jobs... yeah, i think that's what i'll do... totally do-able...

have you ever truly tried to put yourself in someone else's shoes? have you ever imagined what it's like to be them, look through their eyes at what they're looking at, step on the ground they walk, eat the food they crave, smell the scents in their life, feel their hurts, feel their joys, depend on the money they depend, sing the songs they sing, drink what they drink, hear the songs they hear, feel the passion the feel, cry their tears? sometimes when i read things, i try to imagine myself as that person...
but in real life, imagining yourself in another person's shoes can also help you understand them...
i say this because on saturday night i went to eat a local restuarant where they have been serving some of the best specialty sandwiches and deli-type food in tulsa since 1965. yes... since 1965... almost 42 years. well, i'm guessing that many of the patrons we shared our meal with on saturday night may have very well been coming to this restaurant for these 42 years. and i tried to put myself in their shoes...
went with my dad, mom, & grandmother. at first it seemed as though we'd walked in on a special dinner for the elderly... and then i saw the elderly gentleman sitting on the stage playing his keyboard and singing the tunes from his younger days. wow. talk about walking into someone else's world. we sat down and ordered. and then the gentleman started playing and singing "It Had To Be You". and several of them started singing along... and they sang and they sang and they sang. and they sang. they sang the entire time we were there... and i sat there and watched and listened and tried to put myself in their shoes. i was honored to be eating with them on saturday... they were awesome. i imagine that many of them go there every saturday night... or maybe they travel back and forth to their favorite local diners... but they stick together and they dress up and they remember together and they sing their songs... and they laugh... and they sing. there's something special about this specific generation... their songs are different... and when they're gone... a part of their songs will go with them... because no matter how much we try to put ourselves in their shoes we don't have the memories associated to the songs that they have... the first time they heard "It Had To Be You"... the world was a different place then. not only that but think about what a night like this would be for a group of people who were from the hippie era... what about the punk rock era? i have a feeling that the music from these other generations won't have that same warm nostalgic feel... they'll have feeling... but not the same!
my grandmother started singing along a little bit... and i could tell that she was loving it... and i tried to put myself in her shoes... and i could see why she was loving it...
they were still singing when we left... maybe i should frequent there more often on saturday nights... call me a romantic... but i think they're cool.

my sweet brother, Jared, graduated from OU this weekend. i'll post a couple pics soon. but my pillows are calling my name right now... much love... k.

5 things...

2006-12-09T01:05:00.000-06:00

Steph tagged me to share "5 things that you don't know about me".

okay, if you know me at all… you know that I’m open book… so I really had to think to come up with 5 things that people wouldn’t know about me… had to go way back… to childhood stuff… so here you go:

1. when I was a little kid (like 4ish) and my parents used to take us on road trips, I would stare out the window the whole time… looking intently at each street sign we passed… looking for Seasame Street… I never found it…
2. when my brother was about 5 and I was about 9ish, I punched him so hard that it knocked the wind out of him… and it scared me SO BAD that I never hit him ever again (not with my full strength anyway).
3. My first pair of Nike shoes played a big part in a terrible incident that left me hanging upside down from the fence in our yard… by my shoelaces. (yes, please, take this time to imagine little me dangling upside down by the shoelaces.)
4. One of my favorite meals as a kid was baked beans & dogs heated up in a skillet w/ some mac-n-chesse on the side. Hhmmmm… actually…. that sounds really good right now… ☺
5. The first memory I have of going to the movie theater… was to see Annie. And I loved it… loved the music. Yeah, give me a break… I was 3…

Speaking of childhood… today one of my childhood friends is getting married. Wow, not sure I’m ready to go to this wedding… I hope I don’t have to be escorted out… I just might be crying my eyes out on this one. It’s weird to feel like you know someone… even though you really don’t know the most recent things in their life. I know the boy in him from our innocent days… the boy from tree climbing days… from baseball in the summer… from teenage years… and struggles… and we were close… soulmates. We used to write each other letters. Getting letters from him was one of my most favorite things in life…
I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow… and being at his wedding.

just elfing around

2006-12-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

thanks to Steph, i have a fun little jig for you... enjoy this Merry Christmas dance... from me to you.

whoohoo!

2006-11-28T23:30:00.000-06:00

Layna & Joel!! They just got engaged today! whoohoo!

yeah, my cousin Joel popped the question today & is now engaged to Layna! Congrats to them & whoohoo! I'm excited to have another girl in the family! geez!
anyway, tonight i'm typing from my hotel room in Austin. Here for a business seminar. i've already met some interesting & friendly folks. i sat at a table tonight that was full of people from the east coast... we talked about NYC... and it kinda made me miss it... i'm definitely going to have to make a NYC trip every couple years (at least). going on trips solo makes me more outgoing. i made friends with a New Yorker in the car rental line... and we raced each other out of the airport parking lot. who says New Yorkers aren't friendly??
can i just say that i HATE Austin's roadways!! Good Lord!! what the heck?!?! luckily i have a GPS system in my rental car... but even the GPS system can't figure it out quite right! when i realized it was leading me in the wrong direction, i turned around and told it to reconfigure... and then it was fine... but that was a close one!
on the plane trips here i sat next to women on both flights. and both of these women were mid-fifty and pleasantly plump(i don't know why i say pleasantly... it's just the nice thing to say i guess). and both women were very friendly... but they didn't force me into any conversation... you know, sometimes i just don't want to chat on planes... sometimes i do... but sometimes i don't... so it was nice not to have to. both ladies could easily be characters in movies or on tv. they were funny... and had fun personalities. the flight attendants on my second flight were crazy. they were yelling at passengers and were very short-tempered... yikes!
my hotel room is nice... there are 2 beds... and 7 pillows on each bed! i'm thinking i'm going to surround myself with 14 pillows tonight and drift off into a blissful, pillowful sleep.
well, i'm going to go ahead and jump into those pillows and try to get some sleep... i have to get up early tomorrow! hope everyone is doing well! ciao for now.

fun times

2006-11-14T23:40:00.000-06:00

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I start writing something late at night? Ugh! I need more sleep in my life! Especially as of late… 16 hours in uncomfortable shoes on Sunday was enough to cripple me… I’ve been hobbling around for the past 2 days… trying to act like my feet aren’t still killing me. Geez! Anyway, that being said, don’t judge me for my poor punctuation skills tonight.
So I’ve been meaning to write for awhile… in fact, I wrote something about a week ago… I wrote this huge long thing… and right as I hit the “Submit” button, it was all deleted. 2+ hours down the drain. Yeah, I said 2+ hours… needless to say I was annoyed… but what could I do but just wave it good-bye and go to sleep? So that’s what I did…
Anyway… to Bethany, Steph, and whoever the rest of you are who occasionally read this… yes, I had a great time in NYC. A better time than I expected… but I guess part of that would be because I had no idea what to expect to begin with. I bought a camera the night before I left… and I’m so glad I did. I took tons of pictures. Spent a lot of my time in the Manhattan area… it was such a colorful experience. The sights, sounds, smells, people… the energy really was captivating. Easy to get caught up in. Talk about a romantic place! It was a very surreal experience… I felt like I was literally in the movies for the first couple of days but then I got into it… I started to become accustomed to the busy way of life… I started walking the way they walk… I started crossing the streets the way they cross (there’s a way)… I started to communicate & talk the way they talk(just the facts please)… I started living in it… and I liked it. BUT I don’t think I could live there permanently… I could definitely do a vacation home or something (yeah, like $ isn’t a factor). We went to tons of places and saw tons of things but we still didn’t have time for it all. Thanks to myspace, I was able to reconnect with Matty G and he showed us around a bit… took us to fun places like Little Italy, Chinatown, Time Warner Center, and tons of other stuff. Ingrid & I went to Macy’s and just walked the city one day. It was a lot of fun… eating dogs in Central Park, strolling down 5th Avenue, touring the Empire State Building, taking a Harbor Tour and seeing the Statue of Liberty… good times.
Yeah, so thanks for asking Blee… I can send you (any of you) some pics if you’re interested. It was interesting just to live in the NYC world for a little bit… totally different than anything at home. GEEZ, the taxi rides alone were definitely life-changing experiences! Brought me closer to God I tell ya! I was praying for forgiveness & salvation, recommitting my life to God in those first few taxi rides!
Well, I’ve been listening to some great music tonight… the kind that makes me think about climbing mountains & busting down brick walls & driving at 100mph… the kind that makes you think crazy world-changing Big Ridiculous Impossible thoughts. The kind that spurs dreams that you can’t escape… the kind the rekindles the fire inside. I say all of that to say that I could write all night… and go on and on about stuff… and change the world and everyone in it with just this one entry… but it’s raining and it’s late and I need some sleep… and I think tonight’s rain will help me sleep… but I’m going to write some more stuff soon… so look for it. Hope everyone is doing well. Ciao for now.

Manhattan(s)

2006-10-17T07:56:00.000-05:00

yesterday, late afternoon, I surrendered and joined myspace. yup, sure did. still haven’t worked on my page… haven’t done the about me or anything yet… but I’ll get around to it… :) anyway, here it is: http://www.myspace.com/playintune

my parents came over last night to hang out for a bit… and they brought Marie Callendar’s pie with them. oh hallelujah… yum.
boy, am I one sleepy kid today. stayed up kinda late again. and my neighbors didn’t help… they were making all kinds of ruckus last night! the joys of living in an apartment.

I’m headed to Manhattan, KS to a friend’s wedding this week… leave on Thursday. They call it “The Little Apple”… how cute. I like Kansas… it’s under-rated.
anyway, get back from all that jazz on Sunday. Then I’m going to turn around and leave for the “Big Apple” on Tuesday morning! Yup, I’m headed to Manhattan, NY!
I get to visit both Manhattans within a few days of each other… how funny is that?
Anyway, it’ll be my first time in NYC. I’m really looking forward to it… and I’ll be sure to take plenty o’ pictures! If anyone has any “must-see” suggestions, email me!
ciao for now!

McFreakinAwesome

2006-10-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

i have a little toad friend who's recently showed up... he greets me and welcomes me home in the evenings when i get home after dark. he's not always there... but i look for him and wonder how he's doing when he's not there. i think that a lot of people have toad greeters or toad doormen. i know for a fact that my friend sarah does... and i can think of a couple of others too. hmmm... i guess that toads are friendly little buggers... must be socialites. i wonder if they having a greeting committee... maybe that's where he is when i miss him and he's not at my doorstep... at the toad greeting committee meeting.

so about my audio class... i know you're wondering about that Steph! it was a huge HUGE success. basically left class with a huge goofy grin on my face... i always thought that i had a good ear... and it was only proven last night. everyone loved LOVED Rebecca(vocalist). In fact, they loved her singing so much... that they freakin' gave a standing-o! yeah, i'm not kidding. i'm siked. i'm ready to start recording like a mad person! i asked my teacher tons o' questions...

anyway, everyone loved it and my teacher said it was really REALLY great. and that's quite a compliment coming from him. i love GarageBand! i can't wait to learn all about ProTools!

again, it obviously could not have been a success without Rebecca (McFreakinAwesome), Danny, and Joesf... so thanks to them!!!

i'm listening to Blue Merle's cd "Burning in the Sun" tonight. they're good... check them out. i like their life-like sound. does that make sense? sounds like they're right here in my apartment singing... his voice isn't crowded out by the music... it's above the music bed... it sounds great. the sound of Blue Merle reminds me of DMB... but it reminds me of David Gray and others too... but yet it's still original... different in some way. but i don't like some of the songs because they're depressing... so i just skip those when they start to get me all depressed. why don't people make happier music anyway? not that everything has to be happy all the time but things don't have to be freakin' depressing all the time either. Blue Merle's happier songs are the type of music that i would like to paint to... or write to... or drive to. a few of my favorite songs of Blue M so far are "Part of Your History", "Bittersweet Memory", and "Places".

okay- i'm out- later ya'all- i gots to get some sleep tonight.

I ♥ Music.

2006-10-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

i'm sitting here listening to Sufjan Stevens... his "To Be Alone With You".
I like it... it's more than what it seems.... it's deep.

anyway... we recorded music tonight. we recorded the song i needed for my audio class. it went really well & it was a lot of fun. Good thing was that i didn't end up having to do the guitar part... hallelujah! i met a guitarist at the music store yesterday... so he played for us tonight. Rebecca did the vocal... and she did awesome... no surprise there. i have a feeling that my recording is going to be better than anybody else's... thanks to Rebecca, Joesf, & Danny. :) It sounds soooo great... love it.

it's weird cause i'm sitting here listening to Sufjan... and i like a lot of his music... but there's some of his stuff that i could do without. so it's funny how you can like one artist and then turn around and really like another artist that's totally different. Guess that's the beauty of music... that it doesn't all have to sound the same to be good... to be enjoyed... by someone. We briefly talked about Janis Joplin tonight... and it's not like she had a stellar sound 100% of the time... I mean, think about Janis trying to make it on American Idol... not too sure she'd be able to make it past Simon in the try-outs!
And i'm sitting here thinking about Sufjan's music... a lot of the titles are whacked out... such as the titles on his Come On Feel the Illiniose! album... read these whacked out titles. Luckily crazy titles don't stop people from loving him and his music.
To each his own... that's all it boils down to.

i think Sufjan Steven's music reminds me of the movie "I ♥ Huckabees" in some weird way. Saw the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" last week and i recognized one of the songs in it as a Sufjan song... i think it might have been the song "Casimir Pulaski Day" or the ending of "The Transfiguration"... the 2 songs can sound similar to me. Not that anyone cares about this besides me... anyway... hope everyone has a great week... it's time for me to hit the pillow... cause i'm half asleep!

Happy 1st day of October.
love ya'all.

stepping out

2006-09-25T23:40:00.000-05:00

so as i was buying a bag of "FUN SIZE" Butterfingers the other day I was thinking... why call this little mini-sized candybar "FUN SIZE"? To me, the "FUN" size is not the 1 inch piece of candy... i would think that it would make more sense to call the KING SIZE candybar the "FUN SIZE". I don't know, maybe it's just me... but i think that the more candy you get, the more "FUN" it is. They should call this little 1 inch bar the "JUST ENOUGH". Everyone knows that this is the size that you buy to hide in your desk drawer at the office or in the kitchen cupboards...

Ever have those moments when lights of clarity go off and flicker in your head?? Maybe while listening to a song, while singing a song... or while talking with a good friend?? I've experienced some of those moments- some of those "lights" lately... while doing those 3 things. Don't you love it when that happens? Those are the moments that keep me going... the things that i have to remember when i feel like i'm literally battling... blood, sweat, tears stuff. I pray that God keep you & guide you as you battle whatever you're facing. I pray that you have little lights and moments of clarity that make it all make sense... make it all come together in your head to give you the bigger picture of what it is you are fighting for or against...
or maybe you're not fighting anything at all... i hope you can still experience those flickering light of clarity moments regardless of where you're at in life right now. those moments are important.
speaking of fighting, i read a quote today that almost brought me to a Braveheart battlecry.
even though it may not make sense out of context, i'll share it with you:
"If you are willing to do a frightening thing, if you are willing to run toward the sound of the guns, if you would fight with all your strength against self-righteousness: step out of yourself and see the truth your adversary sees." -Roy H. Williams

no, i'm not a Roy H. Williams groupie... seriously... those people weird me out. any and all groupies weird me out... not just the Roy groupies.

awesome

2006-09-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

Lightning photo courtesy of spaceweather.com

So I'm taking this audio techniques class on Monday nights now.

Much to my surprise, the professor is actually going to the trouble of teaching us the VERY fundamentals of sound... for example, we're learning about at what frequencies the human ear hears and things like wave paths. It is fascinating stuff... I'm not sure any of us were ready to leave when class was over.

GET THIS: Do you know what the sound of thunder is??

The sound of thunder is the sound of all the notes in the musical scale at once.

I cannot tell you how cool that is for me... all the notes in the scale... all at once... thunder is... not just noise... it's music. how can all the notes in the musical scale all at once be an accident? Reminds me of the string theory and the theory of everything.

it's awesome... I am so excited about the things I'm learning in this class. And I thought all I was going to be getting out of the class was how to do audio mixing!

and get this: the end of the course project is to record/produce a song.

sounds way more fun than most of the classes i took in college.

hope everyone is having a great week.

later.

coordination skills

2006-09-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

just in case you missed this rockin' awesome live performance from the OK GO boys on the VMAs...
here it is: OK GO.

i need more

2006-09-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

the long weekend is winding down. bummer. oh well, at least that means that we'll have a short work week. :)
last night i drove down the highway on my way home with the windows rolled down, sunroof wide open, and the music turned way up. and i was happy... i was happy for the invention of cruise control and the invention of the sunroof. the wind was blowing my hair all over the place... it was a wonder i could see anything... it was so therapeutic. it was really great.
i own a pink chair. it's an antique. i acquired this chair from my grandmother... and i love it. i think i've almost decided that it's my most favorite piece of furniture that i have. i got to thinking about why i love it so much... and i think i've uncovered why i love the old pink chair. call me sentimental... but i think i love it so much because i know that my grandfather once sat in it... reading his newspaper... or sleeping... or watching tv... or smoking a cigarette. it was a part of his life... and now it's a part of mine. since he died when i was 1-year-old... there weren't whole lot of opportunities in that one year to get to know each other... and so you take what you can get... and for me, it's the chair. i guess you could say that the pink chair brings us together in a way... it's a part of the family. hmmm... who knew all that could be wrapped up in a chair? seriously haven't ever thought about it until today. funny...

p.s. found a fun blog if you're interested: http://hughe2030.blogspot.com/

nicole, steph, & me

2006-08-26T12:45:00.000-05:00

from Steph's visit... out on our girl's night. :)