Silent Night?

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

This by far is my favorite Christmas song. However, I do have an issue with it. I don't believe it was a silent night. I believe the angel's were having a party. Not some office party where everyone stands around with a cocktail chatting quietly, but a loud rock and roll party where there was true celebration. A celebration like none other.

Hope and salvation had arrived in a small package. This calls for a party that wasn't quiet, wasn't subdued, wasn't held under close wraps, or a party that was silent. This called for a party of a raucous nature, a party that will continue to the end of time, a party not to be forgotten, a party to be heard. I would love to hear what the shepherds heard, the singing, the joy, the shouting, the celebration. On earth it may have been silent, calm, quiet, and subdued. But in heaven, in our future home, it was a party and a loud one I'm sure.

Yet, beside that little tidbit of dissension, it is my favorite. Of all the Christmas songs and carols it is the one I long to hear.

Meteorologist Schmeteorologist

So this morning I woke up to clear streets and an easy drive to work. Suprise, suprise. (See previous entry)

Last night the tube was full of news about todays pending Armegeddon on the roads. Stay home they all said. Hooey. As we have all so often experienced the news media got the weather all wrong. Who is in control? It is another one of God's ways of saying "you think you have it all figured out don't you... well guess what..."

I contest the best weather report comes by looking out your window.

Snow

Snow today.

Well, snow and ice to be precise. I was on my way to a Christmas party and it started to snow. How perfect is that.

Portland doesn't deal well with inclimate weather. As it stands now the tv channels are scrolling closures across the bottom of the screen touting winter storm warnings and the like.

Work is in question tomorrow, well at least my physical presence. I can log in from home and work but we'll see. Maybe I'll chain up and brave the others on the road, only time will tell.

Brian Time

Every other year we go to Illinois to visit my in-laws for Christmas. This is one of those years.

This year my wife and kids went a week earlier than me which gives me a week to goof off. I still have to work but the rest of the time is "Brian Time".

"Brian Time" consists of sleeping in, eating what I want, listening to music at full volume, and watching movies. Nice. Like now for instance I have Demon Hunter's "The Triptych" playing (Mom, don't look them up... just know that to you it is just noise). It is one of my guilty pleasure bands that most would think I'm too old for.

This year I planned ahead and stopped renting every movie once it came out. In essence, I stocked up. Last night was "The Fantastic Four" and "The Dukes of Hazzard". Both as good or as bad as you would guess. I'm not reviewing them at this time. Tonight is "The Island" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Let's just say I hope both are better than the former two. I have more hopes on Branjolina.

Speaking of Branjolina... I can't stand that I just uses that nomenclature. It is the new media fad to combine the names of celebs when they are together. Imagine the media in the fifties putting names together... Frava, Natbert, Richabeth.

Later. Lasagna is almost ready.

Ever Feel Like This?

There's a burning in my heart everyday
I come to you, I look to you and say
When will I become everything that you've intended me to be
I'm beating at my chest everyday
I run to you, I come to you and say
When will I become everything that you've intended me to be
I am so tired, I am so beaten
From walking down the road of shattered dreams
I am so lonely I am so broken
Won't you come, won't you rescure me
I am so tired, I am so tired, I am so tired, I am so tired
[I'll be the light inside of you and won't let go of you]
Come rescure me, won't you come, won't you come
I'm calling out your name

~ This Could Be The Song That Will Change Your Heart - Kids in the Way

I do.

"Nature Should Listen To Us"

Will Ferrell as GW Bush.

Funny.

Enjoy.

Lexus Driving Pastor

Have you seen TBN (the "Christian" TV channel) lately. If not, God has blessed you. If so, you will know this guy - Joel Osteen, or as I like to call him Mr. Feelgood Preacher Man. Always happy, always smiling, always talking about the blessings in life and his lovely wife Victoria, always talking about a better life, always talking about anything that is not Jesus.

Do you want to know more? Check out his website, and then check out this one.

Thanks again to my friend Sarah we have an entry from the Wittenburg Door on our feel good friend.

. . . Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ~ Matthew 7:15

More to come later on our new friend.

On a serious note: please be in prayer for him and his congregation. As we should the Church in whole around the world.

A Simple Box

Since we will not be in town for Christmas, my folks gave my kids their Christmas gifts early. They are great gifts that my kids will have fun with and treasure for time to come.

With those gifts came a reminder of days long ago.

The gift my son received came in a big box. A box big enough for the kids to climb into. It has been fun to watch the innocence of loving the box. Sometimes as adults we forget the pleasures of simple things. Kids, however, find joy and excitement in things like boxes. The box will quickly be destroyed in the play and creativity of my kids but until it is a shredded pile of brown corregated wood waste it will be loved. Once it is destroyed it will be missed.

During their visit my dad reminded me of the box forts that my siblings and I had as kids. Complicated structures built from appliance boxes filled with stories and wonder. We would play in the boxes for lengths at a time. The boxes became castles, ships, submarines, homes, forts, and whatever else the imagination of a child willed it to be. When there were no boxes we had blankets, blankets that made great forts. Tuck a blanket into the drawer of a desk and let it drape to the floor and instantly it becomes the cave of a great monster or the hideout of some robbers. Simple things to amuse a childs imagination, simple things now taken for granted.

Do you have a child you can't think of a Christmas gift for? How about heading to your local appliance store and collecting the biggest, coolest, most treasured of childhood toys; a box.

I long to love the box again.

I pray for a simpler life.

A Father's Pride

Yesterday my daughter Brianna, who is eight, had her first singing solo on stage in front of the church. She was nervous and I was nervous for her. She was doing something I'd never have the courage to do at her age. Singing in front of people, let alone speaking, would have made me nervous to the point of passing out.

The group she is a part of, Joyful Noise, did a musical called "Christmas in Reverse". It was very cute. She had the first solo in the first song. As she approached the microphone I could see her nervousness. Her eyes were darting from right to left, she wasn't sure what to do with her hands, and she stood with anticipation of her big moment. When the moment came, and my stomach was as tight as it could get, she belted out her part without missing a word or a beat. She did awesome. I was very proud of her. This was a gift she must have got from her mother.

I hated that I was even nervous for her. I would hate to see her fail, or not do well, because I know how she would feel yet the fact that she was up on stage, willing to put herself in front of the audience, made me feel a great sense of pride in her. Success or failure I was there for her. I love her too much not to be. Us parents are like that.

I believe that God is the same way with us without the nervousness. I believe that He holds a great sense of pride for His children. He looks at us and smiles. Success or failure He is with us, holding us, comforting us, taking in our performance on the stage of life.

The Boy's First Ride

Just having a little Photoshop fun with my son.

For the worried grandparents in the audience - the bike was safely parked in my garage. My four year old didn't really ride the motorcycle. :-)

Band Plug

Besides the great stories, insight, and inspiration Donald Miller provides in his writing he also introduces us to a great band - The Robbie Seay Band.

Please check them out, you won't be sorry.

Creation Blog

Here is a funny and creative (no pun intended) take on blogging.

PS: Thanks Sarah.

Snow or No Snow

It must be a slow news period around the Northwest. For the past week we have been under a "Winter Storm Watch". With predictions of inches of snow on the valley floor that will result in school closures and days off of work the news media has got our area in a frenzy.

So far no snow.

Very disappointing yet predictable. Anytime the temperature drops to near freezing the media frenzy starts. It reminds me of living in Southern California and enduring the news channels "Storm Watches". It is what we in the Northwest call that rain.

This just proves that the weatherman is as good as looking out your window to see what the weather is like. That's what I do. It is one thing that I have learned over the years; Metorology is as good as palm reading... not so acurate

The Season

When I was a kid I looked forward to the Christmas season. I loved the decorations, songs, lights, the anticipation, and the story. I looked forward to the mysterious packages under the tree and the temptation to guess what was inside. I looked forward to Christmas Eve and the feast that accompanied that day as part of our family tradition. I looked forward to going to church and singing Christmas Carols. Images of the baby Jesus lying in a manger as his proud parents looked over him.

That was then.

This is now.

Maybe it's my age. I don't know.

It has been said before and I'll say it again. This is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus not a time to celebrate capitalism.

It's not that I don't like giving or receiving gifts as part of the celebration or Santa Claus or snow and reindeer. I like to shop and buy and think of creative gifts for my loved ones as much as the next guy. But I don't want to do it starting in October. For some they get a sense of pride saying that they have their Christmas shopping done before Halloween. I say "who cares?".

It really hit me this year when I ran to the mall the day after Halloween and JC Penney's already had out their Christmas decorations. This set me on the path of darkness. I love Christmas, I love the season, but when it confronts me head on two months early I get weary.

I have a rule: No Christmas decorations, songs, cards, etc. until after Thanksgiving.

Sorry to rant, I had to get it off my chest. But we as a nation have lost the baby Jesus under a pile of ribbon and wrap. He is somewhere behind Santa and his little elfs, and rudolph and the snowman, and Clark Griswold and Ralphie and his Red Rider bb gun. Don't get me wrong I love those movies, but in reality they don't portray the true meaning of Christmas.

Christ's birth is no small matter. It should be celebrated with a big party. This birth was looked forward to, prophesied about, anticipated, and celebrated by those fortunate enough to be present and alert. Now it is hidden and forgotten. America's desire to boost our economy by promoting the holiday's gift giving aspect of the holiday has shadowed Christmas' true meaning.

All I'm saying is what also has been said a million times, put on bumper stickers, church signs, billboards, and sky writing; put Christ back in Christmas.

There I'm done.

Well sort of. My brother sent me this link. And I'll end with this addition to your Christmas cheer. Clark Griswold eat your heart out.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Life Experiences

Five years ago I came to believe in Christ’s teaching, and my life suddenly changed; I ceased to desire what I had previously desired, and began to desire what I formerly did not want. What had previously seemed to me good seemed evil, and what had seemed evil seemed good. It happened to me as it happens to a man who goes out on some business and on the way suddenly decides that the business is unnecessary and returns home. All that was on his right is now on his left, and all that was on his left is now on his right; his former wish to get as far as possible from home has changed into a wish to be as near as possible to it. The direction of my life and my desires became different and good and evil changed places…

I, like that thief on the cross, have believed Christ’s teaching and been saved. And this is no far-fetched comparison, but the closest expression of the condition of spiritual despair and horror at the problem of life and death in which I lived formerly, and of the condition of peace and happiness in which I am now. I, like the thief, knew that I had lived and was living badly… I, like the thief, knew that I was unhappy and suffering… I, like the thief to the cross, was nailed by some force to that life of suffering and evil. And as, after the meaningless sufferings and evils of life, the thief awaited the terrible darkness of death, so did I await the same thing.

In all this I was exactly like the thief, but the difference was that the thief was already dying, while I was still living. The thief might believe that his salvation lay there beyond the grave, but I could not be satisfied with that, because besides a life beyond the grave life still awaited me here. But I did not understand that life. It seemed to me terrible. And suddenly I heard the words of Christ and understood them, and life and death ceased to seem to me evil, and instead of despair I experienced happiness and the joy of life undisturbed by death.

- Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy, Leo, What I Believe, Introduction,
trans. Aylmenr Maude, in A Diary of Readings, ed. John Baillie (New York: Collier Books, 1955), 38.

I love to read things like this.

I firmly believe that Christians learn as much about their faith through the experiences of others as they do their own experiences.

The Bible is full of the life experiences of others for this very reason. We can look at the lives of those that lived before us and learn from their examples, their successes and failures, their experiences, etc. Job can teach us about immense faith and patience, David about success and failure and passion, Jesus about love and compassion, Noah and Moses about determination and perserverance, the twelve about following in faith, and on and on.

What story is God writing with my life?

Guilty Pleasure Reading

One of my favorite guilty pleasure readings are books by author Vince Flynn. I just finished his lastest installment of his Mitch Rapp series, "Consent to Kill", and loved it. Fast paced, action packed, with flecks of human emotion thrown in to make a quick read. Mr. Flynn has mastered the solo hero in Mitch Rapp. Don't skip ahead, start at the beginning. Start at "Term Limits" and move forward.

I am waiting for a movie series to be started. Thus far I've not pinned down my favorite pick for the lead actor but I'm working on it. Hopefully it won't be the lame brains who picked Morgan Freeman to play James Patterson's lead character Alex Cross.

Giving Thanks

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love
edures forever;
his faithfulness continues through
all generations.

~ Psalm 100 (NIV)

A reminder of where my thanks is to be given.

He has been so good to me.

No Work Today

Taking a day off to head up to my sister's house in Washington. It is a dual visit... one to spend some time with her family while they are close (they are a military family which moves every three years) and the other to hit Ikea. I have planned my son's room for a long time, now it is time to get it done.

Entries have been few lately. I will do my best to catch up. There are things going on, to many things, thus time to write has been short.

More to come.

Got to hit the road.

Calvin & Hobbes Redux

Read this.

See my post on 9/25/05.

The Needs Game

Occasionally I run across "blog games" that are kind of fun. This is one of those.

Google "[your name] needs" and post the first 10 or so results... (make sure you include the quotation marks)

My name came up with the following:

1. ...we haven't met Brian's needs yet.
2. Brian needs food, badly
3. Brian needs to communicate more effectively and stop being negative.
4. Brian needs assistance
5. Brian needs to learn to paint darker.
6. Brian needs to adjust his tin foil hat - (this is my personal favorite)
7. Brian-Needs-the-Money movie
8. Brian needs a fix
9. Brian needs to combine two or more site links
10. Brian needs your help!!!
11. Brian needs to take care
12. ... Brian's needs and figure out what exactly is his learning disability.
13. Brian needs both money and a job.
14. Your brian needs upgrade - (obvious mispelling of brain)
15. Brian needs to do a Gospel CD

Try yours...

Bird Flu Zoo

Yesterday I heard that President Bush wants to set aside 7.1 Billion dollars to help with the possiblity of a bird flu pandemic. Newsweek reports on the potential cost of this disease. There are reports that the US could restrict travel. Bloomberg reports the threat may spur recommended vaccinations for all. And people all over the world are destroying birds.

Have any of these people promoting the pandemic consulted the CDC?

Exerpts from their website:

• "The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person."
• "The risk from bird flu is generally low to most people because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds."
• "The H5N1 virus does not usually infect humans."
• "The current risk to Americans from the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Asia is low."

Does this sound like something we should be setting aside 7.1 Billion dollars for?

I know that Disney is a powerful company and a major influence on our culture but is this all part of a promotion for their Chicken Little movie? I mean please, is the sky falling? Or is this a wacked way of spurning our economy? Anybody remember the SARS scare? What happened to that?

Talk Radio

For years I have listened to talk radio during my commute to and from work, both here and in LA. I felt that this was my way of connecting with the world outside my world.

Usually the morning consists of wacky morning DJ's or the local pop station. This would connect me with the pop culture and/or give me a shot of humor for the morning. The afternoon and evening drive would be Hugh Hewitt, or Michael Medved, or some other conservative rambling on about things that seemed bigger than me. I felt like this gave me a glimpse of the news of the day from a perspective I could trust.

This has come to an end. I am on a talk radio sabbatical. A break. The length of which is to be determined.

For years I have listened to the faceless voices provide endless hours of a jibber jabber of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions from their electronic milieu. After all this time I am starting to wonder where their ideas end and mine begin and visa versa.

The break began when I was listening to people arguing whether or not Miers should be considered a serious candidate for a position on the Supreme Court. I listened to both sides and didn't give a rip about what either side was saying. I found myself thinking that it was a waste of my time, my thoughts, my ears, to listen to these people prattle on about something that (as my mom would say) "in the light of eternity" wasn't a big thing.

I know, the Supreme Court is a big thing, it can change the way we live as Americans, it can overturn Roe v. Wade, etc. But, you know, one political leaning will out weigh the other for a while, then the tide will turn, and we have a new day. This is the way of things. If you listen to these shows you will have noticed that the name Miers has been replaced with Alito and all the chit-chat and rah-rahs are the same, they continue on undisturbed.

Over all the years I think I am becoming irritated that politics on the radio are so black and white. The republicans are right and the dems are wrong. Bush is great and Clinton is evil. Or as Air America may put it, Hillary is God and George is Satan. Nothing can be so clearly polarized. It reminds me of Psalm 33 that says:

"No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."

Listening to the talk has made me think that there are a lot of people out there trusting in a horse. I am not trying to say that listening to talk radio is all bad and not to be heard, I am just saying that maybe I was to reliant on it and need a break. I was one trusting the horse. God doesn't want me to think in such a way, He wants me to listen to His heart, His way of thinking. He wants me to be concerned with the things that are important "in the light of eternity".

For now, silence, the comfort of prayer, my own thoughts, or one of my few hundred cd's will need to keep me company on my commute through the beautiful hills and pastures of the Willamette Valley.

People

I am a firm believer that God puts people in our lives for a reason.

The reason I mention this is that last night after the crummy movie (see previous post) Kathi and I walked over to Starbucks to get some Joe. Side note: speaking of Starbucks this weeks Opus is awesome. While waiting for the barista to work her magic, a guy I knew from high school (Matt) walked in. He wasn't a close friend or anyone I hung with, I really didn't know him all that well, but I knew his mom and brother. We struck up a conversation, caught up on life, jobs, marriages, kids, church, etc. Seeing Matt reminded me of his mom.

Matt's mom, Judy, was our church's secretary. I got to know her during my last year of high school anf my first couple years of college. Judy and I used to sit and chat while I waited at the church for an event, bible study, or a meeting.

It was during my second year at the community college that I would discuss my next school move with Judy. Judy would always tell me about where her other son was attending college in southern California and that I should go there. He was at Pacific Christian College, a college that was not on my selected list of future schools. She would tell me that I just needed to talk to her son and he would convince me that it was where I should go. I always just blew her idea off.

After a number of conversations I finally caved and told her I would contact the school. To make a long story short, I attended Pacific Christian College that next fall.

During the summer prior to that fall I went on a missions trip with my church to Mexico. The majority of the interns on the trip were PCC students, one of which was my future wife.

I believe that God used Judy to nudge me in the right direction. Prior to hearing about PCC I was looking at state schools in Montana and Arizona. PCC was not even close on the radar.

To this day I remember those conversations and the decisions made without really knowing why they were made. God was ever present during this formative time in my life. I owe Him a great deal of gratitude, and thank Him for using Judy to help guide me in that one important and life changing decision. Without her I wouldn't have Kathi and the kids.

Movie Note

Last night my wife and I went to see a movie.

We spent $17 bucks plus snack money to see "The Weatherman" starring Nicholas Cage and Michael Cane. This movie-going experience reminded me of why I wait for the video release on movies like this. My standard rule is to see movies on the big screen that are enhanced by the size of the screen and the quality of the sound system, movies like action adventure, sci-fi, LOTR like movies, epics, etc. This movie would have been the same watching it on the screen of a PSP.

This movie is not going anywhere on my list of favorites. Quirky, foul, odd, numb, directionless, Godless, and lacking a decent plot. The f-bomb was a bigger star in the movie than Mr. Cage. There was an occasional chuckle, but not enough to list this as a comedy. I have always enjoyed Nicholas Cage movies and he is the reason we chose to see this one. In the future he will not be the deciding factor on the movies we choose to see.

The story is about a man (Nicholas Cage) who is lost and lonely in life. He is a successful weatherman at a Chicago TV station, divorced and seemingly unattached to his kids. He desires to have the life he thinks he deserves; a good job, a perfect family, the respect of his father (Michael Cane), and a white picket fence. Throughout the movie he tries to deal with his failure as a husband and father, his life as a public figure, and his relationship with his father, all while courting with a national network for a job on Bryant Gumbel's early morning show.

Never does he look to God for answers, only to himself, his earthly father, and his bow and arrow. The archery aspect of the movie is interesting and quirky but really comes off as a substitute for true answers to the meaning of his life. Usually in a movie like this God gets a gratuitous mention, but this movie He is obviously absent.

When the movie ended I could only feel sadness for this guy, some sympathy, but mostly sadness. It is almost as if he ended where he began, unhappy and directionless. The situations in his life has changed but the meaning stayed the same. The only thing that he resolves is that he is a weatherman and he is okay with that. In his closing statement he states that he is satisfied that he is behind Bryant Gumbel yet ahead of SpongeBob.

Next comes Narnia. A movie that is essential to see in the theater and a movie that is sure to contain more meaning than a high paying job and being ahead of SpongeBob on the food chain.

Techno Not

Sometimes I think it is good that I am not a wealthy person. If I had cash to burn I'd be the technology geek that most desire or dream to be. I love new technology and the things, gadgets, gizmos, and fun toys man has dreamed up.

The reason I mention this is because our family, thanks to Verizon, is joining the new millenium. WE ARE GETTING DSL. A technology I've been desiring for a while, but the price has kept me away.

I didn't order it because we need it or because of peer pressure and definately not for work, but because it is so cheap. For only $5 more than we are paying for dial-up we can get a dsl connection. What? Are you laughing at me? Yes, we do currently have a dial-up connection. It is true. I admit it. I am cheap. Too cheap to spend extra money on something that is just not absolutely necessary. However, $5 is worth the price to have a fast connection that allows us to be on the phone at the same time. Cool.

We're pathetic? Yes we may be.

It wasn't until our daughter was born in '97 that Kathi and I owned a microwave. At the time of that purchase we considered it joining the 80's, a decade and a half plus late, but we joined none the less.

We ended up buying the microwave to help heat the milk for late night feedings. We considered it a safety precaution. Have you ever stood over a hot stove at three in the morning when you can barely keep your eyes open? I have. The warmth from the stove is inviting. I would have hated to burn myself trying to snuggle up with the burner. Plus, the time we saved heating up the milk in the microwave, versus the stove, added to the precious sleep minutes new parents are commonly deprived of.

Our other big move in technology was ordering cable TV for the first time. At this point I guess we were again joining the 80's. That was about three years ago. Before that it was the classic rabbit ears. Our friends would laugh and point at us as if we were three headed circus freaks. The breaking point on the cable came after we moved into our new house and I discovered that the Fox channel didn't come in too good. I couldn't stand that. Fox has football. Life without the Raiders... I don't think so. Okay, I hear the booing and hissing, enough of that. Just know that Raider fans could kick the @$$ of any other teams fan base. We know this because half of our fans have served time. Well, that is a discussion for another time, and yes I know the Raiders suck bad this year, as we all know it's a "rebuilding year(?)".

For the record our cable bill is less than $10 a month. We got the bare minimum. It does, however, come with AMC movies, the E! channel, and Discovery.

At this rate we will have an Ipod by 2017, and Treo cell phones by 2021. By the way if you want to help me beat the 2017 Ipod date, you can help me get a free one by clicking on the link to the right.

More Miller

Donald Miller, the writer of Blue Like Jazz, has a new website.

If you have not heard of him, or his work, check it out.

Foiled!

My brother sent me these office photos. They had some foil fun with the office of a guy returning from a five week sabatical. The pictures speak for themselves.


Good one Kev!

Home Away From Home

For about 10 hours a day I sit here:

First, you will notice the wood paneling; this gives us the comfy wood cabin feel Kramer was searching for on Seinfeld. Or is it the 70's smoky office feel of Barney Miller. Not sure.

The second thing you may notice is that the computer monitor takes up a bunch of real estate. It is a bit of a beast but it's 21" corner to corner screen allows me to have lots of things going on at the same time. Multitasking. I am hinting around about the 23" flat panel from Apple.

Third, comes the clutter. Yep. Sorry Mom, old habits are hard to break. But you must know that there is a lot going on here and I need things accessible.

I have adorned my office with touches of home; photo's of the family, the kids art work, gifts from siblings, etc. They are things that remind me why I do what I do and why I sit here for so long suffering the curse of Adam from Genesis 3.

Got a picture of your office? I'd love to see it.

Law Enforcement

Have you ever been driving along minding your own business when some jerk cuts you off or flies past at the speed of light and you thought to yourself "Man, I wish there was a cop around to see that"? Today my wish came true.

There is a road I take on my way home from work everyday. At one point it ends and you have to turn right or left. Everyday but Wednesday I turn left. It is a well traveled road. So often traffic backs up for about a half to a full mile. Today was a mile. When I got to the back up I looked in my rearview mirror to see if the lady behind me on her cell phone was going to stop. She did. However, I noticed the peeved look on her face that she had to stop with the rest of us mortals. It didn't take long for her to see that the shoulder is wide enough for her to drive down, so she did just that.

As most drivers know a shoulder marked with a solid white line is for emergency parking only. Or in this roads case, it is commonly used for the many bicycles that travel our roadways.

So my satisfaction came about 3/4 of a mile later when I noticed the motorcycle officer that had a couple of cars pulled to the side of the road. Among them was our friend on the cell phone. She did not look happy. It got better. As I sat and watched the officer writing up each car I noticed him pointing at cars coming down the shoulder and waving them in for a little visit. He was a busy man. He was pulling over every single car that was using the shoulder as their personal lane. Sweet justice.

I mentioned earlier that I turn left everyday but Wednesday. On Wednesdays I do turn right, and I do wait until the road divides to pull forward. Not because I am heading to church and think that God is watching and will strike me down, but because I would hate to hit a bicyclist or a guy changing his tire because I was in a hurry.

Please don't think of me as a saint behind the wheel. I am not. I, like most, get that sick feeling in my stomach as a pass an officer at a speed greater than that which is posted. You know what I mean.

Sometimes in life we need to slow down and obey those little rules we think are silly. It would have saved this lady a few bucks and actually got her to her destination a little sooner.

God bless our law enforcement friends.

Gamble Away

On my way to work yesterday I heard a disturbing advertisement on the radio. The ad was promoting the building of a new casino in the Columbia Gorge. The ad was touting the addition of new jobs that the casino would bring both in its construction and its operation. It spoke of how these jobs are needed in this tough economic time. Hmm?

What it doesn't mention is the effect that gambling has on families. It doesn't talk about the addiction, the heartache, the financial devistation, or any other problem that gambling can cause.

Unfortunately I do not remember the website the ad directed you to at the end. Probably for the better that I don't.

My brother mentioned to me the other day that of all of the wonderful, beautiful, marvelous things to see in Oregon, the two leading tourist attractions are casino's. He mentioned this because third on the list is the Evergreen Aviation Museum where the Spruce Goose is now on display.

I want to give kudo's to Mr. David Wu for opposing the construction of the casino in the Columbia Gorge, it is one of the few things I've agreed with him on.

Does Oregon, or this nation for that matter, need another outlet for gambling?

Are Christians Funny?

Today a friend sent me a link to www.larknews.com. In the spirit of The Onion, The Wittenburg Door, and other brilliant sources of satire, Lark News takes on the world of Evangelical Christianity with a wit of its own. I wish I would have known about this site earlier. I guess I'll have to hit the archives section.

A bit of warning, for those with no sense of humor or those that take themselves to seriously, this is not a site for you. However, if you like to laugh, if you can take a joke, or you secretly store jokes about Carmen or Benny Hinn in your head, this is a site for you.

If you have any question about the integrity of the news reported or about the content in an article posted on the site please review the disclaimer linked at the bottom of the page.

Christianity Today article/review did a review on the site for those that would like a truly professional opinion before diving in.

PS: Thanks Sarah ~ your email hit the spot today.

Napoleon the Theologian

I used the following passage in our high school Sunday school class last year to help in a discussion on the influence Jesus has had in the world. I thought I'd share it again.

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and whatever other religions the distance of infinity…
Everything in Christ astonishes me. His spirit overawes me, and his will confounds me. Between him and whoever else in the world there is no possible term of comparison. He is truly a being by himself. His ideas and his sentiments, the truth which he announces, his manner of convincing, are not explained either by human organization or by the nature of things.
The nearer I approach, the more carefully I examine, everything is above me; everything remains grand, - of a grandeur which overpowers. His religion is a revelation from an intelligence which certainly is not that of a man. There is a profound originality which has created a series of works and of maxims before unknown. Jesus borrowed nothing from our science. One can absolutely find nowhere, but in him alone, the imitation or the example of his life.
…I search in vain in history to find the similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history, nor humanity, nor the ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am ale to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary. The more I consider the gospel, the more I am assured that there is nothing there which is not beyond the march of events, and above the human mind.

-- Napoleon Bonaparte

Bonaparte, Napoleon, “Conversations with General Bertrand at S. Helena,” in Anthology of Jesus, arr. and sel. Sir James Marchant, ed. Warren W. Wiersbe (1926; Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1981), 260

God's Eye View

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in space and look down upon the earth? Maybe even zoom in and get a birds eye view on a city? Well, the people of Google have made that possible.

Check out Google Earth. It is a techies dream and makes me wonder what the government has available.

It is an amazing toy, tool, resource, etc. We use it on occasion at work to get an idea of where a customer is located. I use it at lunch for just browsing the world.

It is full of cool features, gadgets, and gizmo's. A high speed connection is recommended.

A Little Rock n' Roll

Wednesday night rocked!!!

I took a couple of friends and my young nephew to see a few bands at the Loveland theater in Portland. On the docket was Mourning September, Number One Gun, Spoken, and Project 86. The venue was small and the crowd was smaller than I would have thought. But who cares, we were there and that is all that matters.

We missed Mourning September... If they were like Number One Gun we didn't miss much. I hate to be negative on the guys, I know they were trying hard, but they (No.1Gun) need to loose the ties and get a drummer that knows more that one beat. I'll check out Mourning on the web later.

Spoken was great, as expected. My nephew got a poster and had all the guys sign it. That is one thing that is great about these shows; the band comes out at the end of their set and hangs out to talk with the fans.

Project 86 did not disappoint. They blew the roof off. It was obvious by the crowds response who they were there to see. My friend Ben started the onslaught of stage dives that continued through the concert - go Ben! Sadly, the old man (me) was enjoying the view from the back. Andrew (the lead singer/songwriter) knows how to please the crowd. His intensity is captivating. Thanks fella's for the great show, I look forward to the next.

*** Not sure how to get the best photo's on my digital in the dark ***

Due to budget & time contraints I had to by pass the Chevelle show tonight at the Roseland. Maybe next time.

I need to find a career in the music biz...

So Much Music, So Little Time

Today was the release date for Project 86's latest, "...And The Rest Will Follow". Just in time for tomorrow nights show at the Loveland Theater in SE Porland. Yes, I'll be there. Yes, I know I'm old. Yes, I still love the rock and roll. I am taking my young nephew and a couple of my friends from church. We will have a blast and I'll post about it Thursday.

I've listened through the album twice and love it. You read it right, I wrote "album" not cd. An album is "A set of musical recordings stored together...". So when I call it an album, don't correct me.

I am glad for my half hour commute to work. It allows me the freedom to play the music my wife can't tolerate. It also affords me the right to sing along at full volume without the worry of offending sensitive ears, or any ear for that matter. A side note: Cell phones have made it easier for us wanna-be rock stars to sing in our cars without looking like fools, now we just look like we are having an animated conversation on our wireless cell.

Rock On!

New Link

OneTrueGod.com

I came across this website that is moderated by Hugh Hewitt. It is a great read.

The format: Mr. Hewitt, as a layman, asks a theological question and the contributors answer it. Simple enough. Currently the contributors are: Albert Mohler, John Mark Reynolds, Mark D. Roberts, Amy Welborn, and David Allen White.

These links will provide plenty of great reading material. Enjoy. I do.

Celebrity Cindy

Please look at the picture in this link.

Does this look like the face of mother who is grieving the loss of her son? Or, does it look like the face of a lady enjoying her 15 minutes.

What she is able to do now is what people in the Middle East are dying to be able to do. Freedom is a powerful thing that most of us take for granted each day.

Pray for those in the Middle East on both sides of the battle.

Babs Need Work

Maybe Barbara should reconsider her retirement from the stage and give up her second career as a meteorologist or her hobby as a climatologist. Drudge has an interesting blip on Babs' ranting.

Calvin & Hobbes

I had a brief moment of excitement this weekend that quickly dissipated. The Oregonian has Calvin & Hobbes in it's comic section in this Sunday's paper. At first I thought Bill Watterson was pulling a Berkley Breathed and making a come back with his famous six year old and his stuffed tiger. Not so. The copyright on the comic is from 1993. Oh well, I'll still enjoy reading the classics.

If anyone knows of Mr. Watterson's where abouts or if by some God breathed miracle he happens to read this let him know his professional come back would be very welcomed and celebrated around the world.

~Personal note to Mr. Watterson - BRING BACK CALVIN, PLEASE!!!

On occasion I reach back into my collections of his work for entertainment, inspiration, and a nice laugh. That boy and his tiger always has a way to pick me up.

There are many people that just don't work enough these days. One in particular is Mike Myers. Not the scary guy from the Halloween movies, but the one of Wayne's World fame.

I know his last work wasn't the best (Cat in the Hat), so what we want back is the Mike Myers from "So I Married An Axe Murderer" fame. Word is Shrek 3 is in production so at least will get a small taste.

The other is Steve Guttenberg...

Just kidding, I actually mean Steve Martin. What is up funny man. Let's see something more, even if it is a "Three Amigos, part duex". Trains, Planes, and Automobiles was on the other night and I had to stop for a bit. He's magic on screen.

Strange how fickle our society and who we want to see or who we allow to entertain us. Hollywood probably works way harder that they need to to find new faces. There is nothing wrong with the old standby's. Note to Hollywood; allow your actors to reinvent themselves, to branch out and try new things. Maybe this will help keep them out of trouble, politics, or keep them from boating through flooded neighborhoods acting as if they are doing good a la Mr. Penn. Don't get me wrong, I love Sean Penn's work, but what an @$$ he looked like during the Katrina disaster. Leave the rescuing and reporting to the professionals.

Time to shut down and go watch the rest of "Sahara". I fell asleep during it last night. Partly because I was tired and partly because it was a little boring. I've been told the book is better, it always is. My personality demands that I watch the rest so a least I know what happens. This personality trait has cost me some hours in my life... "Napoleon Dynamite" (sorry Mo) "XXX, State of the Union" of recent.

It's A Dog Thing

I want to first state for the record that I am allergic to dogs, thus cannot own a dog. I know that there are dogs out there that are okay for people that are allergic, but there is a second reason I don't own a dog and that is that I am cheap, and dogs are expensive. The day that dogs can pay their own bills I get one. I do however appreciate the fact that people own dogs, love their dogs, etc.

That brings me to my question; why, oh why, do people bring their dogs to Home Depot?

Today I was in the mood to do a little work on the house. My garage is a killer mess and I (and my wife) felt it was time to do a little organization and clean up the garage. You must know that we have a one car garage that really could barely fit a Mini Cooper in it even if the garage was totally empty. To gain as much space as possible things must come up off the floor. In order to do what I wanted I needed some shelving. As any red blooded American would do, I set off to Home Depot to look at the massive selection of shelving options for my garage.

For the record this was not my first visit the the big orange box, nor my first observation of the topic of discussion. Today I , without a dog, was in the minority at Home Depot. There were all shapes, sizes, breeds, and colors of canines out for a stroll down the home repair isles. Today, more so than past visits, I was particularly irritated by the presence of our four footed friends. I couldn't even go down an isle without wonder if this was going to be the dog that challenged my pacifist tendancies on this topic. One happened to weigh more than I do and showed more teeth than my comb when he yawned. This gave my cause for pause. The owner noticed my hesitation and then said, "He doesn't bite. It's okay." So not wanting to look like I doubted him or was afraid I passed by the pooch.

I just don't see the point in bringing your dog into the store while you shop. Is Fido giving advice on the correct plumbing fixture for the job, or helping pick the right shade of brown for the kitchen? What risk does the dog owner and Home Depot put themselves in by letting dogs in the store? What would happen if a dog got a wild hair and lashed out and bit somebody? Heaven forbid it end up being one of my kids. The heavenly wrath of the father would be upon that dog and its owner.

The Home Depot website has nothing on the dog in the store policy as far as I could see. I'd be curious to know if there has ever been a serious incedent in one of the stores or if all of the stores allow dogs in them.

Kudos to all the dog people today... the dogs were all on leashes.

Theater of the Mind

A few nights ago the strangest thing happened to me. As far back as I can remember I have always experienced very vivid dreams that I remember long after I have awakened. For example, there was a time in high school when I was Magnum P.I. protecting a house from some bad guys and a time when I was riding a friend's motorcycle but I had to push it along like Fred Flintstone and the list goes on. Dreams of old that I remember to this day. But this one a few nights ago was quite different.

The dream went like this: I was aboard a military submarine and a giant metalic worm (very sci-fi) was eating the sub from the inside out. At one point it breached the hull and we started to take on water. At first I was able to see everything the worm was doing, as if I was a ghost following it around. Then the dream shifted to me standing in an office looking out the window of the sub at the air bubbles escaping and rushing to the surface. I know most large submarines don't have windows, but this is my dream. Up to this point it is the standard dream full of improbable events and impossible settings.

This is when it started to get weird. While standing in the office gazing at a scene of doom I began to think of my pending demise. The thoughts of being crushed alive or drowning frightened me. The strange thing was I knew I was dreaming. I began to fear what would happen if I died in my dream. Would I die in real life, would I feel everything as real, and so on. My thoughts, as far as dreams go, were very lucid. I began to think since this is a dream can I just wake myself up. I had pondered the repercussions of taking this course of action then my sense of mortality took over and I wanted to ensure my future in my real world. So I willed myself awake. The next thing I knew I found myself in my room, awake and unharmed.

As far back as I can remember I don't recall having a dream where I knew that I was in a dream with the ability to leave the dream.

New Music

With all of the serious events happening in the world I hate to be so trivial but...

I recieved my seven free cd's from my latest invitation to rejoin BMG's music club. The list of seven is...

Jars of Clay - Redemption Songs
Bleach - Farewell Old Friends
Green Day - Dookie
The OC Supertones - Faith Of A Child
Houses of Heroes - Self Titled
Kids in the Way - Apparitions Of Melody
Seventh Day Slumber - Once Upon A Shattered Life

As I move through the cd's I'll post some random reviews. But until I get Kids in the Way out of the player you'll have to wait. That is a great listen. Go to there website for a sample. This one's for the Rockers out there.

Self Serving Plug to follow... If you are jealous of my new cd's and want to get your own, join BMG through the link "Help Me Win a Free IPod" here or to the right. You would be helping a worthy cause.

SYATP Part II

It was an early morning today that started at 4:40 when my daughter was up moving around.
She couldn't sleep, so she was reading. I am so proud, yet tired so I made her turn off her light at 5:15 when it was time for me to leave.

Then it was off to breakfast at 5:30 and SYATP at Aloha High by 7:00. We were the first ones there at 6:50. It wasn't long until we had a small crowd of about 40 (as seen below). By the time I left at 7:30 there was almost 100 students surrounding the pole. It was a great thing to see. Students and faculty putting aside everything to stand united in prayer for their school.



I did the unthinkable and stood in prayer with my eyes open. Really. I did so watching, praying, and thinking of those that walked by us with a variety of looks on their faces. Many didn't even seem to notice. Some looked and giggled, some smiled, and some had that look on their faces... you know the one... the "what the..." look. I was proud to stand amongst the students and listen to the prayers of hope and of honest concern for their generation.

I am looking forward to hearing stories from other schools in our area tonight at the rally being held at our church.

SYATP

Tomorrow is the annual "See You At The Pole" rally for the nation's high schools.

Please pray for our nation's youth. Encourage those you know to participate in the rally.

I will be attending a rally at Aloha High bright and early at 7am after my even earlier breakfast at Shari's that starts at 5:30. I am encouraged by the students who take their faith seriously and pray for their fellow students and teachers. My prayer is that it happens more than once a year.

Our church is holding a post rally tomorrow night for about six local churches and covers about 8 or 9 high schools. I will post tomorrow on the days events.

“Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”--Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

Sunday 9/19/05

Sitting, sipping and listening to random music from my collection all the while ripping all my Dream Theater cd's onto my pc. I still don't have their latest... what a shame. The kids are down the street hangin' at the neighbors house so I am taking a moment to myself for myself.

Kathi and I watched the movie "Crash" this weekend. Suprisingly enjoyable for a movie I had not heard of. Kathi read a review of it in World magazine which prompted her to pick it up amongst the tripe at the video mall. The movie deals with a number of different characters and how their actions and their lives intersect. The characters are a collection from the American melting pot. If you want to know what happens, rent it. If you want a synopsis of the plot go here. I just want to say that it is a movie that gives to thought. A word of caution to those sensitive in the ear, the F-bomb is heavily used.

This movie came along at an interesting time. I am reading a book by Don Miller called "Searching For God Knows What" where he delves into thoughts on the nature of man after the Fall (Genesis 3). It is an interesting and thought provoking read. It has me rethinking my reason for a lot of the things I do and hold as important in life. It has reminded me of a line from the movie "A Man On Fire" with Denzel Washington where his character, who is a body guard for a young American girl in a South American country, is asked by a nun at the girls school if he sees God in what he does.

Do I see God in what I do?

Do I seek God in what I do?

Life is interesting...

The smell of Kathi's chili is making me drool so I am going to go and clean up for dinner.

The Return

These past few months have been an interesting time for me. It is just the last few days that I am starting to see God's hand in the events of my life. My prayer is that he continues to reveal His works and plans for my life. Over the next few posts I will fill in the past few months and the events that have led up to the revelations in my life.

This morning I sat reading Psalm 33, a random Psalm that I turned to after my scheduled reading of Ephesians. I am not one to attribute random things to God very often but I do think he had me turn to this Psalm today.

The verse that struck my heart is verse 16: "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength." I am that king and that warrior. Over the last few years my focus has moved inward. Not that I was totally self absorbed, but more so than I should have been. God is reigning me in, grabbing ahold of me and showing me the things in my life that I need to let go of.

These last few years I have put aside the things of God for the things of man. I have prioritized poorly. Now I am paying a small price for it. I have had my ego bruised, my pride ripped away, and my finances challenged.

Stay with me and I will do my best to put an honest face on the events over the last few months and the lessons that God is teaching me. (edit... can't persue this at this time... sorry)

Kid Heaven, Parent Hell

Last night I went to adult hell, a place were calm and peace and silence cannot exist, a place called Chuck E. Cheese (CEC).

If there was an opposite to a sensory deprivation tank it is CEC. It is a place of constant noise and stimulation and my kids love it. It reminds me of the tunnel in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (side note: I am looking forward to Tim Burton's remake).

I chased my three and a half year old son through the maze of games and lights in the search for mega quantities of prize coupons for what seemed like eternity. He had to touch and play everything. He even turned the Skeeball game into pitching practice. In the end he was excited to turn his coupons in for a little piece of candy. My daughter and her friends ran around giggling like little school girls. There were not enough tolkens in all the CEC's of America to satisfy their lust for the prize coupons.

My kids slept well last night.

In the end it is proof that a parent will go to hell and back for their kids.

Valentine's Day

Today is a day we focus on our love for another. We send flowers, chocolates and pretty cards to our loved ones. Basically we tell those that already know that we love them that we love them. The holiday is named after St. Valentine whom we really know nothing about, nor which St. Valentine it was named after since there are a couple of them. I hold that this holiday is a retail scam to collect two bucks from everyone for a card they feel required to buy.

My kids are having a party to celebrate the day. They have decorated little boxes to receive their Valentine's in and have sealed up little Valentine cards for their buddies. I am not sure what Spiderman has to do with today, but my sons cards are covered with him. My daughter will most likely give me a count of all her cards when I get home tonight. She was disappointed yesterday because there was no mail delivery, she was sure there would have been something for her.

I remember those days. The thrill, the excitement, of the cute girl in class giving you a card that asks "Will you be my Valentine?" or the one kid who's mom attached a sucker or a peice of gum to the card. Are we teaching them something? Or are we indoctrinating them into the "Hallmark" holiday that it has become.

Do I sound a little cynical? Maybe I am. I love my wife and she knows it. It doesn't take a special holiday that rakes in the cash for the Hallmarks of the world for me to tell her that. Albeit, I will be getting my wife some beautiful flowers on my way home.

Thanks W

Just wrapping up my taxes for 2004. Thanks to the TaxCut program I was done in just a few hours.

Here is my personal thank you to "W" for his tax breaks that help families like mine - "THANK YOU!".

Music Shuffle

I saw this a while back and thought it would be fun to do.

Instructions:

1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the "shuffle" command.
4. List the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.
5. If you get the same artist twice, you may skip the second (or third, or etc.) occurrences. You don't have to, but since randomness could mean you end up with a list of ten song with five artists, you can if you'd like.

My results:

1. Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
2. Estella - Ace Troubleshooter
3. Endure - Plumb
4. #34 - Dave Matthews Band
5. Places - Falling Up
6. The Devil in the Wishing Well - Five for Fighting
7. Flood - Jars of Clay
8. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
9. When the Bells Don't Chime - Brian Setzer
10. All the Time - Jeremy Camp

This is the first 10 out of 1712 songs.

Check yours out. Have fun.

Disposable Income

On February 9th, 7.29 million dollars spent on a painting. Was it a van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, or even a Warhol? Nope. It was a Freud. Sigmond Freud? Nope again. Lucian Freud. I personally have never heard of him. But then again I am not an art connoisseur. Although recently I discovered an urban artist who's work I like very much. His name is Justin Bua and my favorite piece is "El Guitarrista" (gift idea anyone).

What is the painting of that makes it so valuable? A nude of Kate Moss, the waif model popular in the 90's, holding her baby. Wow, it must be good.

What kind of disposable income must one have to be able to buy a painting for $7.29 mil?

Knowing that there are millions of people suffering around the world from hunger, natural disasters, terrorism, etc., what kind of mindset must one have to ignore that for the pleasure of a nice painting?

Sorry for all the questions but it is something that I can not comprehend.

Excuses, Excuses!

So now the Eagles lost because McNabb may have been sick!?

Boo hoo!

Isn't that what back up quarterbacks are for?

That's like us Raider fans blaming the disappearance of Barrett Robbins for the dismal loss to the Bucs in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Get over it.

It was a boring game that the Pats won because they played less bad than the Eagles. Can I say "less bad"?

Super Day!

Congrats to the New England Patriots! The newest dynasty in football. Now let them prepare for the fate of dynasty's past - San Francisco, Dallas, Washington - where are they now? As one commercial for the NFL Channel put it - next year is a blank slate - here comes the Raiders.

Another congrats is deserved by the Oregonian for carrying a commentary by James Lileks on the front page of its opinion page. What's next? The dropping of regular pieces by Maureen Dowd or Molly Ivins? I can dream.

By the way my favorite Super Bowl commercial was a beer ad. It was the one featuring men and women of our Armed Forces walking through the airport being cheered on by the citizens they protect. Let's make that happen.

Winter Camp

This post is a week over due.

Last weekend I spent three days with 550 High School students at our winter retreat with four of Beaverton's largest evangelical churches (Beaverton Christian Church, Beaverton Foursquare, Sunset Presbyterian, and Village Baptist). The display of unity was priceless. In the Christian community too much focus is given to the differences between denominations and not enough to our common ground. This weekend showed that despite our differences we are really all the same, children of the Almighty.

The retreat took place at a YoungLife camp in central Oregon called Wildhorse Canyon, the former home of the infamous Rashneesh Puram. One of my favorite things that weekend was climbing to the top of "Communication Hill" and looking out over the camp to watch the sun set. I imagined God watching this camp being built by the Bhagwan thinking to himself "go ahead and build it, one day I will make it Mine". Today, it is definately His.

Joining us for the weekend to lead worship and play some Rock and Roll was a band from Memphis called Our Hearts Hero. These fella's did a great job and the kids just loved them.

A week later I am still excited about the prospect of going to the same camp next year.

Pray for unity among Believers.

Go!

And it begins.

For a number of months I have been reading various blogs and I have enjoyed what I see in them. As of this moment I am still not sure of what I will add to the blogesphere, but what I do know is what I add will be a part of me. Who am I? Just an average ordinary guy. As I begin this virtual journey I hope to share more of me and more of my thoughts. Please feel free to comment on what I say or what I neglect to say. My hope is that those of you who visit this blog will enjoy it and return to see more. Feel free to email (killinggoliath@hotmail.com) me at any time or just add comments to this page.

God Bless,

Brian