Love to live,live to love

Wilco, Religion and the Human Experience

2012-01-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

When I was going through my “Doors Period” like every red-blooded American teen who’s a fan of music is expected to go through, I did much more than just listen to the tunes of Jim and the boys. I read his poetry, watched old footage, and read every book about them I could find. I remember hearing constantly people describing a Doors concert experience as a “religious experience”. Their guitarist even described it this way saying, “It was a religious experience between us and the audience. We were all together. This sounds ridiculous, but we were all together, the audience and us. They just went crazy. Everybody was together – that was it. It was an incredible feeling of community.”

At the time this intrigued me, but I sure didn’t understand it. In my mind I pictured a bunch of stinky hippies passing a joint, along with a communion plate, singing “How Great Thou Art” after “Light My Fire”. That was as far as I could grasp this idea of “religious experience” at a rock and roll show. I loved the way it sounded, but just wasn’t sure what it meant. Fast forward 20 or so years. I think I can get it now. At least, I can a little. I’ve had a few of those experiences where I was at a show, and the crowd was singing in one voice, the band was passionately pouring out their emotions and it felt like we were all melding into one. It felt like something big was happening. It was as if I’d lost my personal identity and instead had morphed into some bigger existence…one of collective mind, heart, soul and love. Does that make ANY sense? If so, I think THIS was what was meant by the concert as a “religious experience”. I’ve experienced it a few times. Pearl Jam took me there 1st. U2 grooved me through it. Mumford & Sons drove it home. This past week, Wilco lit the fires again!

It was my first chance to see Wilco live. I’ve been a fan since I heard first “Box Full of Letters” in college many years ago. I’ve followed them from varying distances throughout the years. I’ve listened as they’ve grown, expanded and explored. I’ve been fascinated with their lyrics and the relationship they have with the music industry as a whole and with their fans. But, I’d never gotten to see them live.

So last week, at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, I finally got that chance. It did NOT disappoint. Mr. Tweedy and the boys came out and immediately went to work. There was so much to take in. The light show and simple yet lovely stage set was wonderful. The sound was mixed so clean. Jeff was singing with incredible clarity. Guitarist Nels Cline is a freak of nature the way he plays. His passion is so intense that you almost feel you’re viewing an intimate moment between a man and his lover that was not meant for your eyes. The glue of the band in my opinion, bassist John Stirratt was laying down incredibly heavy grooves and harmonic vocals. Everyone else was playing with fervor and passion. It was something special.

So why could I say that it almost felt “religious”? There are many factors involved. The show itself had a ceremonial feeling. The crowd is there and reacting in a reverent, and almost subjective manner. All of the fans in attendance acted like a “good congregation” and respected tradition as well as new material. We responded appropriately when we needed. We laughed at his “is pot legal in CO because it sure smells legal” joke (and boy did it smell VERY legal). We clapped when we were supposed to and whistled when it was our turn. We sang loudly when called upon. It felt like another place I go on Sundays ☺. Everyone was singing together, moving together. It was TOGETHER.

Jeff Tweedy himself has even felt this, once saying “I just find the communal experience of a rock concert, or any type of music performance, achieves a kind of transcendence that I associate with spirituality. It’s the closest thing to what I think people expect church to be like. Or maybe just what I’ve always thought church should be. It’s as close to it as I feel like I’ve gotten. You lose yourself, and at the same time come to the realization or understanding that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. That’s the main function of religion, in my mind.”

Towards the end of the night they played one of my favorites “A Shot in the Arm”. As the crowd and band found themselves screaming together “that maybe all we needed was a shot in the arm”, I got goose bumps. I’m not sure what this song is truly about. You could make an argument for heroin addiction. You could say it’s about an addictive, destructive love. Regardless, NO ONE could say it is not passionate. It was powerful! Something special was happening.

At that moment I felt like I was part of something bigger. God has created every one of us in his image. And we can live together, love together, create together and make beauty. God is in the whispers of all beauty. I truly believe this. And I think he can even be found in a beer soaked and smoke filled ballroom in Denver Colorado. I look forward to church this week……..

2011 Music

2011-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

I lost my way when it came to writing this year....my resolution is to begin blogging again this year! But until then...here is a simple entry:

My 10 favorite albums of 2011….
10- (Tie) Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues
Explosions in the Sky- take Care, take care, take care
9- Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee II
8-KanyewWest & Jay-Z- Watch the Throne
7- Foster the People- Torches
6- Foo Fighters- Wasting Light
5-Dawes- Nothing is Wrong
4- The Black Keys- El Camino
3-Radiohead- King of Limbs
2-Adele-21
1-Eddie Vedder- Ukelele Songs

JUST TRY IT

2011-09-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

I once read in the news that a Bollywood filmmaker has issued a wild challenge to horror movie fans: a $10,000 reward for anyone who can watch his latest supernatural thriller, alone, in a cinema until the closing credits. The director said the film fan who stepped up to the challenge will be wired up to a heart monitoring machine as well as a camera that ensures they keep their eyes open during the whole movie. Readings from the machines will be shown live on a screen outside the cinema, he said, and if the contestant succeeds, staying under a certain heart rate, they will win 500,000 rupees (approximately $10,850)! His claim…. "there is no way one can experience this, and NOT be affected".

I want to see that movie! Have you ever experienced something like a movie or concert and thought "anyone that saw that HAS to be changed. The 1^st time I saw Pearl jam I felt that way! I often approach a big show with this expectation.

But strangely enough, rarely do I approach the inspired word of god like this. Far too often we are scared to share the good news with the world around us. We have come up with a stable of possible excuses to use. We are afraid of being rejected. But the truth of the matter is this: the world WANTS the truth! As I grow older, and more comfortable with sharing my faith and sharing God's word with folks, I am learning how wrong my youthful excuses were. I can say this assuredly; very VERY rarely does anyone reject you when you give them God's word. They want life and they want hope. Believe me, I have found this to be so true!

Stronger than any slasher flick or rockin' gig, God's word changes people. It is so powerful, because the letters you read are more than words! They are alive, and full of power! We are told in Hebrews 4:12 that "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." When you truly experience this power, we have no choice but to react! The Word of God is powerful to resist temptation, to forgive, to lead, to comfort, to confront, to exhort, and to fill your life with every blessing. The Word answers life's important problems. The Word is alive!

Never fall into the trap that God's word cannot change things. Never be confused that is a a nice book of fairy tales. God's word moves this world! It shakes mountains! And I dare you to truly experience it and not react. Just like the movie director above, I challenge you to sit with it and NOT react. But this reward works differently. Your prize comes not for sitting still. Your prize comes WHEN you react. Your blessings come after you cannot sit still anymore! So get into God's word! Let it change you….and see who the winner is……….

Man...they are sure cute!!!

2011-09-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

So, I am trying to get back in the regular habit of blogging...which also includes pictures of my lovely 3 kiddos. Check these out.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

FUN AROUND THE HOUSE

Yeah...I love 'em!

Soul Worms

2011-09-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

SIN WORMS
I ‘m always learning. God is constantly teaching me. Many times, it’s from the mouth of my children. More often than not, it comes from my 6 yr old daughter Merrick. Have you noticed the web worm epidemic in the Valley? They are everywhere. These caterpillars nest in trees and then spin fine webs that take over a branch, and if left unattended, an entire tree. If left alone, they will eventually kill a tree! You can drive anywhere in the valley currently and you’ll see them everywhere! Yesterday in the car Merrick said these words: “Those webs are kinda’ tricky Daddy. Because when you look at them, they are actually quite beautiful, but REALLY, they are slowly killing everything”. I smiled, acknowledged her, and then bowed my head in the spiritual truth spoken from her tiny lips.
Isn’t that how the lies of sin work? Think about it. Sin, at it’s simplest form looks SO beautiful to us. If it didn’t, we would never struggle with it! On the surface, it looks SO lovely. It is shiny, and glamourous, and we can easily be fooled into thinking it is in fact “BEAUTIFUL”. But, if left unattended, it quickly takes over our entire lives, and before we even realize it, that which was once so beautiful has now killed us!
Satan is the father of lies. He is dying to deceive each and every one of us. But I have good news. God is TRUTH. And He wants to redeem us. The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy, but our God came to give us life abundant!!!
As I’ve researched how to deal with my worm problem, I’ve discovered that most of the time, if a tree is taken care of and ridded of these pests, it will recover. You and I are no different. We can recover too. We can turn around. We can get rid of our “infestations”, and God assures us that we can recover. But, we have to spot the problem first, and we have to get rid of it.
That is our prayer. May we all see the truth behind the lies like my daughter. May we all have the courage to get rid of it, and find the only true beauty in this world, which never deceives…the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Life and Proms

2011-05-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I was asked to DJ a wedding. Having all kinds of music on my laptop, and friends with some good sound equipment I could borrow, it seemed like a simple request. All I had to do was suffer through a few hours of truly atrocious modern tunes by Katy Perry, Usher and the likes, and I could earn a little cash. Sounds pretty simple huh?
It was pretty simple for the most part. The catch was that it was for a small charter school organization of home schooled kids. It was run by a conservative group of individuals. The administrator and teachers had decided these kids deserved a prom…you know it being an American right of passage and all ☺. So……….it was a little trickier than expected. I had visions of Footloose…….visions where I’d be pumping the jams, then mid Flo Rida, in would burst John Lithgow in a sweaty fervor condemning me to hell…………..
But. I pressed on, determined to give these kids the night of their life. Yet, I was also a little intimidated by the unfair stereotypical picture of the event I had painted in my head. Pressing on, I drove to the town, found the little community center and entered into the great abyss (wishing that Kevin Bacon could have been with me) not knowing what would come next. It looked very nice inside. There was a lovely wood dance floor, several candlelit tables, a gorgeous old chandelier and white Christmas lights strewn about…it looked like a nice little prom! I met the lady in charge, and began setting up.
The night started slowly. As we waited for the kids to flow in, I played a setlist that I had put together with the clever title: “pre-prom and dinner”. It consisted of classics by Tony Bennett, Frankie Blue Eyes, Swell Season, etc…..mellow and nice. The adults CLEARLY liked this! A few kids came in….some as couples and one or two as singles (turns out, most of them were waiting on dates…a little different than most proms). And we waited, and waited……..the tunes still played “Moon River”, “Such Great Heights”, “Love Me Tender”……….and still we waited. Soon it became painfully clear that this was ALL that was coming. So the small (I mean SMALL) crowd convened for dinner (they did give me a really nice prime rib dinner). The mellow tunes continued and all were happy.
Finally as I sensed they were done with dinner and ready for something else, but not quite sure how to “get the party started” I made my way to the DJ Table and set it off! I wish I could describe the adults faces as the tunes subtly changed from Michael Buble to “Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur……” ☺
But, the kids got out there on the floor! The tiny group gathered and tried as best as they could to get their young rhythmically challenged ,caucasian bodies to move with the computerized, autotuned dribble that they requested. It was very sweet, and a little sad. But man..they went for it! I was impressed. They were determined to make the most of this! Even if their intellect and arms couldn’t sync quite perfectly to spell YMCA with their appendages, they were surely trying………….and they were smiling the whole time.
The adults sat nearby watching, clearly confused as to how “the DJ had them fallin’ in love again” and just exactly what a “G6” is. At one point the head administrator came over to make small talk…….but it was clear he was checking out the playlist (which his own teacher had sent me as given to her by a student) for questionable content. But the party kept going for the kids who clearly understood the deep mysteries of Ke$ha and Gaga. After five or so truly life changing jams, it was time for the inevitable slow dance. The first offering of the night brought to light a problem: there was one lonely girl without a date. She was just so cute. As the couples awkwardly scooted around (and actually a few waltzed quite nicely thanks to the songs ¾ timing) the floor, I was captivated with this young lady. In all truth it broke my heart. She swayed uncomfortably, with a forced smile on the sidelines. It was clear that she so badly wanted to be swept off her feet. I thought hard about asking her to dance myself…but decided against it (for fear of a possible mace attack accompanied by screams of “stranger danger”). Yet I watched her and could almost hear the struggle inside of her. It was gut wrenching and I was faced with a tough decision. Should I keep the next song lined up, which was also a slow dance, or should I show mercy to this beautiful loner? I wrestled with this and like the dad in the old tale of the train conductor with a son stuck on the tracks, I chose in favor of the masses..despite every urge to do otherwise.
So as the Paramore ditty started I saw something incredible happen. A young man (who was clearly the cool alpha male of the party) noticed the young lady. He proceeded to whisper something in his girls ear, who then stood back, smiled and kissed his cheek, and walked off. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I had the best seat in the house and was seeing this through! What he did next gave me chills. He walked over to the girl by herself and held out his hand. She looked, and then hesitated. He smiled and said "let’s dance”. A smile the size of the Rogue River spread from check to cheek and she giddily grabbed his hand. The young man’s girlfriend took a seat as her man danced around the floor with this girl.
WOW! Who says chivalry is dead!?!?!? In all truth, my eyes welled with tears. I was sure this would not take place at any “normal” prom. It was such a visible display of kindess and grace. I just wanted to hug that fella’. The rest of the night, she was included in most every song. She still stayed awkwardly in the margins at times, but she no longer looked so alone. It was amazing.
As the night wore on I was able to see and learn a lot. I was reminded of how hard it was to be that age. You could tell they wanted to act mature, yet at the same time wanted to jump around and be silly like kids. There was clear confusion as to what was their exact role, and you could almost smell the fear of the uncertain future. There were very awkward caresses and even tiny kisses. The horrible and awkward sexual tension that is so present at this age choked the air. I remembered how hard that was. I recalled how scary that was. I watched as they literally teetered on the cliff between youth and adulthood. And as two teens gazed into each others eyes and swore life long devotion as they sang the words of Bruno Mars to one another………I felt for them. I wanted to tell each one that they were going to be okay. That yes…life is hard and right now is confusing…but they were going to be ok!
I think many times we belittle teens, not even meaning to. We treat them with attitudes that imply “stop whining. You have it MADE right now. You have NO CLUE what real stress is like. Wait until you have diapers to change and mortgages to balance with buying new soccer cleats and THEN talk to me about difficult life decisions…”. We act as if they have it SO EASY. I was reminded that these kids have anything BUT the simple life. They have issues MUCH bigger than we credit them with. Cures for “bacne” and the newest Call of Duty games are not their only concerns. These young people face real issues and really tough decisions. I hope that we honor them, validate that and support them as they grow into the adults God created them to be.
It was a fun night. It really touched me. I pray that each of these kids has a blessed life. May they never lose the spirit to try and dance even when you cant! May they always continue to try and include those who have no one, and may they always continue to smile. I pray that heir lives are…in the immortal words of the great poet of their generation, Taio Cruz……….dynamite!!!!!!!

Rock on young people………….the world is your oyster.

Daddy Daughter Dance

2011-05-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was a special one in our family. Our church was hosting its' first "Daddy/Daughter Dance". My 5 yr old daughter Merrick could not have been more excited! She had her dressed picked out in advance and was giddy with excitement. I couldn't help but feel this excitement as well. I wanted the evening to be ALL about her. I even ordered her a wrist corsage.
So she got dolled up and even got to wear lipstick (which was a BIG deal) and we took off. I cannot explain the joy I felt watching her. She was floating on air. She was beaming from ear to ear. She couldn't have been more excited. As we got into the car I asked her "Will you join me for a night of dining and dancing?" She smiled huge and then added, in a funny accented voice..... "And hopefully a little bit of drinkin'....." I laughed out loud, a little confused. She then followed with "yeah.....I am REALLY hoping that they have punch!" Can you GET any cuter than that?
As we entered our simple church's fellowship hall I was blown away at how it looked. It was covered with pink lace and ribbon and Christmas lights. Tables for 4 were scattered about elegantly covered with candles and flowers. The floor (and the girls liked this best) was blanketed in pink and purple balloons. We were ushered to the photo area for our photgraph. (we even got that in a keepsake frame at the end of it all)
The night was perfect. We shared a nice meal, listened to a brief presentation on the blessing of a Father/Daughter relationship, and then the dancing began. Man it was FUN! Merrick is the energizer bunny! We danced and laughed and danced and laughed. We scooted around to oldies, Cyndi Lauper and other crowd faves. We threw in some Hokey-Pokey and Chicken Dance action for fun! In between the dances were prize give-aways and silly games that the girls loved.
The night ended with a slow dance. Of course they went straight for the jugular with the song of choice being Steven Curtis' Chapman's "Cinderella". If you have never heard it and have a daughter...be warned!!!! :) It was so special. I picked up my angel and held her as tight as I could. Tears were streaming down almost every face in the place...in fact they are streaming down mine again just thinking about it. I hugged my baby and kissed her and promised her that I would always love her. It was a beautiful moment.
I am so thankful to Marcie Dixon for putting this together. It was done wonderfully. I will never forget it and look forward to next year already.
I am so thankful for my Merr Bear. She is a special soul who I love with all my heart.

Friday Mix

2011-04-29T10:28:00.001-07:00

I put the ol' Ipod on "shuffle" today and got quite a mix......here is today's offering:

American X- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
In Your Hands- bebo Norman
Don't Tread on me- Metallica
Strange Times- The Black keys
Bold As Love- John Mayer
How Much for Your Wings?- the Black Crowes
Tommorow- James
I Want to Know You- Dinosaur Jr.
Fever- Neko Case
Say Goodbye- Dave Matthews band
Candy- Magic Kids
Baby Boomer- Monsters of Folk
Deuce- Kiss
What Difference Does it Make?- The Smiths
Two Hearts- Ryan Adams
Now That We Found Love- Heavy D and the Boys
It Goes on & on- The Avett Brothers
Silent Lucidity- Queensryche
Royal Oil- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Fingers of Love- Crowded House

Now that is a varied blend :)

Intergenerational Influence

2011-04-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was saddened recently to hear about the plight of a young man we met several years ago at an Urban Ministry we are active in called PUMP. He was a little kid in the program we work with. His behavior was bad news from day one, but he was beautiful. He had a foul mouth, total disdain for authority and a bleak outlook on life. His parents were in and out of prison and drug addicts. He was in the foster system most of his life. It was a sad story. This month he was arrested in for the murder of his 14 yr old girlfriend. How tragic! I have had a hard time wrapping my head around this. How does a kid go so wrong in such a short time? How does a child…born into innocence become SO corrupted? It breaks my heart to the core.
The answer is clear. INFLUENCE. Influence is everything. Positive influences can lead you one way, and negative the other. Sure there is free will involved, but influences are much stronger than we often give them credit for. The older we get the clearer this becomes. And once we have children, we start to understand. Suddenly I understand why my mom cared so much about the kids I hung around ☺! Those hoodlums really could affect my life choices ☺
Most kids in my world are blessed to have so much positive influence on their lives, from their youth group, to their families. They are surrounded by a group that loves them. But there could never be too much! I hope we all recognize this. At my church we do, and we are slowly moving to a more INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY approach. This method asks families and adults to walk right next to our teens. We want to be together and not segregated. We want the generations to know one another despite the massive gap that culture tells us is there.
I am convinced that relationship with adults who have truly been changed by Jesus are the key to showing young people what the Christian life is all about! We can have the biggest and fanciest programs in the world, but they will not matter without these relationships! I am asking all of you to join our youth ministry. Come to class with us. Sit with some teens in worship. Let's get to know each other and let’s show this world what power positive relationships really have. Together we can do anything!

The Next Jon Foreman?

2011-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

My son Jude is 8. Three of his passions are: soccer, football, and music. He loves to sing while he bashes away sporadically at his drum kit. Now he has decided to venture into the world of lyrics. He decided it was more fun to rock out to his own songs rather than only cover others. He also decided his band would be loud, fast and Christian. I found some of his lyric sheets. Here is an excerpt of what he had written:

“OH DADDY”
The Lord is the reason we are living
Oh Daddy
The cross is the most painful memory
Oh Daddy

“RISE”
RISE…whoa whoa……..
Let’s get it going, the stars all RISE
The dead from the grave all RISE
We all RISE …to worship Him
Our savior, our rock, our protector
So let’s RISE……
He is our life. He is our blood and refuge. EVERYONE EVERYONE EVERYONE
RISE!!!! (X3)

So……I am going to jump on board here and say this is AWESOME ☺

Living a Legacy

2011-04-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

The air at West main has been thick since the turn of the year. 2011 has been rough. It all began in December of 2010 when one of our elders, Mel Hamilton, was injured in a bad fall from a ladder. It’s been 4 months and he’s in a wheelchair, STILL fighting serious infection. Several elderly members of the family have passed away since January. In January one of our dearest friends was severely injured in a snowboarding accident, and tragically passed away after fighting massive brain injuries. Then my family got REALLY sick. And then last week, another elder, and dear mentor of mine, Truman Scott suffered a massive stroke.
It seems that one dark cloud after another keeps coming our way. It’s been rough, but we have pressed on and we know that there is a light at the end of this all. Still…it has been trying, to say the least. In each situation, the tragedies seem almost specifically targeted. It is really quite eerie. Let me explain.
Mel is in his sixties. He is in great shape. He is active and regularly exercises. He is a prolific walker, usually at the mall. He is not a prideful man at all, but if he was, he’d be proud of this, I think. He is known for walking the church building, watching over the flock and hugging and greeting all who “get in his way”. So this is what was attacked. He cannot walk. It HAS to be killing him. It means something to him. It defines him in the eyes of many folks at the church. It has felt empty without him “walking his perimeter”. His absence has been felt. It has affected morale at church, without a doubt. There is a hole.
Branson’s accident hit the hardest. To have someone SO YOUNG and SO FULL OF LIFE pass away really took the breath out of everyone. It hit the body here like a freight train, and took a little pep out of some usual VERY peppy steps!
Then the most recent event was Truman and his stroke. The stroke seems to have only attacked his speech and cognition center of the brain. He has NO paralysis, and looks great. To many this could be a pretty good diagnosis and prognosis. But to Truman it could be the worst news possible. This is a man who has built his entire life on WORDS. He is a preacher, teacher and writer. For these to be taken away are a CRUEL possibility. And we are already feeling the loss at church. He is the communicator for our shepherds. He is a calming and rational presence. And he is ALWAYS in the lobby, greeting everyone with a warm handshake and a hello. It is already missed, and we pray it could return.
It would be easy for us to look at all of this and throw our hands up in exasperation. It would be easy to want to cry out and give up. It is a harsh reminder of what can so quickly and easily be taken away from us. But in each of these cases there is something bigger going on. Mel is known for his tender heart and his YEARS of service to God’s kingdom. From his work overseas, to the classrooms, to years of teaching and evangelizing. This is WHO HE IS. You could take away his ability to walk, or anything else, but you could NEVER take away his legacy. That will live on forever. Same with Branson. His free living spirit, his daring attitude to take life had on….Nothing will destroy that legacy. And Truman’s body of work will be around long after any of us are! His many books, lessons, sermons and countless lives he has touched compile a legacy that can NEVER be damaged.
The reality is this: Our LEGACY is on thing that can never be taken from us. What we do today will STILL matter tomorrow. The lives you touch, and the love you leave behind will live on a long time after we pass away. This is a very SOBERING yet HOPEFUL thought to me. And I hope it causes us all to stop and pause and ask some questions. What kind of legacy am I leaving? For what will I be remembered? What will be said f me long after I am gone?
I urge all of us to live a life that we can be proud of. Lead lives that even if tragedy takes everything from us, our legacies will continue to work for the kingdom long after we do. Live a life worthy of the calling…..

Mexico Success

2011-04-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

I’m a little late with my offering on the Mexico Mission trip. It was a fantastic year. Once again, it seemed like the best effort ever. We were able to build 2 beautiful homes. In fact, it is unanimously agreed, that they were most likely our finest two ever. They can complete with mosaic doorsteps and flower beds! Over the course of 20+ years, we have gotten pretty dang good at building these houses. It is a joy to watch the process. Our kids could really almost do it by themselves. It is a proud moment watching as they pour themselves into the work with nothing but love in their hearts.
This year was colder than normal. It got downright chilly in the evenings. The bonfire was especially popular. Our teens were so cool this year, and as usual took my kids in and made them feel uber special. Jude even pulled off a few upsets in the massive games of Knockout on the rusty ol’ hoop. That was pretty cool!
It was a great week. I really enjoyed watching Merrick experience it for the first time. She did great; Jude really took to the little 3 yr old boy “Charlie we were building for. They loved each other and that was fun to watch too.
The trip home had the annual trek to Magic Mountain theme park near LA. It was awesome. It was Merrick’s first trip and she quickly earned rock star status. She was FEARLESS. NOTHING scared her and she rode everything she was tall enough to get on. I took her on drops, loops, corkscrews and twirls, and she laughed them all off….it was awesome.
Yet, as good as the week was, there is no place like home. IO was thrilled to return to my lovely wife and youngest daughter I am still trying to catch up on rest. I already eagerly anticipate next year.

(surprise blizzard on drive there!)

Viva la mexico!

2011-03-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

The week has been nuts. bags have been packed and re-packed! Jessie is gone for a conference for 4 days so I have made arrangements (actually she did all that work) for Haddie! The other two kids are counting the hours until Spring Break begins. I look forward to teachign my kids about poverty, working with them and experiencing this together. I do NOT look forward to seperation from my wife and youngest.

Please pray for safety, good spirits, good examplse and good news! :)

Mexico Chronicles

2011-03-14T08:14:00.001-07:00

If there is still anyone out there who reads this thing, you are owed an apology. It has been a LONG time since I shared a single thought with the blogosphere. Almost 2 months to be exact. My last post was about the loss of a dear friend. And since those words seemed to flow from the tips of my fingers, I just have not been able to write anything else down. Perhaps it is because I emotionally spent my brain. I have just been too tired to think. Or perhaps, I felt somehow guilty about writing anything else, as if maybe I was betraying Branson’s memory.
But, silence cannot live forever of course. I have decided that it is now time for me to once again pick up the proverbial pen and start typing. This week I leave for Mexico. Our church is taking about 73 folks across the border to build homes for some lovely creations of God. On top of that, I am taking my 2 oldest kids as well. So…it looks to be a busy week and a fun one. I am sure that it will give me plenty to talk about as we prepare and as we travel……so stay tuned!
“The Mexico Chronicles” will now begin!

Branson Holm......Forever a Friend

2011-01-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a whirlwind of a new year, and only 20 something days have passed. My wife and I returned from a wonderful conference on Youth Ministry that truly awakened our souls and stirred something deep within us. Ideas that had been trying to take root in our hearts and souls; thoughts that had been germinating were now given flesh and began sprouting inside of us, causing much excitement to pour forth from the two of us as we began to plan and dream for a huge year in our ministry. We could not wait to get home and start sharing it, planning it, and executing it. The future felt so vividly bright, that it almost burned.

Then this buzz all came crashing to a screeching halt. Our dear friend Ronda Holm called us on Jan 9 around 4:00 in the afternoon. She was crying and clearly upset. She managed through tears to tell us that her son Branson had been in a very serious accident snowboarding outside of Flagstaff, AZ. He had fallen on his head and suffered brain injuries. At the time he was in an urgent surgery. It was scary and horrible news. Immediately I felt sick, and had a dark feeling begin creeping its way into my soul. Fight as I would try, this darkness would prove to continue to claw its way in for the next 12 days. She asked us to start praying. Jessie went right over to their house to be with Ronda and help in any way she could. I went to the church to lead youth group, where I planned on having the group pray together. We had no clue just how serious the injury was, or really even what to pray for. So we simply prayed for God to act. But, deep inside of me an all-consuming fear began to join with the darkness. I knew Branson had been told just a year or so ago to be very careful with head injuries as he’d suffered at that time a pretty bad brain trauma from a 4-wheeler accident (yeah…the guy was adventurous ☺). Jessie helped the Holm family make travel plans to get to AZ immediately as Dr.’s began to fill the family in on the stark fact that this was a SERIOUS accident. We all fell to our knees and waited helplessly for news.

Before we go any further, let me back up some and tell you about the Holm family. Many years ago, they moved to Medford from Seward, AK where the father, Brad had been a missionary and preacher. To state the Holms are an amazing family is an understatement. They are as good of folks as you’ll find anywhere. Brad and Ronda have 4 beautiful kids. Shannon is married, lives in GA and has 1 son and another about to join us in this world any day now. Crystal is a nurse and world traveler, and is currently working temporarily in the Bay Area. Whitny lives in Medford, is married to a good friend of mine named Ryan Davidson and works for the 9-1-1 system. They are an incredibly fun and sweet couple. Branson was the only boy, a “surprise” for the entire family if you will. As the youngest and only boy, in many ways he was the "pride" of the entire crew. I could tell you why, and WILL tell you why…but I'll save that for later in the story ☺. These guys are simply all fantastic individuals. They are kind, giving, graceful, soft spoken and loving. They have become “surrogate grandparents” to my own children. Our youngest daughter, upon entering the church sanctuary each week immediately asks for “Mrs. Ronda”. ☺ They are forever part of our life. I am saying all that to say this: We love this family immensely. They mean the world to us and our relationship goes WAY beyond friendship.

Now…back to the tale. As the hours began to wane, we quickly learned that Branson had indeed been gravely injured. The evacuation team had acted valiantly and heroically, getting him from the slopes to the operating table in under 40 minutes! The Dr’s had worked masterfully, removing a massive clot from his brain and stabilizing him. It was obvious that it was bad, but not yet clear just how bad. The bleeding and swelling were making it difficult to really measure the extent of the damage. As such, they left his skull open and kept him unconscious in a medically induced coma to monitor him and to let Branson’s brain rest, and try to heal. In what seemed like slow motion we began to get bits of information that told us Branson was in for a long and difficult fight. The medical team decided the only way he could possibly think about healing would require his brain to work as little as possible. So, they pushed him deeper into an induced coma and lowered his body temperature. They made sure that no outside stimulation would cause the brain any activity. This included, light, sound or touch, which I imagine was pure torture for the family who simply wanted to talk to and touch B.

It was very difficult being so far away, (or maybe it was divine intervention. I am not yet sure which) All I know is that I just wanted to see Branson and the family. So we kept in touch daily. It was an eye opening lesson to see how quickly information spreads in the modern world. Between word of mouth, email, Twitter and Facebook, it seemed like the entire country knew about our beloved Branson immediately. As I monitored the many pages on Facebook and kept our own churches’ page updated, I was floored at the amount of love, support and prayers pouring in, from EVERYWHERE. That following Wednesday two groups from our church got together for an intense time of prayer and pleading to God. At the same time I received messages that other groups and folks were doing the same thing that night from as far as TN, TX, CO and other places. It was powerful. Our group met and prayed. We prayed hard! We cried, worshipped and begged God for our friend’s life. We had specific requests and general pleas. It was an incredibly moving night. Even in this state, Branson had managed to draw us all closer together.

Over the next few days, little by little, and really almost cruelly, we began to get reports that in our minds and hearts seemed hopeful. He had coughed! A toe had wiggled! His brain swelling was coming down! So, we began to allow glimmers of hope to crawl in. Yet, the darkness was still there, deep in my soul. It seemed to have truly dug in its’ claws by now, but light was still trying to find a way in as well. It was a battle.

So, I tried to hope. Besides if ANYONE could fight this thing it was B. He was undoubtedly the single most amazingly gifted athletic person I have ever known. I watched him throw a no hitter. I saw him go from never skating seriously to being an honor receiving hockey player in one year. I’d watched him throw a football 60 yards in the air. He was STRONG! If anyone could partner with God and beat this thing, I was sure it was my buddy Branson. So we all simply continued to pray for a miracle and waited in growing agony to hear about our friend.

This hope was quickly overtaken. The darkness inside me was not ready to be displaced yet, and it quickly took its’ dominion back on my soul’s pulse. It turned out that what we believed to be responses were nothing more than normal and involuntary reflexes. In other words, Branson had nothing to do with them. In fact, most of the movement was actually due to seizures that he had begun having. We went from hopeful to near hopeless in one phone call. The Dr.’s were concerned with several issues, and really needed to see what they called a “voluntary response” soon. On Sunday, I shared the most recent reports with our family at church and we all began praying for exactly that. In the back of my mind I began to think that maybe my dear friend was not going to pull this one out. Of course, I didn’t really want to believe that, so I quickly tossed that thought out like yesterday’s trash! Yet, it didn’t go away, it was still there, hiding and brewing deep within me.

Over the next week, the news got worse and worse. All indications were bad. From everything they could see, Branson’s brain was just TOO marred. Simply put…he was not getting better. The last days of that week were the toughest by all accounts. He began to have more frequent and more intense seizures. His brain and blood pressure began to increase, he spiked a fever due to infections, and a clearer picture showed brain damage that in all reality simply could not be overcome. It was bad. Finally, the darkness took over completely. I felt empty. I didn’t even know what to pray anymore.

So, the medical staff gathered the family around them and gave the prognosis we never wanted to believe could be coming. Basically, the injury had been fatal from the beginning. At the time his life was spared by only a few minutes. They have a scale of 3-15 to monitor brain activity. Branson was at the lowest, a 3 when he came in. After thousands of prayer flooded the throne of God and after extensive and excellent critical care, his number would only climb to a meager 5. The state of consciousness is measured as an 8, and that was the goal we kept praying for. But, after over a week of efforts, he took a turn for the worse and dropped back to a 3. Branson was not going to bounce back. The best scenario for Branson was dependent care for the rest of his life, and even that did not look likely. Branson loved life, but he loved to LIVE it. This is not living, and this was not something anyone, least of all B himself, would EVER want! So, our dear friends had to make the most difficult decision I could ever imagine. (Though, I think it was already made for them, as I believe my buddy had already gone to heaven.) On Friday evening, Jan. 21, 2011, my friend Branson went home to be with our Lord. We got the news, that we knew was coming. It had dwelled in us all day like an undigested lunch. Late that night in a simple text message from his mother, we were informed that it was over. My wife and I sat in the quiet of our den and stared into the air. We felt numb. We just could not believe it had really happened. This amazing burst of life that had flashed into our world was gone, in what seemed like an instant.

Over the next hours and days we had to share this news with lots of people. First we had to tell our kids. Our daughters are too young to really grasp it. But still, this was an incredibly difficult challenge. Our oldest, Jude was particularly fond of Branson. He thought that he’d hung the moon. Branson always made Jude feel special. He always took time to play with him, hug him and talk to him. Jude found in Branson a cool big kid who showed my son that he was valued and loved. Many times Jude would go to see Branson and they’d jump on the trampoline, throw a football or play video games. So, we knew this was going to require an extra measure of strength. Jude had been flooding the gates of heaven daily with his precious prayers for his friend. It was harder than I ever imagined. He was crushed. He lay in our arms and cried. We simply held him and promised him that somehow, he would be ok. When Jude finally settled down, he asked me if he could write a blog about Branson. So he did. He typed it all himself. He wanted to write more, but got upset and had to stop. But it was really all he needed to write. It was perfect. Here is the script from his blog:
worst Saturday ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was the worst Saturday EVER. 'cause i found out my dear friend Branson passed away last night. he was my favorite video game buddie. i used to always watch him play hockey when i was little. He was always kind to me, and i will miss him very much.
Jude

Aren’t those gorgeous words? Of course there are spelling, grammar and syntax errors. But the sentiment and pure, innocent emotion in those speak volumes! To me, this little entry into the great digital abyss says EVERYTHING you need to know about why Branson Holm was so special. He was a 22 yr old man. He was popular, gifted, funny, and busy. But, he took the time from his very busy life to make one little boy feel like he was his best friend in the world! THAT, my friends is incredible! That is heavenly. That is what made my dear friend such a shining jewel in a dull and gray world.

So now we find ourselves left with “the rest of the story”. This is the part of grief that seems the hardest. Once the unthinkable actually happens, we sense a strange feeling of relief, knowing it is over and we can begin to move forward. But then comes the reality of the question “How do we move forward”? These past 2 weeks have found me walking through my life and daily routines like an empty phantom. Motivation has been missing. That darkness I spoke of was just too much to overcome. Until, yesterday.

Yesterday I opened a new batch of mail at the church which had been sent in to the donation fund for Branson’s family. There was note after note of people exclaiming the praises of this young man. Several said they had only met him once but were struck by his magnetic personality and felt the call to help. As I read these, I was amazed. I was overwhelmed and I was humbled. This guy had lived a mere and way-too-short 22 yrs, but had left a HUGE footprint on this world! It seemed that every single place he went, he left in his trail people forever touched by the presence of a one-in-a-million person! As this reality set in, I had the sense that I had been in the shadow of genuine greatness for so long, and never really grasped it. A tear fell from my eye, but for the 1st time in 2 weeks, it was a tear of gratitude and actual joy. The darkness that had worked so hard to set terror in my heart fled instantly, and I fell to my knees to thank God for all that he does, even when he takes away! And as I pictured the last time I had hugged Branson just a month ago, light filled my soul.

So I want to close this rambling tome with why I loved Branson so much. As it stands, I have the greatest job in the world, as a youth minister. I actually get paid to make friends with awesome kids and share in their lives!! You can take a moment here if needed, to covet ☺. I love every kid that comes through the doors of my office and classroom. I count Branson on this list. But somehow, like the cream of fresh farm milk, he often rose to the top.

We had a special relationship. I have SO many memories. I remember the first real conversation we ever had. His family was still pretty new to Medford and West Main Church. He was young and believe it or not, at this time, Branson was quite shy. His sister was returning from serving in Iraq, and our group had made signs to go to the airport and greet her with the hero’s welcome we felt she deserved. I had been trying for weeks to get B to open up and he finally did. He shared the struggles he’d felt in moving from his beloved Seward, AK, where he had grown up. We talked about how he was adjusting to our “big” church (which is really funny if you belong to our wonderful family at W. Main). I simply asked him about his life, and offered my hand in friendship. I told him I thought he was going to be a blessing to our youth group. Boy did I have no clue how that statement would manifest itself! And the rest is history. I also remember our last talk, when I was so happy to see him this past Christmas, and the HUGE hug he gave me!

It didn’t take long for Branson to grow into a special friend. I have a virtual closet full of memories that make me smile. I remember staying up late drawing tattoos on him on a mission trip when everyone else was asleep, talking deep into the night about life. I remember watching him play football, pitch a baseball, and play hockey. I remember how when we went to serve hurting kids in the inner city in Portland, they all flocked to him (especially when he did that “booty shake” dance and then back-flipped off the stage when he was challenged to a “dance off” ☺). I remember him nervously presenting a sermon with his dad one Sunday evening in our auditorium. I remember him coming to me in a panic when he was asked to lead a bonfire devotional on a house building mission trip to Mexico, and how I gave him a simple object lesson idea, and how he took it, made it his own and shared mightily to us all. I remember how he ALWAYS took time to love my son and what that meant to him. I remember how everyone looked up to him in the youth group. And who amongst the privileged few present could ever forget the time we had an entire restaurant in Portland sing to him? I have never seen someone turn so red! I remember being sad when he moved away (first to Eugene) but so proud of him. I remember visiting his first apartment and giving him a hard time about a "questionable" swimsuit calendar hanging on his wall☺! But of course…it was impossible to ever be mad at B. I could go on and on. It seems that the good memories of this young man are endless.

Branson lived life. He packed more into 22 years than most will a much longer lifetime. It only takes a few moments browsing through his Facebook photos to see that his life was ANYTHING but boring. He believed in having fun, smiling and making every day special. If an adventure was for sale, Branson was buying!

He had an extremely rare magnetism that drew everyone into him. Maybe that was what made him the MOST unique. He could make ANYONE feel comfortable. He would include anyone at all in his circle. He loved people. He could walk into a teetotaler Bible study, an old folks home, or a raging Frat kegger, and fit in, making everyone around him comfortable and happy. He had no ill will or judgment in him. Perhaps Branson lived out the apostle Paul’s mandate to be “all things to all people” better than anyone else I will ever know! He was blessed with an arsenal of gifts, and I am so thankful he used these gifts to make this world a better place! I truly believe this world is better because of this young man. I can attest that my life is infinitely more blessed because he was in it.

I have spewed too much already, so please accept my humble apologies. What it really all boils down to is this: I LOVE BRANSON TITUS HOLM SO VERY MUCH. And my friend, i hope you can hear these next few words. You were much more than a youth group student to me. You were a friend, and above all you were a son to me. I thank God for you. I pray that at this time, He has His loving arms wrapped gently around you, as you plan the 1st Annual X Games in heaven. ☺ Thank you Branson for loving me back! You will always be part of me. I will see you again my friend, so keep that hug ready for me.

Bronco Future

2011-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

There is SO much heavy in my life right now. It's been a hard start to a new year.....so today I want to write about something TOTALLY brainless. I want to write about football...more specifically my beloved Broncos! I think the future is bright...IF we make good decisions. The 1st good decision was bringing Elway into the front office. This is already showing rewards. Then we got a coach. I am not sure if I think Fox was the BEST choice, but I think he is good, and will bring us some fire, defensive spark and integrity. Now......the next few months are key!

i think we could turn it around quickly. We have the coach in place. I believe that we have a QB who is raw, yet is a winner and WILL win. We have some great draft picks if we choose wisely, and add a few quality free agents...my friends we are looking at winning ways again!

Here are scenarios I would love: Tebow starts from the beginning and continually improves. We have the 2nd pick overall...I say none of this trading crap and use that sucker for a defensive stud! We have 2 second round picks! If we trade Kyle Orton we can get another 2nd round pick. We also already have 1 third round pick, 1 in the 6th and 7th also! that's a LOT of potential. I wouldn't even mind trading the oh so fragile Moreno for a 2nd round pick either!
Then we define priorities. That's easy....DEFENSE! We need a stud lineman to complement a healthy Elvis Dumervil. We need a stud linebacker to stop that hole in our run defense. We could use a cornerback and safety as well (though the talk of moving Chamo to safety has much promise I believe, and Syd'Quan Thompson and Parrish Cox have potential). With the 2bd pick we either take Da'Quan Powers or Nick Fairley...both studs and game changers. Second round we should get a safety (Deunta Williams?) Use the other for a quality lineman and corner. Many will be available. In the 3rd round get us a nose tackle! It's been YEARS since we had one with any presence.

We have several players we could lose in free agency: Marcus Thomas, Kevin Vickerson, Ryan McBean, Wesley Woodyard ad Champ Bailey. If I had a say I would say goodbye ot all but 2: Champ is a legend and deserves to stay and finish strong here, and Woodyard deserves to stay (he's a solid back up and special teams guy). When we get Elvis back...thats a HUGE boost. then I say look for some free agnet defensive vets to being along. Maybe a Richard Seymour, or Dhani Jones. What a botu some free agent O line fellas? Bring Ben Hamilton back? At wide receiver we have a great group of poayers, but I think we don't have a great tight end...especially not for catching passes. Bo Scaife is available....... :)

Keep Quinn as tebow's back up and sign a vet QB t aid Tebow's development like a Mark Brunell or Marc Bulger. DeAngelo Williams is a free agent and if healthy, he has a relationship with Fox...I love the guy...get him!

Well....I imagine NONE of this will happen...but writing it was therapy today. Let me know if any of you care at all :)

MLK Day

2011-01-17T14:29:00.001-08:00

please take a minute to remember and celebrate something and someone great today:

Love Came Down at Christmas

2010-12-24T15:23:00.001-08:00

my fave song of the season:

Oh Holy Night

2010-12-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

have there even been penned more profound words????

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

2010 Top Ten

2010-12-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

It is LIST TIME! LOVE IT!
Here are my fave ten albums of the year:

10- Neil Young- Le Noise
9- Magic Kids- Memphis
8- Jars of Clay- Shelter
7- Vampire Weekend- Contra
6- Dr. Dog- Shame, Shame
5- The Gaslight Anthem- American Slang
4- Black Keys- Brothers
3- Roots- How I Got Over
2- The Arcade Fire- Suburbs
1- Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More

Give me your input, and I will give you mine!

Season's Greetings to the fams

2010-12-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

to our dearly missed in CO:

To our dearly missed in TN:

Christmas Jams

2010-12-17T09:31:00.001-08:00

blast from my personal past, thanks to my sistas

Christmas Jams

2010-12-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

I want to try and flood you all with delightful sounds of the holidays...so here ya go:

Worry...........you WILL tap out

2010-12-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

I was doing a mini self spiritual exam last night. Yeah.....dumb idea huh :)? And while I readily admit that there are MANY areas in which I fall short, I am confident my biggest weakness is WORRY. I come from a long line of worriers actually. As far back as I can remember, I have worried. Now I fully understand that a LITTLE worry is normal and possibly even healthy. But I tend to take normal worry and multiply to ridiculous BROCK LESNAR sized proportions. EX: A common cold in a child can easily become a serious case of deadly Ebola in my mind….no kidding. I am trying REALLY hard to figure out why I act this way and I am trying really hard to correct it.
I KNOW these things that you are about to read. But I am writing them to try and make them stick in this slippery brain of mine:

1. Worrying is Not Good for You.
Worrying is destructive to us in many ways. It has often made me physically sick even! It becomes a mental burden that can eventually cause bodies to break down like a Josh McDaniel’s offense.
PROV 12:25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

2. Worrying Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing.
Time is at a premium in my simple life. And worrying is a waste of very precious time. I know worrying won't help me solve a problem or bring about a solution:
Matthew 6:27-29 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

3.Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God.
Confession time: I worry WAY more than I pray most of the time.
Matthew 6:30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

4.Worrying Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction.
When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us and we realize we truly have nothing to worry about. I am fully aware of this. I believe God has a wonderful plan for my life, and part of that plan includes taking care of us. I know God will take care of our every need.
Matthew 6:25 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:31-33 So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
I am fully aware, as a follower of Christ, that worry is NOT to be something in my “arsenal of garbage”.

I truly believe in God's divine providence and that He will never fail me…..but when my buddy Mr. Worry decides to visit, I struggle to remember such things. Over the span of my lifetime, worrying accounts for hours and hours of invaluable time that I'll never get back. And I am literally tired of it…weary in fact. Today I am making as public stance against this jerk called worry. I am done with it! So I am asking my few blog readers for advice…..what, besides drugs helps you? :)

Good Tune

2010-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

I heard of these guys on the last Jars of Clay album where they guest sang. I found this on YOUTUBE and LOVE IT

Free Music Friday

2010-12-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

it is time for some Christmas tunes! but really, who wants to hear Bandaid one more time?!?!?!? SO, for the next few days...here are a few nontraditional jams for you to enjoy:

Exciting Week

2010-11-25T13:33:00.001-08:00

Well, we got a surprise snow for a few hours, so the kids lived it up while they could!

Then, on Tuesday Merrick went to bed with a normal mouth of teeth. 30 minutes into the supposed slumber she called out to me alarmed. It turns out she had suddenly discovered that her tooth was loose. That was an understatement, it was SUPER loose! By mid breakfast the next day, the tooth was gone! Notice how I think teh tooth fairy accidentally gave a five instead of a one :)!

Thanksgiving List

2010-11-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Things that I am thankful for (in no particular order, most of the time):

A Savior who loves me regardless, and died for me
A beautiful wife who makes my life better
3 AMAZING kids
Ipods
DVR television
My mom, who’s sacrificed SO much for my life
Good books
My church family
Good friends
Annual hunting trips
Mumford & Sons
Houses with heat
Nice shoes
Clean water
My wife’s lasagna, and her tomato soup
My little sisters and their lovely families
My kids’ teachers
My youth group
In-laws whom I love
Kaleidescope Pizza
Traveling with my wife
Pearl Jam
Flip flops
FIFA 2011 on PS3
The Bible
Funny movies
The Avett Brothers
Harry Potter
The internet & email
Our trampoline
Shane Claiborne’s “Jesus for President”
My wife’s convictions
Good flannel shirts
My green vest
Keen Shoes
The Beatles
Watching my kids play soccer
Cell phones
Music in general
Netflix
Good lyrics
Pepsi
Tylenol
Facebook
The sun
Medford, OR
Fake Christmas trees
Health
A co-worker who’s a friend
Sour Patch kids
And much much more…………

School's Out

2010-11-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

School is out today, and Jessie has hurt her back, so today was DADDY DAY! This morning we had SO much fun. We played a game where Jude and I were bad guys who kept fighting. Eventually in the fight he lost a tooth:

Merrick and Haddie were police ladies who broke us up. Turns out they were actually fairies in training trying to earn their wings through bravery! They were twin sisters named Rusella and Stella. They took me to a fairy hospital where Stella worked dilegently on bandaging my broken arm:
]

Rusella then decided that my ribs were gravely injured and the only way I could ever heal would be by the magic of fairy song. It was actually beautiful. Enjoy:

We are now hanging out in the den, waiting to go see Megamind 3D. It is a good day.

Rain Dancing

2010-10-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

Last weekend our family at W Main celebrated with the Harvest Festival. It was a nice of fun, food and fellowship. There were all kinds of good food and drinks. We collected canned goods for Christmas baskets, caught up with dear friends, and enjoyed life.

It was an outdoor event. And this always makes for an adventure in an Oregon autumn. The rain season was late coming this year, but it decided that Saturday night, when the W. Main Family was gathered outdoors would be the perfect time to commence the downfall! J The main entertainment for the evening was a delightful band of musicians known as "The Old Time Fiddlers" who were gonna' strum and pick away and teach us all the fine arts of square and line dancing.

So, as you can deduce, the potential for a problem was glaring in our faces. How do we dance and enjoy when the rain is coming down? It would have been quite easy to simply say "well, the food was good. But the rains have washed away all hopes of entertainment." But that would not fly with this group! We are OREGONIANS! We laugh in the face of precipitation. We scoff at the word "rain-out". And we would not be defeated!

After a few notes drifted into the crisp and wet air, a few of our beautiful children began to dance. The joy was evident in their faces. This proved to be infectious, as before you could snap your overalls, a huge line had formed and the formal dancing had begun. For the next hour or two the crowd continued to grow as we danced and do-si-do'd around in the puddles. There was clapping, hooting, and MUCH laughing. It was a true blast. WE were having so much fun together. It was AWESOEM to see that a little adversity could not kill the good time.

This is also how we are to approach our walks with Christ. We were never promised easy living. There will be tough times. But, if we allow a little rain to keep us from "dancing" we will surely miss out on the blessings and memories! May we live a faith that is not afraid of adversity, and that does not give up.

Go dance in the rain!

Politics of religion

2010-10-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am baffled by something I have seen lately. It seems that when myself or someone else posts something about our faith, or God on Facebook, no one ever really comments much. No one cares enough to say anything. BUT…if anything is posted at all about politics or any differing social opinions, then people go nuts! I can state a belief about a company who systematically abuses human rights and folks cannot keep quiet. They may even begin attacking one another. But, if I state my love for Christ….it is mostly silent? I’ve been trying to figure out why this is. Does anyone have any answers? Are we that afraid of new ideas? Are we that scared to let others have a different opinion? Are we all insecure? Or, is it maybe that politics have become our real religion? Maybe all that “Jesus stuff” is cool for Sundays, but what we really are passionate about and want to spread as "gospel" is political ideas and agendas?????? I have no clue. I think we all may be guilty here. What do you guys think?

I think maybe we put way too much trust in our country,our leaders, and our political parties. Maybe we should call on God for our security rather than systems of men a little more! Maybe we should all pray for our leaders rather than slander them. Nothing in this world will last and nothing in this world offers salvation. I fear that today, politics has become a form of religion. And we are all in danger of worshipping false idols. We seem to have totally forgotten about the sovereignty of God............who is good, all the time

Golden Arches and Preservatives

2010-10-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

My wife and I do not allow our family to ever partake in the pseudo-food known as McDonalds. My kids have never had a Happy meal. Some say this is cruel and denying them their basic childhood rights. I say it is actually protecting them! if you want to know why you should also join us in this thought process regarding the Golden Arches, then read this article. WOW! That is NOT food!

READ ME

IPOD Shuffle

2010-10-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here was the mix this morning in the office. See if you like any of it?

ID Engager- Of Montreal
While We Wait for Others- Grizzly Bear
Oh No- Andrew Bird
I Was a Lover- TV on the Radio
The Old Days- Dr Dog
ragged Wood- Fleet Foxes
I Turn My Camera On- Spoon
Never Had Nobody Like You- M Ward
Tears of Gold- Ryan Adams
Massive Nights- The Hold Steady
Lucky- Radiohead
Big Trucks- Pedro the Lion
You Got Me Rockin- Rolling Stones
Confetti- The Lemonheads
Top Yourself- The Raconteurs
Masters of War- Bob Dylan
One- U2
Off The Record- My Morning Jacket
Spirit Fall- Phil wickham
Our House- Madness

good stuff.....

BUSY weekend: Soccer, Mountains and Mr Darcy

2010-10-11T09:00:00.001-07:00

It was a fantastic weekend. We had a LOT of fun together as a family....except when Nana had to leave to return to her home in Memphis. Let me share a few snapshots with you:
Merrick started soccer! It was simply the cutest thing you have EVER seen. Here are some shots right before her first practice

Her brother was "teaching her how to play"

Saturday Jude had a morning game. It was VERY exciting. They got down 3-0 quickly but stormed back to tie it at 5-5. Jude scored an amazing goal! After that Merrick's self named team "The Princess Hearts" had their first game! It was SO SO SO SO cute. I only had 3 players, so they had to play the ENTIRE game. They did SO good. I was so shocked at their little aggressive natures (through smiles and giggles of course). They tied 3-3 and Merrick scored a goal!!!

Then Sunday I decided it was time the kids climbed up their first hike! So I took my 2 oldest and the youth group up Table Rock. I was VERY proud. they did a great job!
"We have to get up THERE Dad?"

Being a boy has advantages!

On the trail!

WE MAKE THE TOP!

The weekend ended that night with Jessie and I catching a wonderful performance of "Pride & Prejudice" at the internationally acclaimed Shaekespeare Festival in Ashland, OR. It was great.

More bad press.....LET'S THINK

2010-10-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Read these:

here
here

I just wish sometimes we would stop and think before reacting. These COULD have been good conversations where folks could share their ideas, beliefs and desires and maybe everyone could have learned something. Instead, the nation gets more reasons to attack Christians. May we all really take the Biblical command to be quick to listen and slow to speak a little more serious!

Mumford and Sons & Worship

2010-09-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

I LOVE music. I LOVE worship. So the logical conclusion would be that I LOVE worship music. Well....yes and no. I love to worship God in song and listen to artists who do.......BUT modern music that is blatantly "classified" as worship is not very appealing to me on an artistic level as a whole! Much of it sounds "plastic" for lack of better terms, as if it was mass produced in the "worship music factory". It is formulaic. There are certain melodies and chord progressions that must be used. There are buzzy, Christianese words that MUST be included. So when you throw this all together, it really turns some music snobs such as myself off! :)
(I don't throw it ALL out, I have my fair share of Newsboys, Third Day faves etc)

But, often I find DEEP themes of spirtuality in "secular music". Many of the jams in my Itunes library resonate with God, but never use His name. For me, some of the best "worship" songs will sadly never be sang in a church! Some songs that deeply move my soul are not on what many Christ followers would consider "christian music" albums. Some examples are Son Volt's "Windfall", John Lennons "Gimme Some Truth", Sam Phillips "One Day Late", Coldplays' "Fix You", Neutral Milk Hotel's "The King of Carrot Flowers", Juliana Hatfield's "For the Birds" and many many more......

So recently when I was introduced to the music of Mumford & Sons, I was BLOWN AWAY with child-like giddiness. Deep within many of the tunes on their amazing record SIGH NO MORE, are lyrics and sounds that scream out to my soul! It is worship stuff man! So I was ecstatic to read this story, and wanted to share it with you:

READ ME!

I'd love to hear your favorite songs of inspiration! Please share!

Freaky Freakin' Freak Show

2010-09-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

Man...the weirdos come out of the woods when Primus comes to town......and I LOVE it! Bass maestro Les Claypool has reunited his old band PRIMUS, and he brought them and their Oddity Faire 2010 to little ol' Medford, OR this week. Of course, those freaks are my peeps, and I HAD to go. MAN IT WAS INSANELY cool and awesome. The weirdos were out in full force. Amongst the crowd of black t-shirts, dirty dread locks, and dickies pants were acrobats and stilt walkers. The first band was called SPLITLIP RAYFIELD. They were great. It was a rugged cow-punk,rockabilly 3-piece (complete with a one-stringed stand up bass made from the fuel tank of an old Ford!) and they were great. Next up was a band called Portugal.The Man. They too were quite stellar. I LOVED their falsetto, "Mars Volta meets Carney" Alaskan sound!
Then...the triumvarite came out and blew us all away! Through the fog of that strange smelling smoke everyone around us was blowing, the Spaceman Themed Stage lit up, and out came Les, Larry and Jay! It is literally IMPOSSIBLE to describe the next 2hours. It was INSANELY wonderful. The musicianship was out of this universe. The song selection was great. It was an otherworldy experience, complete with costume masks, George W Bush montages (during "My Name is Mud") and "Whamola" solos! It was incredible...and I am SO glad I got to experience it. Any fan of music should see them once. Here is their setlist from the night:
1.Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers
2.Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread
3.Tommy The Cat
4.American Life
5.Sgt. Baker
6.Over The Falls
7.Coattails of a Dead Man
8.My Name Is Mud
9.Drum and Whamola Jam
10.Eleven
11.Frizzle Fry
12.Here Come The Bastards
13.Harold Of The Rocks
Encore:
14.Behind My Camel (The Police cover)
15.Groundhog's Day
16.Pudding Time

Thank you Mr. Claypool for dazzling us with your freakiness!

Enjoy some video from the gig:

Straight to a Parent's Heart

2010-09-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

As a youth minister, this is powerful to me. As a parent, it is even more so! It may offend you...but if so, maybe it's because you feel guilty (like me)? It makes some solid arguments. Give it a read and pray about it :). I'd love to know what you think. Leave a comment. I know that my son LOVES sports, and these fights for our family are just around the corner. I am praying for the right choices now!

HERE

Free Music Friday

2010-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

it's time to bring back the old tradition. these guys are back together! Amazing musicians! If only there was a place to see them live...............

ITUNES SHUFFLE

2010-09-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I shared with any of you guys some tunes from my shuffle. Many of you say you enjoy these, so here are the last 20 songs I was offered:
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses- U2
The Turnpike Down- The Lemonheads
Melt My Heart to Stone- Adele
Where the Sun Never Dies- Blindside
Fame- Citizen Cope
Turn Smile Shift Repeat- Phantom Planet
A-Punk- Vampire Weekend
Undercover- Pete Yorn
Like the 309- Johnny Cash
Ocean Breathes Salty- Modest Mouse
Learn to Fly- Foo Fighters
Down in a Hole- Alice in Chains
Girly- The refreshments
On the Radio- Regina Spektor
Where Eagles Have been- Wolfmother
Sparks- Coldplay
Sometimes (Lester Piggot)- James
Resurrect Me- Jon Foreman
Far Behind- Eddie Vedder

Kindergarten!

2010-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the big day. Merrick woke up MUCH MUCH better (Praise God) and was ready to begin her exciting adventures in the Medford School District. After a good breakfast we got dressed and took off. If she was nervous, she sure did not show it! She confidently marched into Oak Grove as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She snuck up behind her beloved teacher and tapped his back. He was happy to see her since she missed yesterday and welcomed her with a big loving hug (which makes us parents feel good). She waved goodbye, got in line and that was it.........her precious little life was changed forever. It's hard to believe our sweetheart is in school. I am having trouble with this one. She is my precious, little sweet thing. She is my love bug. She is my schoolgirl????? I pray she will be ok. I pray she will be happy. I pray, pray, pray...... What we did NOT prepare for was her baby sister's reaction. Haddie is SOOOO sad to be alone at home. It is hard. It feels a little empty. She is moping around saying "I want sissy...". Thank you God for my perfect family!

No go for Kindergarden

2010-09-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today was SUPPOSED to be my precious Merr Bear's 1st day of school. Today she was to embark into the world of kindergarden. But...alas, it is a no go :(

She woke up REALLY sick last night, having a serious struggle to breathe, and quite frankly scared the crap out of us! She seems a little better today. She is praying to get better and into her classroom! She is so excited to start. last week she went to an assement they have for all incoming students. When the teacher brought her out she told me "We decided that she is the ONE student we are ALL fighting for this year. Everyone wants her in our class. That smile and energy just lit up the whole room!".....boy was I a proud daddy, and I have to say I totally agree :)

Here she is on her 1st sick day:

Jude's First Day

2010-09-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by way too quick. I remember like yesterday Jude and Jessie walking from the van for his first day of Kindergarden. Somehow, I have blinked my eyes and he is in 2nd grade. He has proven to be an excellent student excelling at reading and overall politeness. He is a teacher's dream. After a rough 1st grade teacher I am proud to announce that he LOVES his teacher this year. Jessie walked him to school on day one and was VERY thrilled that he even held her hand the whole way!
What a sweet boy. here he is:

Just a small town girl......

2010-09-12T08:42:00.001-07:00

Merrick and Leela break some Journey off, GLEE style:

Pannell Camping Trip 2010

2010-09-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

It was the 1st ever time for our whole family to hit the great Oregon outdoors to camp in the brisk mountain air. Check it out:

Vacation 2010-------REST OF THE STORY

2010-09-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

sorry this is SOOO late..been crazy busy, but with school back in I should be able to start blogging a little more regularly. I'll let the pics tell the rest of our trip:

Twas SURELY an awesome time! Really want to go back!

Vacation 2010- Day 1

2010-08-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

We began our grand adventure to the Russian River of Northern California, outside of the infamous wine country. I was able to take 3 days of vacation, for a several day getaway with my beautiful wife. The summer has been a busy one. On top of the usual hectic youth ministry schedule, family health issues on other states have carried us apart more than usual. This trip could not have been more needed. We NEEDED time together. So we planned a nice anniversary trip---13 years!
Of course it got off to a rough start. Days before the trip began, two of our kids got sick. High fevers, sore throats…etc. We thought all was well until the day before we took off. Our middle got QUITE sick. But…hours before leaving, the fever kicked and we took off.
We drove a few hours before stopping for lunch in Redding at the world famous In N Out Burgers. you have never experienced that, I highly recommend it. Best fast food burgers and fries in the world! After clogging our hearts and arteries just a bit, we hit the road.
The soundtrack for the day was a great one. We listened to Mumford & sons, Avett brothers, Amos Lee, and then closed out the drive to Justin Timberlake. As we were “bringing sexy back” we made the final push into the crazy streets of San Francisco. Jessie had booked us a fancy hotel downtown. The roads were insane. It was impossible to tell the lanes with all the cable car tracks. But it was gorgeous. The architecture there is incredible. It is nuts how they built everything on such steep angles and intense hills.
We found a parking lot finally and hauled the luggage to our hotel. It was GORGEOUS! We checked in and rested a few minutes before we got ready for the nights big adventure! We found a Subway across the street to get some food, since we’d heard the musical would run late. Then we grabbed a cab and ran to the famous Orpheum theatre in San Fran’s infamous TENDERLOIN district, to pick up our tickets to see WICKED.
If you have never seen this show, I recommend it with every ounce of my being! It is the most incredible stage spectacle I have ever seen and an incredible story! W LOVED it. At 10:30, we made our way out and tackled the task of hailing a cab. The ride home was an adventure and we crashed into our beds, prepping for the big day to start in the AM

Pickathon 2010

2010-08-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

I got to be a part of a great experience called Pickathon recently. It is a music festival outside of Portland that showcases up and coming indie roots music. It was a phenomenal experience. The great thing about it is the fact that they very purposefully make the festival green, earth friendly, and anti-corporate. So the entire festival was plastic free. You purchased a great PICKATHON CUP of stainless steel made my KLEEN KANTEEN when you entered and any drink for the weekend was served to you in your cup. All about the farm there were washing and drying stations for these. There were water trucks all over the place for you to fill up your own water bottles as you wished.

It was very low key....the only sign pointing the way was on a back road and was a hand painted black lettered sign on a white board. You got your tickets in a field, parked and hiked in your camping gear. What a cool experience this was. The front of the grounds was a clearing with all the vendors, stages, etc set up. You walked past there until you reached the edge of the forest. It was very cool looking.....with in trail leading in...Inviting you to the magic forest of fun! As you stepped in you literally, physically felt as if you'd just wandered into a different world. The temperature dropped about 8 degrees. The trees were strung with lights and there were trails tailing off in every direction. Basically, the idea was find any spot in the trees, clear it out as best as you can, and set up camp. HOW COOL! We hiked for about 20 minutes until we found our spot. Already the woods were lighting up with dayglow colored flags and tie-dye blankets marking off camps. Dotting the woods in every direction were all kinds of colored tents and hammocks. It took us about 40 minute to carry everything in and set up. We were very basic. A chair, a tent, a few candles and our backpacks. We were home for 2 days! The woods had a life of their own as hippies, families, kids, yuppies and hipsters all ran around together. It was a very friendly and happy feeling place. We hiked around a little then made our way to the stages to stake out a place for our blanket and see the vendors. It was a beautiful creation, as some very creative visual artists had created the backdrop and "roof" from all kinds of huge diamond shaped silk tarps of blue white and orange. It was quite stunning. The vendors were fantastic, as they chose to have NO major corporate sponsorship at all. The food was ALL local, and about 90% was natural organic. The merch and souvenir tents followed this same suit. I truly felt at home :). I could go on for sentence after sentence about the setup...but instead I'll just tell you of the bands I saw and share some poorly shot videos for your enjoyment.

The first bad we saw Friday was WEINLAND. They were pretty good. They are a 5 piece who could be described as folk pop with a slight Americana twinge. The had a guitar and bass, drums, banjo, keyboards and a fella that rotated between dobro, mandolin, lap steel and accordion. I enjoyed the set, and thought they were a great way to start out the weekend. It was nothing spectacular but solid.

Next up on the same lawn stage setup was MEGAFAUN. I had recently heard these guys were good so was excited. They had been a different band known as DeYarmond Edison earlier, but part of that collaborative had departed to found the critically acclaimed Bob Iver...so they reformed as Megafaun. They surely did NOT disappoint. They had a bigger sound from the beginning. As a long time lover of vocal harmonies, I loved the vocal stylings of this band. They employed a very nice sound that evoked images of the Byrds, Neil Young or maybe more recently a rougher Fleet Foxes. They were very tight as a band. They played for an hour and I could easily have listened longer. I expect to see them get pretty big in coming years.

After this we hiked back into the trees to see The Punch Brothers. These were some of the guys I was most excited about seeing! It is Chris Thile's (the vocal and mandolin playing wizard of Nickel Creek fame) newest bluegrass band. I was quite eager to see them and the Woods Stage was incredible. They built a canopy for the tiny stage from limbs and branches and put hundreds of hay bales in the little valley in between the huge trees. It was incredible actually. Chris played mandolin and took most lead vocals. There was an excellent banjo player, an unbelievably skilled fiddler, a stand up bass player who both picked and strummed with a bow and a master acoustic guitar player. Each guy was a master at his craft and their harmonies were unmatchable. They had a very fun and witty banter with the crowd and surely delivered a blistering fun set. The highlight for me was when they covered Radiohead's "2+2=5" from "Hail to the Thief". It was SO good, In fact, here is a fuzzy video from it:
Afterwards we made our way back through the dust to the Main Stage area. We caught the end of a country Texas troubadour named Hayes Carll. I liked the show. The band swung just fine. His vocals in all actuality were pretty terrible. He sang with a warbly, haggard, chain smoke damaged throaty nasally tone. But with the entire look and outlaw feel of the band, it somehow worked. The lyrics and self deprecating humor with the crowd were clever enough to keep me engaged.
Next we were excited to see Breathe Owl Breathe. Between the recent rave reviews in PASTE MAGAZINE and the general buzz throughout almost everyone you talked to, I was certain this was going to be fun. They did NOT disappoint! They are a performing arts extravaganza! The visual theatrics and storytelling were every bit as important as the music. They are a Michigan trio of two guys and a girl. The set was a giant story telling session of dragons,caves, magic swim holes and such. Most pieces contained a costume of sorts, usually with a cape. They played keyboards, guitars, horns and all types of percussive instruments. It was weird, jubilant, fascinating and pure bliss! It was truly a sight to behold and their hour long set was over far too soon. Enjoy a snippet of the wild surreal magic:

The night ended for me (as I didn't stay up for the late shows though I now hear I missed out) with an unbelievably rocking set from Dr. Dog. I've been a HUGE fan for about a year now so I was jazzed for this one. If you get the chance to see them live, DO NOT miss out! This Philly outfit will rock your socks off! They played everything with SUCH intensity. I was sure that by the end of the set they might collapse. By the end of their run ALL the other bands had made their way to the side of the stage and were rocking out as starry-eyed as the rest of us mere mortals! It was a wonderful show. Here is a video of one of favorite songs called "FROM", off what I consider their best album "Fate". Enjoy:

And that made up our first evening. We made our way back up the dirty trail in the dark and collapsed in our tent drifting off to sleep with our trusty Ipod setlists singing us lullabies.

Miracle Camp

2010-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Quite rarely…maybe just a handful of times in a life, one gets to be a part of something magical. Maybe it is a title run in sports, a vacation trip, or grand adventure. Even rarer in life are the times when a person gets to be a part of something supernatural. When those experiences occur, you should hold on to them forever.
Recently….I lived through such an experience. Last week, I got to experience God in a way that is indescribable. We had our annual trek up the Siskiyou Mountains to Southern Oregon Christian Camp. Everything was set in place. Teachers and speakers were lined up. Staffing issues were worked out. And finances were still miraculously rolling in like tumble weeds after a prairie storm. As I pulled up to the staff cabin the night before camp began, it looked like we were in for a great year, but nothing could have prepared us for the quiet storm that was brewing. No one could have explained how the Holy Spirit was about to descend on those volcanic badlands, and sweep through some 75 kids and 30 adults hearts, transforming us into one living, breathing, loving organism.
Sunday was good. We had some great worship, learning some new songs and heard the theme for the week laid out for us to begin pondering. The evening was mellow as we sang around a fire, shared a snack and actually drifted into dreamland at a reasonable time. I remember thinking that something felt good…maybe even better than usual.
Monday morning came like it always does. The sun in the early sky indicated that summer heat was going to hang in the mountains longer than we’d like. Breakfast was divine and the kids seemed eerily cheery…even for the 1st morning. As we made our way to morning devo time, there was a stirring in my soul. I wasn’t sure what it was. I could sense that things were different. The assembly was wonderful. The silly singing was enthusiastic, and the game was a blast. Don Walker brought a word of God that hit like a ton of bricks. EVERYONE was engaged and all in..and it was just the MORNING SPEAKER! Clearly…something was amiss. The day just kept going good. When was the coil going to break? When would the trouble that MUST be out there rear its ugly horned head?
As the evening began, I found myself walking in a peace that is hard to find as camp director. Even when camps go perfectly, there is this silent stress that hovers over your head as director like a wet fog. You are constantly guarded, just in case something should happen. You are always being called in several directions for EVERY decision from the biggest to the most mundane. So, while you may be fully enjoying yourself, you cannot fully commit, always aware that that fog could break into a rain and ruin what you are doing. But, this night, I found myself completely walking in sunshine. There was no fog! A peace that is indescribable had made its’ way into my soul and seemed to have a pretty tight grip. After dinner we witnessed the beauty of two loving and emotional fathers immerse their own kids into the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ. It was beautiful and real. Making our way back for evening worship, we were abuzz. My friend Terry brilliantly fused clips from The Matrix into a lesson about God’s love and dedication to us, and the purpose He provides for each of our lives. He ended with a personal and emotional object lesson that stirred every soul in the place. The stage was now set for EVERY speaker and teacher the week would see. The bar was set, and it was high. Miraculously, no one failed. If anything, they just kept raising it, concluding with Charlie's mind blowing lesson Friday evening that still has my brain shaking.
The rest of the enchanted week never disappointed. Even when trials came, and they did try, the peace never drifted away. Every speaker kept bringing fevered and inspired talks. The teens were opening up there souls, and emptying themselves at the camp fire like canteens spilling into desert sands. They were blowing us away by this point. We’ve always been blessed with ridiculously good kids. But this was different. There was love present amongst this motley crew. Not a teenage hormone laden love, and not just a kumbaya hokey, forced love. This was different. This was real. You could almost touch it. You could almost taste it. There were no cliques. There was no one on the fringes. Kids who fit in NOWHERE ELSE were 100% accepted, loved and made to feel like a best friend. We adults watched it quietly, jaws dropped open wide, with tears in our eyes and pride in our hearts. There was a power in the crowd that one could almost see if you squinted just right.
Midweek was the pinnacle. It manifested itself in an event that sounds simple enough on the surface. To the outsider simply reading about it, it will seem like another silly night in a summer camp. But to the priviledged few who experienced it……HEAVEN came to Box R Ranch for a few divine moments. After the campfire I drifted off to my secret sweet AT&T hot spot between a pine and a stump, hidden in the shadows of the cookhouse, for my nightly call to my wife to hear about her day and tell her I loved her before she drifted off in her lonely bed. I could hear singing in the cookhouse. It sounded as if Malcolm had been coaxed into serenading some lucky lady with his operatic vocal cords. After a few playful chords, he began to REALLY belt out and the back noise all quieted down. I made it back up just as his lips pushed out the last syllables of the final note, and the place erupted! For some reason, I got goose bumps. I felt something. I even shook a little. I remember “hearing” something in my heart telling me “watch what is about to take place”.
Suddenly the place began to chant a name…over and over. They wanted THEM to now sing! The individual turned red, blushed and shook their head, but after a few more seconds of coaxing sheepishly stood up. The crowd went wild, cheering and yelling out encouragements. So, feeling the love and support the young person began to belt out, and boy could they sing! When the song was finished the place literally exploded. I thought for one second that the green tin roof may fall off the place. A smile completely invaded the singers face and then spread to each collective face, and a new name was chanted to begin singing. This went on for well over an hour. It was incredibly beautiful. It was so pure and organic. Kids and adults alike were feeling a love and support that is NOT of this world! No one was afraid to sing, because they knew that everyone there loved and supported their efforts. We heard talent that could make American Idol jealous. Others of us just sang something goofy. A few brought tears to our weary eyes. Several had never even hinted they could sing, but broke their enslaving shyness and wowed us with a voice we never knew of. Kids with learning disabilities stood up with total confidence, throwing their hands in the air when finished. It was phenomenal. It was supernatural.
As the last cheers reluctantly gave way to a sleepy chatter, we sent the campers off to bed. A few of us adults stayed behind to try and make sense of what had just happened. We could barely put words to it. Our bodies were still covered in goosebumps (or maybe more accurately, what my friend Jonathan calls “God-bumps”). We mostly just laughed and smiled, because we knew we had just experienced something that very few have the privilege to ever feel. God was fully alive in that dusty old cookhouse. He was real. He was moving. And I got to be a part of it.
The rest of the week never once disappointed. The speakers kept touching our hearts. The games kept uniting. The campfires kept encouraging. The songs kept ringing. By weeks’ end there were 9 new children of God born again! Many more had recommitted and even more had taken a step closer to being the person God called them to be. We all took on the challenge of accepting the reality of Psalm 139 (our theme verse) as GOOD NEWS in order to free ourselves to be who God intends us to be.
I am privileged to have had the chance to lead this group. I had absolutely nothing to do with the miracles that took place. All credit goes to God. I am grateful to have played a bit part, and witnessed the whole thing. God truly is good……ALL THE TIME!

IPod Shuffle

2010-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Ipod just brought me quite an eclectic mix......though I'd share it with my few readers:

Night Bird Flying- Jimi Hendrix
Life is White- Big Star
The Supine- Andrew Bird
Shattered- Rolling Stones
Here I Am- Shawn McDonald
Into the Fire- Bruce Springsteen
Girl Named Tennessee- needtobreathe
Walking After You- Foo Fighters
Foreground- Grizzly Bear
Weird Divide- The Shins
Teenage Labotomy- The Ramones
Strange Condition- Pete Yorn
Sweet Little Lies- Michael Franti & Spearhead
Invention- Pedro the Lion
Curs in the Weeds- Horse Feathers
West Memphis Skyline- Miles Kurosky
All Your Secrets- Yo La Tengo
Margaret vs Pauline- Neko Case
Shed a Little Light- Foy Vance
Santeria- Sublime

enjoy some of those if you have them!

Weekend Fun

2010-07-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend. We crammed a BUNCH into a few days. Here are a few pics. First up is from the Third Day concert. As always, the boys put on a GREAT show.

Saturday we wroked pretty hard around the house and Jessie and I had a date. Sunday night concluded with our entire church family picnicing at the park and having a giant Wiffleball Tourney. It was wonderful time celebrating life in community. Here are some pics:

Free Music Friday

2010-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I literally CAN NOT stop listening to Mumford & Sons........I am dying to see them live! Here is today's track for you all called "Roll Away Your Stone". I hope you enjoy

World Cup Blues

2010-07-13T16:58:00.001-07:00

I have to admit....with the beautiful game no longer being broadcast daily......it feels a little lonely. Good thing Jude knows how to keep the party going :)

Rogue River

2010-07-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

it was so nice yesterday that we assumed it was a MUST that we do something in the green OR outdoors! So the entire family, including uncle and cousin headed out! We went to a GREAT park in Rogue River where Evans Creek hits the Rogue and swam a while. We even picniced......it was delightful. Living in OR just simply and truly is the best!

The Flag & The Cross

2010-07-12T17:51:00.001-07:00

When you went to church last Sunday what did your stage look like? Was it like it looked every other Sunday worship service? Maybe there were some flowers to lighten things up? Maybe you have one of those cool old school boards that give the numbers of congregants from the last week and the amount tithed. Maybe yours even goes so far as to have the order of service listed out, complete with hymnal numbers (does ANYONE but the Catholics do that anymore?) Or as your preacher delivered the message did you get the strange feeling that he was either running for public office, or riding a 4th of July float? Regardless of how your church auditorium or sanctuary looks, the question is this: What did it look like LAST Sunday, July 4th?

Many churches across the country decorated with American flags for the 4th of July. Most of you are probably saying, “Yeah, so?”. But maybe there is a bigger question than you think involved here. For many folks, having the flag in a worship service to God is a MAJOR conflict. It can be downright offensive to lots of people. If you want to know the truth…it makes me a little uncomfortable. But to others…it is genuinely a major conflict of conscience.

I tried to have a civil conversation about this on Facebook. I asked all my friends what they thought, in the innocent but hopelessly naïve and ignorant thought we each could discuss our personal viewpoints without getting upset or angry. Of course…this could not happen. I was greatly bothered by the fact that most folks who had differing opinions were completely, utterly, and totally opposed to even listening to anything new. Objectivity was completely gone.

My point in its MOST SIMPLE form was this: once you or I give our lives to Christ, we are NO LONGER citizens of this great nation. Our loyalty MUST lie first and foremost to the Kingdom of God! And anytime our patriotism comes before this (which can be often, without us even knowing it), we walk a dangerous line…one that I consider idolatry. As soon as most of my friends heard that I was not completely comfortable with the flag in the church…no one would listen. So…I am asking you what you think. Can the flag be an idol? I think it absolutely can.
Let me clear this up…….I am VERY am thankful to live in a country that grants us the freedoms we have, so no I decline your offer to move south of the border. I am aware of the great cost of sacrifice my personal freedoms I take for granted cost. I know how blessed I am. So yes…..that makes me patriotic! But when folks are wearing THIS shirt to church: JesUSAves. It bugs me. It’s as if we are the ONLY people that Christ cares for and ultimately died for.
All I want to point out is that the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is “not of this world”. And it is this kingdom’s passport that we should be getting stamped! I have always struggled with this idea I was spoon fed more regularly than biscuits n gravy in the bible thumpin’ South, that we are "God’s nation". From what my feeble mind can recall, the only nation that God ever called out was Israel and the last I knew…and based on the fact that I just passed 2 eateries advertising delectable pork treats, we are NOT in Israel. I am convinced this idea came from the facts we were give often as kids that the USA was founded by a bible-totin’ group of fervent, God fearing men. Most of my research shows this is not quite as true as we were always led to believe…but that’s another blog all together. As author Greg Boyd says it: “Believing that lie, patriotic Christians have tragically followed the orders of earthly rulers and marched into battle “for God and country,” rather than following the example of Jesus—who gave His life for the people who persecuted Him. Ironically, in some cases the “enemies” Christians have slaughtered have been other patriotic Christians who happened to be born in other countries, or other parts of the same country. Few things have done more to discredit Christianity than the patriotic zeal with which Christians have participated in violence.”
That should AT LEAST cause you to pause and to think a little bit. There just may be some truth there. Anything in our lives that comes before God is idolatry. If real citizenship is in heaven then our job is to live as ambassadors of Christ!
I love my country, but my sole allegiance is to the heavenly Kingdom that calls me to surrender all my rights as an American! God’s kingdom is a mighty vast one! It includes folks from every nation, race and political persuasion. There all earthly distinctions carry no meaning.
I pray that I am ALWAYS appreciative of our country. I am grateful to live here and for what it took to make this place what it is. I am not telling anyone not to be patriotic. But I am urging all of us make sure our pride in those unbleeding colors never takes precedence over our allegiance to the Kingdom of God.

White Trash Water Park

2010-07-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

Q: What do you do when it is 103 degrees outside, and you have no swimming pool?

A: Get creative!

Move over MacGruber.....here comes MacPannizle. Check out this formula:

2 nails
1 hammer
1 garden hose
2 swim noodles
1 roll of fishing line
1 roll Gorilla Tape
1 kitchen knife

Throw that together and you have a rocking good time! You get what we have now dubbed in the Pannell household "Noodle Falls". It works like a charm and is quite fun! Here is the evidence:

You are all invited......anytime!

Family Updates

2010-05-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

It has been QUITE busy here lately........but it is all good. Can I share some things with you? How about some videos?

Merrick graduated from preschool (stop growing precious!!!). She had a blast and was gorgeous of course. The school has grown and it was crowded..so I was far back. I apologize for poor focus. but, here she is:

Jude's class perfomed the "boogie walk" for his school's COmmunity Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. he also had a friend over and they performed some original songs, and he had his 1st piano recital. enjoy:

Soon we are heading to Flagler, CO where we will see some family and work a VBS! We hope to see ya soon. much love-
pannell

Impulse Living

2010-05-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

The other night I came home from work and decided that the family needed to do something fun and impulsive. Times when my parents did that as a kid are still some of my favorite memories!

So we jumped into the car and all headed North 30 miles to Grants Pass. It was a wonderful night. On the way there, we discovered that the world's greatest strawberry pacth was open, so we stopped and bought a flat!

Continuing north we reached our destination! We went to the historic downtown and found our way to the SODA SHOP. It is the coolest place in the world. They maintained their original soda fountain from the 50's and it is like stepping back in time! (including the prices: Amazing phosphate sodas for $.25, or a cup of coffee for $.10!) It is awesome. The kiddos all got to make whatever combination of soda they wanted and loved it. Jessie and I shared the best malt I have ever put in my mouth! It was a big hit.

We then topped the evening off at Wild River Brew Pub and Pizzeria.....home of some of the finest ales and pizza in SO OR! (not to mention INCREDIBLE onion rings!) It was great fun. We sang and played games on the ride home and finished off the evening with a family movie night and laughed our way through The Tooth Fairy with the kids.

Life is good. I am a blessed man

Earth Day Birthday

2010-05-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Every year my birthday has fallen on Earth Day. I keep thinking maybe one year, it will not, but it never fails  ! I think that is pretty cool personally! I try to celebrate a little “earthiness” every year as I wolf down the cake and ice cream. And, it never fails that each year either friends, family, or a delightful mix of both razz me for this…generating the expected cat calls of “treehugger”, “hippy” and “liberal”. I have gotten used to it. I even like it a little.
But you know what……I am CONVINCED that Earth Day is a Godly thing. I am convinced that part of my “duty” (for lack of better term) as a follower of Jesus is to care for the creation of God with every means I can.
1970 was the first time we celebrated the holiday as a nation. Up until then, gas stations were selling leaded gas, air purity was almost totally unregulated and agricultural pesticides were sprayed without a thought about it. At the time, a factory could dump toxic ninja turtle ooze into a river and there was almost nothing anyone could do to stop them…..so hey, you at least gotta be thankful for that .
Earth Day changed everything. The next decades saw sweeping change in public policies to help care for the environment such as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. We also saw the creation of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
At the time, it hadn’t yet become as politicized as it is today. Environmentalism was not always the divisive issue it is today, so these laws gained bipartisan support. Liberals and conservatives alike were on board. It made since…who wouldn’t want to save the earth? But, bipartisanship would not last. It was bound to change, when business and ultimately greed took over.
As soon as corporations got involved, so did political extremists, and environmentalism seemed to lose its stylishness in the public consciousness. Popular support waned, and political parties began using the environment as a weapon to beat each other up. All the while, clean air and water became greater global problems, and land was clear-cut to make way to make more money.
Still, Earth Day never went away! Its’ popularity grew despite the challenges. In 1990, Earth Day hit the world stage as 141 countries joined in and promoted recycling. In 2000, 1.8 million gathered in Central Park’s Great Lawn to commemorate and 184 countries took part.
Forty years later, April 22 continues to unite those who believe in caring for our world and the people who depend on it. Approximately 200 countries and around 1 billion students, activists, soccer moms and working folks will celebrate this year. But here is the saddest part to me:
With some exceptions, the American Christian community will be mostly absent from celebrations. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?
“Environmentalist” is still a dirty word among some Christians. I have a bunch of friends who would agree. That makes me sad. Maybe some find the label synonymous with secularism, Goddess worship, New Ageism and politically liberal special interest groups? And yes…there are extremists that help perpetuate this feeling. But they are not the minority! Yet still others are uncomfortable with “environmentalists” and even less comfortable with their “agenda.”
But, the problem is that Christians can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Millions die annually from preventable, water-related diseases. Most are children. Extinction rates continue to exceed natural rates by more than 100 times. Our energy consumption funds mountaintop removal coal mining while our oil addiction fouls the air and laces the pockets of oppressive dictatorships.
And here is the great irony: we serve the One who created everything, called it “good” and asked humans to care for and protect it!!! So why are we not listening?
What’s the solution?
We have GOT to “depoliticize” environmentalism! Caring for creation should not be framed in a liberal vs. conservative narrative! Stewardship of creation is a moral issue the people of God have been called to address. If we desire to remain true to God’s Word, Christians must redeem the cause and make it our own! We need to rediscover the scriptural basis for taking care of this world, engage the glaring problems around us and propose solutions! It IS THE CHURCH’S JOB TO DO THIS! To abandon these issues to secular environmentalists shirks our God-given responsibility to care for His planet. It makes us lazy and apathetic. And it makes me sad.
Let’s do our duty here guys! Take care of the earth! It is not hard. It is worth it. And God made it. I hope you will look inward and examine your own reasons if you find yourself objecting to anything considered, “green” or “environmental”. I hope that like me, you will find it impossible to continue to ignore the environmental impact of our lifestyles and are beginning to feel some force moving within you.
(much of this blog's language and facts were taken from the recent article by Jonathan Merrit in RELAVANT magazine)

Monday Shuffle

2010-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Mondays find me hard to get inspired. Weary from Sunday, it takes awhile to get going. So, it is essential that the perfect tunes find their way to my ears to get me jumpstarted! Here is what Itunes shuffle brought this AM:

Bone China- Mother Love Bone
Summersong- The Decemberists
Tourette's- Nirvana
Crazy- Ray LaMontagne
Wake Up- The Arcade Fire
Reputation- Derek Webb
Said Too Much- needtobreathe
Billie Jean- Michael Jackson
Am I Only?- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Unemployable- Pearl Jam
Asssasin- Muse
The Sun Maid- Soul Asylum
Biko- Peter Gabriel
Communication Breakdown- Led Zeppelin
Mystery- Phil Wickham

Jesus vs "Obamacare"

2010-04-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday across this great nation, groups of impassioned folks gathered around our country in protest of big government and deficit spending. The large gathering I passed here in Medford (which looked more like a Nascar rally) seemed to be protesting what they called “Obamacare”. It got me thinking.
Most of you know me and know that my political views are often considered more liberal than my peers. But I REALLY try to think for myself and look at things with open eyes and through the lens of Christ. The last few years this has forced me to rethink many things.
I struggle with the open rebellion, especially by folks of faith against health care reform. It seems to me that any system which leaves MILLIONS without healthcare needs to be reconsidered….ESPECIALLY by folks of faith. So I was hoping we could have an intelligent conversation about health care here. Here are some thoughts top start the talk:
Regardless of what you think...this issue IS a moral issue! Christians should be concerned about the good of all individuals. Good health is something we should want everyone to have and health care is one of the ways we maintain good health. And when we look at the world around us, it is also a scarce good—the demand very much exceeds the supply. So figuring out how best to see to it that people get quality health care is a legitimate moral concern, and a real concern for Christians. The way I see it...UNIVERSAL care is the only answer.
No person of good will opposes health care. So, the real issues are MUCH more specific: Who is primarily responsible for the health care of individuals and families? How ought laws and institutions be arranged to make quality health care available to people? How do we encourage innovation in health care? How ought tax and economic policy be arranged to achieve the goal of quality, affordable health care for all who want it?
The argument I hear the most is that it is not the governments job to pay for this! The church should do more! While I agree this would be awesome, it is not happening. The only organization large enough to really make a difference here is our Federal government! Why the sudden uproar? Both parties support Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security without nationwide rallies and revolts??? So they must agree that it is appropriate for the government to play a role in providing for the fundamental needs of its citizens in certain situations, and health care seems to be one of them. In fact, providing health care for citizens who cannot afford it is not only the morally right thing to do, it is the economically smart thing to do since numerous studies and economists have proven that emergency room care and other care for non-insured individuals costs the average American about $1,000 in insurance costs per year. Churches play a role in caring for the needy—but they can only provide charity to the extent that they can and it is a limited role for churches. Yet, I truly believe the government should be a “giver of justice” and providing health care for all Americans seems the right thing to do.
Obviously the new plan is not perfect. There are flaws. As a person of faith, I ALWAYS have to be concerned with the right to life, and the issue of abortion. In the current health care plan, this is a HUGE issue! Is life going to be protected? I think that from what I can tell......this is an area where there has been tremendous misinformation and even deliberate distortion of what is REALLY in the bill. This bill provides for the strict segregation of funds that cover abortions from federal funds. It also requires insurance companies to have an annual audit of this segregation of funds that is overseen by the state Commissioner of Insurance. Our taxes are not really going to be pouring into a thriving abortion culture! In many ways it seems (and I am NOT an expert here) that the dreaded “Obamacare” actually goes further than current law by offering positive economic supports to vulnerable pregnant women so that they may more easily be able to choose life for their unborn children and know that they will have the help they need when their child is born!!!! I believe this will actually DECREASE abortion rates.
This is a divisive issue I know. And it is a BIG DEAL. But let’s at least try and find common ground here. There are some things we can ALL agree on! I assume that all Christians agree that health care is a good thing, and that we should want as many people to be able to have as much of it as they need. All Christians, I think, would agree that there’s a difference between that goal, and a particular political policy intended to achieve that goal. We should want policies that help give rise to more access to good health care for more people, without violating other important Christian principles and creating worse problems. And if we follow two thousand years of Christian teaching, Christians should agree that any law that creates positive incentives for abortion and forces people to (effectively) fund abortion for others, while pretending to do otherwise, is unjust.

p.s. (thanks to the latest Relevant Magazine in providing many of these quotes and stats for me)

Reading Roar

2010-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

We like to read in our home. My youngest, Haddie, is really in to "reading aloud" right now! So, I took this amazingly cute video! Sorry it is sideways. She is reading "How to Train Your Dragon", which I'd just read to her older siblings.....hence the BIG voice and roars....

Enjoy:

From the Mouth of Babes.......

2010-04-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

I recently read an amazing story in the news about a brave young man in Chicago named Luis Reteguin, who saved his mom from a dangerous attacker. One evening, at 1 a.m., a man armed with a knife entered their home. Luis and his mother happened to be awake (why??????), while his younger sister and older brother were asleep (pbviously the smart ones). At the time, Luis thought it was his father since he usually arrived home at that hour from a graveyard shift. The intruder even opened the door to Luis's room, something his father usually did at that hour, but did not come in, most likely due to the lamp that was turned on. It wasn't until his mother began screaming that Luis realized something was wrong. Courageously, and without even thinking about it, he ran to his mother's room and saw a man attacking his mom with a knife. What fear he must have felt! Luis immediately jumped on the man and began punching him. What a kid! The man of course, began to fight back, and turned his rage on the boy . Breaking free, Luis ran to the kitchen and called the police. At this point, the attacker became scared and fled the house. Everyone was scarred, scared and quite shaken up, but this young mans courage, strength, and quick-thinking saved his mom's life!
We love stories like this. I am sure you will hear it soon on Oprah, or the made for TV version starring Chad Lowe and Rick Scroeder……But, these stories do capture our imaginatiosn and hearts. This inspirational story reminded me of a lesson I easily forget, despite learning it over and over. It reminded me just how much our kids are capable of! While it is often easy to shrug off their ideas, or their interruptions into our “adult conversations”, I have found that some of the deepest and soul stirring theological discussions I have ever been involved in often involve my kids! I am reminded that we need to remember, God uses EVERYTHING to teach us…..including our young people! KIDS TEACH US A LOT ABOUT LIFE.

I believe God gave us children to help us know Him better. They are newer to this world and are not weighed down by race, greed, materialism, politics, or other belief systems. In their innocence they are uncorrupted by the world. We on the other hand, are scarred and dirtied, and have forgotten many important things that dwell in the shadows of such purity and innocence. It is the purity of children that enables us to clearly see the blessings and wonder of the world. I was reminded of this on Tuesday as me and my kids had the best hour we’d had in weeks as we chased bubbles outside on a sunny day! We didn’t need the XBOX, or fancy toys. We needed a $.99 bottle of bubbles and happy and pure souls! Jesus understood this, chastising his friends for trying to dismiss children trying to see Him as a nuisance or a bother. It is so true that “out of the mouth of babes come gems”.

If you are not yet doing so, get plugged in to learn from the kiddos here at West Main. Volunteer in Children’ Worship. Teach a class or work the nursery. Sign up to work VBS or Camp. I can promise you that you’ll be blessed, and not only will you teach….you will learn.

Irish Crackhead????

2010-04-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need to laugh......

Ipod Shuffle

2010-04-07T10:06:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I bored you all with boring tales of my Ipod mix. My hope of course is that some of you may hear of a song you never knew and be turned on to some great new music! Today, with the sun out, I was in need of some happy jams.....not too bad Itunes shuffle:

3 MC's and 1 DJ- Beastie Boys
Love Isn't Made- Jon Foreman
Walking on the Moon- The Police
From a Whisper to a Scream- Elvis Costello
Spies- Coldplay
Lilac Wine- Jeff Buckley
Purple Rain- Prince
Swing on This- Alice in Chains
Take a Bow- Muse
Jesus Christ- Big Star
Buddy Holly- Weezer
Make You Feel My Love- Adele
MLK- U2
Always Love- Nada Surf
Lovestoned- Justin Timberlake
Pennyroyal Tea- Nirvana
Do You Realize?- The Flaming Lips
Eet- Regina Spektor
Steady as She Goes- The Racentours
Earth Angel- Death Cab for Cutie

The Britt Blues

2010-04-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry to my beloved back in the Dirty….but I don’t miss a THING about living in the South. I only miss my family and the music of Memphis. The ONLY thing I can possibly complain about living here in God’s country, aka Oregon, is that our town has not had the most vivacious live music scene (though over the years it has gotten MUCH better. The one shining light in that is what is called the BRITT FESTIVAL. It is a summer music series that brings all kinds of acts to our little valley. It is a small outdoor theatre, on a hill that is LOVELY. The GREATEST part of it is they let you bring in your own picnic! Nothing like live tunes while everyone is stretched out on blankets drinking wine and chilling! Every year we wait anxiously for the newest acts announced. Some of them are throw away and/or country acts (I’ll pass Mr. Paisley)….no thanks. Others are has-beens fighting off the county fair circuit …no thanks Michael McDonald (although Huey Lewis was actually good!). But every year, thrown in there are some pretty awesome acts as well. Over the years we’ve been able to see: Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Willie Nelson, Wilco, Les Claypool, Elvis Costello, Pink martini, Gov’t Mule, Son Volt, the Black Crowes, Nickel Creek, Michael Franti & Spearhead, G Love, Andrew Bird, the Devil makes Three and The Avett Brothers.
So last week I was PUMPED for the announcement of the 2010 lineup. A leak that She & Him were scheduled had me excited (sadly, it was false). All I can say is that it is OKAY. Just nowhere good as seasons past, but maybe a good show or four hidden in there! Tell me what you guys think! Here are the few I am possibly interested in: Brandi Carlisle, Steve Earle with Allison Moorer & the Carolina Chocolate Drops, The New Pornographers, The Barenaked Ladies, Jamie Cullum, and the Swell Season.

What would you pick?

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really REALLY nice day! We started off with a visit from the elusive Easter bunny. That was cool, complete with candies, coloring books and bubbles. Sunday service was a quiet reflective hour of nothing but songs and scriptures. I really liked that. For lunch we spent it with some of the best folks we know: Teh McCords, Scotts and Fairs. We feasted and had blast. It was awesome. After lunch and fellowship, despite the urge for a nap......we had a HUGE easter egg hunt in the rain...OREGON STYLE!

It was a blessed day. I hope yours was as well. Here are some pics you may enjoy from it:

Ladykiller
Sibling love
Making the perfect egg

"best eggs ever!"
Hard work being so lovely
But oh SO worth it!
Another beauty queen
"mirror mirror on the wall"
Dad's treasure
My precious
"I found some!"
"I found one too!"

Life is full of blessings and trials. but days liek today remind us all....Life is beautiful and God is good

Good Friday

2010-04-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

i wrote this one a few years bacK

Good Friday
A question I can’t fully grasp, too deep to comprehend
That one man gave it all away to bring true life to men

A thought that I can’t wrap around, a love that can’t be real
That one mans blood would always serve as my salvations seal

So pain won’t last forever and hope comes when we’ve cried
Just one of many reasons that my savior died

So no man shall be lonely and all shall know a bride
Just another reason that my savior died

To help me run this race of life, to help us turn the tide
While I was still a sinner, yes my savior died

To give me light in darkness, to give my soul a guide
That is one more reason why my savior died

To save the world…to save the lost
To help the helpless, He took the cross

And still I cannot tell you
Can’t explain it if I tried
But God, my God I thank you……….. that my savior died

BP 2006

Free Music Friday

2010-04-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

Well.....since today is GOOD FRIDAY, I will give you a song called GOOD FRIDAY. It is of course by the Black Crowes. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the religious holiday, but it is a great song. I hope you enjoy

God's Viewpoint

2010-03-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

When you’re working abroad you learn MANY things, like new ways to communicate, and to accomplish new things and you try new foods and customs. Sometimes you also learn things aren’t always what they seem.

One of the families we worked for last week taught us a valuable lesson. When we first heard about them it was confusing. Both were dentists and had a slightly bigger plot of land on the “good side” of town. That didn’t settle well with some initially. When you go to serve the less fortunate in 3rd world conditions, you picture rugged conditions. You envision extreme poverty, and slums and families who have NOTHING. You rarely think of two working parents in the medical field!

But, trusting in the Lord we began the work. We quickly learned that things aren’t always what they seem. Turns out a dentist in Mexico isn’t quite the same as in America. Even with two trained medical practitioners, they didn’t have much! This was humbling. And once we met the family, it was VERY clear how wrong our initial human judgments had been!

They were the kindest family. They were incredibly humble, grateful and giving. One day they even provided an amazing lunch for all 30 workers at the site (a gift that undoubtedly set them back). They had two boys who were beautiful and quickly became my best pals. We learned that both had been born very early and ill, and weighed just over 1 pound! The medical expenses had wiped out everything the family had, and as a result they had struggled to catch back up! Once again….very humbling.

As the week went on we came to love them. At the key passing ceremony they gave us the most touching thank you we’d ever experienced. It was a truly blessed experience. We all learned that in God’s grand plans, things aren’t always what they seem! We need to stop trying to see the world through our views and try and catch glimpses of God’s views! God sees what our limited views cannot see, and we can ALWAYS trust in that!
“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7

Mexico Mission 2010- Days 8 & 9, Friday and Saturday March 26 and 27

2010-03-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well……the time has come to head back to America. It is bittersweet. It has been a GREAT week, but man home is calling! So around 7:00 am we loaded up and hit the highway. It was an easy drive and went pretty smooth. We got stopped again at the military checkpoint. The soldier was much friendlier than usual. He was hitting on the girls and kept complimenting there eyes.

After a LONG line to cross the border, we found ourselves on American soil. We stopped with most of the rest of the group at Sonic for some grub. Did I mention that I had a kid hanging out the window as we drove to the border guard puking her poor lungs out???? Pretty awesome! The rest of the afternoon was spent trekking along I-10 to I-5 where we experienced some really crappy LA traffic. Why people choose to live in that stink hole I will never ever understand. But eventually, we made it quite road weary to the Comfort Suites and crashed. We watched the Duke game and cheered for our local boy, then got some In n Out Takeout before crashing.

Saturday was spent at Magic Mountain, a rockin’ cool theme park! When I say we spent all day…we literally spent all day! EXHAUSTING. I got to actually ride a few coasters this year which was cool. The rest of the day was spent with Jude on Kiddie Land and riding the Pirate Ship and swings over and over! I have a GREAT video I will soon post of Jude’s best friend Joey on the ship. It is AMAZING. It was a really fun, but unreal tiring day. We ended up that night with a final run to In n Out and crashed for the ride home.

The next day we hit the Interstate early. We made it to Sacramento in great time despite an unreal CHP presence. It was time to drop off the girls.  It was VERY sad, and much harder than I ever imagined! Jude was on the verge of exploding into tears. It broke my heart. I really love those kiddos. And am, glad to have shared such a cool experience!

We trudged along for what seemed forever and finally made it home at about 6:15 PM! My girls!!!!!! Oh how I love and missed them!

What a week…..many wonderful memories. 2500 miles, a season of glee and many Ipod songs later, I still feel emotionally drained and miss it already, but real life calls, and I have a family to take care of. I hope you enjoyed this simple cliff note version of our trip!

Mexico Mission 2010- Day 7 Thursday March 25

2010-03-30T13:05:00.001-07:00

Play day has arrived! For the 1st year ever, both houses are TOTALLY finished! All we have to do is take a group picture at both and “dedicate” the other one. Then, we are free to play!

What a fun day. It was great weather as we chilled on the beach. We played and relaxed. We ate hotdogs together watching the Sea of Cortez roll in and out. It was just about perfect. Once the wind got to be a little too much, we decided it was time to head into town.

It was fun. We bought all kinds of stuff that we did not need, and had fun as we enjoyed the new culture. Jude was especially good today. He is a good boy. He made sure that he bought gifts for his family and friends before getting himself anything. We had DSB bracelets (our theme for the week in our van) made for our crew, with reach one made on that person’s school colors! We were excited to surprise the gals with those!

We ate fish tacos and drank Pina Colodas in a tiny little restaurant. They were great. We also drank way too many Cokes…but there are just SO good in Mexico….REAL SUGAR!

That night we went back to camp for our last dinner and night together in the wonderful country of Mexico. It was special. Jude pulled me aside that night. It was a touching moment. I could tell he was sad and melancholy. He expressed sadness. “I don’t want to leave dad. I made so many new friends. I love everyone here”. I tear up even as I type this. He was SO upset. I will always love this about him the most. His is such a sensitive and sweet boy. I pray that God never takes that from him. May he never be hardened by our cruel world! I appeased him and he asked to sleep with me again. I cherish these moments, as I know that in a no time at all they will be gone. I too felt pretty melancholy.

That night we let the teens stay up and spend bonding time. Terry and I sat around the fire in the shadows and watched the kids interact. It is SO entertaining really. The flirting and dynamics taking place are so great to watch some 20 years removed from it all. We can easily see every nuance and piece of drama from our experienced adult perspectives. The smooth moves and acts they think are so subtle are so glaringly obvious. But it is beautiful to watch, and remember how it felt at 17. I am blessed with some GREAT teens! I love them all….only adding to the sad feelings.

The week went so fast………thank you again lord for this blessing. I pray I was a good leader and helped teach your truths through everything this week! I am tired and weary….and ready to head towards the green grandeur of Oregon ………

Mexico Mission 2010- Day 6 Wedensday March 24

2010-03-30T12:46:00.001-07:00

If all goes well….today will be the day we finish the house! I cannot describe how great the week is going. Time is flying by. I REALLY REALLY miss m y girls, but I am not ready for this to be over. This year is affecting me differently. I feel emotionally attached to everything much more than usual.

Today went great. We cleaned the floors and get everything ready. We started putting up the trusses. It is amazing how cool this is. It really brings the final clear realization that this is a livable and comfortable space for some of God’s creation! They went up with only a few minor hitches. Once up…we can begin to fly. With so many teens on the crew, we adults mostly just watched as they whizzed away. The roof plywood went up efficiently as the 15 or so kids hammered away on the roof (OSHA safety guidelines followed of course ).

After lunch we got the roofing. It was green and black. It was shingling rather than the usual roll roofing. The rolls go on MUCH quicker so were a little bummed. But once we saw how wonderful it looked, we were glad! It was gorgeous! The rest of the day we cut out and nailed on the flashing and the gables. We also painted the exterior of the home. Next we painted and installed the trim around the doors and windows, and made a nice little walkway for the front door with the rock we had left over from mixing our won concrete.

By days end, the house was completely finished!!!! It was truly gorgeous! I cannot believe how good it looked. It is a proud moment……we did that in the name of Jesus Christ! WOW

That night we celebrated, played guitar and sang, worshipped, and enjoyed the day. The night was finished with Jude falling asleep in my tiny single bunk and snuggling the night away with me. It was fantastic.

DON’T STOP BELIEVING BABY!

Mexico Mission 2010- Day 5 Tuesday March 23

2010-03-30T12:35:00.001-07:00

Day Two of building the house! It is always exciting on this day! From nothingness we watch as the walls grow and grow and in the blink of an eye, the controlled chaos begins to take form and we see that a house is being built, and God is building it through our hands! It is an exciting thing to be a part of!

Today was no different. This year was awesome. These walls were without a doubt the best I have ever been a part of. The team took extra effort to level each brick and keep them on the guide strings. I have NEVER seen walls so straight and flush. They were beautiful! I love this work. It is one area here where I feel like I TRULY have a grasp on it, and can do it pretty well. I had the pleasure of taking two “rookies” to be part of my wall crew and teaching them today. Jillian and Josh were their names. They were great students. They listened well, and took everything I told them seriously. Before too long I was very confident in their abilities, enough so that I was bale to leave them to finish several layers alone as I helped other teams build cornerstones and stretch the guide wires. It was awesome!

Around 12:30 my stomach reminded me that I was quite hungry and that we were late for lunch/. I found out why….the family we were building for were going to give away a HUGE gift to us! They had their entire church coming over to cook and serve us lunch, but were running late. So we kept n working! We even got to experience a rarity in San Felipe…a small rain storm! We pushed through and really made great progress. Around 2:00 lunch began and it was AMAZING! I seriously cannot describe how delicious it was. They set up tables with radishes, and limes. Then we went through the line………WOW. It began with a bowel of soup. It was a broth with what looked like Hot Dogs (Perros caliente ) and some strange mystery meat (last night we all were fed Stingray unknowingly in a soup …it was quite good). The main course was the big one! CARNE ASADA! My personal fave Mexican food…..only I have never had it like this before. The taste and general deliciousness was UNREAL! They were SO good! They stuffed each of us with 4 giant homemade tortillas filled with meat, and handmade salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole. After squeezing a lime on, it was literally the best carne I have ever tasted. It was awesome. And I was SO moved that they provided this for us, undoubtedly setting them back quite a bit financially. It was moving that their church, total strangers outside of the blood of Jesus, came to serve us. They refused to feed themselves or their families until each of us were full. Amazing!

It was hard to resist the urge for a siesta after such a feast, but we got back to work. It was a fun time as we watched the structure continue to take form. By the days end, we had all the widow and door frames set (despite having to start several of them over a few times due to some miscalculations), the anchor bolts set for the trusses, and the walls fully completed. We were making very good time and the place was truly beginning to look lovely.

The night was spent with a great lesson by Scott Kelley, and more fun around the campfire and basketball. The CO Crew taught us a GREAT game called Ninja! Somehow, I had never heard of it nor had my teens….EPIC FAIL as a youth minister! It was so addictive that I let us all stay up an hour late to play. And despite ripping off half a toe nail during game play…..it was fantastic! We hit the sack ready for another great day!

Mexico Mission 2010 day 4- Monday March 22

2010-03-30T10:47:00.001-07:00

Bright and early we were brutally awakened by the “singing” voice of our fearless leader Grant Newton singing “ARISE! ARISE!”. It was a little too early, but we all managed to roll out of bed and throw on some work clothes and crawl our way to the mess hall. After a nice meal and a short devotional thought challenging us to look for God in unexpected places this week, we were given our work assignments for the week. The girls and I were placed on “House 2” with Gabe and Bud Rennels in charge. The crew is really unfair as it is stacked with teen boys and adults all vets in Mexico house building. It should be a stellar week! Jude was assigned with the other kiddos to build trusses with Russ. I will be interested to see how he does this year!

We set off in a trailer, a Suburban and Special K to the site. It was a REALLY nice location away from the usual slums, across from the naval base and with no room limitations like usual. The site had even been dug out and leveled already! This alone should save us an hour or two!

We quickly got to work building the forms for the concrete floor and foundation. It went pretty quickly. We made QUICK time! The girls were quick to jump in and work, with Lyndee manning a heavy wheel barrel with Jed all day! We would have actually finished pouring the entire floor before lunch (an unheard of task) had we not been forced to wait for the elusive missing concrete bags we needed! So…..as is usually the case, we WAITED AND WAITED! Just before lunch Grant showed up…but with just 10 bags…some 25 short of what we needed!

We took of for lunch, with an unfinished floor. After lunch we were ready to get it rolling! But….STILL no bags. We literally waited for almost two hours. But when it showed up we went for it! Shoveling, heavy lifting, toweling etc…….by the end of the afternoon we had a beautifully finished foundation and floor with cornerstones anchored, ready for the walls to start going up tomorrow. We even started the first few rows of the walls. Despite waiting we were making better time than ever! Jude came back after lunch. He was in a rough mood, tired from the lack of sleep the last few days. He spent much of the afternoon whining and watching Harry Potter in Bud’s vehicle. He did get an exciting trip to the Policia Estacion though, when Uncle Bud failed to ALTO at a stop!  He did a GREAT job working t0day according to Russ. He loved it, and was excited about it, but said it got too loud for him with all the saws and hammering.

We headed home after 5 and hit the showers. Dinner was delicious, the evening devotional was great and again much basketball, taking and innocent flirting occurred. It is a GREAT vibe this year. Everyone is happy and peaceful…….and God is good! Cannot wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

Mexico Mission 2010 day 4- Monday March 22

2010-03-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Mexico Mission 2010 Day 3- Sunday, March 21

2010-03-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning around 7 for breakfast. The entire group of 77 is now here and we are all leaving at 8:00! We ate, had a short prayer and a few songs together and hit the road. We drove for about 1 ½ hrs through windmill alley and the Coachella valley, past the Salton Sea, to the bustling metropolis of El Centro California! There we had about 2 hrs to buy any last minute items while the group bought the last of our food needs at Costco. We ate lunch at Sonic and then headed to fix a new “problem” that had arisen. It seems that last night, my brilliant idea of loading up a foam cooler with ice and Gatorade fro the trip backfired. The cooler busted, dumping gallons of water into the carpet of the new van ! So……..we found a car wash with a super vac and sucked up the last of the excess water before rug rot set in!

After getting gas, it was time to roll out! Our huge convoy set out for the border at Calexico some 20 miles away. We got across rather quickly and hit the road to San Felipe. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly things change by simply crossing some imaginary line. On one side is riches and opportunity. Just on the other side, we are quickly flooded with the realities of oppression and poverty. It takes your breath away, and I am sure our rookies were all a little surprised.

The next several hours were spent traveling through the hot desert of Baja California Mexico. I relented and let the gals listen to their music. Despite hurting, the country did not kill me! It almost got Jude though as he offered the quote of the year: “Dad this music is like a Dementor..it is sucking the soul out of me!”…..ahh I love that boy! 

We finally pulled into camp only to be surprised that a huge and yucky junkyard had moved in literally RIGHT BEHIND camp and ruined what had been a nice view of the mountains before. We were quickly put to work as we unloaded the trailers and supplies, followed by finding our sleeping quarters and setting up our homes for the week!

That night we ate a nice dinner and worshipped together with song, the word of God, a reminder to be a mirror of God this week and communion. The rest of the night was spent with the kids all playing basketball knockout and the adults watching and struggling to stay awake. It was great to see the girls jump right in and make friends like they’d grown up together. It is going to be a great week.

Mexico Mission 2010 Day 2- Saturday March 20

2010-03-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today we slept in a little at our hotel just North of LA. We had a delightful; stale continental breakfast and got ready for the day. At the hotel it was PERFECT! By 9:00 the sun was blazing and it was clear and warm. So it seemed the day would be perfect for some play time! So, we headed to the world famous Santa Monica Pier. It was a blast. As we headed into town to find the parking lot, with Journey blaring on “Special K’s” stereo, the sun was still burning high in the Cali sky. We parked and headed to the beach. It was not too full, and perfect for the conquering!

We played a mean game of horribly sloppy and ruleless volleyball. It was about 12 on 12, and somehow incredibly fun. Many laughs were had and some sand was eaten! Without us really noticing a strange blend of fog and smog had rolled in and pretty soon you could barely see the mighty pacific, much less the buildings just across the street. The famous view of the Boardwalk disappeared. It was weird. So…it w3as foggy and cool the rest of the day .

We still managed to have some fun. We had a great lunch at some pizza dive outside the pier. Jude managed to wrangle the first of many frivolous purchases out of me, getting himself some knock off Kobe Bryant uniform. We decided against the Farris Wheel ride (a decision I already regret) and walked around awhile. We had some churros and Icees, and just had fun. As we were leaving a little Hispanic boy was lost and running around the huge crowd by himself. It was a little scary, and luckily Wyatt noticed him. I caught up to him and we managed to find his parents. It gave me the perfect opportunity to use the line “What, I’ve found a baby before”….so that pretty much sealed the day as perfect! Classic!

We left there early afternoon and headed to the hotel in Banning to meet the rest of the crew who’d been traveling all day. It was slow going as LA traffic seems to not know it was a weekend. But, we did get to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood sign much to Kenzie’s sheer delight! Eventually we got to the hotel and checked in. the rest of the night was spent making new acquaintances, playing, flirting and eating dinner at Chili’s. Tomorrow…..the REAL adventure begins!

Mexico Mission 2010 Day 1-Friday March 19

2010-03-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

We took off today for our grand adventure. It will be a new experience, with a new crew, a new van and a new departure day. We chose to leave a day earlier than years past in order to relax a little more than normal, and to play a little as well.
We left the house around 9:00 but due to errands, and some backtracking for a forgotten DVD player, we didn’t hit the interstate until shortly after 10:00. The van this year was Kenzie, Lyndee and Emmalee (aka CO Girls), and the usuals: Jude, me, and Lora. We were not traveling in a pack this year, so we were free to take our time.
It was a great ride. We laughed and played. We played many many rounds of “Ipod Wars”….a shuffle game. Jude was the landslide winner. I heard much more country than I’ll ever need ☺. Most of my tunes fell on deaf ears, and Kenzie surprised us all with her vast library f death metal.
For lunch we hit In n Out….a MUST DO when in the golden state. SO GOOD………..
I am really enjoying this group. Been a pleasure to be with the girls. They are amazing girls. Lyndee is the sweet soul I’ve always known. Kenzie is a quiet and loving person…looking forward to knowing her better. Emmalee is a so fun and easy to get along with…looking forward to getting to know her too. Laura has hit it off well with them, like I knew she would and Jude is just great kid.
We made it to the hotel just after 9:30 pm. We met up with friends, stretched and hit the sack for a big day. Tomorrow we will play as we prepare ourselves for a big day of traveling and beginning our efforts for the Lord!

Ipod Shuffle

2010-03-12T16:50:00.001-08:00

Been a CRAZY day! I am at my peak for anymore emotion. Here are the tunes that have been keeping me company:

Cannon Ball- Damien Rice

Aces & Twos- the Devil makes Three

Steady As We Go- Dave Matthews Band

Methamphetamine- Son Volt

Bullet the Blue Sky-U2

The Dearly Departed- Dr. Dog

Saved- Warren Barfield

To Make You Feel My Love- Bob Dylan

Chemistry Class- Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Honky's Ladder- Afghan Whigs

Walk on the Ocean- Toad the Wet Sprocket

Friends, Lovers or Nothing- John Mayer

Sowing the Seeds of Love- Tears for Fears

Rock n Roll High School- The Ramones

Why Bother- Weezer

Fifteen- Foy Vance

Tell Her This- Del Amitri

Dawn cant Decide- The Lemonheads

Miss World- Hole

Coastal Camera Work

2010-03-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

While the trip was a little more stressed than need be, we still managed to have a great time and make memories. here are a few of the fave pics for the weekend:

This Perfect Moment

2010-03-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

The day was spent packing, finishing projects in the office and tying up loose ends. The 3 hr drive came after school ended, complete with crying babies and whiny kids. The van did it's job. Exhaustion seemed inevitable. But now......let me tell you about his moment:

I’m sitting on a porch under a dimly moonlit sky, Pinot in hand, listening to the tide roll in on the great Pacific Ocean……the children are tucked in after a night of dinner and laughs. It is quiet. The air is crisp, cold and electric. Life is good. I LOVE living in Oregon.

Now you want the REAL version? We spent the ENTIRE night (literally, all night) awake worried about our youngest daughter who has suddenly developed a thick nasty cough, complete with mucus that disables her ability to breathe. So back and forth we went...is she ok? Pneumonia? Croop? Should we find a hospital?

What I forgot to mention was the fact that her big brother decided it was the night he'd get the stomach bug his sisters previously had. So he and I spent the evening covered in youth puke.....oh so delightful! :) Oh...did I tell you the van brokedown when we got here too? :)

Ahhhhhhhhh...the American vacation weekend. There is simply nothing else to say

Road Trip Tunes

2010-03-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

The fam is headed to the Oregon coast for the weekend. Everyone grabbed a CD or two for the road. here is how the selection panned out:
Glee Sountrack: Vol 1 & 2
Beatles- Rubber Soul
Jars of Clay- Long Fall Back to Earth
Switchfoot- Hello Hurricane
Adel- 19

Karate Kid

2010-03-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Today my daughter Merrick got to take a field trip to a karate Studio. I REALLY wish I could have seen it. She told us all about the exercises they learned, the games, and the yells they got to do. She even broke a board with a massive side-kick! So, I thought I'd share a pic of the world's loveliest "daniel son"

Running to the rhythym

2010-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

SO, once again I am trying to get in shape. SO to do that I am walking/jogging daily. It is a very sad start, but hey….it’s a start. I am trying to compile the ultimate running setlist on the Ipod for this………I cant seem to get past the Jr. High urge to put all metal and hip hop to “pump me up”. And sometimes, this is a good idea……these songs are perfect after all. But there is MUCH more out there made for this as well. I like a song that “soars” or takes on a pulse of its’ own….driving you to the end. So, I NEED YOUR HELP. Can you suggest some tunes for this purpose?
Here is what I have so far:
Ashes- Embrace
Stronger- Kanye West
Wolf Like me- TV on the Radio
Numb/Encore- Linkin Park and Jay-Z
The Beautiful People- Marilyn Manson
Intergalactic- The Beastie Boys
Magnificent- U2
Rearview Mirror- Pearl Jam
Lose Yourself- Eminem
Clocks- Coldplay
Shamrocks & Shenanigans- House of Pain
Hypnotize- Notorious BIG
Idioteque- Radiohead
Heaven- Jars of Clay

Please….help me get some new stuff…..

Sunny Saturday

2010-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

It was a BEAUTIFUL day in Southern Oregon today! This winter has been insanely mild and nice. It was fun, but we'll be paying for the dryness this summer!

But....today was perfect. I captured these of the girls playing together in the back yard. it was adorable. Check out the pics and then PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch the video. Haddie was singing her soul out and we captured some of it the camera!

What does PRO LIFE really Mean?

2010-02-23T13:24:00.001-08:00

It is a common combination on cars around this part of the country: some blend of Christian stickers (usually a fish and/or some sort of ProLife statement) combined with some sort of Patriotic support of the Wars in the Middle East (often accompanied by Anti-Obama propaganda as well).

I too am pro-life, but my stance is much different than most of these folks I imagine. To me, ProLife is not as black and white and simple as it's often made out to be. To me, ProLife does NOT just cover the unborn, but also those who are currently living as well!

So I wonder how these other folks reconcile a story like this.....

STORY

Any thoughts?

Proof in the walls

2010-02-22T12:53:00.001-08:00

According to a recent archaeological find, there may be solid proff supporting King David's reign in the Bible. Hmmmm....these stories may actually be historical record. Who'd have thought? :)

here

Ipod Shuffle

2010-02-18T09:38:00.001-08:00

When in my office, I throw Itunes on shuffle and let the chips fall where they may. Sometimes it is just weird. Other times alot of my guilty garbage comes out. But every now and then, it is magic. Today's mix so far has been one of those days. Check these tunes out:

Memphis Exorcism- Squirrel Nut Zippers
American baby- Dave Matthews band
So Long- Guster
That Girl Has Love- Rooney
Old man- Love
Present Tense- Pearl jam
Going to the Moon- Smashing Pumpkins
Diamond Ring- Pedro the Lion
High Head Blues- The Black Crowes
Shattered- Rolling Stones
You Can make Him Like You- The Hold Steady
I Wanna Hold Your Hand- TV Carpio
Running to Stand Still- U2
monday- Wilco
Legend of Vertigo- Waterdeep
Your Long Journey- Allison Krauss & Robert Plant
Daria- Cake
If Ever You Should fall- Material issue
Brass Monkey- Beastie Boys
Talk on Indolence- The Avett Brothers

Glenn Beck...please use your brain

2010-02-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

WOW! I have long been disgusted by the garbage that rolls out of the mouth of Glenn beck, but i think this takes the cake! Scary thing...many friends and faamily really like him and read his trash books! What kind of person would talk like this:

here

Movie, Hit, No-No

2010-02-16T12:25:00.001-08:00

So this is pretty much the cutest thing I have EVER seen! Haddie is discussing in great lengths that turning on a movie at that time and hitting her sister (aka "sissy") was a serious "no-no". She's a beauty. Enjoy

Happy Birthday to Jude

2010-02-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

Jude turned 7 this weekend! We had a big party. It began at the Chinese New Years Parade in Jacksonville, continued to lunch at Red Robin, and concluded at our house with presents, cake and ice cream and a rowdy game of basketball! A good time was had by all! Please enjoy these pics from the big party:

New Cutler Jersey

Van full of boys

partying at the parade

a Chinese treat

DRAGON!

Ducks in the creek!

Red Robin staff beware

fave gift of the day!

future NBA'ers

Jude's new fave"Mom's gourmet carrot cake!

Free Music Friday

2010-02-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Somehow the years are flying by! Our baby, our first born child, my son Jude turns 7 this weekend!!!! OH MY! I still remember his birth like it was yesterday. So....for today's song, this one is for Jude! It is currently his favorite song. Enjoy:

Sarah Sarah Sarah

2010-02-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

I don't care what party you are loyal to....THIS is funny!

American Family Dreams

2010-02-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

The biggest TV show on the planet is back! Despite its’ unfortunate title, I do have to admit that American Idol is quite addictive to watch. It is fun to see talent bloom. It is fun to root for the underdogs. It is great to watch the “All-American” dream story unfold before our eyes. And maybe these are part of the reasons that millions tune in every week.

This year there seems to be a trend of folks with young children trying out with big dreams. And it never fails; each one gets emotional in their post song interview. Their comment is ALWAYS the same: “This will change everything. I am doing this for my family. This is to make a better life for my family.” Or, something to that effect.

I find this sad. We have somehow convinced ourselves today that MONEY and RICHES are all we need for good families. I find these statements so ironic, in the context of American Idol. I find it hard to swallow that winning this show would be good for any family. How could becoming a rock star, and traveling 10 months a year, being away from home EVER be good for a family? But we look over that, and say “but I could buy them and provide them with anything they’d ever want”. I truly believe this is backwards thinking.

When I look at the alarming number of families in our country that are falling apart and splitting up, I ask myself “what do they need”? The answer is NEVER “more money!”. What the families need is time together, love, structure, family time, and the grace of God!

I pray that we NEVER listen to the world’s lie that riches will make our families better. I pray we’d value a game night playing Monopoly with our family MUCH more than landing a record deal! I pray we’d rather take a walk with our loved ones than tour the world on a fancy jet plane! I would take a family that loves the Lord and follows him, and loves one another without fail, over one full of fat trust accounts and bank accounts, any day!

I believe that God values families. And I believe that he wants the best for them. May we commit to them more than ever. In an age when the world is doing everything it can to tear us apart, may we gird ourselves with the strength of God! May we teach our children what is important. May our families be grounded in the truth of God! And may we never look to earthly riches to solve worldly problems. May God bless our families, as we in turn bless God!

Friday Fun

2010-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful and blessed day it was. Since I worked Monday, today was my off day. So, Merrick was very excited to get some attention and have a "Daddy Day". We had a blast! The morning started off with a trip with me and the 2 girls to Target where we met Aunt Amber and her two boys. From there we hit the mall to walk around and eat lunch. After that we took Haddie home for a nap, and the BIG fun started!

Merrick and I hit our fave snack place...Mama Mia Gelatto! We then played in the Jacksonville Park in the rare and wonderful sun! It was a GREAT day. I am so thankful for my kiddos.

Ipod Shuffle

2010-02-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

I am not sure why I like posting these, but I do. And a few of you have said you like them, even claiming that it has helped some of you find new tunes to listen to. So, I press on. Here was my latest 20 song shuffle on Itunes...quite eclectic:

Laughing With- Regina Spektor
Power of 2- Indigo Girls
Baby Brother- White Stripes
Forever- Edison Glass
Bullet the Blue Sky- U2
Wait in vain- Bob Marley
Playing Along- Keane
Where Eagles Have Been- Wolfmother
Nothing Compares- Third Day
Wait- The Beatles
Four Thieves Gone- the Avett Brothers
God Only Knows- The Beach Boys
Mahogany- Snow Patrol
Stars- Hum
Off He Goes- Pearl Jam
She Likes the Dead- Love Seed Mama Jump
I'm Above- Mad Season
Paper Cuts- Nirvana
Passing the Hat- Cold War Kids
Beth- Kiss
Hours- TV on the Radio

We are the world.....

2010-02-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Do you guys remember when “We are the World” came out? Remember hearing it the first time? Remember the video? I remember them all. It was the biggest record in the world at that time! It was epic. Michael Jackson was on it, and every other star at the time: Lionel Ritchie, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper….. For many of my generation it was the 1st time we’d ever heard Bob Dylan. I remember being confused at the strange gravely voice and my dad explaining who he was and why he was significant. It is a moment in entertainment that will last forever. It is frozen in time.

Well, it seems that a new generation will get to experience it. Originally planned once again to be a relief effort for Africa, the funds generated from this new version will now be used for Haiti, and will debut at the Winter Olympics.

The stars participating this go round include: Usher, Celine Dion, Vince Vaughan, Wyclef, Pink, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Akon, Rob Thomas, Jeff Bridges, Barbra Streisand, Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte's Madden brothers, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese, Katharine McPhee, Sean Garrett, Will.I.Am, Carlos Santana, Melanie Fiona, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, Miley Cyrus, Busta Rhymes, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicole Richie, Usher, Julianne Hough, Raphael Saadiq, Zac Brown, India.Arie, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Fonzworth Bentley, Kid Cudi, Iyaz, Bizzy Bone, Nipsey Hussle, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Mya and Gladys Knight.
INTERESTING choice

So…it will be interesting to see how it sounds compared to the original. I fear we will hear the modern day curse of AUTO-TUNE and other tech wizardry. Tune in to see…and let me know what you think!

Diazolidinyl Urea

2010-02-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

Ever seen this word before? Last week when showering, I decided to try out my wife's organic, all natural face wash and exfoliate. Sounds nice huh? J Anyway after using it, I was reading the label when I noticed a product that made me panic. It was called Diazolidinyl Urea. My mind immediately went into action. Every other product was instantly recognizable: oatmeal, lemons, ginger etc.....but WHAT was this one????

So I tried to think. Suddenly it became glaringly obvious. It was DISGUSTING! My most hated UFC fighter, Nate Diaz had donated his urine for this product. Think about it...UREA..........and DIAZolidinyl. I became nauseous at the thought. What if Queen Helene had gone down to the dirty streets of Stockton, CA, found the dingiest bar and pulled Nate out to have him give samples?

I was quite upset. In fact I could not sleep that night. I kept envisioning Nate smiling at me with a crooked, cauliflowered ear grin, holding bottle after bottle and filling it with his toxic blend.......UGH.

Anyway..........for those of you who also had this exact same, logical line of thinking, you can relax. Turns out is only a simple fine white powder and has nothing to do with Nate Diaz or urine. So you can all continue using the product. In fact...my skin did feel really nice.

Listen to the Music…Pt. II

2010-01-28T10:57:00.001-08:00

While driving in the car we were playing a mix CD I made for Merrick. The last song is "What a Wonderful World". As we were listening to Louis growl along the beautiful classic, we heard the well known verse…."the dark sacred night"………Merrick got quiet and then the question came: "Dad…..why did the Dog sang at night?" J