Vacation review (part 4)...

I forgot to mention something in yesterday's recap. Since August 17th happened to fall on a Sunday I caved to my wife's request to go to church. (I'm usually an avid supporter of not attending church while on vacation. I'm still trying to come to grips with how I can attend church without "thinking church". It's complicated.)

Anyway, we found one that started at 8am and was held in a oceanfront restaurant ("church on the beach" seemed like a neat idea at the time.). Now, I don't want to sound too critical, but that's 75 minutes of my life that I won't get back. Seriously, it was actually painful. It fulfilled almost every bad stereotype of church you've probably ever heard. In fact, I was contemplating leaving midway when a mom & two kids seated at the table next to us decided to get up and leave. I had missed my window of opportunity.

Anyway on to the next day...

August 18

We slept in until 8:30am. And since we were still a little tired from all the travel the day before, we had to settle for the beach. I know...rough life, eh?

We also decided to head out on some jetskies for an hour. What a blast! But I think the highlight of that adventure was just sitting on the jetski amidst a school of dolphins. There must have been 25-30 dolphins swimming around us, so we just sat and watched for the last 15 minutes of our rental time.

And I was too lazy to bring the waterproof camera! Sheesh!

After some more beach time in the afternoon, we headed into Lahaina to grab some grub and do a little shopping. I think we hit up every little shop on Front Street and nearly got lost in a little obscure, back-alley bookstore that was floor-to-ceiling books. (Hey, we needed some more reading for the beach!)

As you notice, there weren't many photos from this day. Erin took a picture of me napping after my strenuous day at the beach. It's not that pretty, so here's the other picture.

Vacation review (part 3)...

August 17

Around 10:00am we jumped in the Jeep and decided to hit the infamous road to Hana. It's 53 miles from Kahului to Hana but the drive will take at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours (sometimes longer depending on your stops).

Approximately 600 curves (not that I counted). 50-some bridges (most of which are single lane). It's safe to say that this is a full day journey in and of itself.







We grabbed some Carl's Jr beforehand (can you say "burrito and Mountain Dew for breakfast"?).

I enjoyed my meal.










Erin? Not so much.

We made the trip to Hana as long as possible by stopping at almost every little place that the map told us would worthy of checking out.






Tree climbing.









Waterfalls.









Black sand beaches.









Road signs (Erin's favorite one).









Sacred pools.













Oh...and I drove topless.

By the way, did you know that the rental company will charge you $75 if you don't put the top on the Jeep before you return it? While I didn't have to learn this the hard way, I am grateful that the valet at the hotel knew what he was doing. I think he saved me $75.

However, we did find out that as soon as you take the top off the Jeep, it is likely to rain, even in Maui. We got soaked! But within 15 minutes the rain and the clouds were gone.

We stopped at Hana Bay for supper. Did you ever want to know what Subway looks like after sitting in a Jeep for almost 6 hours?

Yeah, it was as disgusting as it looks.

We had to settle for fish crackers and a wedge of pineapple.



We capped the day off with pizza at The Round Table.

Just another day in paradise.

Vacation review (part 2)...

As promised...

August 14 (The Plane & The Arrival)

We ended up sitting behind the "college crew" on the plane. You know, the cool guy (who tries to order 2 beers 10 minutes into the flight) and his cool girlfriend (who like tries to like enjoy the like trip with her like friends). Then there's the other couple (quieter and more subdued than couple one, but almost identical looking at first glance). Then there's the jock. And let's wrap it all up with the geeky guy. It was a 6 hour cultural experiment.

By the time we got off the plane in Maui, got our rental vehicle, figured out how to get the windows down in said rental vehicle, bought some supper and got checked into the hotel it was 2:44am BC time. And just what do two tired and hungry people eat at 2:44am?

Judge for yourself.




August 15 (The 10th Anniversary)

The alarm clock didn't go off (as I don't set it on vacation) but the numbers almost scared me.

Seriously, what was I doing up at 7:45am?!?! On a freaking vacation?!?!

We spent all day hanging out, buying books & groceries, swimming, snorkeling (saw a turtle), and watching the sunset. Then we took in a meal at The Outback Steakhouse. Mmmm....cheese fries!

And a grown up conversation. Sometimes I forget what those are like. You just get used to kids voices and kids stealing the conversation. And you're usually in a hurry to get out of the restaurant so you can get them home and to bed in time. But not tonight.

Funniest moment: being asked if we were on our honeymoon. I guess Erin looks young!

FYI, I married the prettiest girl in the world.

August 16 (More Beach)

Up at 7:00am?!?!

If you know us, this is beyond unusual. We're late sleepers. But I guess we wanted to suck every moment of sunshine out of this trip that we could.

At least I could use the time to do a little reading (one of the few items that was on my agenda for the week).

What else? Well, is there anything else to do but hang out on the beach? Swim. Read. Swim. Snorkel. Read. Repeat. Any questions?

Part 3 of this recap will come soon.

Vacation review (part 1)...

I mean well. I really do.

I plan to share some highlights and photos with you.

But my folks are around, it's the kids' birthdays (yes, both kids celebrate this week), and I'm back to work. It's not crazy busy, but I'm just going to focus on other things right now. So you'll have to settle for a little tease until I can carve out some time to plunk away at the computer.

In the meantime, this was the view from our room.

Back...

We made it back from the beach.

Now it feels like winter.

And I feel like I've been run over by a truck.

But, would it be inappropriate for me to start looking for a job in Maui?

Anyone want to plant a church with me?

Oh, and don't worry, I'll fill you in with the details and a few pictures over the days to come.

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See you next week...

Tomorrow is my 10 year anniversary.

I love this lady. (Even though she doesn't blog anymore.)

The two of us are headed to Maui for the next week.

I am stoked!

I contemplated taking the laptop and trying to jump online to do some blogging while I was away, but that's a stupid idea.

I'll show you some pictures when I get back.

You must play...

Go and play this game.

Check your sense of humor at the door.

I think my time was 4:20 or something.

NoiseTrade Widget

Fair trade music...

Forget the coffee and the diamonds, check out the tunes!

Go check out NoiseTrade.com. Listen to an artist. If you like them, buy the album for whatever price you think is fair. Or refer three friends and get the album for free. (Or maybe it's $1. I haven't got that far yet as I'm still sampling artists and trying to see if I like any.)

A few artists have done this in the past (Radiohead, Derek Webb, Downhere) and I think it's a great idea for getting word of your stuff out there. And the potential for finding some obscure artists that you wouldn't normally hear is what intrigues me the most.

So, check the site out here.

Or stay tuned in via their blog where they explain it all and update you when they add new artists.

No Sasquatch...

But man, did it rain. It started Saturday morning and it stopped long enough for us to start a fire before it started again. Water everywhere. So much water. The girls slept in all the cars because their tents were water logged. One guys tent could be labeled "waterfront property" based on the size of the lake that gathered right outside the tent doors.

One leader slept in a raft. I kid you not.
I slept like crap. I didn't eat well. (In case you forgot, I did the cooking. Ask me sometime about my 35lb iron pot and how we were able to feed 22 people canned ravioli without a can opener or spoon.) We were also unable to do a single thing we planned. Yet everyone seems to have had a blast. As for me, I should probably just go to bed now. But the Community Shield has drawn me in. (I'd link to the Community Shield for you but I don't want to ruin the score. I have almost made it through the first half.) Ok...goodnight. On to the second half.

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Sasquatch hunting...

It's almost time for the camping trip.

I'm nervous. It looks like the rain will make an appearance (stupid Lower Mainland weather). I'm in charge of food. I'm still not sure what everything will end up looking like.

And exactly how would one go about hunting and trapping a sasquatch?

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More random...

Another random video was brought to my attention today.

How do you feel about kids that make videos of themselves lip syncing to various songs?

Me?  I laugh.

That could be due to the fact that I remember making "music videos" in high school with a couple of my friends.  Hmm...maybe I'm on YouTube.

In other news, this week has been a blur.

• The intern started, so I'm trying to help him get settled.  I'm looking forward to working with him in the upcoming year, but I know it's going to be a ton of work.
• I spent almost 2 hours on the phone tonight with my mom trying to help her set up her new computer.  I'm now officially "Tech Support".  I won't send her a bill as she was kind enough to raise me and feed me.
  
• Leadership Summit starts tomorrow.  Why do I agree to go on this 2 day adventure with the staff when I have a youth camping trip that starts Friday?  Because sometimes I make bad decisions and I don't say "no".
• The camping trip starts Friday.  16 students, 7 leaders and a sasquatch.  I'm of mixed emotions right now.  I just hope (and pray) that the weather turns out to be dry and sunny.  (God, do you hear me?)
• My folks arrive on Sunday night.  They're spending almost 3 weeks with us.
• The "BIG" anniversary trip is looming.  I've probably been showing a lack of enthusiasm lately for the trip, but I'm just trying to keep myself sane until we leave.

So, now I'm blogging and watching Manchester United play Juventus.  I should probably go to bed and do a little reading.

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Anything is possible at...

Zombo.com

Go.

Your mind will be blown.

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More books...

I should probably update the Reading Contest. So, here's the latest:

Book #27 - I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
The class nerd gets up in front of the school at graduation and announces to everyone that he loves the coolest girl in school. What follows is a crazy adventure that is part Ferris Bueller, part Can't Hardly Wait, a little Drillbit Taylor and a side of Superbad. I've always been a sucker for those high school stories where the nerdy guys gets the girl in the end. It drifts past the PG storyline in a few places, so it should be interesting to see what they do with the upcoming movie.




Book #28 - Beatitude by Matthew Paul Turner
I've read a few of Turner's books. Something has always bugged me about him and his writing. And this time I was able to put a finger on it: I see a bit of myself in his story. And it bugs me. Not him...mostly me and the way I can be. It's part of my journey, and it's nice to be able to identify with someone like this. Maybe I can come out unscathed in the end. Now I realize this didn't say much about the book, so I apologize.




Book #29 - When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
I thought I'd branch out and try something new. I saw this on the "One Week Only" shelf at the library. It's the shelf where books are picked up first come, first served and you can't reserve the books. Oh yeah, and late fines are $1.00 per day after the first 7 days. I ripped through it and was left laughing, chuckling, cringing, and annoyed. It's kind of all over the place. The guy is so completely random, that you never know where he'll end up. I'd be hesitant to recommend this one due to content and language, but with that said I might try one of his other books.



Book #30 - I Am America (And So Can You) by Stephen Colbert
This guy just plain cracks me up. If you like him on The Colbert Report, then you'll get a kick out of this one. How can you go wrong with a guy who says you need to randomly make rules up for your kids to follow so that they are kept on their toes? You can't.




So, what are you currently reading?

This is a joke right...

I saw this via Zach a few minutes ago. Seriously...this is just stupid.

I'd rather be there...

I would have loved to be at Old Trafford today to watch this.

Manchester United beat Espanyol 1-0 in a game designed to honor one of the clubs great strikers. Solskjaer, the "baby-faced assassin", who once came off the bench to score 4 against Nottingham Forest (1998/99) is probably best known for scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999. That goal ensured that United won the infamous Treble.

Since I started following United, Solskjaer has been one of my favorite players (whose number, as you can see here, I regularly wear on my back). Whether he was playing up front, playing on the wing, or just coming off the bench, he would get it done. The sheer number of goals he scored after coming off the bench (I think it's 28) is mind boggling alone.

Truly a great player. I'm glad to see he's sticking around at United in a coaching capacity.







And no tribute would be complete without this classic song. But be warned, there's a little language in it.

Curious...

How many blogs do you read?

How many do you subscribe to?

What is 476+282-35?

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Balls...

Also known as "gutsy".

But this is more than that.

It's Steve's story about how he got to the end of Porn Blvd (a term XXXchurch uses for where porn will ultimately lead you) and it resulted in a mess. A mess, not just for him, but for others around him.

But then God did His thing and showed up in a big way.

Seriously, just read the article.

It's humbling.

Short a $1.00...

Somebody needs to come up with some sort of plan for how we can all get more vacation time.

Are you in?

I arrived back from my vacation to find a new monitor on my office desk with a note from our Facilities Manager.

"You owe me big time. Ron."

I think he's after my air conditioned office. But it's going to take more than a monitor to pry this spacious condominium out of my grip.

Seriously, I don't mean to brag, but my office is massive. You should see Brad's. It's like they stuck him in a closet. Me? I've got more room than I did in my old Regina apartment. In that apartment you could not only touch everything in the kitchen without making a step, but you couldn't shut the closet door if there were hangers in it.

I've taken this new office arrival as a sign that it's time to get organized. So, I shuffled some stuff around. I also moved papers from one pile to another pile in another location. I may have even put a book on my shelf. A hard day's work. But I'm well on my way to organization.

I'm open to any suggestions as to how one might actually go about organizing an office. 10,000 points to anyone who can help me out even a little bit.

Back to the work stuff...

My wife and I had a friendly little bet in regards to how many emails would be awaiting me. She went for "93 & under" while I went for "94 & over". She won. I had exactly 93 emails. How does she do that? I believe it may be her evil powers at work. And now I'm short a dollar.

To top it all off, apparently I (and everyone else in the office) can't email. We got hit with some sort of virus around here, so we can't send emails. That means I should probably figure out how to talk to real-time people on the telephone. Either that, or just hold out for the email to get fixed.

Vampires, zombies and sunburns...

I will now humiliate myself for your viewing pleasure.

My wife and I took the kids to Harrison for the afternoon on Thursday to enjoy the sun while playing in the water and building sandcastles.

Soon after my arrival I asked Erin to apply some sunscreen to the growth on my back. To be fair I'm not sure what to actually call this said "growth". I've had it for eternity. Or at least for the eternity of my life. And "growth" is probably a poor choice of terms as it doesn't actually grow. But I've been led to believe that if I don't hide it from the sun it will suddenly expand in size. Kind of like a reverse vampire effect.

You do know that vampires can't be in the sun, right?

This fact is kind of like one I mentioned a few months ago, that zombie's can only be killed by getting shot in the head. Or decapitated. Or something that's similarly violent and rarely seen in public.

So, back to the beach.

Erin applies a "little" sunscreen. As you can see from the white spot in the middle of my back, her definition of "little" is actually comparative to the size of an overgrown kidney. Not a kidney bean mind you, but an actual over sized human kidney. Now I should clarify that I'm only assuming that this would be the size of an overgrown kidney, because in actuality I've never seen one.

You will likely notice that the picture details some of Erin's other "handiwork". She swears up and down that she wiped her hand off before she swatted me, but you tell me. Does that white hand print look "accidental"?

Is it worth it...

I watched The Dark Knight on IMAX today.

I will now use the word "epic" as I describe the movie.

Enough said.

If you haven't seen it, go watch it now.

And if you have the option of seeing it in IMAX, do yourself the favor.

You'll thank me for it.

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Things I learned today...

I've lost count of what day I'm on in the vacation-count. I suppose that's a good thing. But it could be really bad too. As long as I don't start forgetting more things.

Now, where was I?

Anyone?!?!

Help...





Oh yeah...things I learned today:

• My kids refuse to sign a waiver so they can participate in father-child bonding moments like the "snake bite" and the "alligator bite". Hey, it's 2008 and I don't want them all of a sudden deciding that I have caused them trauma and then taking me to the cleaners.
  
• My daughter is stronger than me. She got her ears pierced (see the above photo for proof) and didn't make a peep. Not a cry, a whimper or even an "ow". When I pierced my ear in college, I almost passed out.
• I have developed a weakness for books. I have a desire to buy, peruse, read, skim, glance...the list goes on. I added 2 more to my shelf today. I may be addicted.

I've also been pondering this blog lately. I'm thinking that I might want to "add" to the content. I don't know if what I've been posting is really cutting it for me. Sure, it's great to keep track of my reading, but there's got to be something more to this, right?

Since you're my faithful following, what would you be interested in reading about?

Vacation week two...

Normally I abide by a "no screen policy" on Monday mornings. But since I'm not working I thought I'd make an exception and do a little online catch up.

It seems I didn't link Dr Horrrible's Sing-Along Blog properly yesterday. Or at least, it's not showing up properly for me. But hopefully you were able to track it down and watch it while it was free. If not, it's now up on iTunes for $1.99 and episode. I'd say it's worth it.

Here's the Reading Contest Update. Yes, I've reached my goal of 26 books in one year. I can now say that I am a better person because of my accomplishment. I can also say that Erin is not that far ahead of me in her reading, so bonus points to me!

Book #25 - Step On a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
This is going to have to rank up there as my favorite Patterson novel so far. Sure, a couple parts are a little far-fetched. And I also wasn't too keen on the secondary story that takes place with the main character's family, as I'd rather they stuck to the action and suspense. But all in all, good stuff.

Book #26 - Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd
If you're wondering why I read this then you probably don't know that Pattie Boyd was once married to Eric Clapton. The book itself is a little "all over the place". Pattie is very descriptive with many of her stories, but she also tends to be a little random and not so descriptive about other elements of he story. She changes topic so often that I was occasionally wondering if I had missed a page. However, I was intrigued to see a piece of Clapton's life from the "other side" and how the addictions he battled affected other people. If you're a fan of Pattie, George Harrison (her first husband) or of Clapton, then this book might be for you.

I've got a PHD in horribleness...

I can't remember how I stumbled across this earlier this week. If it was you, please accept the credit and an honorary 1000 points

Anyways, it's some strangely funny and odd stuff. Joss Whedon put this musical comedy together and you'll see the familiar faces of Neil Patrick Harris (who Erin is getting a kick out of these days courtesy of "How I Met Your Mother") and Nathan Fillion.

Unfortunately I think the videos come down tonight. But if you hurry you can probably catch the 3 acts that are currently up.

"Oh goodness, look at my wrist. I've got to go."

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Day three...

Nothing too profound today, so here's a photo from where we spent the evening with some friends.

Day two...

I understand that some of you may be living vicariously through me as you read about my vacation thus far, so I will continue to enthrall you.  But please know that you may need to seek some outside help for your issues if that is the case.

Anyways...let's get on with it.

Can I just say that I am absolutely LOVING my vacation so far?  Even though I spent most of the day wrestling with computers (blasted networking...Bryce, where are you when I need you?!?!), I was able to just enjoy some quiet around the house as Erin and the kids were out and about.  (Erin has a great story about learning how to poop in a hole.  I won't say any more because it's funnier if I leave it there!)

I got the lawn cut, did some dishes, did a little laundry (yes, please remember that I am domesticated) and even did a little reading.  And while all this was happening I've been listening to/watching all my Dave Matthews Band DVD's.  And here's what I've learned:

• The concert at Central Park was WAY better than the one at Folsom Field

Big day huh?

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Things I learned on day one...

I learned a few things on this, the first day of vacation:

• Sunscreen may have helped in avoiding this current sensation that I am feeling on my face.  You know, that feeling where my face is on fire.
  
• Shaving your head immediately after a soccer game is crazy itchy.
• The squish and wiggle.  (If you don't know, don't ask.)

If this keeps up, I'll be unable to accept any more information after day two.

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So close...

I officially start my vacation on Sunday afternoon.

I still need to attend a PROXIMITY for our high school students, host the Sunday morning service, baptize one of our high school girls, and likely attend a picnic in the park.

I spent almost all of yesterday running around with my head cut off while I tried to get everything finished before I jetted out of the office.  And now I'm left wondering what I've forgotten to do.

I hate this stage of "vacation limbo".  I'm so close that I can't wait to feel the freedom of 2 weeks off.  Yet I'm far enough away that I still have work looming overhead.

Maybe "looming" makes me sound like I dread my job.  I don't.  But I'm desperately needing some time off.

And in order to get prepared I took the kids to the library and I picked up a few books.

I'm also hoping to dust off the guitar which hasn't been played in almost 2 weeks.

The break will be nice.

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Want to help...

I've been poking around online about some of these "free" offer things that you've probably seen from time to time. The basic principle is that you sign up, you order some stuff, you recruit some friends, they order some stuff, and then your "free" item shows up in the mail. I've heard from a number of legitimate sources (one of which is a youth pastor who has scored some sweet stuff for his student ministry) that this actually works. While my wife is a little skeptical (she's the one that keeps us grounded, in case you didn't know), I'm more than a little curious. So, I'm wondering if anyone out there might be interested in experimenting on this with me. The prizes vary from Macbooks to iPhones to cash and is based on the number of referrals. My plan? I'll see how many of you might be willing to give this a go and then I'll sign up and see what happens. So, would you be willing to give it a go? Leave me a comment or fire me an email and we'll get this party started.

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Reading update...

Book #24 - Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
How did Steve Martin become one of the funniest guys around? And why, when he was apparently at the top of his game, did he walk away from doing stand up?

I'll admit that Steve's prime came well before I was even aware of him. But thanks to reruns of Saturday Night Live (and let's not forget the Three Amigos!) I was able to become educated in the ways of this funny man.

It's a quick read that gives some great insight into how he got to the top, and how long it took him to reach his prime. It covers his days growing up inside the walls of Disneyland, his rocky relationship with his father, and his life on the comedy club circuit.

I liked the little view into his life that he offers, and it makes me want to go and watch the Three Amigos again.

And just for the fun of it, here's a little something for you:



Book #25 - London Bridges by James Patterson
Yeah, I'm kind of in a rut with my fiction reading, but I'm liking the way the guy writes. I've got some newer authors on hold (well, actually it's only their books, but I hope you already figured that out) at the library and I'm waiting for the books to get returned. Hopefully I'll have some new stuff to read over my vacation.

Lurk-less...

Today I realized that I have become what I detest: the lurker!

I check my blog stats from time to time (yes, I'm that geeky) and I am constantly astounded by just how many people read what I write (or at least how many people do a Google search for "flying formation"). Sure, it isn't exactly earth-shattering numbers, but nonetheless it's great to know that I'm wasting some of your time.

But then I start to wonder why more people don't post comments. Are my words not inspiring enough? Not profound enough? Maybe they are too profound?

I pondered as I surfed my way through the content on my Google Reader. Then I paused.

How many blogs do I actually comment on?

Then it dawned on me...I'm a lurker.

So, I'm going to try and branch out a little bit this month. Since I have some extra time with vacation coming, I'm going to try and lurk less.

So...may I swing by for a comment?

Step on a crack...

Remember that childhood line you would sing out as you jumped over the cracks in the sidewalk?

    "Step on a crack, break your mama's back."

Well, my kids must have been stepping on some cracks.  My wife went toe-to-toe with a trampoline a few weeks ago and lost.  She actually broke a vertebrae in the mishap.

So now she's trying to take it easy and relax.  As of now there is no need for surgery and they expect that she'll heal fully provided she takes care of herself.

We've already had a few AWESOME friends from church provide us with some meals which was a HUGE help.  And I start vacation next week, so we should be able to look after her fairly well so that we can get her back to 100% for our big trip in August.

We'll keep you posted.

If you happen see her, a good conversation starter is anything that doesn't start with "What were YOU doing on a trampoline?!?!"

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Summer & students...

With the official arrival of summer vacation, it becomes harder to connect with students. Students who were a weekly fixture during the school year seem to vanish off the face of the earth. Students who would never miss out on being at an event now find it difficult to commit to coming to the few events that we have planned.

I'm not complaining....I'm accepting reality. And I'm also realizing the necessity for me to do what I can to connect with students as much as possible in July or August.

This morning, however, I had the chance to connect with two students. One is wanting to get baptized this Sunday and the other just stopped by the office to chat.

It was a welcome way to spend a Monday morning.

Any other Youth Pastors floating around here? What do you do to connect with students in the summer?

Music and church...

Our church has been going through a...umm...what shall we call it? Worship War? Music discussion? Rethinking of how we use instruments and voices?

I don't think I should post about it as it's not quite officially public. Or maybe it is. I dunno, but I wouldn't want to be the one to let the cat out of the bag.

But I noticed that Dan Kimball has been doing some research into the history of worship controversies. This quote struck me, as I'm pretty sure I've heard something just like it before:

"What is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday's was particularly unnerving. The tune was un-singable and the new harmonies were quite distorting."

You know what song they were talking about? It was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and the letter was written in 1890!

Incidentally, did I ever tell you about the time I led worship in church and was then told afterwards that I didn't know how to play my guitar properly so I should just throw it out?

Changing browsers...

I've been toying around with a web browser called Flock for a few weeks now. As you may have noticed I've even posted on here a few times with a blog editor they have.

I had previously been using Mozilla Firefox, but I was finding that I was constantly having troubles playing video clips. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why certain clips will play and others won't.

But I was hanging on to Firefox because of their Adblock Plus feature which helps eliminate the garbage ads that show up on sites. Well, after doing some poking around I discovered that Flock has the same feature, which shouldn't come as too much of surprise since it is powered by Mozilla.

So, as of now, I'm officially moving everything over to Flock.

Which leads me to an all important questions, what browser are you using?

Togs...

Are you familiar with the term?

No? Then think of what half the old men at a Friday evening public swim wear.

Figure it out yet? Yup...Speedos.

Here's the protocol for wearing them in public, just in case you were wondering. (ht Ian)

How does this work...

It should feel like a long weekend, shouldn't it?

Or at least tomorrow should feel like a Saturday, thereby making today feel like a Friday, right?

It's confusing when these holidays show up in the middle of the week.

I think everyone should have been granted an extra-long weekend and been given today AND tomorrow off of work.

So, what's your plans for Canada Day?

Vintage...

Book #23 - Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears

I've been waiting to read this book for some time now. I actually pre-ordered it last November with the plan that I would read the book when I got the free PDF copy in February. Well, the promised PDF never turned up in my inbox, but at least the authors scribbled on one of the pages in my book. I suppose that counts for something?

If you've listened to Driscoll teach you'll definitely be able to picture him saying the things he writes in this book. He used a sermon series as the basis for this in depth look into Jesus. Each chapter looks to answer one specific question about the life of Jesus. Questions like:

• Is Jesus the only God?
• How human was Jesus?
• Why did Jesus' mom need to b a virgin?
• What makes Jesus superior to other saviors?

I thought he did a decent job adding some perspective to some of the common questions that are asked about Jesus. But, as always with Mark, while you get a wealth of Biblical references, you also get his non-stop sarcastic (some might say "unfunny") humor.

Personally speaking, I get a kick out of the guy. I don't know if I agree with everything he says, or how he says it, but I find he can make me think. And to me that is the sign of a good book.

Thursday doodles...

Radiohead is playing in the background because I'm trying to be a hip, cool, with-it youth pastor.

It's Thursday, which always tends to be a day of tying up loose ends. Here's a peek into my day:

• Gather and sort waiver forms for our Mid-Week Escape (we're taking a load of our students to Whytecliff Park for the day) next week.
• Return phone calls and emails to parents still wanting their kids to join us for said Mid-Week Escape.
• Do some initial prep work for our student worship teams for fall (big thanks to Taffy for letting me peek at their CRUD form which I think is some quality stuff to consider for any student worship team.)
• Trying to finish up some administrative details (phone calls, emails, meeting dates, meeting agenda) about our Plan to Protect team that I was put in charge of.
• Reflecting and making notes based on feedback I received from my leaders at last night's leader meeting.
• Wondering what I will do with the pile of papers on my desk that never seems to go anywhere. Seriously, I'm in need of some outside help as to how to file.

In other news, go watch Get Smart. Funny, funny movie. We went out with a few of our leaders after our meeting last night to watch it and I enjoyed it more than I have enjoyed most movies I have watched lately.

As for tonight I need to be in two places at once. There's a big board meeting that I want to be at as well as a high school graduation ceremony for a few of my grade 12's. Thankfully both are talking place in the same building so I may be able to pull it off.

It's a long weekend, do you have any plans?

Reading update...

I've been slowly plugging away on the Reading Contest. Here's the latest accomplishments:

Book #21 - Louder Than Words by Andy Stanley
I started this book a few weeks ago while doing some prep for a message about character and integrity. While not my favorite Stanley book it does contain a pile of wisdom for how one should approach character development.

Book #22 - Mindfreak: Secret Revelations by Criss Angel
I've seen the show Mindfreak so I was a little intrigued on what Criss would have to say about himself. The only secret revelation in this book is that the guy is in love with himself, and I'm not sure if that is even much of a secret. The entire book talks about how great he is because he made something of himself when everyone else was against him. He did this...He did that...He is this....blah, blah, blah. I think the best part of the book is the ending where he shows you how to do some basic illusions.

Buhlahhh...

The sniffles started somewhere around Friday.

Saturday and Sunday brought on that little feeling in the back of my throat that said I might be in for something uncomfortable.

This morning the little creature that apparently burrowed it's way into my head was trying to escape.

Thus, the couch became my office for the day.

Seriously...it's actually supposed to be nice this week (finally) and I'm struck down with a cold?

What gives?!?!

And now I'm heading back to the couch...

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Thoughts on Ronaldo...

Will he or won't he go to Real Madrid?

It appears as though his ego may be getting too big to fit back into the grounds at Old Trafford.

If that's the case, then good riddance.

He's an excellent footballer.  He's done wonders for Manchester United.  And I, for one, would rather that he stepped out of the shadows and commit himself to United.

But no player is bigger than a team.  (Well, maybe Tiger Woods...but he plays golf, so that doesn't count.)  So if Fergie has to offload him, then so be it.

My theory going into Euro 2008 with all the speculation and rumors linking him to Real Madrid was that if Portugal had won the tournament he'd probably be placing a bid on Beckham's old digs.

As it stands with them being eliminated by Germany, my thought is he'll stay at United.  I think losing might have deflated his ego a bit, which may be good for everyone.  Everyone that is,  except for Madrid.

In other news, what on earth happened to the Dutch today?!?!

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Bachelor dad still alive...

I told some of you that you should send someone to find me if you hadn't heard from me by Friday. Don't worry...we're all still alive and well. You can call off the search party.

I had these grand blogging plans for this time on my own, but they seem to have been swallowed up by the billion other things that needed to get done. Important things like watching Rambo and eating leftovers.

Wife's been gone: I lost count.

Things that have happened since my last post:

• Bought and played Guitar Hero for WAY too long (a dad has to do what a dad has to do, right?)
  
• Edited 2 videos for Becca's Kindergarten graduation class
  
• Washed half the dishes
• Cleaned up one bloody nose
  
• Played Puerto Rico (decent game...I'd like to play again)
  
• Played guitar for a grand total of almost 13 minutes
• Watched Rambo (I have no problem stating that I loved this movie as it was so very reminiscent of the old ones, just way more violent)
  
• Tried to watch one other movie not worth mentioning because it sucked rocks and was a waste of my time. But at least it only cost me $0.88.
  
• Attended Kindergarten graduation where my video faced it's world premiere
• Folded half the laundry (I work best in halves)
  
• Got some reading done in 3 books that are in progress
• Fell asleep watching Dirty Jobs
• Watched Germany do away with Portugal in Euro 2008
• I know I'm forgetting a dozen more things (more than likely it's 2 dozen)
• (I was kidding about Guitar Hero by the way, but I think my wife had a heart attack when she read that.)
  

Last meal eaten: spaghetti (I'm proud to say it did not come from a can.)

Background tunes:

• City and Colour "Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)" - I am absolutely loving this! It's winning out over Coldplay by a mile.
  

Overall Status: Tired and slightly bored. (That goes for all three of us, even though Becca is currently covered in chalk and my sidewalk is turning green and pink. This would probably lead you to believe that she is not actually "bored". My believe is that any kid who has the patience to dispose of that much chalk on concrete must be bored. )

Bachelor dad too...

I slept like crap. (Thanks for asking though.) But that's what happens when I'm away from my lovely wife.

So, I stole her pillow.

So this doesn't sound weird I should probably let you know that she has a good pillow. Mine? It sucks. It's like sleeping on a t-shirt.

She bought me a new one a while ago and told me it was a good pillow.

She lied. It wasn't a good pillow.

But for the next few nights I now have the good pillow.

Wife's been gone: 18.5 hours

Jobs accomplished:

• I'm working from home this morning. That means I can catch up on some reading while Becca creates an artistic masterpiece that will serve as a farewell present for her teacher today. (Which makes me wonder what teachers do with all the cards and gifts they get.)
• Lunches made, kids dressed and fed...easy stuff.
  

Last meal eaten: apple cinnamon cheerios for the kids; grande hot chocolate for me

Background tunes: Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" (I'm sampling it via iTunes and considering a purchase because of Jon's review.)

Overall Status: Alive and well.

In other news, I saw this pop up in a few different places. Funny stuff. (ht Jonathan, Dan)

Bachelor dad...

My wife's in Winnipeg until Sunday.

She's one of those cool people that gets to be in a wedding.

In the meantime, to show that I am capable of providing care for myself and the two little ones who routinely eat my breakfast cereal, I thought I would apprise you as to my ongoing status.

I'd try and be cool and Twitter, but my wife has my cell phone.  (I'm not entirely sure that that is relevant, but it seems to be a viable excuse for me.)

Wife's been gone: 7 hours

Jobs accomplished:

• Grocery shopping.  We needed some supplies to make it through the next few days.  I splurged and bought hot sauce and wings.  I've never made wings, so if you have any advice, Friday will probably be wings night for me.
  
• Took the trash out (yes, I do this regularly, although I almost forgot tonight because I thought it was Monday.  My mother-in-law has since informed me that it is not Monday.  In reality it is currently Tuesday.  And Tuesday is the night I am supposed to put out the trash.  That said, the trash is now out.
  
• Worked on a DVD that needs to be completed for Becca's Grad ceremony on Friday.  I spent the better part of an hour trying to incorporate the teacher's farewell message because it was in the wrong format.
• Spent almost an hour in the office with the kids.  They drew as I did some emails and returned some phone calls.  Profound stuff for a Tuesday afternoon.
  

Last meal eaten: hot dogs & beans (I know this will only send the critics into a frenzy as they will feel this proves their case that dads cannot cook and are therefore incapable of providing sustenance for their children.  The only thing I can say to them is "shut up".  We wanted hot dogs & beans tonight.)

On the TV:

• Watched most of Alvin & the Chipmunks with the kids.  I guess part 2 will be showing tomorrow night.  Not a great movie, but you should have heard my son laugh at the farting part!
• Currently watching Netherlands vs Romania

Overall Status: Kids are semi-clean, fed, watered and now asleep.  I am still alive.

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Confession...

I know it's completely selfish, but I love it when I come in to the office and that little "MSG for You" sign is not on my phone.

What little things brighten your day?

Just for Monday...

The sun FINALLY came out. Now life can get back to normal.

Here's a few of the finer moments that I find worthwhile mentioning on a Monday afternoon.

• Watched Don't Mess With the Zohan. Can I recommend it? Sure, if you don't mind innuendos and bare bottoms. I'll admit that I laughed my way through the movie as I find John Turturro (incidentally have you ever seen Brain Donors?) hilarious! And the surprise appearance of Dave Matthews as a redneck puppy-hater was worth worth a few chuckles too!
• Monday is double-stamp day at Taco del Mar. Can anyone say "burrito"?
• My wife is abandoning us for the week as she heads to Winnipeg for a wedding. Start the poll now as to whether the three of us will survive without her.
• Did you see the the Turkey comeback at Euro 2008? WOW!
• I played soccer yesterday afternoon without a knee brace for the first time in almost 3 years!

That's all for today. I hope you're looking forward to another profound Tuesday post. (That's tomorrow , in case you forgot what day it is. I'm here to help!)

test...

this is a test...
i will not destroy you...

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So it ends...

Last night was our last official mid-week event for our students. We're now into "summer scheduling" until September. And I could swear I heard an audible sigh of relief from everyone last night.

Lately the energy and enthusiasm has been down, and last night it seemed to be up a bit more than usual. And no, I don't think that everyone was getting their second wind. I think everyone is just longing for some sort of break in the routine.

Which makes me wonder about church calendars.

And please don't confuse this with me saying that ministry only happens in September through May (sometimes June if you're doing something cool).

When does the ministry year end?

I've seen churches that end off their calendar year in May and they give ALL their volunteers 3 months off to recharge and rest. I've seen churches that go from September right through until the end of June and then give certain ministries a break for 2 months. And I suppose there are churches out there that go year round and never stop anything.

What do you do? Why do you do it?

What is wrong with me...

My small group left an hour ago.
Erin's still out with her small group doing some bowling.
I'm trying to work on a year end video for our students.
And I'm watching/listening to Nashville Star?!?!
What is wrong with me?

Update on life...

Things have been moving around here. For example, yesterday I couldn't find the TV remote for a whole 2 minutes.

Other than that, here's life in a nutshell:

• Erin (I'd link her blog her but let's be realistic...she has forgotten how to blog) and I tried to go out and watch Indiana Jones. There were only 5 seats open in the theater so we opted for an evening at home. I watched Cops.
  
• Went out and bought Indiana Jones Lego for the Wii. No, we don't even own a Wii. But we do have access to a couple so we thought it'd be a fun investment. And yes, all four of us play it.
• I received commendations this week for a couple of big picture questions that I raised in a staff meeting. I feel smart now.
• I am entering the last week of student ministry stuff before the summer schedule starts. It will be a crazy week. If you don't hear from me by next Friday, please send someone to find me.

And I should probably update the Reading Contest:

Book #17 - Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Is everything this guy writes gold? I mean sheesh...he makes it sound so easy and simple...and obvious. This book works through developing vision and traces Nehemiah's journey and parallels some of the things leaders may face when trying to follow through with their dreams.

Book #18 - What Matters Most by Doug Fields
Erin doesn't want me to count this book because it only has 100 or so pages. I don't care. I've read this book before and it challenges me to rethink the way I view my schedule and how I spend my time. With the chaos of the last few weeks I decided I should re-read it and then work through some elements of it, which I'm doing in my journal time. Excellent book!

Book # 19 - D.B. by Elwood Reid
I was hoping for more of a story about the legendary DB Cooper and what he did to pull off one of the most daring hijacks and escapes ever. (I'm a big fan of escape stories.) But this book was disappointing. I guess I expected more about the the big heist, and less about what DB may have done with his time in Mexico after the escape.

Book #20 - I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy Shirt by Vince Antonucci
This was an impulse buy when I was picking up grad gifts (don't worry, they aren't those typical cheesy grad gifts) at the local Christian ripoff...I mean, retail establishment. The book was 25% off, so we went for it. I don't remember the last time I finished a book in one day (other than the Fields book I mentioned earlier), but this was an easy read that was fairly funny. I was struck by a portion on how we tend to view our life with Jesus as a relationship and he wonders if that is an adequate description. But that's another post entirely, that I'll likely never get around to.

What I learned today...

This morning my car was in the shop so I headed down to Starbucks to read and eavesdrop....ummm...I mean interact with people.

I'm actually a huge introvert so I don't really go out of my way to engage people in conversation at coffee shops. I usually keep to myself while I read.

Today I learned that having an interview at Starbucks could net you a free drink. I'm still not sure if that is a sign that the interview went well (in a "hey, we like you, so have a drink on us" kind of way) or if it went poorly ( in a "hey, here's a drink to cheer you up and keep you hopeful while it appeases our guilt for saying no" kind of way).

I also learned of someone's economic status as she and her friend discussed economics, jobs, investment property and putting $12,000 a month into savings. Seriously?!?! $12,000 a month? My brief, however rudimentary, math skills tell me that you ma'am are making a pile of coin.

I know, I know...it's none of my business. But in case you decide to air your financial laundry to the world, my advice to you is please don't do it in a small, cramped coffee shop where everyone can hear EVERYTHING you are saying.

Which now leads me to a question. When you spend time in a coffee shop, do you have your iPod on and your headphones in? Or do you listen to the conversations happening around you?

Wednesday review...

My students (and probably leaders) are reaching their limit. They've been going strong for the past year and it's getting to that point in the calendar when everyone gets a little restless. Students start disappearing for grads, schoolwork and jobs. Some college students vanish for the summer while others return home to help out.

So we decided to take a breather and do things old school with "A Night of Play".

Middle School and High School all together for one purpose and one purpose only, to PLAY.

No worship team set up & take down, no MediaShout, no random videos.

No "talk" to somehow redeem the evening.

The goal was to play, relax, laugh and just BE together.

But somewhere in that mix I completely missed something. And I feel like a complete idiot, because it's something that should be common sense by now. As soon as I tell you what it is you will likely shake you head and say "tsk, tsk, tsk...you had it coming old man."

Allow me to back up a little bit.

One of our leaders brought us a giant box of packing peanuts. I decided to throw all our prizes in the box so kids could walk up to the stage, reach in and grab a random item. We put Coke, mini-cereal boxes, silly putty and candy into the box. My wife and I also found water guns on sale, so we tossed a few of those (by few, I mean 10) into the mix.

Yeah...water guns. What was I thinking?!?!

Almost 75% of our students left the premises with water on them. I was drenched from head to toe. There was water EVERYWHERE! And I'm not talking about outside. We pretty much had an all out water war inside the Youth Centre.

And let me tell you that it sure was funny.

So, now you tell me...was this a rookie mistake or did I actually know what I was doing?

Teens & BO...

One of the things I've learned over my years of working with teenagers is that they can smell bad. If you haven't experienced the odors that can emanate from a group of middle schoolers, please count yourself lucky.

Lately, we've been noticing a rise in the smells at our youth events. (I mean a literal rise as you can actually see the smell before it arrives at your nasal passage.) There are a few students that obviously have not been educated in regards to proper social hygiene and it's becoming slightly awkward.

We're trying to think of how we can approach the issue without hurting feelings while at the same time trying to prevent what could become "social suicide". It's obvious to many, but so far no one has complained or "made a big stink" about it.

My intern suggested asking some deodorant-making companies for free samples that we could give away, so we may look into that.

But, do you have any other ideas or suggestions of what we could do to educate these students without making them feel singled out?