Tuesday tunings...

A few random items for your reading enjoyment.

• Maybe it's just me, but the new season of Prison Break is horrible. It has now been removed from my "watch this" list.
• I was recently selected to participate in a blog tour for an upcoming book release. I'll post some more info fairly soon. The official tour happens in October.
  
• Student Ministry "stuff" (that's pastoral lingo for you) kicks off tomorrow night. I still have a handful of leaders in limbo while they decide whether or not to commit to the upcoming year. I'm hoping we get it sorted out soon. Nothing quite like waiting to the last minute, eh?
  
• Watched "Fringe". I may watch episode 2 tonight. Kind of like X-Files meets I, Robot.

Curious, what new shows are you watching this fall?

What hit me...

I spent the day at home on the couch since I'm feeling like I was run over by a truck or something.  I was up, my mind racing, until after 3:30am.  When I finally stumbled out of bed this morning I wasn't too sure that a full work day was on my list of things that needed to be accomplished.  Erin said I wasn't looking good either (and normally she thinks I'm fairly good looking).

So, it was back to bed with me.

And then when I dragged myself out of bed I found my place on the couch.

My afternoon consisted of some reading and watching half a season of "How I Met Your Mother".

And to top it all off it's 27 degrees outside.

So, what do you do when you're sick?

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Ah crap...

United - Liverpool.

Berbatov & Tevez looked good out of the gates.

A goal in th first five minutes.

Things are clicking.

And then they fall apart.  2-1 for the Scousers.

Oh well.  Now I'll focus on the 2pm kick-off for my men's league soccer.

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Can God heal in this...

A couple of months ago I received a link to a website that was built around a song called "Healer". It was a very moving and emotional video that was shared the story of a man who was diagnosed with cancer who went on the write a song that cried out to God for healing. One portion of the video shows a band performance of the song by Mike Gugliemucci who is on stage wearing an oxygen mask. I was moved by the song and the story behind the song.

Here's the original video.



Then, a few weeks ago, it comes out that Mike had faked his battle with cancer. He had deceived his own family and made the whole thing up to cover up an addiction to pornography.

You can watch the story on YouTube via an Australian news agency below.



But as I watched, I was drawn back to the song. I think of the people who sang it week after week expressing their faith and belief that God would heal them. I think of the people who prayed for Mike. I think of the people who fight their own battles with disease and sickness. And I wonder what is going through their minds.

I know we can probably talk about how susceptible we are to emotions and music. I know we can debate the merits and evils of relying on contemporary songs for "worship". And I think we could probably dive into the whole world of the effects of pornography.

But I find myself drawn back to the words of the song. As fraudulent as they may have been at one time, can God not redeem them and use them?

So, my question for you is this. Could you use the song to lead people in worship? Or would you place it "on the shelf"?

Healer

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

My Healer, You're my Healer

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Farewell...

Being without internet access during the vacation I didn't hear this news until my return home.

LeRoi Moore, one of the founding members of Dave Matthews Band passed away on August 19 from complications related to a previous ATV accident back in June.

No doubt, he will be missed by family, friends and fans.

I'm curious as to how they replace him.

Book it...

Bryce was curious as to what I've been reading lately. Here you go.

Book #31 - Black Friday by James Patterson
I needed some mindless reading for the beach, so this is the one I went for. So much talk about stock markets and crashes...it made my head hurt.

Book #32 - Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
I discovered this author while reading a short story in this book. I found the book in some little off-the-beaten-path bookshop in Maui for $3.50. The subject matter is a little intense, but again it was a beach read.

Book #33 - Going All the Way by Craig Groeschel
I hadn't read a relationship/marriage book for a while, so when I stumbled across this one at Leadership Summit a few weeks ago I figured I'd drag it with me on the plane and maybe learn a thing or two. Also, it's been a while since I did any pre-marital counseling and I'm thinking it may be time to expand the resources. As for the book...it's a quick, easy read. A little simplistic at times and maybe a little cliche, but in a day and age where so many marriages fail, maybe we need to focus on some of the more simple things. I'd recommend the book to a younger couple that was thinking about getting married.

Book #34 - Thriller edited by James Patterson
I wanted to find some new authors, so I grabbed this collection of short stories. This was the wrong way to find a new author. Basically I had to grit my teeth and fight my way through a score of stories that did nothing to captivate my attention. It was a mammoth of a book to get through so at some point, rather than just return it to the library, it became a personal battle. I was going to finish that entire thing and reign as champion. I am the champ now. But the book fails to recognize me for my feat.

Book #35 - Lord Save Us From Your Followers by Dan Merchant
It had a discount sticker on it at the outlet book store. I have heard of the movie, so I figured I'd gibe the book a shot. At times I was saying to myself that this was beyond cheesy as the author heads out into public covered in bumper stickers and tries to initiate conversation about the culture war that exists between Christians and the rest of the world. Yet, at other times I found myself appreciating the heart and message of so much of what Dan spoke or captured in his various interviews. It's another example of how "Christians" have been missing the mark of loving people and how it's time to do things differently.

Book #36 - Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath
I read the first book in the series so I figured I'd try book 2. It's kind of the same, only different.

Book #37 - Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas
This memoir traces Koren's battle with alcohol from her teenage years, through her college years and into her working life. I'll admit that I found it odd that someone who had such a massive battle with alcohol would never actually label herself as an alcoholic. But then again, I've just learned that there is a difference between and alcoholic and an alcohol abuser. Either way, this story was gut-wrenching, saddening, eye-opening and even hopeful. A story of the darker side of alcohol and how one can escape it's clutches.


Just curious, what are you reading these days?

Thursday is Friday...

Fall is officially underway.

The kids both started school this week. We had a mild scare yesterday around 5:00pm when the principal called to say they and switched Becca into a different class. No discussion, no questions asked. They just switched her.

Well, after Erin and I talked it over we decided that we should at least meet face to face to talk the decision over. We felt that the class she was in was much better suited for her personality and that relationally she would fit better in her current class.

So we called to express our concerns and the principal agreed to meet with all three of us this morning. But this morning the principal called and said that she had considered what we had said. She decided that Becca could stay in her current class.

Whew!

I think Becca's prayer time tonight consisted of repetitions of "thank you that I get to stay in my class". There's at least two happy parents too.

Other than that, soccer is kicking off (EPL, Aidan and myself), youth is gearing up, kick-off events are around the corner, and the nights are starting to disappear. I've also been asked if I would consider leading a worship team (other than our student band) for the upcoming year.

Yeah...lots to sort through still.

So, what are you most looking forward to this fall?

Vacation review (part 6)...

August 20

We wrapped up the trip with some more time on the beach and by doing some more snorkeling.

And in case you ever want to see a turtle, here's some advice. Just sit on the beach until someone yells "turtle".

Yup...I actually took that photo myself. I'm a regular oceanographer (that's the one that takes photos in the ocean right?).






After checking out we stored our gear, jumped in the Jeep and went exploring.














There is more beauty around every bend on this island. (The girl on the right is by far prettier than the goof on the left.)













One final sunset before heading for the airport.

I don't think our flight left until after 11:00pm Maui time. I tried to watch Iron Man on the airplane since that was the first time I've ever been on a plane that showed a decent movie during the flight. But I didn't make it.

And guess what we arrived home to?

You guessed it...rain. It felt like winter here.

Vacation review (part 5)...

August 19

Did you know that if you sit through an hour and a half time share presentation you can get $100 and a coupon that will get you 50% off a future stay?

Yes, we will subject ourselves to sitting and listening with absolutely no intention of purchasing anything. They figured it out early on and let us off easy. But we were ahead by that time.

Then we were off to the beach.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

So here's 4 thousand words.

All from 800 feet.

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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