Deep Thought Thursday

This idea comes from an Andy Stanley sermon.


On decision making:

It is wise to get good council before making a decision, because once you make it, you own it.

No excuses, no blame, no matter the outcome. Live with it or fix it. Take responsibility.

You own your decisions.

Miracles in Marinara

DISCLAIMER: The following message is not intended for individuals with no sense of humor.

Will signs and wonders never cease?

The other night Pam was rummaging through the fridge and knocked out a small tub of pizza sauce. I started to clean up the mess, when what to my wandering eyes should appear, there was a face on the floor! Yes, a true holy apparition right before my eyes. There were two small eyes, a large blob that is either an open mouth with no nose or a really big nose with no mouth, a beard, and a tuft of hair on the left side, obviously the beginning of a comb-over.

We first thought it to be Mary, but the beard gave us pause. Of course, the next logical person would be Jesus himself, but this doesn't really look like any picture of the savior I've seen. Then it hit me. This was pizza sauce, which I think is really American but more like Italian, and Rome is in Italy, and the Catholic Church is headquartered in Rome, and Peter was the founder of the church, so TADA!! The face on our floor must be Simon Peter.

We left the area untouched and cordoned it off for protection. We are now working on traffic flow charts for when the buses of the faithful start arriving. I'm checking prices on pouring concrete RV pads in the backyard and I think we can run extension cords back there from the living room. We'll get a row of porta-potties over by the back fence. (Just a side note, but I once had an idea for my own porta-potty business. I was going to call it crap-in-the-box, but it never really took off. Strange...)

All this time we have been traveling around the country to minister, and now we have a ministry right in our own kitchen. I wonder if we can get on Oprah again???

Deep Thought Thursday

Could it be coincidence that each person's nostrils are the same size as the tips of their index fingers?

I don't think so.

Simple Truth

I was writing an e-mail to a friend today when I wrote something I think merits repeating.

Some of the best theology can be found it the simplest places...

Jesus Love Me - the great truth
This I know - you can have assurance of God's love because of:
For the Bible - The documented proof of God's character and track record
Tells me so - God still speaks to us through his word-The bible.
Little ones - that'd be us!
to him belong - If we are God's, Satan cannot pluck us from His hand
They are weak - We can't do anything on our own strength
But He is Strong - With God, all things are possible.

Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me ...

New Horizons

I heard you should learn something new each day.

Today I learned how to make a balloon dog.

Does that count?


"See, he is puffed up..." - Habakkuk 2:4

The Week In Review

This has been one of those weeks that seemed packed full of stuff with little to show for it. So to make me feel better about myself, here are the highlights.

1. recorded demo of new song I wrote with Leslie Asher
2. worked more on a different song with Nick LaPointe via iChat
3. took my daughter to her violin lesson
4. scheduled 3 concerts
5. wrote a life changing (I hope) devotion
6. ate lunch with my mom and great-grandma
7. Took my other daughter to skate night
8. published monthly newsletter (biggest job of the week)
9. redesigned business card for Pam
10. answered countless phone calls
11. played pool with my daughter
12. answered and wrote too many e-mails
13. spent one on one time with each member of my family

There was quite a bit more, but a baker's dozen seems a good place to stop. Looking back, I think this week was just fine.

Deep Thought Thursday

I can't believe it's Thursday already. I'll get caught up here soon. Deep thought for today:

The secret of happiness is lower expectations.

Deep Thought Thursdays

I've decided that since I am becoming an old person this year, I should pass along some of my accumulated wisdom to the younger generation. (I have a feeling this is going to be a short blog.) Here goes...

I have come to believe that the purpose of this life is not to learn all the answers. Our job here is to learn how to ask the questions.

ooooommmmmm.

Love, BBQ Style

GRANDMA UPDATE - Grandma is out of the hospital and staying with my mom. She is still weak but doing much better!!!

Now, to the blog...

Move over eHarmony. Step aside Perfect Match. The love doctor is in the house! Ladies, I have discovered the perfect place to meet your future husband. It's not a bar, it's not a singles club, it's not online. Are you ready? Think BBQ.

I took Pam out for lunch the other day to a great barbecue restaurant. The place was fairly busy, but believe it or not, Pam was the only woman there. That's when it hit me, what a great place for ladies to scout for a hubby. Let's face it, real men love meat. There is a primitive part of our brain that lights up when we grab a big beef rib and tear the meat right off the bone with our teeth. aaarrrrgghhh! Plus ladies, there is no pretense in barbecue. You can see us as we really are. We prefer casual clothes. No man dresses up to eat barbecue, we'd just get sauce on our suit. Men don't have to pretend we like multiple silverware options, barbecue is the ultimate finger food. And we only eat salad when we are afraid the rest of the meal won't be enough to fill us up. There is no salad with barbecue, just meat, beans, meat, french fries, and more meat. The only green thing you'll find on that plate is a pickle.

There you have it, my recipe for marital bliss. Just add sauce.

New Year, New Week, Old Brain

First off, Grandma update. Her heart cath was postponed on Friday and she spent the weekend in intensive care. This morning the doctors did the procedure and found the blockage they suspected. Good News!! They were able to put in some stints and she should be up and going before long. Praise God!

Last night I received the men's newsletter from our church. Each month they include one of my devotions from previous editions of our newsletter. I guess that means I'm in reruns! This time they used a devotion from January 2006. The sad part is, I don't remember writing it. If I hadn't read my name at the top, I wouldn't have known it was by me. My failing memory allows me a fresh perspective, so I think it is fair for me to say it is really good! I done went and blessed myself!

You can read it at http://summitwoodschurch.org/files/men.pdf. Enjoy!

46 days...

Yesterday was my wife's fortieth birthday. Today I'm sitting in the waiting room of our local hospital while my 94 year old grandmother has an angiogram. It seems like a good time to contemplate my mortality.

The countdown timer on my laptop says I have 46 days, 9 hours, 41 minutes and 45 seconds until I turn the big 40.

Now I'm staring at the screen and the only thing I can think of is I still enjoy jokes about bodily functions.

46 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes and 14 seconds.

Jose and the Flames of Death

Last night Pam noticed our house was chilly and sent me downstairs to check on the furnace. With a quick examination, I could see something was wrong. I called the furnace company, described the situation and the repairman told me how to fix it. In mere minutes, everything was fine and working again. Sometimes, things go smoothly. Other times...

On my mom's moving day last month we noticed there was no hot water. I went out to the garage and read the instructions on how to light the water heater's pilot light. First was the warning in big letters. DO NOT REMOVE INNER PANEL. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LIGHT BY HAND. Below I was told to hold the gas button and push the ignitor button. The trouble was, I could only find one button. I called the real estate agent and he said he'd send someone over to help us out.

Soon, a young man arrived at the door. When confronted with the defunct heater, the first thing he did was remove the inner panel and stick his hand (with cigarette lighter) inside the hole. Little alarms bells went off in my head. At this point I discovered he knew a little less english than I know spanish. There was no stopping him now. Pam and I watch in suspense from far across the room (as if we'd be less dead there if the whole thing blew up).

Apparently, it was not time to meet our maker. I did learn that even if you're not supposed to, you can light a modern water heater by hand. I'm not planning on ever trying that, but it makes an interesting conversation starter.

We're alive, the water is hot, and my mom is moved. God is Good!!