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.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
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!
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!
Friday, January 4, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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!!
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!!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Hello again!!
Greetings long lost friends in Blogville!! Life has been so busy for the last few weeks, I had to live in the real world. I've missed sharing the earth-shattering events in my life, like the time I tried to scratch my back against our door frame and missed. Impossible, you say? I thought so too until I did it.
Anyhow, I'm back and ready to launch into a new year full of blogable (should that have 2 g's?) adventures. I just finished our December newsletter tonight and will be sending it out tomorrow. Talk about squeaking in at the last minute! You can read all the latest at www.PhilandPamMorgan.com/news.
TTFN!
Anyhow, I'm back and ready to launch into a new year full of blogable (should that have 2 g's?) adventures. I just finished our December newsletter tonight and will be sending it out tomorrow. Talk about squeaking in at the last minute! You can read all the latest at www.PhilandPamMorgan.com/news.
TTFN!
Friday, December 7, 2007
God's Top Ten
I'm listening to a great podcast sermon series on the ten commandments. It is called "The Sinai Code" by Andy Stanley at North Point Ministries. In all my years in church, I can't remember a single sermon on God's Top Ten List. Strange?? Anyhow, Andy is doing a great job on this one. Here's my paraphrase what we have learned so far.
1. Put God first in your life.
2. Don't shrink Him down to make Him manageable.
3. Don't do what you what and justify it with God's name.
Three down, seven to go! Check it out on iTunes by searching Andy Stanley or North Point ministries. You can also go to www.northpoint.org/podcasts. Good Stuff!!
1. Put God first in your life.
2. Don't shrink Him down to make Him manageable.
3. Don't do what you what and justify it with God's name.
Three down, seven to go! Check it out on iTunes by searching Andy Stanley or North Point ministries. You can also go to www.northpoint.org/podcasts. Good Stuff!!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Mondays with Morgan
I had a co-songwriting session yesterday that was very productive. After all my years of solo writing, writing with another person is still a new thing for me. But even among my few co-writing experiences, yesterday was different.
I was writing with a young lady from our church who is very new to the whole songwriting game. She met with Pam and I a few weeks ago to get our advice and opinions on some of her material. One song idea caught my attention and I suggested we try to finish it together. I felt this song would speak perfectly to teenage girls going through the difficult transition to adulthood, and also to women in general. From the beginning, I knew this was a song I wouldn't sing about a subject that is fairly foreign to me, and that made the writing challenge more interesting.
What I found was even though I was by far the more experienced writer, I had to pull back and not put too much of me into the song. Instead of merely creating, my job was to mold and shape what was being created to make it the best it could be. What we came up with was truly the best of both worlds. The song went to a place I would not have thought to go, and I believe it is better than my co-writer would have come up with on her own. We're getting together next monday to finish up the second verse and polish everything.
Maybe I'm like the old guy in the book "Tuesdays with Morrie." I always knew the younger person learns more about their own life by watching the older man's example. Now I see the old dude can feel younger again by listening to what the young person has to say. Kind of a youth transfusion. I like that.
I was writing with a young lady from our church who is very new to the whole songwriting game. She met with Pam and I a few weeks ago to get our advice and opinions on some of her material. One song idea caught my attention and I suggested we try to finish it together. I felt this song would speak perfectly to teenage girls going through the difficult transition to adulthood, and also to women in general. From the beginning, I knew this was a song I wouldn't sing about a subject that is fairly foreign to me, and that made the writing challenge more interesting.
What I found was even though I was by far the more experienced writer, I had to pull back and not put too much of me into the song. Instead of merely creating, my job was to mold and shape what was being created to make it the best it could be. What we came up with was truly the best of both worlds. The song went to a place I would not have thought to go, and I believe it is better than my co-writer would have come up with on her own. We're getting together next monday to finish up the second verse and polish everything.
Maybe I'm like the old guy in the book "Tuesdays with Morrie." I always knew the younger person learns more about their own life by watching the older man's example. Now I see the old dude can feel younger again by listening to what the young person has to say. Kind of a youth transfusion. I like that.
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