Wii age

If you don't have a gaming console called the Wii you probabaly have no idea what this is. It is a measurement where it states youir fitness age by using the game over a series of tests. The first test is a tennis simulation and it pops 50 balls out at you and you have to return them. Then you hit home runs, then bowl a certain number of balls. I have considered myself fairly active and "young" for my age. Ii totally expected to fool this game. It measures agility, balance, and strength....

I was wrong. It actually put my age at 1 year OLDER than I actually am. Needless to say, we are taking that piece of junk back to the store! ;-)

There are some smart people in this world...amazing what they come up with.
Test everything. Hold fast to what is good.

Bad day

What a poor day. Starts by taking my wife to the airport way to early in the morning. It's like adding insult to injury. I don't want her gone in the first place, now I have to do it really early... Oh well, she's definitely worth it!

So, I am fairly tired all day and generally short tempered. I find other flaws too, but, I'll have to discuss those later...the issue at hand, is my temper.

Here are things I don't understand, after repeatedly saying to the boys, 'don't leave your socks outside'. I still see socks outside. Now, some may say simple mistake...Those that know me at all know that mistakes are something that should be corrected and fast. So, repeatedly saying something is beyond grace in my line of thinking...then, I ask the STOOPiDEst question ever (it's actually one i ask too often). "Why is there a sock outside?!?!!?" Blank looks from everyone and a concerted "We don't know". I really hate those 4 words and i think they know that. I think they say it to spite me. Anyway, the cow patty hit the fan. Everyone is in trouble, the sky fell, the hammer dropped, etc. They picked the wrong day to try to get away with something...normally, it wouldn't bother me as bad. Plus, don't you hate it when you see your kids perform with half hearted effort and a general lack of understanding for what's going on? me too.

But, now it's quiet. Everyone is in bed and nobody is saying anything. It's a sad quiet. I think every kid in the house shed a tear today. It's a bad day. Kind of like you wish that this kind of thing happened in the morning so you could have the day to have it wear off instead of everyone going to bed "in trouble".

Maybe tomorrow will be better. It'll probably rain though.

Saturday Services

As they approach it is becoming quite nerve racking. I am feeling fairly unconfident in many things since we don’t really have the staff that we need for everything. But, as one of my good friends stated, that leaves God the room to get the glory! I just want it to be like I want it to be. That’s probably a very bad thing to want…I really need to pray about this more!

One thing that is going to help is for me to sit down and completely plan out the service order from start to finish. Seeing it will help me identify the holes.

Can you guys think of topics in regards to worship? What would you like to see, hear, experience?

No Thanks

"Z boy, put that dangerous thing down" - "No, thanks"

"Z, stop being mean to somebody" - "No thanks!"

"Z, you are going to have to be punished" - "No thanks"

Yep, he's 2 and so polite in his disobedience! :-)

Sometimes I do what I want, the rest of the time I do what I have to.

The title is a quote from a movie. A general has asked his personal servant about “doing his duty” and it was his response. So many times I find that I have a great conflict with these 2 things: What I want to do and what I have to do. Typically, I try to arrange my life to increase the first by successfully managing the latter. It has been somewhat successful. However, when it’s not it really causes grief to me and those closest to me.  As I try to think of this from a biblical standpoint I really can’t recall anything that helps me. There are standard answers like, “Seek ye first” and Paul’s struggle with the same issue…but nothing that’s practical that someone can grasp and try to apply. How do you grasp and apply, “My yoke is easy my burden is light”? My old pastor had a way with answering such questions…but, as of late I haven’t found solace in any answers from any person. It’s probably time to expand and stretch myself and start really contemplating more on the depths of scripture. The underlying meaning of what it means to “cast your cares upon Him”.  There is a verb in that sentence. There is an action for us to take.

Interesting

It seems as Saturday night services get closer, Sunday is taking the shape of Saturday in a lot of respects. It's fun and exciting to be a part of....

Made 2 of 4 boys cry today while playing soccer in the field near our house today. It was my oldest 2 boys at that. My oldest was frustrated at not being able to consistently one time it out of the air and control it...then, my middle son (playing goalie at this time) runs out and snags it right of the oldest boys foot. It was a pretty awesome play by my 3rd boy..So, I was all "WOW", good stuff...then my oldest son lost it. I am still not exactly sure why. But, I could tell he was getting frustrated way before that.

My second oldest is having difficulty at kicking the ball hard. I showed him what to do several times and reminded him through out, but the old way would always creep back in. I made the comment at the end that I didn't think he was trying very hard and that was all that he could take and the water works started....

Overall, not one of my better soccer lessons for the boys. Though it definitely identified some weakness in character that we should work on.

One of my sons fell asleep while we were out there and while it was snowing...he was laying on our dog, Joey. It was pretty stinkin' cute.

1st Saturday worship practice

Last night we had the first ever worship practice for the new Sat services coming on May 16.



Overview and thoughts:

-I think it went well considering that we were all doing something a little differently.



Areas that need work:

Timing and tempo

Playing/singing with feeling

Sound - bass response is not as good as I would like. We probably have some crossover issues as well. Perhaps I should play higher up on the neck or have the keys do that.



Highlites:

Clayton on bass! He really did well.



Ideas:

Play with metronome

Bring shaker

Turn down instruments during organization of the song.

Make sure everyone is taking notes.





Pray for:

Sound guy to take over - Andrew is praying that youth will take off with this...since he's going to run sound, we are asking that God meet ALL our needs.



Drummer/percussion - or some facsimile thereof



anyone have suggestions??