Saturday, June 30, 2007
Jam Packed
Tomorrow Jenny comes home. My schedule is packed with golf and sleep before that.
I went 5 full days with a relaxed schedule and will end with two packed ones.
Then comes the holidays again.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Nap Time
I got home from my meeting around 11:00 and then took a nap (while i was supposed to be reading for my homework).
Nap time turned into 5 and a half hours and i woke up just in time to eat dinner and get it digested before i had to go ref two games.
Guess that means i have to do my homework tomorrow now. Good thing there is nothing on the schedule.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
A Peek Into Our Past
It took her over a year to finally get all the pictures to look the way she wanted to (she's a perfectionist sometimes). That means I got a lot of grace as to when I write about each picture. I decided to write about one of them tonight. They are written for Jenny and I to remember things about when we are dating, so the jumping in tense and time makes sense to us because it is from our past. It bothers me as a writer that these stories jump tenses, but since they aren't written because i'm a writer but a lover (I like the sound of that) I let it go. I hope you can too.
I actually take the time to edit these, but haven't edited this one yet. I might not ever edit the blog copy, because i'll instead edit the copy saved on our computer. I just figured i'd share this one with you all so you know a little more about our past, and because it is fun to surprise Jenny and she'll read this sometime randomly after returning from New Orleans.

“I Wanna Hold Your Hand”
“WHAT!!! We have to change that right now!” Jay exclaimed in a way that only “Big Poppa” can.
“You’ve never held a guys hand before?” I exclaimed more than asked. I was too stunned at this comment to let it go by unexamined.
“Never,” responded Jenny stoically.
“Not even when you were playing a game, or praying in a circle?”
“No, I’ve held guys hands then, just not with, you know, the fingers interlaced.”
“That makes things more intimate?” This time I was asking sincerely. I had never thought critically before about the difference in holding a girls hand with the fingers interlaced vs. not. I was curious as to how someone could see such a stark contrast in the two.
“What would it take to get you to hold a guys hand right now? Just to walk up the stairs or something…” Jay was more concerned on Jenny having this new experience and it was now his duty to accomplish this. It was his new dinner goal.
“They’ll have to sing me the song.” You could sense a little sarcasm in her voice, but not enough to make Jay think she was completely joking.
“Which song?” Jay asked thinking she was serious.
“The ‘hold your hand song.’” Jenny’s answer did not satisfy Jay.
“You mean the Beatles song?” I finally found use for growing up on the oldies.
“That’s the one.”
I don’t exactly remember what else took place in the conversation that afternoon. I know Jay kept trying to convince Jenny to hold my hand that day, and quickly gave up after the meal was over. I was focused instead on logging in my brain that Jenny said a guy would have to sing her “the song” before he could hold her hand. Though she said it sarcastically, I knew I would need to remember it.
A couple months later, Christmas came and I decided to give Jenny the 12 days of Christmas all in one day. Filled with things like the 6th Sense to cover #6, dinner reservations at 7:00 for #7, 11 packets of Kool-Aid, a dozen roses and numerous other gifts, I covered them all. The only important one to remember now is #4.
“I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is song number 4 on the Beatles ‘greatest hits of all time’ album. I searched for the album and was ecstatic that it was a song number under 12 and could fit into my Christmas project. I hadn’t forgotten what she said.
The following summer, Jenny and I both knew we would begin dating. In fact, we knew it would start pretty quickly once she got back from her trip to Romania. Before she left, I made sure to get the CD into my possession.
I can function my way around a guitar, but am not very musical. Adding that to being tone deaf (both of these things Jenny was astutely aware of) made anything musical I would attempt, romantic in the funny way, not the serious way, but the effort would speak for itself.
I downloaded the guitar cords for the song, and listened to it repeatedly, both learning the words, and how to play it. I sounded great in my head, and was confident in my room alone. Both things that I knew would leave from me when I attempted to play and sing in front of her. Fortunately, I knew charm was on my side to make up for all that I lacked musically.
I was with Jenny’s family as they picked her up from the airport. We went to dinner together at Applebee’s so all of us could hear her tell stories about her trip. She gave us all some gifts she had bought for us overseas (she still won’t play me chess on the chessboard she got me) and spent the evening telling stories.
After her parents went to bed, we began discussing our relationship more. I was excited as this was what I had been waiting 7 months for. I had high expectations for the evening, they included her interlacing her fingers in my hand, and me giving her a kiss on the cheek. (Young people read this, we waited 7 months to date after deciding we wanted to, and when we stared, we still didn’t kiss for quite a while. It was one of the healthiest things we ever could have done.) After establishing that we would begin dating, it was my time to shine.
I grabbed the guitar from my car and we sat on the stairs in her parent’s front yard. I proceeded to try and play the song, which I am sure went horribly, and attempted singing, which I know turned into me just saying the words when they lined up with where I was while playing it.
None of that mattered because the look in Jenny’s face, and the expression behind her smile spoke loudly that I was making her happy. It’s a look that lifts my esteem each time I get to see it. It’s that look that makes me remember the little things she says and does, in hopes that I can turn them into something special sometime.
In fact, I’ll probably see that look when she reads this, if she is near me, or when she has me read this to her, because she likes that.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Couldn't Take It Any Longer
For the last two years, Jenny and I have alternated being in charge of changing the channel or adjusting the volume.
This week, I started getting real tired of it (Jenny is gone and i wanted to flip channels) so i finally broke down and spent the $8 on a universal remote.
Now i'm living in luxury again.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Great Question
I have thought about this in the past but have never researched it or asked anyone so, is there a proper way to dispose of a Bible? There is always talk about how to properly dispose of a flag and there is something that makes me feel a little guilty about destroying a Bible so is there a protocol for how and when to destroy a Bible?
Depending on where you read, you might find many different answers to this question. There is no "proper" way defined anywhere as universal, but many different denominations have used various methods. The most common, finds it origins in how the Hebrews dealt with the scrolls they had written.
For them, "proper" disposal was burial and burial only. Destruction was seen as immoral. Only burial (with some actions with it) was appropriate. Depending on where you read, there are some denominations that still practice this, along with always including a cross when it is buried, and sprinkling it with "holy water" before burying it. Some instructions even request that you water that area of ground for the next 6 days. Like I said, depending on where you read, you'll get some far fetched ideas.
Traditional history seems to be that the respectful thing to do is bury it.
I have other questions though. Mainly those of motivation. I guess, its more about me making a point about motivation. If motivation to get rid of a Bible is because of something that has happened to it (stained, paint, ink spills, unusable...etc.) then I have little concern. Burial seems the most traditional, but burying it in trash seems just as fine to me (I can't think of a reason to see it as disrespectful, but i'd go with your conscience and not mine).
However, if the Bible is still in usable shape, I'd recommend you either give it away to someone you know, or donate it to a church or something. I see no valuable reason for burying, or destroying a usable Bible.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Ruining my Day
Driving home from my soccer game, I ruined it.
I started thinking about what i would do this week (Jenny is in New Orleans) and was excited about how free flowing my schedule is.
Then I remembered, I have two assignments due by the end of the month for my summer class. That means I need to read one of the commentaries sitting on my floor and write an interaction paper with it, and need to write a full manuscript for a sermon from the book of Joshua.
And there was so little on my schedule.....
Saturday, June 23, 2007
It Was Funny To Me
Not confusing in the "I called you on accident kind of way" which is highly normal and acceptable, but today was confusing as not two minutes after the "I called you on accident, I was trying to call mom" Jason again dialed the same number and called me again.
I found this quite humorous. He might not. Especially now that its public.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Cutest Thing Ever
He is still tiny.
While Jenny was holding him, he did the thing i find most cute. After scrunching his face and clenching his fists, Jenny said something like "you pushin somethin there you little stinker?" It was about a 10 second delay with his body completely relaxed before the funniest sounding windy fart/poopy snuck out. It was loud enough to make us all laugh and apparently stinky enough that Jenny though he took her question literally.
Not a minute after changing his diaper, he did it again while Jenny was holding him.
Cutest thing ever. He is now my favorite little guy around.
Showing Thanks
Tonight, Jenny and I received the "anonymous surprise gift" kind of gratitude. Jenny is going to New Orleans this weekend to spend the next week there with her work. She started packing already (something which is well beyond me) and that meant she had to pull out a suitcase.
The last time our suitcases were used was for my parents' trip to Alaska and their cruise (the same trip). They gave the verbal affirmation upon returning the luggage, but it wasn't until Jenny opened it tonight that we found the "anonymous surprise gift" of gratitude. 1 package of peanuts, 2 packages of cashews and 4 packs of Big Red gum.
Thanks Mom and Dad. (I'm chewing a piece of the gum right now)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Weather, fans and coaches
I went from the range of questions like: what are we going to do if the tornado sirens go off, to do you have any bug spray?
It went from sunny, to rain, to hail, to sun, to rain, back to sun again. It was odd really.
Mostly though, what i learn when reffing is how annoying i must be to most refs who officiate the games i play. It is pretty easy to brush off any opinions that come from parents on the sidelines, or even coaches, but when a player decides to say something, you think about it more. I generally have a good attitude when reffing and talk to the players frequently, but realize how much of a pain I must be to most who ref me as a player.
As a player, I constantly talk to the officials. Since starting to ref, my talking has only taken the form of questioning, but my questions are very pointed and blunt. I'm surprised i haven't been warned more than I have.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
More Interesting Facts (Some repeats)
2. Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
3. The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.
4. No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
5. Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.
6. You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
7. Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.
8. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
9. The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
10. A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.
11. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.
12. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
13. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
14. The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
15. Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
16. The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
17. Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
18. Marilyn Monroe had six toes.
19. All US Presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.
20. Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
21. Pearls melt in vinegar.
22. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
23. The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
24. It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
25. A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.
26. The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
27. Richard Millhouse Nixon was the first US president whose name contains all the letters from the word 'criminal.' The second was William Jefferson Clinton.
28. Turtles can breathe through their butts.
29. Butterflies taste with their feet.
30. In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.
31. On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.
32. On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
33. Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
34. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
35. Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
36. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
37. It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
38. The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
39. A snail can sleep for three years.
40. No word in the English language rhymes with 'MONTH.'
41. Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
42. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing. SCARY!!!
43. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
44. All polar bears are left handed.
45. In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
46. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
47. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
48. 'Go', is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
49. If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
50. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
51. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
52. Almost everyone who reads this will try to lick their elbow.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
My Body Doesn't Know What To Do
The last three times I was awake at that time of day it was because I had stayed up that long, not because I would get up that early.
This morning, I was a part of a foursome in a Pastor's golf tournament. We were playing a best ball format which meant we had plenty of opportunity to put umpfff into our shots.
At one point, one of our foursome hit a drive about 340 yards, it was easily the longest drive I had ever seen live. That put us 10 yards from the pin on a par 4. We weren't too upset to start our day (yes, that was his first shot of the day) with that drive.
My body knew something was wrong when noon hit and I had already played 18 holes of golf.
Maybe tomorrow I'll have to give it plenty of recovery time.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Doing Things Backwards
Today was the hottest game so far this year. Temps were in the low 90s.
We only had 10 guys for today's game, the other team had their full 11 plus 3 subs.
With 10 minutes left, we had an injury and only had 9 guys to play with.
We didn't have much energy left over.
Somehow, we managed to come away with a 1-1 tie.
I'm sore. I'm bleeding. I'm exhausted.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Proving it Do-Able
Two of my five classes have their grades submitted. I did well in both of those. Of the three that haven't finalized their grades yet, I'm currently sitting in a position I'm happy with. There were a couple of weeks, or more specifically a couple of nights where the workload seemed a little steep, but overall, 5 classes didn't seem too unmanageable for me at the graduate level.
It is an enormous blessing to be taking on this stage of life without having to work full-time like most of my classmates. I can't imagine the stress they have trying to balance a full-time work schedule and a school schedule, while at the same time, they can't imagine how someone can take 5 classes.
I wouldn't want to trade places with them.
Friday, June 15, 2007
My Brain Hurts
When you were young, I remember you and mom always working on brain teaser books. I specifically remember one in Florida, where you had a ton of brain teasers in it. Do you think these books are what made you think so much, or do you that because you think so much, you enjoyed those books. In other words, what do you think, environment or genetics?
Do I think it is because of environment, or genetics? Hold on, I need to think about that :) On the particular question at hand (What made/makes me think so much?) I'm going to invent a third option. I don't think there is a specific environmental reason that produced more thinking patterns in my life. I can't pinpoint some kind of food or music from the womb that would have started these traits, nor outside environmental agents that might have caused this trait in myself. That being said, the pattern of thinking in my past (like brain teasers, riddles, technicalities, etc....) is largely responsible for my use of the brain today.
I also can't pinpoint some gene that has determined I will be a "thinker" though I will always test as one on a personality test. At the same time, I come from a well educated family that places value on the importance of learning, so both environmentally (from their value) and genetically (they are well educated) I might have tendencies towards thinking.
More importantly, I would lean toward the area of gifting. Because of my religious beliefs, I believe that my ability to ration/think comes directly from God. I believe it is a gift he has given to me and that I have a responsibility to use it fully. It is largely because of this gift (and one of communication) that I long to both write and speak for a living. I enjoy the time of preparing a message because the "thinking" part is very natural to me, while I love actually delivering the message because the "communicating part" is very fun to me.
I can't pinpoint nature or nurture as a reason for my ability or desire to think. But I have no need to. I believe God has used both my nature and my nurture to foster in me a gift of using my mind. I hope never to lose this gift.
One of my favorite things to use it for is to guess and evaluate the gifts of others.
Refill Time
Feel free to comment with topic ideas in any of these areas.
I can't think of anything to type tonight.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The New Thing I Learned Today
The playing cards have been known to have names. At least, the face cards have. They were mainly named after French nobility.
Paris court cards traditional names
King of Spades: David
King of Hearts: Charlemagne
King of Diamonds: Julius Caesar
King of Clubs: Alexander the Great
Queen of Spades: Pallas
Queen of Hearts: Judith
Queen of Diamonds: Rachel
Queen of Clubs: Argine (origin Italian, meaning river bank; possibly an anagram of regina, which is Latin for queen)
Knave of Spades: Ogier the Dane/Holger Danske (a knight of Charlemagne)
Knave of Hearts: La Hire (comrade-in-arms to Joan of Arc)
Knave of Diamonds: Hector
Knave of Clubs: Judas Maccabeus
Maybe today, this can be your new thing.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Humorous Observations
These people must not have known anyone who had a truck. The also must not have known anyone who had a decent length of rope. They had the back end tied down through the back windows just fine, but their rope for the front end of the mattresses must have been about 3 feet too short. The guy riding in the passenger seat was holding both ends of this rope with his arms spread in the air, biceps flexed as if he was making the strongest looking "Y" of "YMCA" you had ever imagined. I doubt this was much fun with the wind hitting the mattresses in excess of 60 m.p.h.
Note to self, continue to know people who own both trucks and rope.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
I'm Carefree
My wife is one of those people. She is the wife that every mother wants her son to have. She makes me wear coats and long sleeves in the winter, she makes me shower when I stink after a soccer game, and she makes me get my homework done on time and won't let me choose to just skip assignments.
Her ability to be responsible above carefree (though the two aren't always opposites) was pointed out to me recently by her quote, "What are you gonna do to avoid getting skin cancer?" My schedule is fairly complete with outside activities in the near future. With running outside for my marathon training, and now a decent load of outdoor soccer reffing, she was curious if sunscreen had ever crossed my mind.
I'm too carefree to worry about that. I told her that if I felt I was going to be outside long enough that the results would cause pain to my skin, I'd probably put some on. Outside of those parameters, I probably won't.
I'll let you all know if I ever decide I should. So far, I haven't.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Creative Minds?
Classes are over now, and the work I'm scheduled for is all evenings.
Anyone have any good ideas/challenges for me?
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Here comes the sun.
It was nice today for the weather to be so pleasant as we headed to the golf course.
My skin even looks like i've been outside. That's always a bonus.
Hopefully this week the weather will remain good as i need to start my more rigorous marathon training soon. The training program runs for 18 weeks and with the marathon being the first weekend in October, that time is getting close.
Friday, June 08, 2007
1 Hour 14 Minutes and a Sigh of Relief
These are the things I spend my time thinking about.
Outside of some assignments I need to finish up later in the summer for this summer class, i'm on summer break now.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
My Youngest Friend
We went to the hospital to see the proud parents and healthy baby.
He came out after three pushes and a little laughter. She thoroughly enjoyed her epidural. He is small.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
What a Council
Due at midnight i figured I'd get an early start and gather my research around 4:15. Only problem was, the books i needed were all gone from the library. That meant i needed to change my topic from one on the Quakers to one on the Roman Catholic Church's Vatican II council.
I gathered my Vatican II research and headed home around 4:45. I figured I had worked pretty hard for the 10 minutes gather research so I decided I'd take a nap. I still didn't know what my topic would be, just that it would come from Vatican II somehow.
At 7:00 I decided I should probably start to look through some of my research. By 7:15 I had decided that topic would cover the result of the Vatican II conference as it relates to religious freedom and acceptance of other denominations. I read my research until about 9:15 or so, with a half hour dinner break in the middle. At 10:16, I decided I should start typing my paper, it was due at 12:00. At 11:39, I submitted my 9 page paper. I'm done. It feels good. As long as I get a 65% or better on the paper I'll get an A in the class, but my guess is that I'll get a low A on the paper as well.
Yay Me.
Three More Long Days
Good Luck Me.
Monday, June 04, 2007
When Churches Get It Backwards
I'm a preacher, so i'll alliterate here. In the Bible, people are first told that they belong to the Kingdom of God. It is after that when they are asked to Believe what they should believe. Only after they Believe are they asked to Behave (which isn't or shouldn't be a problem after they believe).
It is this process that unfortunately, the church has too often flipped on its head. Often we start with how people Behave. We try to change that and after they have changed their behavior we teach them what they should believe (with big words like sanctification and justification). Only after they have taken the steps of behaving the church prescribes and believing what the church believes do we allow them to belong to the community of the church.
It is too bad that we have gotten things backwards. What would churches in America look like if we returned to the process we find prescribed in the Bible? What if we allowed people to belong that didn't believe or behave the ways we wanted them to? I'm pretty sure, this would be the quickest way for us to see Jesus begin to work in individuals' lives, and in the community as a whole.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
8 Hour World
My summer course starts tomorrow and runs for 8:30 hours everyday this week.
Jenny is excited because I actually have to get up earlier than her everyday this week. Something she dearly enjoys.
All else went well today. The barbecue had to be moved inside because of rain, but the soccer game managed to dodge it. We coasted to a 5-0 victory and I scored one of the better goals of my career tonight. Coupling that with the fact that one of my life mentors was in town visiting, it was a very enjoyable evening.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Somebody Change the Weather
Our small group is throwing an all-church barbecue and I have my normal Sunday evening soccer game. I don't want storms.
Its your problem now. I don't even care if you are reading this after Sunday, you are in charge of making my Sunday weather good.
Dream Feeding
We babysat for some friends tonight, which meant, Jenny was in charge of doing whatever the baby needed, and I was in charge of playing.
On to the point. Did you know that babies sometimes get fed while they are still sleeping? It is called dream feeding and I need this in my life.
Adults should have dream feeding too. Anyone looking to start a business, talk to a hotel and implement dream feeding. I'll stay there.