stuff i think about

What People Really Think

2009-07-17T21:55:00.004-04:00

I was with Elijah tonight as he was getting a haircut. The hairdresser was making small talk while I waited, and while she snipped. She asked me what I did for a living. “I’m a pastor,” I said. She stopped snipping, looked up at me and with a puzzled tone asked, “Really?” She obviously thought I was teasing. She quickly caught on that I was not kidding and said, “Not that you couldn’t be, but aren’t they usually old, and not cool? You look too cool to be a pastor.” She brought the conversation back around to that topic at least three times during the haircut. I told her that I was on staff at a “cool” church and that we work hard at being relevant and normal. We talked a bit more about it and I could tell that something in her mind was being challenged. It seemed like for the first time she was considering that it's possible for pastors, believers in Jesus for that matter, to not live with their heads in the sand. They can engage culture and even...enjoy some of it. Did a pastor just write that? As we finished, Melody and I left with the kids and I was glad that I could help to break a stereotype that she had set up in her mind.

Look, I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a flattering thing to hear. I mean, no one really wants to hear that they are “un-cool.” But, I have to say that it also got me thinking…and I didn’t like where my thoughts led. I wonder how many other people have the same perception when it comes to pastors, followers of Jesus, the Church. And if pastors are believed to be un-cool and out of touch, what must so many people think about the One we are supposed to represent? The Church still has a lot of work to do in demonstrating that God is extremely relevant, and that He is many things, but He is not an old man upstairs out of touch with the lives people are living.

I wish I would have followed up her question with a question of my own: “What do you think God is like?” The good thing about hair is that it grows. Next time Elijah gets a haircut I plan on asking that very question.

Just Say No?

2009-07-13T23:15:00.001-04:00

How do you keep from burning out in ministry? What do you do to ensure that the ministry God called you to be a part of is the one that you fulfill? Paul tells Timothy: Fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). I love how Paul personalizes this for his young friend. Paul knows that Timothy isn’t responsible for fulfilling anyone else’s calling or ministry, but his own. And for some reason, he must have known that Timothy needed to hear those words. Maybe Timothy was a guy who felt pressured because he saw all kinds of needs, but not enough volunteers to meet those needs; so he tried doing too much and Paul knew that would end in burnout. Maybe Timothy just leaned toward taking on too much. Perhaps he was a highly driven person who tried doing it all. Or, maybe he was getting weary in ministry and Paul wanted to encourage him to continue on and steward well the ministry God called him to. Regardless, Paul clearly communicated to Timothy the importance of completing what God called him to do.

Someone said the key to leadership is staying focused. As Community Group leaders, it is essential that we have a clear vision of what God has called us to do. If we don’t, it would be easy to lose focus, take on too much, or bail before we complete the task. Listen, don’t try doing it all. Do what God has called you to do. Sometimes that means saying “No,” even to good things. Jesus was willing and able to do that because He knew what His calling was, and He wouldn’t be deterred. That doesn’t mean He didn’t go above and beyond, it just means that He was crystal clear about His mission and fulfilled His ministry.

Fulfill your ministry. That doesn't mean we silo ourselves and automatically "just say no." But, it does mean that we continually evaluate our calendars and make sure that we are giving our primary calling all it requires.

Surviving the Blur

2009-07-07T01:06:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I think the toughest part of writing a sermon is not deciding what to put in, but choosing what you have to leave out.

Recently I gave a talk at LifePoint for our summer teaching series called Stages. My talk was called: Surviving the Blur. You can listen to it here. In the talk I gave 5 insights for succeeding in the blur of parenting young children. I had more material than I could put in the message, so here is some of the material from the talk, and some that was left on the cutting room floor.

• You’ll never get this time back.
• Just because they sometimes make bad choices, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent.
• You have an opportunity to disciple world-changers.
• They are training ground for your spiritual development.
• They already know more than you think they know.
• They hold a very special place in the heart of God.
• You can change their behavior, you can only influence their beliefs.
• You need to invest relationally now so you can influence relationally later.
• They know the real you, whether you know it or not.
• Concern yourself more with being the right kind of parent than having the right kind of children.
• Your children are a stewardship from God.
• Stop striving for perfection, embrace consistency.
• If you have to choose between quality time and quantity time…choose both.
• Be the child you want your children to be.
• Give yourself a break.
• Savor the seconds of this fleeting stage.
• The danger with this stage isn’t life passing you by, it’s you passing life by.
• Teach them what it means to love Jesus.
• You have more to contribute than you think you do.

New Leader's Crash Course

2009-07-02T17:11:00.007-04:00

The Small Group Exchange is a great website all about groups. They recently published an article I wrote entitled: "New Leader's Crash Course." You can click here to check it out.

Are you new to small group leadership? Well rest easy friend, we’ve all been new to it at some point! Just think, even Andy Stanley and Bill Hybels...

Reality Check

2009-06-22T00:44:00.001-04:00

I don’t blog as much as I would like, I think because I put too much pressure on myself to do it. It becomes too big of a thing and then I don’t get around to it. So, the pressures off. If I get to it great, if not, that’s okay too. Let’s see what happens.

Today I read on a blog about a Pastor from an influential church in GA who committed adultery with his assistant. Truthfully, why don’t these stories surprise me anymore? Not saying I’m not susceptible; maybe that’s the scary part. It prompted me to initiate a discussion with Melody tonight about what we are doing so that doesn’t happen to us. It was a great talk.

I’m not even sure who the blogger is that I read, but he talked about being jaded and he too doesn’t seem to be surprised when this stuff happens. I then read a comment that was posted. This person went on to list the reasons why this kind of thing hasn’t happened to Mark Driscoll. (It didn’t come out of left field, the blogger mentioned Driscoll in his post.) I got worked up a bit when I read what he wrote. I really believe that this has a lot to do with the problem. There is way too much personality worship going on in evangelicalism, at least from what I can see. Mere men are being exalted and the Jesus we admire them for loving is the Jesus that we end up missing. We’ve got lots to learn from each other. But when all is said and all is done, the person we are pointing people to better be Jesus. He’s the Guy that we better be most impressed with.

There’s a real issue when we as church leaders start believing the nice and wonderful things people tell us about ourselves.

YouTube's April Fools--dılɟʞɔɐq ǝldıɹʇ

2009-04-12T15:37:00.002-04:00

Funny. Especially the tips on using the new layout.

YouTube's April Fools.

Jesus on 94 North

2009-04-02T22:49:00.006-04:00

I was driving into work this morning sipping my OMB/soy/matcha Vivanno when I saw a guy dressed like Jesus (robe, sandals, and long flowing hair) walking down the road, big black bible snuggled close to his chest. Looking back on it, I kind of wish I would have stopped and offered him a ride. At the very least it would have made a good sermon illustration/facebook status/tweet/or blog entry.

I got to thinking, if Jesus were here today, He wouldn't dress like that, and I am pretty sure He'd be driving a car, so I guess it wasn't Him.

Jesus was anything but irrelevant in His day. I wonder why this wannabe would want to present Him as out of touch today. Jesus isn't frozen in time.

This incident brought back to mind a great book I read in 08, "Lord Save Us From Your Followers."

Gotta go iron my robe. Oh yeah, Jesus probably wouldn't have been drinking my Starbucks drink either.

Everything is Amazing, Nobody is Happy

2009-03-12T00:08:00.004-04:00

"We live in an amazing, amazing world, and it's wasted on the crappiest generation of spoiled idiots."

Saw this on Kem Meyer's blog and loved it.

2008-06-02T23:52:00.005-04:00

As a boy, I remember waking on Saturday mornings (and sometimes late at night) to the smell of Cream of Wheat being cooked in the kitchen by my dad. That may explain why I’m sitting here at 11:50pm eating a bowl while fast forwarding through Sunday’s NASCAR race (maybe the more embarassing confession is that I am watching NASCAR?). I thought about waking Elijah to give it a try, but figured I better not. Breakfast will be here soon enough.
I really like Cream of Wheat.

Final 10 Tips for Young Pastors (31-40)

2008-06-02T23:24:00.002-04:00

31. Talk about Jesus every time you preach.
32. Be careful what you say. You’re being watched (and recorded).
33. Don’t return emails when you’re angry.
34. Check to make sure your microphone is turned off before you use the bathroom. Double-check.
35. Check to make sure your zipper is zipped every time before you preach. Double-check.
36. Love your wife more than you love the church. The church is Jesus’ bride, not yours.
37. Always be caught speaking well of others.
38. Compliment, encourage, and build up your staff and volunteers.
39. Hand write thank you notes.
40. Smile and look people in the eyes when you talk to them.

That's it. Hope one of them speaks to you.

Outreach magazine, "Web Exclusives," January/February 2008
By Craig Groeschel

40 Leadership Tips for Young Pastors (21-30)

2008-05-28T21:34:00.000-04:00

21. When you have a tough decision to make, but you know it’s right, make it immediately. (Like pulling off a Band-Aid: do it fast, and all at once.)
22. Hire slowly. Fire quickly.
23. You can’t change people. Only God can.
24. Don’t criticize others’ ministries. Yours isn’t nearly as perfect as you think it is.
25. Take care of yourself. Eat right. Rest. Exercise. Take time off. No one else can do that for you.
26. If you don’t take much time off, it’s because you’re proud, and you think you’re more necessary than you really are.
27. Don’t just delegate responsibility. Delegate authority.
28. Laugh frequently.
29. People will leave your church. People you love and trust will leave your church. Don’t take it personally.
30. When you suffer and hurt because of ministry, worship Jesus all the more.

40 Leadership Tips for Young Pastors (11-20)

2008-05-23T00:29:00.001-04:00

11. Become close friends with other pastors in your town (as many as you can).
12. Your kids will be grown before you know it. Don’t sacrifice them on the altar of ministry.
13. Your ministry isn’t your god. God is your God.
14. You know how to give and how to minister to others. If you don’t learn how to receive, you’ll burn out and/or die.
15. Studying for sermons doesn’t replace your personal time with God and in His Word.
16. Err on the side of generosity.
17. Believe in people that others overlook.
18. If you’re going to reach people that others aren’t, you’ll have to do things that others won’t.
19. Your integrity matters more than you can imagine.
20. Hire staff members that you like.

21-30 still to come...

40 Leadership Tips for Young Pastors (1-10)

2008-05-20T20:56:00.005-04:00

1. Life is short. Make every day count for God’s glory.
2. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
3. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint.
4. Jesus cares more about the church than you do.
5. You can’t please everyone…so why try?
6. People will criticize you. Quit whining. Get used to it.
7. Three months from now, you won’t even remember most of the things that are bothering you today.
8. You can’t do it all. Stop trying.
9. God called you because He is good, not because you are.
10. If you blame yourself for the bad results in ministry, you’ll likely also take credit for the good results.

...stop by later this week for 11-20

By Craig Groeschel
Outreach Magazine, Web Exclusives

Taking a Risk Underground

2008-05-11T10:12:00.008-04:00

This story is from NPR.org. If you haven't heard it yet, it's inspirational, risky, and dangerous. I love it. (If you prefer the audio, you can hear it here)

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner. But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife. "He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says. As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm." The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'" Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome. "You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth. "The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'" "No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'" Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?" "Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said. Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says. The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to. When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you." The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know." Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

Is this what Jesus meant when He said, "Give him your coat also..."

Where Have I Been?

2008-04-30T17:41:00.005-04:00

I came across the Amazon Kindle for the first time yesterday. I had never heard of it before. Anyone else?
It has some pretty amazing features and capabilities. You can read a well done review and explanation here:

Flyers Win First Round

2008-04-24T18:00:00.002-04:00

The Flyers beat the Capitals in game 7, in overtime, in Washington. What a great game, and what a great series it was.

So good to see a Philly team winning. Round 2, Montreal. Bring 'em on...

For What It's Worth: Thoughtfulness vs. Indecision

2008-02-13T22:21:00.006-05:00

I have found that people sometimes mistake thoughtfulness for indecision. I’ve always been a thinker. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve always made the right decision, or even thought the right thoughts for that matter, and it sure doesn’t mean I am smart. But, I do think a lot. On occasion I have experienced that my thinking has been misinterpreted for indecision. Here’s how dictionary.com defines indecision: Reluctance or an inability to make up one's mind; irresolution. It’s not indecisive to want to make a well informed and thoroughly thought through decision. It’s the opposite. When a person is thoughtful they have made the decision to think. Dictionary.com defines thoughtfulness like this: Occupied with or given to thought; contemplative. I don’t ever expect to have all of the facts, or to have complete knowledge, but I like to have as many details and as many questions answered as possible before I make a decision. When given the time, I will investigate, gather facts, compare, think, and then decide. The time I give to thought is proportionate to the time frame in which the decision must be made. (Unless I am ordering off of a menu. In most cases when it comes to choosing my grub, I am indecisive.) When I make a decision I want it to be one made from a platform of knowledge.

So there.

Now, if I can just decide what to blog about next...

We Lose Again

2007-12-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

Well to follow up my last post, in case you were at all interested, Philly lost again. I guess that shouldn't be too surprising though. Nick Lachey's choir from Cininnati ended up winning.

Some day, we will win something. I'm sure of it.

But hey, like I said, we still have our cheesesteaks...and Rocky!

Oh, yeah, we have Vince Papale (that's pa-pa-lay). So, yeah, we got that goin' for us. And cheesesteaks. Did I mention the cheesesteaks?

A Championship Coming to Philly?

2007-12-19T15:38:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but could it be true that a championship is coming to the city of brotherly love? No, it wouldn't come from any of our 4 pro sports teams, but we could be celebrating a winner takes all victory in the near future.

Heard of "Clash of the Choirs"? It's a show that's running this week in the evenings where 5 "celebrities" go to the streets in "American Idol" fashion and choose the best singers they can find to form a choir. The key is that each celebrity goes to their own home town to find the talent.

Philly's own Patti LaBelle and her choir has made it to the second round. Could it be? Might Philadelphia finally win something?

Well, if not, we still have our cheesesteaks.

Classic

2007-12-17T19:38:00.000-05:00

My thoughts exactly...

Reflections

2007-12-17T19:03:00.000-05:00

Of course there's no real satisfaction with a win during a losing season, but this sure makes 6-8 a little sweeter (if that's possible).

5 celebrates.

Lito with a nice pick.

B Wes taking on Roy Williams.

B Wes breaks free.

Much love.

For the record, I still wish he was ours...

Bryant Mumbel

2007-12-01T14:18:00.001-05:00

I hate to dog a guy, but if you saw last week's NFL Network game where the Cowboys hosted the Packers, you'd have to agree: Gumbel has been terrible. Besides the fact that he mumbles and speaks so low you can barely hear him, Gumbel called Tony Romo, Rick Romo, among other gaffs and blunders. If I'm not mistaken he called the 'Boys RB's Julius Barber and Marion Jones. There were so many gaffs that I had to keep clicking the 5 sec. rewind button because I couldn't believe my ears. It's been so bad that I'm thinking about doing a live blog on Thursday nights just to capture the gumbel stumbles as they happen.
Is this the best NFLN can do?

Manning's Mind

2007-11-09T17:26:00.000-05:00

Think you can take Manning?

Try it out...manningsmind.com

Feeling Guilty?

2007-10-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

Have you experienced this?

I tend to take a while making up my mind when ordering at a restaurant. Why is it when the waiter/waitress asks if I'm ready, and I'm not, I feel guilty when I ask for another minute?

That's one of the reasons I like going out to eat with Jason Fullen; we both like to examine the menu thoroughly, so I can blame him and not feel guilty.

Don't Faint

2007-10-31T21:29:00.001-04:00

I was thinking, I should start a blog...and then I remembered.

After a long lay off, I've turned my brain back on, and am thinking again.

What Makes LifePoint a Great Place to Be

2007-05-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

We had a great Community Group Leader's Meeting tonight. The topic of my skill improvement was, "Selecting Curriculum Made Simple". It was a real beneficial and productive night. After getting good feedback and encouragement (when I got home I recieved an email from a leader who wasn't there. If I told you the contents it would come off like I was bragging, it was that encouraging), I got to thinking about what an amazing place this is to be. So, here goes some of my observations...feel free to add your own.

·Jesus is the Head, He is supreme
·Joe Duke
·Dave Baldwin
·Lance Burch
·Jason Fullen
·Jodie Zorbaugh
·Our awesome Community Group Leaders
·Amazing worship team
·Passionate and loyal team of volunteers
·Incredible children’s ministry, from the Garden to Breakaway
·Make me want to build a time machine so I can be a teen again student ministry; I mean that. (I wish I had Lance and Jason building into my life when I was a student. On the flip side, I do get the benefit of them building into my life now--that's a good deal.)
·Fantastic elders (they didn’t pay me to say that; well, I guess they sort of do)
·We value C.A.R.E
·Influencing people to find and follow Jesus
·Super hot girl on the worship team
·Andrew Harrison on the drums
·The people who are LifePoint Church

I asked Melody this question, she said “Uh, a million things.”

I agree.

Another Bumper

2007-05-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

Warning: i am about to vent for a minute...
Disclaimer: these are my opinions & thoughts. they may, in fact they very well could be, very wrong.

I came across another bumper sticker the other day. It read: “Jesus is the Answer”. Now I am sure the contents of that bumper sticker have changed hundreds of lives. The dude in that green minivan probably has had many roadside “bumper calls”—people coming down the aisle and finding God. It’s more than likely that people hungry for the answers to their deepest questions hunt him down to say thanks for providing the answers. So I’m probably treading on thin ice and shouldn’t question it, but what does that mean?

What does it mean to the average person who isn’t familiar with “Christian” clichés? Jesus is the answer—okay, let’s take the guy up on that: 2+2=Jesus? Nope. Oh, I know, what’s the capital of Maryland? Jesus. No, that’s not right. Wait, wait, wait…who was the first President of the United States? Jesus. That doesn’t work either. Hmm, maybe it would help if we knew what the question was.

Here’s my question: Why are we content to trivialize God? Why do we make it so easy at times for people to walk away thinking that Christianity is irrelevant and that Christians are odd balls not in touch with reality? And why, please tell me, why do we give nickel answers to million dollar questions?

Final Disclaimer: i am sure i am guilty of this myself, and maybe that's why it frustrates me so stinkin' much.

John Piper is Bad

2007-05-22T20:08:00.001-04:00

Trust me guys, it's true.

Fire Passy

2007-05-18T20:46:00.001-04:00

I know most would call this a pacifier. But, Elijah has a minor preoccupation with anything related to fire. So, he has decided that Addison's pacifier should be called a "Fire Passy".

Flowers and Allergies

2007-05-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

Here's some spring flowers from our home. I love the sights but can't stand the itchy eyes!

My Time with the Royals

2007-05-15T23:22:00.000-04:00

There was a time when yours truly played for the Royals. I know that may come as a shock, but it is true. As a matter of fact, there was a pivotal game in the season when I, get this, hit an inside the park grand slam. My distinguished play even led me to an all-star game. I'll always cherish my memories with the Royals. And, in true Nascar fashion, I'd like to thank Denny's Auto Body for putting a great team out on the field and for their support that year. Also, thank you to all those people who bought boosters to help pay for our hats and jerseys.

Actually, I've been waiting a long time to put Elijah in my old Jersey. You'll notice that number was later worn by one of my favorite Eagles ever, Randall Cunningham. Call it fate. Oh, by the way, we never won a championship either.

Obviously, I was older than Elijah when I wore this, but it fits him good.

Great while it Lasted

2007-05-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

It's official, the king has fallen. The King of Queens has come to an end. The last episode was an hour long, and didn't end in a typical "end of series" fashion. Apparently there was still talk of another year when they shot the last episode. So, in lieu of an official ending they played clips of great memories and moments.

Thanks for all the laughs, and we'll see you on DVD and re-runs.

What if...

2007-05-14T21:04:00.000-04:00

What if the 1980 Eagles played the 2007 Eagles, who would win? What about the 1985 Bears and the 1993 Cowboys? Now you can know... www.whatifsports.com

This has to be one of the best sports sites period. Enough of the regular debates about "Who would win" now you can know. Pick any two sports teams, from any decade, whether football, baseball, hockey, basketball, or college basketball, and find out who was the best. You not only get the final score, but complete box scores as well!! This site kicks!

The only warning, don't spend too much time at the site!

Pit some of the greatest baseball, basketball, football, hockey and college basketball teams of all-time against each other to settle age-old debates

A Lasting Impression

2007-05-13T20:37:00.000-04:00

Our student ministries pastor, Lance Burch, gave an incredibly meaningful talk today--Mother's Day. Here's the link if you'd like to hear it: A Lasting Impression

"When God came up with the idea of "Mom", he really knocked it out of the park. He knew that there were going to be scrapes to be bandaged, lost toys to be found, broken hearts to be comforted, curfew breakers to be punished, and kids to be loved. But, there was something else. God knew that there was a side to Him that needed to be communicated and passed on to others. When mom can do that, she leaves an impression that lasts." -Lance

My Favorite Singer

2007-05-06T19:39:00.000-04:00

My favorite singer is my wife, Melody. I know you're probably thinking she paid me to say that, but she really didn't.

Today in church she sang Martina McBride's "Anyway" (I love LifePoint). I've never heard her sing so well, I got chills...both times. Since the first time I heard her sing (over 12 years ago) her voice has moved me. There's something about it. I told her today that, for me, listening to her sing is like eating a bowl of ice cream, or eating a cheese steak. I enjoy it so much I don't want it to end, and when it does I want more. Thanks Melody for being such a great singer, mom, and wife.

Toe to Toe

2007-05-05T20:50:00.000-04:00

Should be a good one.

Weapon X

2007-04-30T22:38:00.001-04:00

I have to admit that I was kind of bummed about the Eagles draft. As soon as the Birds play their last game each year (which is always too soon) I start looking forward to the draft--couting down the days. Needless to say, this year's draft was pretty uneventful, but I guess we'll see.

Anyway, like I said, I was bummed...until I saw this. Brian Dawkins is out of his mind! My blood is pumping, I have goosebumps, and I cannot wait until football season! Go Birds!!!!

Pants on Fire

2007-04-16T19:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight Elijah and I played firefighters. He got dressed up in his fireman coat, backpack, and hat. I'm happy to report that all the fires in our house are now out. After about 35 minutes I explained to Elijah that firefighters need to take bubble baths to get clean after a long day of putting out fires. Melody was filling the bathtub for firefighter Elijah, and I was undressing him. In a moment of vulnerability I told Elijah, in Melody's presence, that when I was a little boy, my mom made us wear fire-proof pajamas. Melody laughed uncontrollably, so did Elijah. She said she never heard of them before, I guess I figured everyone knew about flame retardant pj's. Am I the only one?

Swimming to London

2007-04-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

Try this! Follow the steps exactly…it only takes a few seconds...

1. go to google maps
2. click on "get directions"
3. type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
4. type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
5. click on "get directions"
6. scroll down to step #23

A 24 Confession

2007-04-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

I hate to say it, but I gotta. For the first time 24 really disappointed me. Last week's episode was closer to a day time soap than to what I've come to know and love from 24. This one was kissing that one, that one was betraying this one, who cares? But, in usual form, 24 came back this week and kicked tail with one of the best episodes this season. Jack was being Jack, and that's why I watch.

Love at First Sight

2007-04-11T18:54:00.000-04:00

I fell in love on Wednesday.

Addison Reese was born on 4/4/07. 6lbs 9oz and 20 inches long. That's my girl.

Naturally7

2007-03-28T21:00:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable.

Bumper Sticker Christianity

2007-03-16T19:49:00.000-04:00

Top 10 Pseudo-Christian Bumper Stickers

Yes, these are real:

10. After the Rapture, Give this Car to My Mother-in-Law
9. Go To Church, Don't Wait for A Hearse to Take You
8. No Jesus...No Peace...Know Jesus...Know Peace!
7. Tithe if You Love Jesus
6. Try Jesus! If You Don't Like Him Satan Will Always Take You Back
5. Too Blessed to Be Depressed
4. For All You Do, His Blood's For You
3. This Car is Prayer-Conditioned
2. Got Jesus? It's Hell without Him
1. My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter

Excuse me while I go throw up...

The Wonder of Elijah

2007-03-12T01:35:00.000-04:00

I love to see the wonder of Elijah, my son. I wish I had more of it. With giant eyes and a determined spirit he says, “Daddy, can we touch the moon?” Wow. I can’t bring myself to say no. I want his wonder. I want his simple belief. I want to see the moon as he sees it, as something that makes my eyes wide and my heart race. He’s not content to view it from a distance; he wants to experience it, to embrace it. Elijah has helped me to appreciate things I’ve taken for granted. He’s taught me more about myself in three years than I would have learned on my own in a lifetime. I want to marvel at the marvelous. I want the wonder of Elijah.

I'm Here

2007-03-12T01:23:00.000-04:00

I seem to be thinking a lot of thoughts lately. After thinking these thoughts, I usually say to myself..."I should blog about that." Then I remember, I don't have a blog. Well, I have joined the world of blogging.

I know, big deal.