Don't watch if you want to be completely spoiled for season four...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Photo Tour 1
Here is part one of a long series of photo tours... taken of the parsonage that we just moved into. This first batch will be of Aaron's room. Melissa picked all the colors and my Mom and Dad painted. The whole house turned out magnificent... by far the best house we've ever lived in. Thanks to Jeff for lighting a fire under me to get to pics out...
Friday, August 24, 2007
Emily's First Day of Kindergarten!!
Emily started school on Wednesday!! She was so excited! To quote her, "I can't believe this day finally came...I waited forever." Mom, Dad, and Aaron walked her down the first day and took lots of pictures with her class. They all looked so cute with their backpacks, waving to their mommies and daddies. She is in afternoon Kindergarten and her teacher seems very nice. It's just a short walk down to the school and so far we have been very impressed with the school and district.
As if the first week of Kindergarten isn't a big enough event, Mother- Nature decided to make it an even bigger week for her. On her second day of school, a big storm set in just as school was supposed to get out. Due to tornado warnings, they held the kids inside instead of releasing them to their parents. Before Emily had the chance to experience a tornado drill, the poor girl had to actually have a real one. She said they sat in the hallway with their backpacks over their heads. Then, due to power outages and downed power lanes from the storm....school was cancelled today. What a start to Kindergarten!
On a side note, I am thouroghly enjoying my "stay-at-home mom" days. This is what I have wanted for the past 4 years and my dream has finally come true. I love it!! I love waking up in the morning and deciding what I'm going to do for the day...with my kids!! Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we stay home and clean, etc., and sometimes we schedule play dates. It has been a wonderful summer and I look forward to the coming year. I am going to be as involved in Emily's school as I can. I have signed up to help in her classroom once a month and I am hoping to attend a few field trips as well. Emily will be taking gymnastics and tennis lessons(for daddy) beginning in September.
As if the first week of Kindergarten isn't a big enough event, Mother- Nature decided to make it an even bigger week for her. On her second day of school, a big storm set in just as school was supposed to get out. Due to tornado warnings, they held the kids inside instead of releasing them to their parents. Before Emily had the chance to experience a tornado drill, the poor girl had to actually have a real one. She said they sat in the hallway with their backpacks over their heads. Then, due to power outages and downed power lanes from the storm....school was cancelled today. What a start to Kindergarten!
On a side note, I am thouroghly enjoying my "stay-at-home mom" days. This is what I have wanted for the past 4 years and my dream has finally come true. I love it!! I love waking up in the morning and deciding what I'm going to do for the day...with my kids!! Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we stay home and clean, etc., and sometimes we schedule play dates. It has been a wonderful summer and I look forward to the coming year. I am going to be as involved in Emily's school as I can. I have signed up to help in her classroom once a month and I am hoping to attend a few field trips as well. Emily will be taking gymnastics and tennis lessons(for daddy) beginning in September.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A Old Card With New Tricks
For whatever reason, the 2007 MLB baseball season has been fairly insignificant for me. This is the least interested I have been since the late nineties. I’m sure there are fairly obvious reasons for that. Moving from the St. Louis area and the busyness that has ensued since arriving in the Chicago-land area is probably one big reason for this. But to be honest, I was fairly disinterested in St. Louis’ season as early as April. Even when I was in the St. Louis area… I didn’t really watch many of the games. I really can’t put my finger on a specific reason… I just never felt a connection with this particular team.
The Cards have flirted with my emotions over the past couple of weeks. They win five games in a row… then they lose five in a row to last place teams. They score loads of runs one game… then get shut out the next two. They start to look like a decent ball club… then they lose a game on an error or mental mistake. I’ll begin to get interested, and I’ll sit down in front of my computer to watch a game… and the Cards will stink the place up and I’ll not want to watch a game again for awhile.
The last couple of weeks have changed a little bit for me. Honestly, I still don’t think this team is that good. Of course, I didn’t think last year’s team was that good either and look where they wound up. Things have changed for me because I have watched a player that I have rooted for since the 1999 season finally make his comeback. The player’s name: Rick Ankiel.
Ankiel was one of the sad stories of the sport of baseball. He was a left handed phenom who had a great 2000 season for the Cards… but for some reason, in the 2000 post season: His head and arm started to disconnect. He couldn’t throw straight. He couldn’t find the plate. Many wild pitches, news interviews and comebacks later… he finally announced that he would be giving up pitching. The catch: He would now be trying to make the big leagues as an outfielder. Most people laughed it off and suggested that he would now be a career minor leaguer.
A few years later and something strange has happened… he has continued to be promoted through the majors and this past season hit a whooping 30 homers for the Cards’ triple A team. He finally gets called up and has proceeded to hit four homers in about two weeks time. One of them against the Cubbies last Monday. I have seen him make some tremendous diving plays and I have seen him show off his cannon of an arm by making rare outfield assists.
His story fascinates me. His story reminds me of why I love this game. For every steroided indifferent superstar… there are about 10 guys that don’t have as much talent… don’t cheat… and have 100 times the heart. Rick Ankiel is one of those guys.
So I watch the Cards again… as much as I can, anyway. I root for the team, certainly. But I am REALLY rooting for this kid who has been through the fire in his professional career… and I am enjoying his success.
Here’s to the guys that play the game the right way…
The Cards have flirted with my emotions over the past couple of weeks. They win five games in a row… then they lose five in a row to last place teams. They score loads of runs one game… then get shut out the next two. They start to look like a decent ball club… then they lose a game on an error or mental mistake. I’ll begin to get interested, and I’ll sit down in front of my computer to watch a game… and the Cards will stink the place up and I’ll not want to watch a game again for awhile.
The last couple of weeks have changed a little bit for me. Honestly, I still don’t think this team is that good. Of course, I didn’t think last year’s team was that good either and look where they wound up. Things have changed for me because I have watched a player that I have rooted for since the 1999 season finally make his comeback. The player’s name: Rick Ankiel.
Ankiel was one of the sad stories of the sport of baseball. He was a left handed phenom who had a great 2000 season for the Cards… but for some reason, in the 2000 post season: His head and arm started to disconnect. He couldn’t throw straight. He couldn’t find the plate. Many wild pitches, news interviews and comebacks later… he finally announced that he would be giving up pitching. The catch: He would now be trying to make the big leagues as an outfielder. Most people laughed it off and suggested that he would now be a career minor leaguer.
A few years later and something strange has happened… he has continued to be promoted through the majors and this past season hit a whooping 30 homers for the Cards’ triple A team. He finally gets called up and has proceeded to hit four homers in about two weeks time. One of them against the Cubbies last Monday. I have seen him make some tremendous diving plays and I have seen him show off his cannon of an arm by making rare outfield assists.
His story fascinates me. His story reminds me of why I love this game. For every steroided indifferent superstar… there are about 10 guys that don’t have as much talent… don’t cheat… and have 100 times the heart. Rick Ankiel is one of those guys.
So I watch the Cards again… as much as I can, anyway. I root for the team, certainly. But I am REALLY rooting for this kid who has been through the fire in his professional career… and I am enjoying his success.
Here’s to the guys that play the game the right way…
Monday, August 20, 2007
Wheaton Update
I figure it’s time for another update… it’s been a long, long time since putting one up here. Things are fantastic here in Wheaton. This ministry position continues to be a good fit and a blessing for my family. I can only go on what I hear, but the church seems to be happy with me as well.
Since my last update, I have officiated my first funeral, made my first clergy jail visit, served my first Sunday morning communion, finished my first sermon series, started my second sermon series, taught my first membership class, hosted my first parsonage open house, and facilitated my first pre-marital counseling session.
In August, I started a seven part sermon series called: ‘The God Who…’ Titles include: The God who is always there; The God whose yoke is easy; The God who santifies; The God who forgives; The God who is Triune; The God who is Love; The God Who is Coming Back. I can’t begin to express how enjoyable it has been to think and pray on various topics. It has been so much fun for me to take creative license in a worship service.
The Lord is amazing as it comes to sermon prep. He works differently every week. Last week, writing the sermon came very hard and slow for me… yet it turned out to be, in my estimation one of my best that I’ve written since coming here. The fascinating thing is that He gives as I need. Some weeks are busier than others… but He always provides in due time.
Yesterday was a tremendous day. We received two brand new members… both of which started coming in late May, early June. I know numbers don’t matter a whole lot, but we probably had close to 120 in service yesterday… and we had several regular families not in church with us. Many people feel as though we could have upwards of 140 in services when things settle down after Labor day. We shall see. That would be exciting. All I know is that I saw about 8 new people with us yesterday and about 25 people who are ‘newer’.
I have a quick funny story. As many of you probably know: The Cubs have taken the first two games against the Cardinals and have finally gotten themselves into first place. My tech guy and I had a discussion yesterday about whether to keep the screen down during my sermon… or to raise it up… which can be distracting at times. So I told him to find a background graphic and insert my sermon title in the slide… just so he could leave the screen down. I thought that was the end of it.
I get up to preach and there is a rippling of laughter in the congregation. I haven’t said anything funny… so I’m starting to wonder what’s going on. Come to find out that the tech guy had superimposed my sermon title comfortably within the ‘C’ of the Cubs emblem. Booooo! But then again… touché.
Anyway… this opportunity continues to be a blessing. I love what I do… and I sometimes wonder what took me so long to figure out that I would actually really enjoy a lead pastor role. God has been very good to me and my family.
Since my last update, I have officiated my first funeral, made my first clergy jail visit, served my first Sunday morning communion, finished my first sermon series, started my second sermon series, taught my first membership class, hosted my first parsonage open house, and facilitated my first pre-marital counseling session.
In August, I started a seven part sermon series called: ‘The God Who…’ Titles include: The God who is always there; The God whose yoke is easy; The God who santifies; The God who forgives; The God who is Triune; The God who is Love; The God Who is Coming Back. I can’t begin to express how enjoyable it has been to think and pray on various topics. It has been so much fun for me to take creative license in a worship service.
The Lord is amazing as it comes to sermon prep. He works differently every week. Last week, writing the sermon came very hard and slow for me… yet it turned out to be, in my estimation one of my best that I’ve written since coming here. The fascinating thing is that He gives as I need. Some weeks are busier than others… but He always provides in due time.
Yesterday was a tremendous day. We received two brand new members… both of which started coming in late May, early June. I know numbers don’t matter a whole lot, but we probably had close to 120 in service yesterday… and we had several regular families not in church with us. Many people feel as though we could have upwards of 140 in services when things settle down after Labor day. We shall see. That would be exciting. All I know is that I saw about 8 new people with us yesterday and about 25 people who are ‘newer’.
I have a quick funny story. As many of you probably know: The Cubs have taken the first two games against the Cardinals and have finally gotten themselves into first place. My tech guy and I had a discussion yesterday about whether to keep the screen down during my sermon… or to raise it up… which can be distracting at times. So I told him to find a background graphic and insert my sermon title in the slide… just so he could leave the screen down. I thought that was the end of it.
I get up to preach and there is a rippling of laughter in the congregation. I haven’t said anything funny… so I’m starting to wonder what’s going on. Come to find out that the tech guy had superimposed my sermon title comfortably within the ‘C’ of the Cubs emblem. Booooo! But then again… touché.
Anyway… this opportunity continues to be a blessing. I love what I do… and I sometimes wonder what took me so long to figure out that I would actually really enjoy a lead pastor role. God has been very good to me and my family.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Our One Year Old...
Two months late... here are a few pictures from Aaron's first birthday.
Aaron loves his new car...
Aaron loves his new car...
Aaron and his birthday cake...
Emily and sherlock...
Emily's new cargo...
Aaron having fun at Chuck E Cheese's
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Plastic or Glass?
One of my friends from here at Wheaton Wesleyan made this commercial with a friend for the Heinz 30 second commercial contest. I thought it was worth sharing. Very funny stuff.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
If - 4
Continuing where I left off in May of 2006... this is just for times when I don't feel like writing anything else... but want to continue posting on this thing. Here are some 'if' questions. Feel free to leave your own answers to these questions in the comments section:
• If you could suddenly possess an extraordinary talent in one of the arts, what would you like it to be?
Easy… to be able to play an instrument. Preferably a guitar.
• If you could be instantly fluent in one other language that you currently do not read or speak, which would it be?
This is a toss up for me. Do I go for a language that will help me with study and scholarship… or do I go for a language that will help me on a relational level? I wish I could read ancient Greek… but I’m going to have to go with Spanish on this one. Again… there are other languages out there… but I come in contact with more Spanish speaking people than anyone else… and I would love to be able to talk to them. I could talk to Albert Pujols if I knew Spanish… so there.
• If you could have permanent possession of any single object in the world, what would you want it to be?
Wow. Permanent means I can’t sell it. So, it would have to be a sentimental item… rather than a collector’s item. I guess I would love to have one of the premier releases from U2 that came out in the late seventies: ‘U2:3.’ There were only a few printed and they were only available within the UK. That would be cool to have. Of course, I don’t have a record player… so it would be hard to listen to.
• If you could have had a starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick?
Another toss up… but both are Harrison Ford characters. I would choose either Han Solo or Indiana Jones. But I’m leaning towards Han Solo.
• If you had to identically repeat any single year of your life to date, without changing a thing, which year would you relive?
This would have to be a childhood year… probably September of 82 through August of 83. That way I catch the Cards winning the World Series and the opening of Return of the Jedi. My brother was born then too. Yeah… it would be that year.
• If you could return for one year to one age in your life, knowing what you know now, to relive that year as you wish, which year would you go back to?
Assuming that this question is designed to ask which year you would like to change the most… I would have several answers. I would love to change certain girl-friend choices I made during my Sophmore and Senior years of High School. I would also like to re-do certain aspects of my last year in St. Peters.
• If you could be sculpted by any artist in history, who would you choose?
I’m really not an artsy fartsy type of guy… so I really don’t care. I’ll throw out Michelangelo, just because he was also a cool Ninja Turtle… with numb chucks.
• If you could suddenly possess an extraordinary talent in one of the arts, what would you like it to be?
Easy… to be able to play an instrument. Preferably a guitar.
• If you could be instantly fluent in one other language that you currently do not read or speak, which would it be?
This is a toss up for me. Do I go for a language that will help me with study and scholarship… or do I go for a language that will help me on a relational level? I wish I could read ancient Greek… but I’m going to have to go with Spanish on this one. Again… there are other languages out there… but I come in contact with more Spanish speaking people than anyone else… and I would love to be able to talk to them. I could talk to Albert Pujols if I knew Spanish… so there.
• If you could have permanent possession of any single object in the world, what would you want it to be?
Wow. Permanent means I can’t sell it. So, it would have to be a sentimental item… rather than a collector’s item. I guess I would love to have one of the premier releases from U2 that came out in the late seventies: ‘U2:3.’ There were only a few printed and they were only available within the UK. That would be cool to have. Of course, I don’t have a record player… so it would be hard to listen to.
• If you could have had a starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick?
Another toss up… but both are Harrison Ford characters. I would choose either Han Solo or Indiana Jones. But I’m leaning towards Han Solo.
• If you had to identically repeat any single year of your life to date, without changing a thing, which year would you relive?
This would have to be a childhood year… probably September of 82 through August of 83. That way I catch the Cards winning the World Series and the opening of Return of the Jedi. My brother was born then too. Yeah… it would be that year.
• If you could return for one year to one age in your life, knowing what you know now, to relive that year as you wish, which year would you go back to?
Assuming that this question is designed to ask which year you would like to change the most… I would have several answers. I would love to change certain girl-friend choices I made during my Sophmore and Senior years of High School. I would also like to re-do certain aspects of my last year in St. Peters.
• If you could be sculpted by any artist in history, who would you choose?
I’m really not an artsy fartsy type of guy… so I really don’t care. I’ll throw out Michelangelo, just because he was also a cool Ninja Turtle… with numb chucks.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
#200
I am a milestone guy. I like to celebrate the little victories in life. This is the 200th blog post here on our humble little blog page. It seems like yesterday when I first posted about Disney and the Cardinals way back in October of 2004. Anyway... in celebration of #200, here is a little video from one of my favorite comedy duos: Flight of the Conchords.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Going Away...
In my quest to catch up with my pictures... allow me to share a few from my 'going away' party at St. Peters. It was Cardinal themed. Ballpark food. They even had some of the guys from the youth group going around the sanctuary like they were vendors of food and such. Pretty fun time.
Pic 1: The family with all our Cardinal garb on. I actually got to lead worship wearing this stuff on Sunday. Pretty cool.
Pic 2: Our friends, the Reeces... put this clever little poster together. It reminds me of an Office episode called 'Business School.' The Reeces are our dear friends, whom we miss very much.
Pic 3: Our church sign out front with a nice message from the SPWC family.
Pic 4: What our 'head table' looked like...
Pic 5: Everyone else was in their Cardinals garb too!
It was a bittersweet day. I miss the people at SPWC and I miss the St. Peters area. I am already trying to figure out when to go back down for a visit. I'm thinking around Opening Day next year... but we'll see.
While I miss so many of the people, God knew exactly what he was doing when he took me from St. Peters. God made it very clear over and over again throughout that last year. I always said that God would have to make it very clear over and over again at the point in which he would want me to become a Lead Pastor. He did that.
You know he made it clear if I decided to move from Cardinals country to Cubs country. Anyway... that's all I have for today... I'm going to try and post another general update tomorrow. We'll see.
Pic 1: The family with all our Cardinal garb on. I actually got to lead worship wearing this stuff on Sunday. Pretty cool.
Pic 2: Our friends, the Reeces... put this clever little poster together. It reminds me of an Office episode called 'Business School.' The Reeces are our dear friends, whom we miss very much.
Pic 3: Our church sign out front with a nice message from the SPWC family.
Pic 4: What our 'head table' looked like...
Pic 5: Everyone else was in their Cardinals garb too!
It was a bittersweet day. I miss the people at SPWC and I miss the St. Peters area. I am already trying to figure out when to go back down for a visit. I'm thinking around Opening Day next year... but we'll see.
While I miss so many of the people, God knew exactly what he was doing when he took me from St. Peters. God made it very clear over and over again throughout that last year. I always said that God would have to make it very clear over and over again at the point in which he would want me to become a Lead Pastor. He did that.
You know he made it clear if I decided to move from Cardinals country to Cubs country. Anyway... that's all I have for today... I'm going to try and post another general update tomorrow. We'll see.
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