Double Post

Really, what I want to blog is directed at one specific person, but I can't just do that and not throw something in for the rest of you. So the rest of this paragraph is for everyone, the next is just for that person (although, you may want to read paragraph two, just in case you are that person). Our son and I have this game, where I pretend to sleep, and he comes over and wakes me up, usually by smacking me in the chest or something along those lines. Last night, we were playing said game, when my son comes over, lotion tube in hand, and cracks me over the bridge of my nose. Of course seeing as how I was pretending to be asleep, my eyes were closed and I took the full brunt of the well-placed hit. He sure is strong. I haven't been in that much pain for a while, honestly. I now have a welt on my nose and one under my chin, roughly aligning with the circumference of the cap of the lotion tube. Note to self, time to think of a new game.

So, we've been living here for 3 years now. Down the street from our place is a mall. In this mall is a Safeway, library, and various other places we go to regularly. I normally think of myself as an observant person, so it escapes me how I could drive by the pet store and not notice that it's name... "For Pet's Sake"!

Growing up

The other day I asked our now 15 month old to go get a book and to bring it to me, and you know what happened? He did it. I was amazed. He understands things, not everything mind you, or at least he doesn't let on that he does. But more and more he knows what's going on and understands what we're saying. It's really quite fascinating.
I enjoy my family a lot. Sometimes more than others, of course, but it's really cool to grow and change as individuals within the larger context of a family unit. I too am growing up, learning new things all the time about myself and the world I live in. I may be farther along than our son, but there are still many things that he teaches me. One of them is how to think outside the box. The way he connects the dots in his mind is not always the way we would do so, but it is often more interesting and creative, even if he doesn't realize it. I guess it mainly comes because he doesn't realize it...

Flossing

For those who know me, the words disciplined, passionate or driven would probably not come to mind when thinking of me. I've dabbled in those things, but they just aren't me. My most recent attempts at discipline involved flossing and walking to work. I figured if I could floss regularly, then I could do anything regularly. I linked the two in my mind. I was pretty successful... for about a week. Maybe I'll try flossing again. And I definitely want to keep walking, it's just that an hour a day really wears me out, especially my "hey, you haven't walked this much in ten years" legs.
If I could describe how I see my life, it is floating on an air mattress on a warm sunny day. There is a direct link between this and being a Christian for me. Before I believed, I was really missing something, searching but not knowing what I was searching for (or even that I was searching). When I did believe, it kind of felt like in many ways , that I had arrived, so to speak. I do experience a different kind of searching now, as the sub-title of this blog will illustrate, but for the most part I feel more at rest than anything else. I feel guilty sometimes that I'm not more driven to things, like producing, creating, evangelism, etc. But is that more of a cultural guilt than anything else? I don't know. Am I lazy, or just largely satisfied with life God's given me? I do have my issues and problems, but overall I'm pretty happy with life.
I suppose this is mostly a mumbling, thinking out loud post. But at least you got something to read for your troubles...

Lamentaions 3:22-33

GOD's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with GOD (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from GOD. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way:

I read this in someone else's blog whom I know, and it really spoke to me. It's something I needed to be shown.

Blogging

I had a really great post yesterday, but then when I went to save it, it didn't work. That's happened to me all too often, and it takes the steam out of trying to blog regularly. Anyway, two things for you.
1) Last night we had a youth leaders' meeting, which was great. I'm looking forward to working with these folks this year. I think this year has the potential to be really great for the youth group. During the meeting I made a reference to Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy which was met with blank stares of "what's he talking about?". I quickly realized that these people were too young to remember anything about SNL in the mid-nineties. Too young. The temptation in those situations is to think of yourself as too old, but in reality, they are too young. Not that it's a strike against them, not anymore than it would be against me being too old. It's just that in our culture we value youth, and will use the perspective of "too old" rather than "too young". Just an interesting thought.
2) Two words for you... Cheese Grater. That's what they call it. That's because no one would buy it if they called it by it's real name... Knuckle Gouger. Who knew you could get so much blood from your fingers?

Life is like that...

...but why does it have to be? I have a friend who just applied recently to be a youth pastor at the church he's been attending for years with his family. He's been a volunteer for a long time and has a real passion for teens and seeing them grow in the Lord. The people he spoke with about the position told him he had a good shot, top 3 even. They asked him to run the youth group in the absense of a youth pastor until the new one is hired.
He didn't get the job. Turns out top 3 really meant number 3. And why would you get someone to volunteer for a position you knew you weren't going to hire them for? I know why, because in our churches we often overlook the fact that we are dealing with people. We throw around ideas like "ministry" and "the Lord's work" as though those things are the be all end all of church. But it is people that are most important. Loving one another as we love ourselves, that is real ministry, but who has time for that? It's such a burden.
In any event, my friend will be OK. God has a way of making unpleasant situations turn out good. Not less messy or unpleasant, just good.

Untimely ripped from my sleep

At precisely 5 am this morning there was a car accident in the intersection outside of our house. It woke me up. I couldn't see what happened from our window, because we're lower than the road. I wondered if I should call 911. As I wondered I thought, "well they probably have cell phomes, everyone does". I also heard the people upstairs stirring and thought, "maybe they'll call". I also could hear the tone of voice of the people outside. No one seemed really panicked, like someone was hurt, so I didn't think it was a bad accident. Around 5:05 a fire truck or something pulled up. Not bad. So, was I apathetic about the accident? I was concerned, but it didn't sound too bad. I could have checked, and maybe I should have, but I suppose things turned out OK.
The only trace at 7:30 this morning when I went out there was some broken tail light plastic in the middle of the road. I didn't sleep very well the rest of the morning. Too bad, I was sleeping so well before that...

Resolution

I found a resolution to my resolution problem. Internet Explorer always showed pictures big and fuzzy on my laptop, but I found a patch yesterday and it looks great. Not that I'll use IE, but when I do, it will be a little less annoying. I like my world to be ordered! The problem now is that my blog doesn't show up correctly in IE. The sidebar shows up at the bottom. For those of you who use IE, how come you didn't tell me sooner? Maybe it's time for a redesign anyway. Speaking of redesign, please visit the new youth page and tell me what you think.

In other news, I came up with two more songs I wanted for my free iTunes download, but neither is available. So 3 strikes and counting...

I've stripped and waxed the bathroom floor here at the church. I used to be a janitor, and I always enjoyed stripping and waxing. Those words always remind me of when I worked midnights at Wal-Mart. The Floor crew did different sections of the store each night, and they would warn the rest of us not to come to that certain section by saying over the intercom, "Don't come to Aisle such-and-such, we're stripping." Which would be accompanied by the necessary whistles and comments from the stockers. I found it interesting that in the summer I was there, it never got old for people to make those comments. It was funny for a while, but c'mon guys...

Choices, Choices...

I went to GAP and tried on a pair of jeans. I got a free download from iTunes. Actually I bought a pair of jeans. I wouldn't have thought that I was a Low-rise boot fit kinda guy, but they were the nicest. But now what do I download for my free song? I really wanted Falling at your Feet from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, but they didn't have that. Now what? Guess I'll just have to wait until something pops up. There is a pre-release Neil Young song I could get. I don't know. Too many choices.