Collide and Converge

Testing the limits of God's grace

2012-02-16T10:32:00.001-06:00

Carolyn and I are very resilient people. We can handle more than we ever thought we could. I'm a church planting pastor, and full-time seminary student. She is a doctorate student in pharmacy and works part-time. In addition we have two wonderful children and they each have activities they participate in. To say that we're busy would be more than a slight understatement.

In December, we (as a church) decided that we were going to move from meeting in the movie theater to a permanent space. However, it is a space that has required a great deal of "sweat equity" in order to make it a place our church could be comfortable. The past month has been an absolute blur.

To top it off, the Crust family is moving. Not far, just across town. However, moving every item you own is less than ideal. Especially when you're trying to get a church moved...and trying to get homework done...and trying to parent...and trying to sleep once in a while. I know that God has given the capacity to handle much, but today I feel like I'm testing the limits of his grace. Fortunately, I know there are no limits.

Wednesday mornings are the best

2012-02-15T06:13:00.000-06:00

For the past two years, I've met with the same group of guys at the same coffee shop at 530 once a week for a Bible study. It's awesome, so rewarding, and the highlight of my work week. Once in a while, stuff happens and I'm the only one here...like today. No complaints, since I still get great coffee and my Bible. Great way to start my day!

It was always you...

2012-02-14T21:19:00.001-06:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Redemption

2012-02-14T08:45:00.001-06:00

If you're reading this, there is a decent chance that you're aware that I'm the pastor of EpicLife Church. I've had the privilege of leading this church for the past few years. In January, we secured a new lease for a permanent building for our church. We're now meeting in an 80 year old building in downtown Anoka, and I couldn't be more excited.

In order to make this move, we've had to make a number of significant improvements to our space. The wall color was butter yellow, and the carpet was at least 30 years old. Additionally, the lighting needed updating, etc, etc, etc. There is much to be done. As I've been going through this process, I've been working looooong days, and have been feeling like I need to carry this thing entirely by myself, even though I know there are many wonderful people who are along for the ride with me. Why do I feel such a heavy responsibility to make sure that things are perfect? I mean, it's more than the fact that I'm the pastor...something bigger than that is going on.

As I started thinking about it, I realized that this is really my second go-around with a building project. Two and a half years ago, I was on staff at another church in our area. At the time, I was working two jobs and was carrying a significant financial burden for our family to provide. Unfortunately, I didn't manage that project very well. The church and the people I was serving with were (rightly) frustrated with my lack of leadership and commitment to the project. I wasn't doing a very good job of leading the church through the transition, and the leadership fell on the shoulders of others. I felt awful about the whole move, the transition, and how I was unable to give to the church what they truly needed. Ultimately, it submarined my leadership credibility there, and it was difficult for me to handle. I felt like a complete failure.

Since our building project commenced, I've thrown everything in the middle and have given every waking moment to make things happen. It was never a conscious choice to try and redeem myself from my past failures, but I also couldn't put my finger on why I was taking this so seriously. Upon a moment of self-reflection (prayer), I asked God why this was such a big deal. I began to understand that I had a chance to prove myself again as worthy of my calling as pastor and leader. This is an opportunity to be restored and to forgive myself for failing.

Thank you God for redemption. I won't squander this opportunity.

Now...off to work!

Blogging regularly again...hopefully.

2012-02-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

So, it's been quite a while since my last blog post. 794 days to be precise. That's two years, two months and two days. 222...I think it's the perfect time to start blogging again since 2 is the perfect number. For those of you that know me, you'll understand my strange obsession with the number 2.

Since I become so active on facebook, I stopped blogging regularly. Facebook has become my space where I vent, but I think there is value in this. Particularly because I see that this blog is still regularly visited, and I still get lots of hits (wow...really?). So, here it is. I'm blogging about my life and experiences again. What am I thinking about God, and how do I think about my life? What is my parenting life like? My kids are a stitch, and you'll get a hoot out of them.

So...here's to blogging again!

2009-12-10T07:30:00.001-06:00

Another Christmas Extravangan Za from maybe the funniest man on earth...Dave Barnes.

Happy New Jears!

Seminary Scholarship

2009-12-07T10:08:00.001-06:00

Going to seminary is expensive, really expensive. That was my biggest hangup when thinking about starting sem. I've already got more than a few student loans, and the thought of racking up additional debt for any reason doesn't excite me. In order for me to plant a church, the parenting churches required additional education via. Without saying it, they said "get the education or you can't plant a church". Of course they were kind...but I knew that one of the conditions of partnering with the network was get a master's degree. So far (this is only my first term), sem has been great. The amount of information I'm gaining has been tremendous. I don't regret my decision to go to Bethel, even for a minute. But that hasn't changed my financial hang-ups.

I got an email today from Bethel regarding a seminary scholarship. You can check out the link HERE if you're interested. They ask you to watch a short video about logos bible software, and then apply for the scholarship. They're offering $1,000. I know it won't pay for my entire education, but it sure will help. After watching the video, I just might buy the logos software too. It looks awesome! Go check it out!

The Sword

2009-11-16T16:22:00.000-06:00

I was again faced with my own shortcomings again today...

Tuesday is garbage day. We have a garbage can in our garage that rarely gets emptied out, mostly because it's rarely full. As I was emptying it out today, I saw something I'd thrown away about a month ago. It was a toy sword that belonged to Simon. In two pieces, it lay there staring back at me...a reminder of my impatience and quick temper with my son.

The kids came with me for the evening, Carolyn must have had to work. They were well-behaved for several hours, but things started to unravel with the kids and it was about time to head home. They were getting really tired. Simon brought along his favorite plastic sword, bent halfway from so many hours of pretending. All through the evening, he'd been poking and whacking Ella with it. He was merciless, she must have asked him 2 dozen times to quit hitting her with it. It's not a rare occurrence. We were on the way home, an hour after bedtime, and Simon poked Ella in the eye. Again...on purpose...hard. I'd had it with the torture. We were at a stop light, and after I'd mad sure that Ella wasn't permanently injured I asked Simon for the sword. I took each half of the sword and ripped it apart. I scolded him and told him that it wouldn't have happened if he'd kept his hands to himself. In reality, it shouldn't have happened at all. A simple reprimand would have been sufficient, and I was too harsh. Not one of my prouder moments...

Last weekend, Carolyn and I were out shopping and I found a cheap sword for Simon. I bought it for him out of the blue, and he was very happy to have a new one. He didn't seem to show any ill effects from the night the sword was destroyed...and I was thankful. I made a pact with myself that night, that I would interact with Simon differently. I need to be intentional with in my relationship with him. It doesn't always come easy, and he frustrates me quickly. I decided that I needed to look past the frustration and find ways to express my love to him. Since then, we've instituted "dude's night". Every other Wednesday, when Ella and Carolyn are gone at Girl Scouts, Simon and I do something that only boys do. It's been wonderful. I enjoy my time with him, and God's opened my eyes to just how wonderful a boy he is.

I'm grateful that God uses things like broken toy swords to remind us that we are often difficult to love, and yet he looks past that to pursue a relationship with us. It's a blessing...and amazing blessing.

2009-11-13T14:50:00.000-06:00

This blog is for Nate...

"Two posts in a month do not a blog make"

Make it 3.

Thanks Nate!

A really bad memory

2009-10-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I remember this, but I do. In fact, I was thinking today about the things in my past (childhood) that were so hurtful to me. One of them sticks out like a thorn in my brain...and I have to share it.

When I was a freshman in High School, my best friend Trevor and I made the varsity baseball team. Now before you start thinking that I was some kind of child baseball prodigy, we lived in a very small town and the whole high school had 350 kids in it. Not a lot of choices for the sports teams. Nonetheless, I tried out for the team and I made it. I also played on the J.V team, but I really felt cool playing Varsity. We had a fine season, no records broken or amazing wins, but we did just fine.

After all was said and done, we had a baseball banquet. The team all showed up along with our parents and coaches. It was quite a to-do. During that banquet, coach gave awards to each of the students and any letters for the letter jackets. I remember wanting a letter jacket so bad...I wanted to be cool like every other kid. I had endured an entire season of being poked and teased, bullied and bruised for that letter. I couldn't wait until it was my turn. When it came my turn, coach said some really nice things about me and told everyone that he didn't think I had what it took to make the team. He was really glad that I had been on the team, and he congratulated me for my stick-to-it-iveness. He asked me to come forward, gave me a sheet of paper with my stats on it, and shook my hand. That's it. I didn't get the letter. I stood there in shock, with a lump in my throat the size of a baseball. Eventually, I made it back to my seat and did my best to hold back the wave of tears I knew was coming.

I felt like such a baby. I got to the car with my parents, and started crying. I told them that I thought I should have gotten a letter, and I didn't understand why I didn't. All the other guys got one...every one...but me. They clearly were sympathetic, and encouraged me to go talk to coach. So I got out of the car and made my way back into the school where the banquet was. In my red-eyed, tear streamed way I asked coach why I hadn't gotten a letter. He told me that even thought I had made the team, I didn't have enough innings to earn the letter. I was 2 short. That's right...2 innings short of getting a letter in baseball as a freshman. He told me to try again next year and walked away.

I was crushed. I didn't fit in, and I didn't get what I thought I'd deserved. It was incredibly hurtful, and it sticks with me today.

Still today, there are times when I feel like I don't fit in. Like I don't have a place, or that I'm not accepted. I was never the most popular kid in school, and I didn't have the most friends. I wasn't the best looking, or most athletic. All those things went to other kids. I felt....average. It's something I've felt for most of my life. Average. I think God wants to redeem this and change me. Maybe that's why (in part) I got into ministry. I want to change the world and make a difference. I don't want to be average, or so-so. I want to be a world changer.

Happy Birthday Carolyn!

2009-10-19T10:02:00.000-05:00

My beautiful wife's birthday is today. I'm so glad I married her. She's the apple of my eye, the greatest blessing I've ever known. I have no idea how I ended up with her, but I did. Actually, I do know. God gives undeserved blessings, and I'm clearly the recipient.

Looking forward to spending many more birthdays with you...I love you more than you ever know!

Have you ever been a part of a new thing?

2009-10-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

Well, have you? I don't mean starting school or a new job. I don't mean moving into a new neighborhood or getting a new car. I'm talking about something so new and different that you'll probably never do anything like it again. Like climbing Mt. Everest or running a marathon.

I've got a couple friends that just recently finished running the Twin Cities Marathon. These two guys have never run a marathon before, and wouldn't consider themselves "runners" or "athletes". But they dedicated themselves to doing something they've never done before, and accomplished something they'll always remember.

Being a part of a new church is kinda like that. It's something you'll experience once, and probably never again. It's exhilirating, exciting, keep you awake at night thrilling, and something you'll probably do once because it takes so much out of you. That's right, I actually said that starting a new church is exciting. Most people's idea of church is anything but exciting. Quite to the contrary. There is nothing more thrilling than to see lives changed...at ground level.

I'm looking forward to the next phase of life. It's probably going to be the hardest and most difficult thing I'll ever do. I'm praying that it will also be the most satisfying. If you're in the area, come check us out. Maybe God will change your life like he's changing mine.

I'm back!

2009-10-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

After almost a year's hiatus, I'm back in the blogging world. If there are any of you left that still have your RSS feeds pointing here, I'm shocked. Thank you nonetheless. If you're wondering, I'm actually going to be trying to host 2 blogs. The first is for our new church...EpicLife Church. You can click on the link here to find the church blog, written by...yours truly. This however will remain my personal blog. I'll continue to post my person thoughts and ramblings, far less edited than the church blog version. We'll see though, I'm a pastor now remember?

We'll I've got more to say, but I'll add it in the next post.

peace

Tooth Fairy Note

2008-11-24T22:51:00.000-06:00

Ella lost her 2nd tooth tonight. I got home from a meeting and she was still awake. Carolyn allowed her to stay up until Dad got home so that I could pull the tooth out. That's right, it's my job, and I love it. To make a long story short, I got the tooth out without too much fussing. No door slamming and string, just good ol' yanking. Here's her gap tooth smile tonight.

She was so excited, she almost couldn't get to sleep. When she finally did, I took the liberty of writing her a note from the Tooth Fairy.

Some may say that I'm the meanest dad ever, but you laughed...so don't judge me.

And my tank is full!

2008-11-08T11:01:00.000-06:00

Simple Pleasures

2008-11-07T21:08:00.000-06:00

Since getting a 2nd job in Sept, I've had to rethink when I meet with people. I can't easily meet in the afternoon, the kids are the priority. So here I sit at Caribou at 6am, waiting for my good friend BJ. I love being out this early, even when it's dark. A hot cup of coffee and conversation is something to savor, and I did on Thursday morning.

Great to talk with you BJ.

More kid humor

2008-11-07T18:27:00.000-06:00

I'm in church on Sunday. Carolyn isn't in the main worship service, she's in another room. It's just the kids and I. Both of the kids don't just want want to be near me, but on me. I had to sit down to accommodate their requests. So I've got Simon leaning on me, hanging on my arm. Ella is sitting on my lap. Now that I've set up the story...

Ella backs away from me, steps forward for a few seconds, then steps back toward me and pulls my arms around her neck. A few seconds later, just between two of the songs, Simon speaks up:

"Dad, what stinks? It smells like fart."

I realize that he's right. It stinks. Ella gets a little red in the cheeks, turns toward me and says:

"It was me Dad, I farted because my tummy hurt real bad. I didn't want to fart on your lap so I got up."

NICE

Table of Awesoments

2008-11-07T18:18:00.000-06:00

A cool little resource in case you're wondering what guys think is cool...

Never thought I'd see this again

2008-11-04T07:15:00.001-06:00

Dad's "Cool Truck"

2008-10-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

We're currently in the process of moving our church office. Tonight, in fact. As a result, I rented a U-Haul today, and needed to pick up the kids today at school so that I had it ready for tonight. Simon thought I'd traded my Tahoe for this thing. The best part was pulling into the Elementary School parking lot to pick up Ella. Oh the looks from the other parents!

They thought I was a pretty cool dad, and I certainly wasn't going to discourage them from thinking it!

No excuses...

2008-10-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok...I'm back. I hope. I have no excuses to offer, only hope that I will post again. This past week, I had 6 people ask me when I was going to blog again. (Thank you Lisa, Sue, Sarah, Tony, Mike and Jeremy) It's nice to know that I'm missed. THEN I got this email:

Re: Congratulations Best Dad Blog

Dear Skip,

We love your stuff!

I wanted to tell you that someone submitted you to us! We have reviewed your website with a few of my teen interns and we decided to choose your website to include in our 50 Best Dad Blog Post for OnTeensToday.com.

We are so happy to include you because we think you are putting out great stuff. I, along with the four other teens all have had up and down relationships with our dads--and came through, so what you do means a lot to us. The post will go up in the next two weeks and we hope it will bring you a lot of traffic. Our review posts like the 50 Best Mom Blogs got over 800,00 views!

So, to whoever aubmitted my blog to this site. Thank you. It was just the thing I needed to get me to blog again.

So here's what I've been up to, and what I've been thinking about.

We recently visited Ft. Wayne, IN. and my in-laws. It was fun, but now I know why I don't live there. As long as family is there, I'll gladly visit. But that's about it.
While there, I saw how my in-laws are living life and what they're up to. They're making a real difference in their community, and only touching the tip of the iceberg. I'm drawn to their way of life (NOT the location though), and am trying to figure out how it looks in Andover, MN.
We're considering a change in personal philosophy in our home with our kids. Our church Kids Klub is a great program, giving my kids a foundational understanding of spiritual things. Because I believe that it is (primiarily) the parent's responsibility to teach their children spiritual things (as opposed to the church), and aren't afraid to do something else, we are wondering what to do about Kids Klub. We're thinking that we might encourage Ella and Simon to be a part of things like Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts instead of Kids Klub. We want them to have a good understanding of what it means to be a part of a community, and give something back. This isn't one of those "we don't want anyone else teaching our kids" things. It's a "we want to choose the best program for my kids" thing. I'm torn, because I feel like I should support our church's ministry. But I have to do what I think is right for my kids. It's a topic of conversation, and I think it's deserving of it's own blog. Stay tuned.
We are under way with the church construction project. We are hoping that we will be in by December 1st. I say that this is pretty much impossible. Likely, mid-December.
I love my 7:30-2:00 job. It's working out well, and I don't hold my breath anymore every time a bill arrives in my mailbox.
Simon loves his school. He likes his downstairs class (regular preschool) more than his upstairs class (books class, 1x a week).
Ella is learning so so so much. I'm looking forward to helping out in her preschool class on Friday for Halloween.
I went with Carolyn to a Pharmacy School preview at the U of M about a month ago. She's so excited to start her grad program, and I'm thrilled for her. I know it's a long time off before she starts, but I really can't wait. It'll be so good for her.
I gave myself a concussion on Sunday. That's right. Again, you'll have to wait for another blog to hear the story.

It's good to be back...

Beyond what I am able?

2008-10-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

I've been experiencing something new. I have more on my plate than any other time in my life. I was telling Carolyn the other night that I feel like I'm drowning. I have so many balls to juggle that I just feel like crawling in a hole and running away. I'm overwhelmed with responsibility, and lack of time. Normally, when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I take some time away to catch my breath and jump back in. It allows me to gain my bearings again so that I can move forward.

This isn't like that.

Although I'm overwhelmed and over committed, I feel God's presence in this. I feel like I'm just where I'm supposed to be, doing just what I'm supposed to do. I need to make some adjustments to my schedule and commitments (creating margin), but I know that God is with me. I feel him every day when I'm at work. I feel him every afternoon when I'm working (or blogging) at church. I see him working when I'm helping out with the PTO at Ella's school. I know he's there.

What I don't know is if I can endure this. Is my life like this forever now? Can I continue to function this way? What effect will this have on my family? My marriage?

Questions I'm asking....

Time to head back to the grind, Simon is waiting for me to pick him up at school.

Play-in game

2008-09-30T18:01:00.000-05:00

In about 30 minutes, my Twins will play against the Oakland Raiders of MLB, the Chicago White Sox. In this town, there is no team more hated. Today or any other day.

We're gonna win TWINS!

I'm not watching though, I preach on Sunday. I have priorities you know. I'll be checking the score regularly though...

My respect for him went down just a eency weency bit

2008-09-28T12:46:00.000-05:00

My childhood hero, John Elway, has done the unforgivable.

Click HERE.

Next thing you'll know, Brett Favre will be playing for the Vikings, and Ozzie Guillen will be managing the Twins.

I don't know her, she's probably a very nice woman. I'm sure John thinks she's got a "great personality", but seriously?

The beautiful birthday

2008-09-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

After 30, your birthdays don't mean as much. There isn't quite as much pomp and circumstance, promotion of said day, or excitement. That's not to say that it isn't important to your family. What I've come to understand about my birthday, is that it's not as much a day for me, as for my family to tell me how they feel about me. In my mind, that's actually better than what my birthdays have been.

On Monday, I turned 32. Carolyn asked me what I wanted for my bday dinner, so I had the privilege of consuming a very manly dinner, STEAK. Grilled to perfection, I might add. I'll share two quick moments that made my birthday very memorable.

I showed up at Ella's school to pick her up. I had Simon with me, and we were patiently waiting at the parent pick-up door when she saw my face, ran to me, hugged my legs as hard as she could and starting singing "Happy Birthday" to me as loud as she could. Most of the parents nearby heard her singing, and joined in for the end of the song. Ella was more embarrassed than me, but it was a cool moment. She was proud that I was having a birthday, and happy for me. Pretty dang cool.
I'm not much of a card guy. I like cards, but I'd rather have someone call me on my birthday. Cards are cool from uncles, neighbors, etc, but not really from those closest to me. This birthday was the exception however. Carolyn gave me the most awesome card for my special day. I won't tell you what it said (don't be nosy), but the jist of it was that she was proud of me, and was thankful for the man that I've become. I'll take that kind of card any day. Again, pretty dang cool.

You know whose bday is next???? Ahem...Oct 19th!

The past month...

2008-09-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've taken enough abuse from my few blog followers about my online absence. I'm still alive, I promise. In fact, I'm more alive now than I have been for some time. This blog will serve to catch you up on what's been happening, and then I promise to return to my pithy, reflective self within the next blog or two. Blogging is a good habit I don't intend on breaking.

Over the past few weeks, life has dramatically changed. I've gone from being a part-time pastor/full-time stay-at-home dad to working 2 jobs AND being dad. Knowing that with the start of school coming, I would have more time during the day, I decided that I needed to pursue a part-time job. Now, I won't go into all the complications associated with WHY I needed a job, and how specific I needed to be. Let me just say that I couldn't just take any old job. It had to work with my family and schedule, allow me to maintain my ministry responsibilities, and be financially beneficial.

God provided the perfect job. And I mean the PERFECT job. I'm working at Irondale High School in Mounds View as a Paraprofessional in the Special Ed department. Basically, I'm helping tutor kids with learning and developmental disabilities. It's AWESOME. I get to work early (not an issue for morning people like me), and I get off at 2:00pm. It's just enough time to get off and pick up Simon from school at 2:45, and Ella at 4:00. Like I said, God knew what he was doing.

School started. Ella is now in 1st grade, and Simon is in preschool 3 days a week. We are now full engaged in school with both kids. It's weird actually. Just a few months ago, it would have been hard for me to imagine my kids in school. Now, it's a reality. They love it. Ella has got the best 1st grade teacher in the state (it's not much of an exaggeration), and Simon's school is by far the best preschool I know. I'm helping Ella with homework now. That's right the dreaded "H" word.

Ministry is going well too. Our church voted on September 7th to move into a new facility. So, my plate is very full with preparations to move. We have a TON of work to do, and I don't feel like I have enough hours to do it in. If you pray for me (and I hope you do), please pray that God would allow me to handle the immense amount of work with grace. I don't think I've ever been more overcommitted in my life. EVER.

I'd say that's "all", but that's a lot. I'll be back soon!

Had lunch with Ella and her class today.

2008-09-05T16:32:00.000-05:00

First grade, HOLY CRAP!

Such a lazy blogger

2008-09-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok. I'm still in the belly of the beast. In other words, no time to blog. Sooooo......

I'm just going to link to Carolyn's blog HERE, she's talking about the start of school. Click for some great pictures of my kids.

Absent Blogger

2008-09-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've been more than busy...no time to blog.

Life is crazy with relatives in town, the fair, the start of school, etc. Much to say, no time to say it. I've even gotten a few emails from some of you, requesting blogs on different things. Sorry about my absence. Stay tuned, I'll be back soon.blogg

Stay At Home Dad Anthem

2008-08-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is my anthem...

HT to Tapir's Poop for the link

The GREAT Minnesota Get Together

2008-08-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota State Fair is like nothing in the world. I've been to my share of county fairs, city celebrations, and even some other state fairs. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on these things by any means, but the Minnesota State Fair is in a league of it's own. "The Fair" as it is known at in these parts is a must see if you come during the summer. I can't quite describe the experience, but you have to do it.

It's 12 days of seeing what Minnesotan life is all about. There is food, shows, food, booths, food, free stuff, food, animals to see, food, and food. In fact, the primary reason we go to the fair this year is for the food. It's a spectacle, a third of the people in the entire state go to the fair each year. That's not an exaggeration, it's true. Last year, 1,681,178 people went. Considering that the population of MN is almost 5 million, it's not bad. We went yesterday (along with 171,000 of our closest friends) and filled our faces with food. Here's the short list of things we ate:

Cream Puffs
Mini Donuts
Scones
Big Fat Bacon aka Bacon on a Stick
Lingonberry Ice Cream
Cheese Curds
Biggest Pickle You've Ever Seen In Your Life On a Stick
Cheese Curds (My personal favorite)
Beer
Lemonade
Pork Chop on a Stick
Deep Fried Twinkie
Wild Rice Corn Dogs
Nitro Ice Cream
Sweet Martha's Cookies
Deep Fried Vegetables

I'm sure I'm missing something else, it's hard to remember what else. Basically, we could have made ourselves sick, but we managed to make it through the day. This isn't some lame fair (like the State Fair in Pueblo, CO), this is the best place to experience Minnesota. I love it. It's got stuff that you'll never see in any other part of the country, and every Minnesotan loves the fair.

This is an experience that we'll continue to share with our kids until we are able to share it with our grandkids. To get an idea just how huge the fair is, here is a picture looking down one of the main streets.

Here's my only complaint about the fair. I managed to not bump into anyone yesterday for the first 3 hours we were there. You've got your standard "excuse me" everywhere you go, but nobody bowled me over. Until I got my beer, that is. I hadn't had my $6 beer for five minutes before three boneheads ran into me. Before I knew it, I only had half of it left and what was remaining was all fizzed out from getting jacked in the chest 3 times. Ticked me off.

Other than that, it was an AWESOME day. So great in fact, we're taking the kids again next weekend when my parents are in town.

To amend the last post...

2008-08-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

I have friends that read this blog that are Padres fans, Rockies fans, and Oakland A's fans (ok, there's only one of those, but you count Jason!). I thought I'd post the chance of playoff success for you guys too.

Padres: .1% chance of making the playoffs (Oh...)
Rockies: 1.6% chance of making the playoffs (Oops)
A's: .1% chance of making the playoffs (We kinda expected this one)

It's good to be a Twins fan.

Playoffs? Don't talk about Playoffs...

2008-08-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm a numbers geek at heart. I LOVE probability, chance of success, and applying logic to reality and see how close they come. Some might call it a character flaw, but I love to think about numbers and economics.

I'm also a sports fan. That makes me a numbers guy that likes sports. What is the perfect fit for that combo? Baseball. OBP, RBI, ERA, W/L, VORP, BB, WHIP, and countless others are a part of my sports lingo. I love it. Recently, ESPN.com partnered with a company called "Coolstandings" to figure out what chance each team has of making the playoffs this season. They use this rediculous formula to figure it out (I would love to see it), and daily update the percentage and post it online.

I eat this stuff up.

If you care, even remotely how and why they do it, you can read the article HERE.

As of today, my beloved Twins have a 39.4% chance of winning the division, and a 14.7% chance of winning the wildcard. They add those percentages together to come up with a 54.1% chance of making the playoffs. Not bad, for a team that was picked to finish 3rd in the division and lost their team MVP (Torii Hunter) and a Cy Young winner (Johan Santana) over the last year. If you told me in April that the Twins had a 50/50 shot at making the playoffs, I'd have called you crazy.

Sesame Street Live

2008-08-16T10:18:00.001-05:00

Last week, a friend of ours told us about an opportunity we couldn't pass up. Sesame Street Live was going to hold a "secret" dress rehearsal at an ice arena near our home. Best of all, it was free!

So, we woke up the kids early this morning and braved the crowds and made it. We got to see the same show for free that other parents will plunk down $200 a night to see.

I did find it interesting that 90% of the parents in the room sang along to the intro song (Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away!), me included. Sesame Street has been around for a long time!

It wasn't the most thrilling show I've ever seen, but it wasn't for me either. I just like stuff for free, and my kids had a blast.

Praying for rain? Seriously?

2008-08-14T10:25:00.001-05:00

My good friend Vince posted this video on his blog...

Now, political views aside. Even how I feel about Focus on the Family, I'm willing to put that aside too. This video TOTALLY misses the mark. In fact, it makes no sense and even angers me a little. Do they really think that rain will change the political landscape in our country. I get the idea that we should care about the unborn, and I even get that we should care about legally defining marriage. But seriously? Do you think that rain is going to change their political view? Even if it does rain, do you think that preventing a political candidate from giving their speech on that night will change the minds of millions of voters to vote for a Republican Candidate?

If you feel that strongly, why not pray that God will change the hearts of millions of voters? THAT would be something worth praying for. But praying for rain? It does nothing for me, and I'm going to guess I'm not the only one.

It's just further evidence that FOTF is irrelevant, doesn't speak for me as a Christian, and isn't funny. Did I mention that I once used to work for them when I lived in Colorado Springs? Ugh.

The discipline of a Christian

2008-08-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've become a big fan of Mark Driscoll. He's a guy that has fully engaged in the postmodern discussion without going theologically overboard like some have. He's the pastor of Mars Hill church in Seattle, and an author of one of my new favorite new books entitled Radical Reformission. I subscribe to his blog, and he's always got something interesting to say. Here's a quote from his most recent post. I found the introduction very stimulating.
To become skilled at something requires discipline. What good musicians, athletes, and Christians share in common is discipline, which, interestingly enough, shares the same root word as disciple. Therefore, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be a person who lives a disciplined lifestyle patterned after the example of Jesus by the enabling of the same Holy Spirit that empowered Him.
With the olympics going on right now, there is a lot of talk about the discipline it takes to be an athelete at the highest level. At this moment, Michael Phelps has 5 gold medals this olympic season. His career total stands at 11. All I hear when I listen to the coverage is how amazing it is that he has ADHD and is able to discipline himself to be the best there ever was at swimming. I don't know the condition of Phelps' heart, but what if he applied the same discipline to his spiritual life as he did his swim training. What if we applied the same discipline to our spiritual life?

I know in my own life, I go through seasons where I'm disciplined in certain areas (devotions, prayer, blogging, reading, etc) but the others suffer. I will readily admit that I don't dedicate myself to spiritual disciplines like Phelps dedicates himself to athletic ones. What would happen to my world if I did? If I could succeed spiritually just a fraction of what Phelps does althletically, I could change my world.

I need to think about this some more...

I know it's juvenile...but I can't help it

2008-08-13T22:29:00.001-05:00

I got bats in my belfrey

2008-08-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

On Sunday night, we came home and I was putting the kids to bed when I heard the most blood-curdling scream I've ever heard coming from the mouth of my wife.

"Ohmygoshthere'sabatinthehouse!!!!!"

That's actually a little inside joke in our family (thanks to a bat experience during my summer in Ottumwa, IA), and I thought Carolyn was kidding. When the second scream rattled my brain, I knew that it wasn't a joke. I heard Vinnie (our new dog) running circles around our living room, and to confirm my suspicions, Carolyn bowled me over on her way down the stairs.

Upon my arrival to the party, the winged mouse dodged my head and continued it's circular path of death in our living room. I grabbed Simon's fat plastic whiffle ball bat and made like Gary Sheffield in front of my couch. For those of you who don't know who Gary Sheffield is, he's a prolific home run hitter and stands at the plate at waving his baseball bat back and forth over his shoulder like a hyperactive pendulum waiting for the pitch.

Skip = Sheffield, Bat = Nasty Knuckeball

My first swing was a half-hearted one, because I realized mid-swing that if I connected Vinnie would play the part of the mobster and finish off my hairy little knuckeball. The last thing I wanted was bat guts on my floor. I quickly ushered Vinnie downstairs with Carolyn and proceeded to complete my duty as a husband.

As I turned around to face my foe, but I couldn't locate him. The bat simply disappeared. Now I'm faced with the proposition of looking for a hidden bat somewhere in the upstairs of my home. My worst fear is that he found his hiding place in my tiny little walk-in closet, hanging for his life on one of my rarely used dress shirts. I don't want to have any part of being in close quarters with these vile things.

As I begin smacking every curtain rod and dark spot in the house, Carolyn is downstairs calling a friend who proceeds to describe an experience a friend of hers had with a rabid bat. Some guy somewhere was bitten by a bat and ended up dying from rabies. Carolyn is now convinced that I'm going to meet my demise at the hand of an animal whose primary goal is to attach it's foamy face to my freshly shaved neck. The nicks from my most dull Bic razor are apparently putting the bat in a blood thirsty frenzy and I'm looking a lot like a walking popsicle. (Ok, maybe Carolyn wasn't convinced I was going to die, it's good theatre)

After about an hour of searching, I'm downstairs in the bathroom and Carolyn spots it hanging from the curtain rod next to our dining room table and screams again. It appears to be sleeping, otherwise unbothered by the supersonic screams Carolyn now seems to be able to project. Now, I'm not a fan of these nasty little things. I can handle snakes, spiders, water fowl and just about any other kind of cornered animal. Bats, I don't do. They freak the crap out of me, and I don't want to have ANYTHING to do with them. I proceed to take the same t-ball bat and walk over to the curtain.

BANG

The bat falls to the ground and I cover it with an empty ice cream bucket. At this time, I call a 24/7 animal removal company and they tell me that there isn't anything to worry about regarding rabies. This doesn't comfort me much, I still have to find a way to "exterminate" the animal. He tells me that if this is a momma bat, the babies will come in the home looking for her. And if it's a baby, the momma is on her way in looking for the baby. Apparently, bats can squeeze into a hole as small as 1/2 inch. Do I want to have someone come over tonight for only $285? Even in my altered state I can smell a pile of BS and I mentally talk myself off the ledge.

To make a long story longer, I take the offending animal in the back yard and use a landscaping rock to complete my deed. I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say that according to my research, Mr. Bat can definitely get a little flatter than 1/2 inch.

I did a little research and found a guy I will call "The Batman" that will be able to remove the estimated 50 bats in my belfry for a cool $800 and guarantee they won't come back.

No price is too small, but I'm feeling a little lighter in the wallet these days.

To camp or not to camp? That is the question

2008-08-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

I love camping. I mean, I really love camping. The smell of the trees, the wet dew on the ground in the morning, the peacefulness of being out. I am totally in my element. This is why last week at Trout Lake Camp was one of the most peaceful I've experienced recently.

This summer, we've also been talking about going on a short camping trip with our small group. With summertime quickly approaching it's end (I can smell the grease from the State Fair now), we had to pick a weekend quickly. We chose this coming Friday night. Well, one of the families in our group went off and had a baby. One of the guys in our group is heading off to Colorado and is leaving his pregnant wife at home. Another couple doesn't have any camping gear yet. That leaves us, and our dear friends Jeremy and Karen. I looked at the website today and all the campsites at our preferred campsite were full. The only campsites that had availability nearby were either the local nudist campground (it's safe to click this link, and yes it's a real nudist campground within 20 minutes of our home) or Ham Lake Campground.

Since I can't possibly imagine a single scenario that public nudity would be acceptible, our only option is on a lake whose name makes me crave dijon mustard and mashed potatoes. When I called the campground today, they told me that they were visited by the department of health yesterday, and the lake has E. coli. Sounds to me like someone served the ham in the lake undercooked. If we go, we can't swim or fish. That's not cool when you have kids. To top it off, the weather on Friday/Saturday is still a littly iffy. It probably won't rain. If it does, we'll be packing up the kids at 2am and driving home, I can guarantee.

So I'm left with a conundrum. Do we go camping just because we (ok...I) love camping? We just got back from a week at camp, do we really need to get away again? I don't want to dissapoint my friends, but I don't know how things are going to work out. Is the reward worth the risk?

If you were me, what would you do?

The quote I wish was mine, but it's not

2008-08-11T07:11:00.001-05:00

“Christian music always seemed like the Special Olympics of music.”

HT: Boar's Head Tavern

I suppose that's why I can't bring myself to listen to KTIS in my car.

THAT didn't take long!

2008-08-10T16:11:00.000-05:00

Ella lost her first tooth!

Carolyn was helping her get ready for church this morning, and just got done brushing her teeth. She wiped the towel across Ella's mouth, and felt that little tooth rip right out! She was so excited that she put the tooth in a baggie and brought it to church with her to show me (I have to be there pretty early).

Here's the evidence...

Yay Ella! What a milestone. You're getting to be such a big girl.

Summer Vacation

2008-08-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

I was going to post this really long, great blog about our week. Instead, I'm just going to link to Carolyn's blog. She did a great job of posting some pictures, giving you an idea how awesome this trip was. Enjoy!

Ella's Loose Tooth

2008-08-09T10:46:00.001-05:00

I've been calling Ella "Shark Girl" now, for the last few months. She's begun the process of her adult teeth coming in, and her baby teeth falling out. Here's the kicker...her adult tooth on the bottom is almost the whole way in and the baby tooth hasn't hardly moved. Here's what I mean:

That's right...she's got 2 rows of teeth. That's why I've been calling her "Shark Girl". Sharks have rows of teeth that come in and knock out the front ones. The tooth immediately in front of the adult one is VERY VERY loose. Any day now it's coming out.

John McCain - I think I could like him

2008-08-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're home this morning from vacation. We decided to head back last night after chapel, and rolled in about 1:30 or so. I'll post on that later, but here is a video on John McCain. Here's what I like about it. He rarely blows his own horn about his accomplishments (as far as political candidates are concerned), and this is the first time I've been able to see not only what he has done for this country, but see how that applies to what he CAN do. Also, it's good to finally see some personality and character! He isn't without his faults I'm sure, but I like what I see. If you have 10 minutes, watch the video.

Having dinner on vacation

2008-08-07T18:26:00.000-05:00

Last night I shot a elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know.

-Carolyn "Groucho Marx" Crust

Forgot I can remote blog

2008-08-03T22:32:00.001-05:00

I can blog from my phone, I forgot. I'll try and give short little stories throughout the week.

Tonight, Carolyn played the best practical joke on me...ever. I brought the family up front at the beginning of the night to introduce them, and Carolyn grabbs the mic and says:

"You guys are in luck. Skip can do the best hippo impersonation in the world."

Here's the problem, there is no hippo impersonation. Never was, never will be. I don't do one, I don't know anyone who does one, and I wouldn't even know to begin making a hippo sound. Suddenly, every person in the room starts chanting "HIPPO! HIPPO! HIPPO!"

I didn't know what to say, other than publicly congratulating Carolyn for setting me up. I apologized to them for my lack of hipponess and then proceeded to put them to sleep with my talk.

On that note, please keep me in your prayers this week. I think I'll be changing up a few things in my messages.

VA-CAY-SHUN

2008-08-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow morning, Carolyn, the kids and I are heading up north to Trout Lake Camps for a week of R&R. I'll be the camp pastor for the week up there, and will only have to speak @ night. It'll be a wonderful time for us to hang out as a family, relax, dig into a few books, and enjoy being out.

There won't be internet up there, so the blog world will be silent. I promise to take pics and post them here when we get back...

Peace

Did you know this?

2008-07-31T12:41:00.000-05:00

I just learned that NEWS stands for North, East, West, South.

I guess you learn something new every day.

Did you know this?

One more thing to add to the last post...

2008-07-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

Read the previous post before you read this one, if you haven't already...

On the way home, Carolyn and I had one of those rare "teachable moments" with our kids, and I wasn't going to let it pass us by.

Ella kept asking "Daddy, why did that man do that? I don't understand why he would take our stuff. What's going on? Why didn't he give it back?"

God stepped into my head and tapped me on the shoulder. I said something like this:

"Ella, do you know what God wants us to do when someone hurts us, or our feelings? Do you know what the Bible tells us to do? God wants us to love our enemies."

Simon interjects "Yea! Like on Veggietales. Love your enemies!!!" (Thank you Veggietales!)

"Yup, like Veggietales. We should pray for that man." I said.

So we did. It was a cool moment, driving home after our car had been broken into, praying for the guy that did it. I hope the kids got it. I suspect they did. I think God knew that it was the perfect opportunity to show the kids how we should treat people who don't treat us well.

I wonder if the cops were cuffing him just as we prayed. Hmmmm....

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Watcha Gonna Do?

2008-07-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to blog on this...

Last Sunday afternoon, we went grocery shopping as a family at a nearby store. When I came out of the store, wife and 2 kids in tow, an elderly man quickly approached me and told me that someone was rummaging through our truck when we were in the store. I thought I'd locked the doors, but I guess I forgot. The old guy quickly surmised that this guy didn't belong with the truck and asked him what he was doing. The guy stated that he was getting something out of his truck. The old guy obviously didn't believe him. The guy took some stuff and proceeded to go into the grocery store to buy groceries.

I looked through the truck, and despite the fact that my nice Oakley sunglasses were in plain sight, and we had bags of groceries from our previous shopping stop, the only thing he took were some papers and a little tool kit. You know, the kind that costs $5 and has a little screwdriver, pliers. My best guess is that when the old man asked him what he was doing, he understood that he was caught and pretended that what he was doing was legit. He took what was in front of him and pretended to be a real grocery shopper.

Unfortunately for him, the old guy hung around until we left the store to tell me what happened. More unfortunately, this genius criminal exited the store just after I'd figured out what happened and the old man pointed him out to me.

I approached him and asked him what he was doing in my truck. He told me that he had no idea what the f*** I was talking about. I proceeded to bombard him with questions, and walked with him toward his car. He persisted that he didn't know what I was talking about, he didn't have time for this s***, and told me to leave him the f*** alone. (I added the language here not only for effect, but also to add to the story how thrilled I was that he was talking to me like this in front of my kids.)

When we got to "his" car, I noticed that it was PACKED with stuff. A guitar, still in the box from the store, women's shoes, a toolbox, Disney Princess toys. You know, all stuff that a 35ish year old, scruffy faced, pierced, foul-mouthed guy would normally carry around in the back of his car, right? I'm sure that he was taking that Disney Princess tea set to the nearest party. I asked him "So, if I look in your car, I'm not going to find any of my stuff, huh?" His response? He took an aggressive step toward me, like if I said one other thing, he'd throw.

"Get the f*** out of my face, I don't have time for this s***."

I knew that I was taking a risk even approaching this guy at all in the parking lot, and since I like my nose right where it is I decided to call off the dogs. I turned around and walked back to the car. He got in his car and peeled off as fast as he could.

Since the old man had written down his plate number, and I'd gotten a clear description of his car and had a conversation with the guy, I called the cops when we got home.

Well, yesterday I got a call from the Anoka County Prosecutor's office. They caught the guy. Not only did he get charged with tampering with a motor vehicle (mine), but after he left the parking lot he proceeded to break into two other garages to steal more stuff. Apparently, he was on a little crime spree. Einstein couldn't find a house that was unoccupied, and the homeowner caught him in the act. He called the cops when he fled on foot. Presumably, the cops ran him down, cuffed him, and put him under hot-white lights without any food or water for hours and hours until he confessed. (Ok, not really sure about this part. Too many CSI episodes I guess.)

Apparently, he had stolen the vehicle from the nearby parking lot (it belonged to an employee) before driving it next door to rummage through my vehicle (Count 1, Motor Vehicle Theft). When he broke into my car, even though he didn't take anything of value, he got in deeper trouble (Count 2, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle). He broke into the first garage when the homeowner wasn't there (Count 3, Breaking and Entering) and stole a few items (Count 4 - Theft). It wasn't until he got to the 2nd home and broke in (Count 5, Breaking and Entering x2) that he was caught red-handed. When the cops arrived, he ran through the neighborhoods trying to get away but couldn't (Count 6, Evading a Police Officer).

According to the Prosecutor's Office, he's facing up to 20 years for this stuff. Depending on how he decides to plea and his prior record (He has one, but they couldn't tell me for what. She alluded to the fact that it's pretty extensive.), he might be able to get it down to 3-7 years. The bottom line is, this guy is in big trouble.

We're all fine, and I still can't find anything else that was taken. I just thought that the story was worth telling...

Cut the jibber-jabber!

2008-07-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

My father-in-law shared this with me. Since he and I are both preachers, it's applicable advice.

I pity the fool who has to listen to long sermons.

Life will go on...

2008-07-30T10:03:00.001-05:00

Last night was the last night of softball. At least for another 38 weeks anyway. It's a bittersweet goodbye, if that's even possible when you talk about ending a sport. I'm sad that I won't be able to play on Tuesday nights, and blog about it on Wednesday. I'm sad that I won't be able to give crap to our shortstop (Josh) all night long, and have a blast pretending I'm still 21 and athletic. But I'm glad that it's over too. Now Tuesday nights can be a family night again. Actually, It'll be nice to have another night available for the fall. It's gonna be busy. It feels like we're gearing up for school to start, and it's not even August yet. Ugh.

Back to softball...

We finished 3rd in our division, and made the playoffs. 6 total teams made the playoffs. The 1st and 2nd place teams had a bye the first game. If you think about the NFL playoff system, that's basically how it works. We played our first game at 6:15 (Wild Card game) against a lesser opponent. We played well, and managed to win by 7 or so runs. Waiting in the wings was the 1st place team we'd lost to twice already this season, Spectators Sports Bar. We got blown out both times. Seeing them wait, warm up, and prepare to play us we totally intimidating. In fact, when we won I got a pit in my stomach knowing that we'd have to play them again.

Well, we returned to familiar territory when we played them. We had a bad 2nd inning and gave up something like 9 runs. We'd scored a few the first inning, so we were down by 7 going into the 3rd inning. Something happened in that 3rd inning. They made a few errors, and we managed to capitalize on them. We scored 4 and then 3 more, and then 2 more. Pretty soon, we were up by 2 runs and for the rest of the night our defense just SHUT THEM DOWN. It was unbelievable. We got inspired, and couldn't lose. Our winning was contagious, and we kept rolling. At the end of the game, we were the victors by 2 runs. Goliath was dead, and we were on to the championship game!

We played Coon Rapids EV Free Church, who was VERY good. We were pretty pumped up from our previous victory, and were bound for an emotional letdown. On top of that, it was our 3rd game in 90 degree heat and 90% humidity, and most of the guys hadn't eaten before the game. It was BUH-RU-TUHL. Long story longer, we lost. We just didn't have enough gas to finish off the last team. We came in 2nd overall, and lost in the championship game.

I'm looking forward to next summer. I've never had so much fun playing a game. Because I'm so competitive, I have a tough time staying loose. When I'm not hitting well, I don't field well, I press too hard, and am a total disaster. I get down on myself, and would just rather leave than be there when I melt down on the field. I recognize that it's a problem for me, but I'm helpless to stop it. For whatever reason, the guys picked me up this year. I had fun, and when I made a mistake I was able to shake it off. I felt like they needed me. They looked to me to get the key hit, or make a good play to get a rally going. I thrived under the pressure. Weird.

That's probably why I had fun this year.

Thanks for the memories softball, thanks for the memories.

Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy - Brian McLaren

2008-07-30T07:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a book that has been sitting on my shelf since last October or so, waiting to get read. Once I started it about 6 weeks ago, I couldn't get more than a page or two through it before I had to set it down again and let it simmer. I read like that, little snippets at a time. I think about it, digest it, and then continue. It's not "light reading" by any means, but the book definately has a flow to it that would allow you to sit down for an hour and not feel like you're drinking from a fire hydrant.

McLaren has come under a lot of fire in the last few years for a number of reasons, not the least of which is this book. I would link to more articles criticizing him, but all you have to do is simply Google "Brian McLaren Criticism" and you'll get your fill.

I've often considered myself a "McLaren guy", mostly because I like the way that he thinks (outside the box), I like his writing style is, and it's no secret that I've enjoyed many topics discussed by the emergent church. McLaren is on the board of directors for emergent, so he's at the forefront of the discussion. As a result of this, he has been the focus of many venomous attacks (fairly or unfairly).

All that said, I enjoyed the book. I didn't agree with everything in the book (I rarely do), but there were several things that are worth sharing and thinking about.

In the following excerpt, McLaren is talking about the church and it's use of scripture when he says this on page:

"It's no surprise then that biblical Christians have thrived when we've used the Bible with the goal of becoming good people people who, because we follow Jesus, do good works in God's good world. And we have languished and wandered when we have used the Bible as a weapon to threaten others, as a tool to intimidate others and prove them wrong, as a shortcut to being know-it-alls who believe the Bible gives us all the answers, as a defense of the status quo - none of these being the use Paul the apostle wanted Timothy, his protoge, to make of the Scriptures. Sadly, sometimes the very people who most love the Bible have been those who have used it for these other purposes, sometimes to the neglect of its essential purpose (Deut 29:29)."

I think he's right. The Bible has often been misued as a tool to beat people into spiritual submission, instead of a tool to teach and admonish ourselves, and share the Good News of Christ's love.

For the sake of brevity, I'll just comment on another chapter that was particularly insightful instead of quoting here. Chapter 17, entitled "Why I Am Incarnational" reflects on the idea that every Christ follower, regardless of their social or cultural context should take the "love your neighbor" passage seriously by adopting a lifestyle that loves people of every culture, in every way possible. That means that Muslims, Buddists, Christians, Jews and the like are all neighbors that we should pursue relationship with for the purpose of the Gospel. He suggests that, to the extent that we are able, we should adopt as many cultural practices (not spiritual, but cultural mind you) as possible to show love to these people. Sometimes, that means participating in practices that would be uncomfortable or downright scary in most situations. But for the sake of the Gospel, it's worth it.

My comments don't do justice to the chapter, and if you don't read any other part of the book, please pick up Chapter 17. I promise, it will challenge you. It did me, and I consider myself someone who is doing my best to try and understand what it really means to be incarnational.

I'm uncomfortable with some of McLaren's tone through the book. His greatest critics accuse him of promoting a "spiritual relativism". I can see why they would suggest this. Almost the entire book is dedicated to discussing different veins of thought and finding nuggets truth in each one, and adopting them into a more "Generous Orthodoxy". It SOUNDS like relativism. For this reason, McLaren goes to great lenghs to state that it's NOT relativism, but trying to see the best in each vein of thought to continually become something greater than what we were previously. I hear his heart, and see that he's not trying to promote relativism. I just struggle with reconciling it in my mind. Can you really be both Charasmatic/Contemplative, Liberal/Conservative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, and (Ana)baptist/Anglican? Most of these views are so diametrically opposed, that I find it difficult to be both/and without being everything, which is relativism at it's core. I'm still trying to get my mind around this one, and I'm not sure that I will.

Overall, I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in the emergent discussion. Even if you're not, the book will widen your scope of thought. That's always a good thing, even if you don't totally agree with what the author might be saying.

2008-07-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

If you're a superhero fan (like I am), and a fan of Nickleback (yup, me again), I highly suggest you watch this little gem.

I Heart DQ

2008-07-28T20:17:00.001-05:00

Wyatt...you're an oak

2008-07-28T07:17:00.001-05:00

It's one of my favorite lines, from one of my top 5 favorite movies, Tombstone. Today however, it's a reminder of my life.

I haven't thought of my life in terms of a tree before. There are several times in scripture that Jesus uses trees to illustrate a point, like here, here and here. We are even referred to as "oaks of righteousness" here in Isaiah. It's hard for me to relate to a tree, but as I've thought more about it I think I'm starting to get it. Especially as it relates to the story of my life and how I grow.

In 5th grade science class, I learned all about how trees grow. As each year passes, the tree's trunk develops another ring around it's base, which tells the story of the tree's life. If we were to cut down a large tree and count the rings, you'd be able to see how many years the tree has been living. Some rings are fat, designating a good year with lots of food and sunshine. The tree grew a lot during this year. Some rings are thin, showing a year with a little growth. If a fire burned the forest, or the tree was struck by lightning, the rings will tell the story. Each ring is concentric, building upon the last. The earlier rings are necessary to develop the later ones. Without them, the tree doesn't tell the full story. So it is with my life.

I've bought the lie that the mistakes I've made in life, in my journey are simply that. Mistakes. They're blemishes on my life, and I cringe when I have to talk about them. Last Friday night at small group, Carolyn and I shared a little of our journey. We had several false starts with different ministries over the past 5 years or so, and I'm sometimes embarrassed when I talk about it. Overseas with OC? Not anytime soon. On staff with Life Church? Not a good fit, it took me only months to figure out that one. Church planting in MN? Not God's plan right now.

All of this happened within just a few years. Did I hear God wrong? Did I miss God's turn signal? What was I thinking??? If I'm in ministry, I feel like I should hear God better than most people. The truth is, I'm just as delinquent as anyone else. I can be a big dufus when it comes to hearing God. However, I've come to believe that it doesn't mean that we missed something God said. I think God was just giving us rings.

You see, each of those experiences was another ring to our life's "tree". It's a part of our story, and tells something about us. Without each of those experiences, I wouldn't be me. Without each of those experiences, one "ring" couldn't build upon the previous one. Each "lightning strike", each "drought" in my life tells a story. It tells my story. The longer I'm around, the deeper and more rich my life is. It's not something to shy away from or regret. The story is mine, and mine to share.

I'm going to embrace my rings, the story of my life. Every experience and journey has value, because it's necessary for the future.

Carolyn

2008-07-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple weeks, I've posted blogs on each of my kids. It was the natural time, especially because of their birthdays. Now, it's time to post something on the most important person in my life. My wife. I was going to save posting for August 8th, which is our 10th anniversary. However, we'll be out of town (no internet...aaaahhhhh!) and I just don't think you should withhold kind words about someone because the "timing wasn't right".

That's right, August 8th will be our 10 year wedding anniversary. It's given me cause to think (often and deeply) about what I love in my wife. She's an amazing woman, and words just don't do justice...but I'll be damned if I won't try.

Carolyn is the single most giving person I know. She holds NOTHING tightly in her life, and would give away anything if she knew that someone else needed it. Every Christmas, she helps the kids go through all their toys, cleans them up, and finds a family that doesn't have gifts for their kids, and gives the toys away. She came up with that idea all by herself, I just share the credit with her every year. She's so giving, she doesn't mind that I steal the credit!

She's got a killer sense of humor. I'm not saying that just because she finds me funny (most of the time), but even people NOT married to her find her funny. If you need evidence, you gotta to read this post. She makes me laugh more than anyone else ever has. Not Chris Farley, Will Ferrell, not even Napoleon Dynamite. Nope. Carolyn wins it, hands down.

A mom above all others. Nobody could have chosen a better mother for our kids. God knew EXACTLY what our kids needed when he picked Carolyn as their mom. He knew that Ella needed someone that would understand her (they're very much alike), and Simon needed a mom that would hold him as the apple of her eye and nurture a boy that has so much potential. Only Carolyn could be that person, and she is. Every day.

She's gorgeous. I don't mean that she's pretty or cute. I mean that if there were 100,000,000,000 (that's a hundred billion for all you numerically challenged people) women all lined up and I could pick the hottest one, I'd pick her. She doesn't think so (does any woman REALLY think they are?), and she'll probably be embarrased when she reads this, but so what? It's true, and she's just going to have to deal with the fact that her husband thinks she's more beautiful than the day 10 years ago that I walked down the isle with her. When it comes to beauty...she's more than anything I could have ever wanted. And I thank God she's mine.

Her character is greater than anyone I've met. Carolyn doesn't just want to do the right thing. She does the right thing. Nobody does the right thing all the time, but she's driven by doing what's right, not what's easy. Every time. It makes her a woman of integrity. A rare, rare commodity.

She knows me, and loves me anyway. She knows what I like, and doesn't like. She knows my weaknesses, and is strong in those areas. For example...she's compassionate (and I have trouble giving a crap), she's fiscally conservative (I wanted to go out to dinner tonight, and she said no), she's a great listener (and I talk too much), and she puts others first (Um, yea. No comment necessary).

Here's the bottom line. Her friends think she's the best thing in the world. A while back, some people sent her one-word or a short phrase to describe her. Most people would get things like "artistic" or "a good cook". Not my wife. Here is just a sampling of some of the words that were sent to her.

Godly

Giving

Encouraging

Authentic

Prescious

Genuine

Cheerful

Inspiring

Intense

Passionate

If this is what people think of her, I suppose I'm the luckiest guy alive. I think I'll add my own word to that list. Blessing.

I love you, Carolyn. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Every day of the last 13 years we've known each other have been better than the last. I'm looking forward to the next 10, 20, 50 years of life with you. If I had known back in 1995 how I'd feel about you today, my heart would have burst. And mine is.

I'm yours...

For those of you who haven't clicked away yet...I'm unapologetic about how I feel or what I've said (even if I'm accused of being sappy) in public space. I'm only sorry if you don't know Carolyn the way I do.

Here are a few pictures of the object of my affection.

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world!

2008-07-16T03:31:00.001-05:00

I'm reminded how much God loves every person in the world, and how small I am. It's a beautiful reminder that his love extends to every corner of the world, to every person and place.

Sweet

I love/hate VBS

2008-07-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

VBS (Vacation Bible School) is one of those things that just about every American Christian child has been exposed to. Basically, the local church puts on a summer program designed for kids. It's normally a pretty cool time. Our kids are getting to the age when they're really starting to get into it, and they look forward to going. There are some really good VBS programs out there, I would highly reccomend Group Publishing's stuff for VBS. I always cringe whenever I see "home grown" VBS done though. It's never as good as the "canned" stuff that you can buy. I don't know why people feel compelled to do cheezy things at VBS. I suppose it's all for the kids though...

So as not to embarrass anyone, I'll omit the name of the church to protect the guilty.

The church that the kids are going to VBS at is having a farm theme for the week. Cool so far. They had real sheep for the kids to pet. Still cool. They sing classic VBS songs (give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray...HALLELUJAH!). We're still doing alright. Here's where they went wrong. They asked some poor High School girl to be the mascot for the week. Her name?

Lamba Montana

I just about puked on my shoes. Are you serious? LAMBA MONTANA? It's bad enough that at Wal-Mart my daughter sees a Hannah Montana poster/lunchbox/keychain/pillow/slipper/movie/DVD/toothbrush/doll and wants one of everything. Did you really have to name your character for VBS after her too?

What's worse? She mispelled her name. That's right. On her name tag today, it was spelled like this:

Llama Montana

It's a good thing we live in the land of Scandinavians, and not Hispanics. If even one Hispanic lived here they'd be confused at first, and then horrified by the poor spelling skills of these people. For those that are phonetically challenged, the above word is properly prounounced "Yahmah" Montana. Even if you don't use the spanish accent, you get by with "Lahma" Montana, but not anywhere close to the "Lamba Montana" they were going for.

Then I thought that it was a mistake. Maybe she really was a llama, and not a lamb. Nope. The fluffy white fleece, black paws, and bell around her neck gave her away. She was definately a "llam", whatever that is.

Fortunately, the kids won't ever know and it's really not that important in the grand sceme of sharing Christ's love with kids. It did make me laugh though.

Here's a picture of Simon with one of his friends from church, Kylie. They're riding on one of the toy llams (hehe) in the lobby.

Just Do It?

2008-07-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

Last night, Carolyn and I were watching the nightly news and came upon this story. To sum it up, this married couple committed to have sex every night for 101 nights. Before this, they described themselves as a generally happy but harried couple, looking to rekindle their marriage and turn the focus of their marriage back to each other. They recently wrote a book on their experience, hoping that they can share what they learned with other couples. You can find it HERE if you dare.

It's an interesting idea, but not one for the faint of heart. It sounds great, but WOW! I'm sure it's possible, but is it REASONABLE? What would happen to your marriage if you undertook such an endeavor? What about even 30 days? Do you think that sex would "wear out it's welcome" so to speak, or do you think that you'd experience a renewal in your marriage? I'm interested to hear what you think, if you dare to comment.

For those of you who are not (yet) married, here is a little insight for you. Despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, sex doesn't happen all the time. Not even in healthy, loving marriages. Now that I've written these words, I realize that I'm probably not breaking new ground here. I only point it out to ask the question...what do you think about this (you unmarried folk)? Do you think that the idea of having sex for 101 days is ludicrous, or do you expect (realistically or not) that it should happen in marriage anyway?

Let me just add one thing that adds a little color to the news story. The guy that reported on this is named Frank Vascellaro, and he's the news anchor on WCCO TV here in Minneapolis. What makes this story really fun is that his wife, Amelia Santaniello is the co-anchor for the same newscast. It was really fun to watch their interaction. He talked about what a great idea this was, and asked his co-anchor what she thought of the story. Watching her squirm, laugh, and then offer that she'd make him breakfast for 101 days was the best part of the story.

I'm guessing that this is the general response of most the couples who saw the story. The guys think it's a great idea, and want to start tonight. The gals are a little more reluctant, because intimiacy for them doesn't always mean sex. Good stuff.

I'd better get some comments on this post...

Proverb of the Day

2008-07-15T07:16:00.000-05:00

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

-Proverbs 15:9

Just a reminder today (not just for you, but for me) that God is more concerned in a relationship with me than he is what I can give to him. To me, it seems a greater gift to sacrifice something to him than to pray. I feel like I'm giving more when I offer a physical gift, specifically a financial gift. Although God does want me to hold those things loosely, it's my time with him that he's first concerned about.

The focus of this proverb isn't talking about the wicked or the upright. It's about what pleases God. It's about prayer, which represents relationship with him. Even the wicked can offer sacrifices, but that doesn't please God because there isn't a relationship there. It's the prayers that come from us that develop our relationship with him.

Lord...be pleased in me today.

Ebbing and Flowing

2008-07-14T16:36:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday night, our new small group met for the first time. It was really great. I am so looking forward to getting to know these people in a deep way. Starting a small group is always a difficult proposition. It takes time to develop relationships that will last, but I'm telling you, this has got some real potential.

One of the things we talked about is how our spiritual lives seem to ebb and flow. What I mean is that sometimes, things are really rocking and you feel like God is speaking all the time. You can see him in every book, movie, and tree. There are other times when you feel like God is nowhere. You read your bible and nothing inspires you, the prayers seem unanswered, and try as you may, God seems silent.

When that happens to me (like now), my first reaction is to get down on myself. I mean, it's got to be my fault, right? Some unconfessed sin, something distracting me, or (insert anything you can possibly think of). I'm not sure who said it on Saturday, but somebody suggested that God created us with natural cycles. Sometimes we need to sleep, sometimes we need to work, eat, be quiet, celebrate and even be alone. We can't do it all, we're not made to! It's ok to not feel like you're on top of your "spiritual game" all the time. It's actually natural!

We need to learn to relate to God in different ways. God often does some of his most important work in my life when I don't feel like he's near. Just like I sleep in my natural life, my spiritual life needs rest too. If I'm rested, i can better sustain the difficult times when they come. Rest is important, and now is a time for me to rest in God.

This realization gives me freedom, knowing that just because I don't always feel like things are clicking doesn't mean that I've done something wrong. Well, most of the time I HAVE done something wrong, but that's another thought for another blog...

Ella - My Birthday Princess

2008-07-11T15:11:00.000-05:00

Today is Ella's 6th birthday. It didn't sneak up on me, as she has asked me daily for the last 365 days "Daddy, how many days until my birthday?" She is, without a doubt, my little princess. Like most girls her age, she relishes the opportunity to dress up. I mean more than that though. She's got her daddy's heart all tied up in knots, and I love being with her. She can bring a smile to my face at a moment's notice.

We were supposed to go camping last night with a friend of mine and his two kids. It would have been a blast to have my kids and his two in a tent for a night. It wasn't meant to be. We've had severe t-storms off and on for the last two days and we didn't want to be subjected to a potential downpour at 2:00 and have to throw the kids in the car and drive home. Instead, we went over to their house and had a sleepover. It was still fun, but it wasn't the same as camping.

Even though today is technically Ella's birthday, we're really celebrating tomorrow. She's going to have her party, and will be able to choose whatever meals she wants all day tomorrow.

Here are the reasons why she is so special.

She reminds me of her mom. It's easy for me to love Ella so deeply, as I love someone so much like her.

She's extremely generous. Whenever she receives something cool, she always asks for an extra one for her brother (if it's possible). If it's a gift specifically for her, she's sure to let us know that she will share with Simon.

She loves everyone. Last Sunday in church, they were playing duck-duck-grey duck (a Minnesotan version of duck-duck-goose). One of the boys in her class started to cry because nobody was picking him. Her teacher told me that she said "Trey, don't cry. Next time somebody picks me, I'll pick you!" Ella doesn't want anyone to feel left out.

She's got mad creative skills. She loves to draw, paint, cut, paste, and create. I'm dying to see how her love to be creative grows as she grows.

Her love for God is pure. When Jesus said that we needed to have faith like children, he must have been talking about Ella. I'm blown away by her simple understanding of spiritual things.

Here are a few pictures of Ella's life-journey so far....

She was a little thing, born premature.

I love her smile

White blonde hair, what a cutie!

My VERY FAVORITE picture of Ella. This will probably be how I will forever remember her as a kid.

She's making mom something yummy to eat with her kitchen

Being creative

Classic Ella look

Daddy's little girl...my heart is melting

This was this afternoon. She came upstairs and said that she wanted to snuggle with me for a while and read books for her quiet time. How could I say no? We crawled up on our bed and read for a while until we both fell asleep. I snuck out of bed and snapped this picture.

Happy Birthday Peanut!

The Invisible Man - a repost

2008-07-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

I've been reading THIS BLOG, as he's also a stay-at-home dad here in the Twin Cities. He posted this on his blog today, and it was too good to not repost. I'll admit, nothing as stupid as this has ever happened to me. In fact, most of the time I get one of those patronizing "ohhh cute, a stay at home dad!" looks. When people hear that I'm at home with the kids, they (women mostly) look at me like I'm some kind of rare animal that is only spotted in the wild. I'm still afraid someone is going to ask for my picture just so they can show their friends that they acually met one of "those guys".

In fairness, I should warn you about the language on his blog. There, 'nuff said.

Crazy Old Lady At The Grocery Store: "I'm concerned about this baby being left unattended."

DK: "I think me standing right here next to him disqualifies him from being unattended."

COLATGS: "No. Where is his mother?"

Kids, there are times in life when lying is not only forgivable but necessary. Sometimes it's to save the feelings of those you love, an attempt to keep you out of a Turkish Prison, or in this case an attempt to make some old lady feel bad for saying something really ******* stupid and offensive.

DK: "She died about a month ago... But thanks for your concern."

Deaf Humor

2008-07-10T13:18:00.001-05:00

For those of you who know my sister Sarah, she's deaf. My parents and siblings all learned sign language when we were young so that we could communicate with Sarah. She just started a blog...

http://hearingisoverrated.blogspot.com/

I like the name, mostly because she asked for my input and I gave this as the suggestion. :)

One of the fun and interesting things about the deaf community is that their humor is very different that the rest of the world. The things that you and I find funny are more difficult to explain to a deaf person. Imagine trying to explain Will Ferrell's impression of Alex Trebek on SNL to a person that hasn't ever heard Trebek's voice. Or Darrell Hammond's Sean Connery's accent in the same that same Celebrity Jeopardy skit. It doesn't translate to a deaf person as you can imagine. They don't get it.

Conversely, deaf people find things about the hearing community hilarious, but we don't understand. One example is rap music. Rap is all rhythm, syncopation, alliteration, and beat. To a deaf person, rap must seem like an endless run of words without much of a point. There is so much innuendo and double entendre within rap that it quickly seems ridiculous to a deaf person. Here's a great example. If you can wait until 1:20, this comedian interprets Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back". It split my sides, and I think it's a great example of deaf humor.

If you're having trouble viewing the video, you can watch it directly from YouTube HERE.

Enjoy...

I promise, I don't take steroids

2008-07-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, I blogged about why my baseball career didn't take off. And prior to that, I talked about how I'd never hit a home run, but I came close. Sorry if all this softball talk bores you. If it does, you have my permission to stop reading. I won't be offended. But I do have an update, and I promise it's worth your read.

Never in my whole life have I ever hit a home run. I've been playing some form of baseball since I was in 1st grade. That's 25+ years of t-ball, pee-wee, little league, JV, high school varsity, and even college baseball. When it comes to hitting, I'm a wimp. I've come to realize that I'm a line drive/on base percentage guy. Nothing more, nothing less. I've embraced my role, and even tried to hone my skills at hitting singles and the occasional double. I've got no aspirations of driving the ball over the fence. It's not my game.

Last night, we were CRUSHING the other team in softball by more than 20 runs. It's not a tribute to our ability, but their general lack of the same. They were so horrible, that we stopped trying after the 1st inning.

It was my 3rd time up, and I was feeling really good. I'd made a couple sweet plays at 2nd that night, and I was feeling confident. The breeze was just slightly blowing out to left, and the humidity was down (humidity deadens the ball and makes it hard to drive it). I grabbed my favorite bat, and took a couple good cuts. I was in the zone, I could just feel it. Knowing that if I screwed something up badly, or hit a fly ball to the outfield (remember, I have warning track power), it wouldn't hurt our team. Because even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, I decided I was going to try and hit the ball as far as I could.

I crushed it. I mean I got every part of that ball, and I couldn't have hit it more perfectly. The ball smacked off the fat part of the bat, and I ran down the baseline. I made the turn from 1st to 2nd, and our 1st base coach was holding his hands up for me to stop running. I figured that meant that the center fielder caught my ball. NOPE. I looked out to left-center to see my ball sailing over the fence. Not just a little, but way over the fence.

I was in shock, disbelief, and was generally flabbergasted. There is absolutly no explination for what happened. It was a freak accident, and I was caught in the beautiful bermuda triangle of perfect conditions, perfect swings, and the perfect game situation that produced this anomoly.

I jumped into the arms of our 1st base coach and screamed... "That was my first home run EVER!" He wasn't expecting it, so as I threw my weight onto his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his, we crumpled to the dirt next to first base. He looked at me like my eggs were scrambled, and could just barely get "nice hit" out of his mouth without laughing in my face.

When I got back to the dugout, the guys handed me the bat and said "you BROKE it!" Sure enough, after my hit the bat cracked and split. Here's the evidence...

Between the broken bat, the fact that I hit the ball further than almost anyone on our team this season, and the fact that I'm not generally known for hitting home runs, I was promply asked by my teammates for a urine sample so they could test for steroids.

It doesn't get as good as this. I think I need to go John Elway on the bit and just retire at the top of my game.

Pointy Toe Syndrome (PTS)

2008-07-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

My wife has cute feet. Most feet gross me out, but Carolyn really does have nice ones. One of the interesting things about her feet is that her big toe is constantly pointing up when at rest. It looks like her big toe is always saying "WE'RE #1". It's kinda weird, but it is very endearing.

This past weekend, Simon and I were sitting on the couch watching Star Wars. I snapped this picture of his foot.

Apparently, it's hereditary. Simon has got whatever gene it is that makes his toe point like this. I'm telling you, it's EXACTLY like his mom. Hilarious.

Great quote, I'm stealing it

2008-07-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Pete is a guy that has always got a deep thought, and does ministry the right way. If you get a sec, check his blog out here. I saw this quote on his blog, and I had to repost.

"You can only be loved to the extent that you are known"

We're getting ready to start a new small group this week, and this is what I'm going to start out with. If true, authentic community is going to happen, where people are really loved for who they are, then you need to be known. The deepest, darkest, dirtiest secrets of our lives need to be brought to light within a community that will accept us, and love us. Most importantly, if we are going to be loved, then we need to be willing and ready to be known by others.

Link Love: The Tumtum Tree

2008-07-06T19:48:00.000-05:00

Many of you who read my blog also know my father-in-law, Bob Havenor. He's a man of God, and is currently a "Urban Missionary" in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He, more than any other person, has influenced the way that I think about ministry. He's new to the blogging world (I'd like to think in large part to MY influence), and has recently written a great post entitled "The Curse of Christendom". Check it out here, it's definately worth the read.

And on a lesser note, my Twinkies have just completed a sweep of the Cleveland Indians and are only a game out of first place in the division. WE'RE COMIN'!

Joe Cocker repost...this is great

2008-07-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

I love Joe Cocker, mostly because his a riot to watch when he performs. Thanks to Eric for this video. At the bottom is my very favorite video of Joe Cocker and John Belushi on SNL. Belushi is making fun of Cocker, and he doesn't know it. Enjoy the 4th! No more posts for me today...just going to enjoy my family.

The perfect end to my day

2008-07-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Good times.

Happy Birthday Simon!

2008-07-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

Today, Simon is 4 years old. I remember his birthday like it was yesterday. Carolyn's water broke just after dinner, and he was born just before Independence Day. One of my most fond memories was sitting in Carolyn's hospital room next to her on the bed and watching the fireworks go off through the hospital window. The town we lived in (Escondido, CA) shot fireworks off just next to the hospital on July 3rd. I leaned over to her, kissed her on the forehead, and said "I don't care what today's date is, today is YOUR Independence Day". It was a pretty rough pregnancy, Ella was still a toddler.

Simon came out of his room this morning, and I sang the birthday song like a crazed siren. For breakfast, he got one of the cupcakes left over from last night's party. When Ella woke up, we went fishing (it was his first time), but didn't catch anything.

We hung out at home today, played with his new presents (he hit the motherlode at the party), and ate pancakes for dinner. It was his choice, of course.
He is SUCH a good kid. Every day, I'm amazed at what a loving, happy, funny kid he is. God knew just what we needed when he gave us Simon. I see so much of myself in him (personality, even the way he looks), it's really fun to see him mature. In Simon's honor, I'm posting a few of my favorite photos of my boy.

2 weeks old

Every boy is happiest on his Momma's shoulder

How many babies wear beanies like this?

First taste of coffee....grounds

He's gotta be close to 1 year old in this picture

He's a happy boy, (happy boy)! Ain't it good when things are goin' you're way, hey hey!

Gilligan, and this Skipper too!

Simon Zoolander

I looked exactly like this. Last week, in fact.

Taken yesterday, on his brand new scooter.

Happy Birthday, son. May God grow you to be a man after his own heart. We love you!

Here we go....

2008-07-03T07:55:00.000-05:00

Found a guy on Craigslist this morning that was looking for a "really, really good home" for their 1 year old boxer. We've been thinking that it might be time to think about bringing in friend for our Ruby. Although she's we'll adjusted and likes her place in the family, a friend for her (especially in the winter to play with) would be great.

This guy isn't going to give the Boxer to just anyone, so he's going to come out to the house this afternoon and bring "Cush" with him. Carolyn told me that she's got dibs on the name change. That's fine with me, I picked Ruby's name out. I don't care for "Cush" anyway (current name), so whatever she picks is fine. I was thinking that "Tonka Joe" or "Meatball" might be a good names (hint, hint), but I don't get to pick. We'd just have to change the name to "Meat ORB" when Aunt Becky comes for Thanksgiving.

We'll see how this turns out, I'm not convinced yet...just optimistic.

Today is Simon's 4th birthday, I'll post on that later. Maybe today will be Ruby's birthday too, she might get a friend.

Twins Game

2008-07-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

2 weeks ago, I won tickets on the radio from the Twins Radio Broadcast station. It was a four pack of tickets, so we decided to invite my good friend Paul and his wife Andrea. Paul and I have been friends since our freshman year of college (can it really be almost 13 years ago?). When we left MN to go to CA, he bought our house and took my job @ the church I was working at. Paul is one of the most genuinely nice guys I know, and I know that we'll be friends for many, many years. He lives just a few miles from us, and if I needed ANYTHING, he would help me out.

We had a great time at the game, we sat out in center field. The Twins lost (boo!), but I couldn't have asked for a better night. Here's a picture of the night.

June - Blog Review

2008-07-01T08:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick recap of my favorite posts from the past month, in case you missed it or you're new to the blog...

June 4 - Throw up, my worst nightmare
June 4 - Where did "Fundaddy" go
June 15 - Link to my Pioneer Press article
June 19 - I'd like you to meet my friend Wedgie
June 23 - Missional vs. Emergent

200,000 miles

2008-06-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

Last night, I touched 200k miles on my truck. It was a monumental moment, so like any good blogger I took pics.

There's a weird thing out here in MN. If your car isn't a sedan or a sporty car, it's a truck. An SUV falls under this category. I grew up in CO, where a truck had a bed and an SUV was an SUV. Anyway, I've come to call my vehicle a truck when really it's an SUV.

Anyway, I've developed quite the relationship with my truck. Last May, we traded my family car (1996 Bonneville) for the truck (1996 Tahoe) on Craigslist. That's right, I traded straight up. We just swapped titles. I wanted something that I could still cart the kids around, but also pull a boat or a camper if I wanted. At the time, Carolyn was finding everything under the sun on Craigslist, so I needed something I could haul with.

It's not quite as economical, but it's not bad for a V8. I get 17ish MPG. I was getting 22 MPG in the car. Because gas prices are higher than ever, it has created a bit of a pinch for us. I try not to drive it too much, but our minivan only gets 20 MPG so it's not that much different.

All that to say that I was proud when my truck crossed the 200k mark. I have had very few problems with it, and I expect it to run for a long time. I've had my share of vehicles, but this one is special. I feel like it's MY truck. I don't care at all if Carolyn drives it, but I feel like it fits me. I'm very emotionally attached, and I can't quite figure out why. It's just a truck.

Anyway, here's to another 200k miles, no breakdowns, and no car payments!

And no, I didn't take these while driving. I pulled over @ 199999.9 and rolled forward to 200k.

And yes, I did honk.

Why I'm proud of my wife

2008-06-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons, but there are a few things that are taking place right now, that make me particularly grateful that God allowed me to find such a gem!

Last night, Carolyn had over an old friend. This wasn't any old friend, but a gal that we've known for about 8 or so years. Way back in our first (ministry) church, she was a student in the youth group. She was having a tough time finding her way then, and Carolyn really took her under her wing and forged a friendship. It was a cool mentoring thing then, and I know that it meant a lot to this particular student.

We lost touch somewhat when we moved to CA, but they still kept in touch via text message. Since we've moved back, they've been able to get together a few times, most recently last night. She's still struggling with trying to find her way, and Carolyn is still mentoring her (even if she doesn't think she's a mentor, Carolyn exemplifies what a walk with Jesus looks like, so it counts).

I'm proud of Carolyn, because she's still fostering a relationship with this gal and she's got nothing to gain. We're not at that church anymore, and this gal isn't a student (she's 24 now), but Carolyn still knows that she needs someone positive in her life. THAT'S what showing love looks like. Thanks hon, for reminding me.

Secondly, Carolyn is probably going back to school. She's been in her job @ Option Care for 6 months now, and loves it. More than that, she's fascinated by the work that the Pharmacists do. We are now seriously looking at Carolyn entering the School of Pharmacy and the University of Minnesota. We're not sure yet if it will be in the fall of 2009 or 2010, but there's about a 90% chance it'll happen.

I'm so proud of her. How much guts does it take to not only go back into the workforce after being a mom for 6 years, but to go back to school for 4 years and become a pharmacist? She's an amazing woman, an extremely hard worker, and is keenly in tune to what God is saying to her.

This is so fun to watch...

And I think I broke it

2008-06-26T09:54:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty goofy with the kids, it's one of the ways I like to have fun with them. Recently, I pretended I was Simon. Here's the evidence, thanks to my wife with the quick trigger finger. After pretending to be Simon, I noticed that his training wheels were bent. Way to go, dad.

The day is finally here

2008-06-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

We've been working with a roofing company, Cedar Valley Exteriors, for months now. That's right, months. I started talking to the guy about putting on a roof when there was still snow on it. We had to wait to inspect the roof until it melted off. It's taken FOREVER, and I'm not very happy about it. If you're thinking of using them, don't.

Anyway, the roofers rang my doorbell at 6am. They wanted me to get my cars out of the garage so they could park their trailer there. 6:00!!!! Then the guy left for 2 hours and came back. Could you have waited to ring the bell until I wasn't in my underwear?

Even though it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm actually very grateful that they're here. The insurance adjuster told me that we had a bad shingle first and hail damage 2nd. I shouldn't have had it covered, but God had grace on us. He knows that we can't afford a whole roof, so now we only have to pay the deductible.

I'll do a before/after pics thing after the guys are done. Thanks God!

The political dance begins

2008-06-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those classic Americans that consider themselves "undecided" when it comes to the election this fall. There are things that I like about John McCain, and many things Barack Obama says resonate with me. The question (always) is, what is true and what is political rhetoric? It's SO hard to sift through the garbage to know what a politician believes.

The hardest part is trying to figure out how my religious beliefs shape my political identity. No one represents me, so I have to settle for the one that is least offending. It's a horrible position to be in. Furthermore, which politician can best represent their religious beliefs without offending the majority of the nation? Both McCain and Obama claim a belief in Christ, and those close to them affirm this. SO WHAT? I can't vote for someone just because they're Christian! I know plenty of rotten Christians, unfortunately. They're not rotten Christians, but James Dobson and Pat Robertson are guys I wouldn't want anywhere NEAR the White House. Christianity does not make a someone a good politician. Look at how God used King Darius. He was an idolater to the core, but God used him to restore the temple for Israel.

Besides this, we live in a post-Christian world. And as a result, I've come to realize that no politician is going to represent ANY religion's beliefs fully. It's too divisive, and the political cost is too high. Even a born-again Christian such as our current president has unfortunately polarized our country along political and religious lines. To me, being a Christian is second to promoting biblical principles within our culture.

I'm encouraged with this speech by Barack Obama. Regardless of your political bend, please read this speech. I mean it, you have to read it.

I like the way that Obama describes his faith, and how it forms his politics. He talks about how the political arena polarizes religious issues, and how he sees his role as a politician in uniting people to support biblical principles. There is something sincere about this speech. It seems like he genuinely believes that he's doing the will of God. Maybe I want to believe him, because I want to believe that someone cares enough about their faith to integrate it into politics. He certainly doesn't represent everything I believe (specifically on abortion), but I cant be a one-issue voter any more.

My vote isn't won yet, because I want (no, NEED) to hear what John McCain has to say on the same issue. Any help you can provide is welcome. I'm looking for links, flyers, any propaganda. McCain...where are you? What do you have to say about faith and politics?

More Than You Know

2008-06-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

Here are a few fun videos I found on YouTube. The first one made me laugh because it reminded me of my own college education (thanks Crown!), and the others just made me laugh. Especially the last one.

Why my baseball career didn't take off

2008-06-24T22:32:00.000-05:00

I came home tonight (from softball) with a few scratches on my knees. Nothing major, just your normal run of the mill scrapes. Part of being in your 30's and playing softball is making your wins seem epic and your losses not so bad. It's kind of like telling a "fish that got away" story for jocks. You know you can't play baseball like you used to, but you talk like you can. Every guy does it. Don't lie, you know you do. I played baseball in both High School and College, but (truthfully) wasn't that great. I was just a'ight at my peak. Anyway, I digress.

I'm at the plate tonight, and I'm feeling good. The first pitch comes in and it looks really good. I take a swing, and realize halfway through my swing that my timing is off. I adjust and just barely hit the pitch. Now, I'm off balance but manage to set the bat down. Unfortunately, the bat was placed squarely between my legs, and under my cleats. Bob Saget get ready, because I'm sending you the $100,000 video. Only to my knowledge, nobody had the camera on.

I took a fall of monumental proportions. I fell right on my face, and knees. When I opened my eyes, home plate was in front of me and the shortstop was holding the ball I'd just hit. I never made it out of the batters box, and I certainly didn't leave the batters box with my dignity.

Because I'm a guy that longs to play baseball like he once did, and to tell a story that makes me look more like A-Rod than a Nimrod, here's how things went when I got home.

Me: Had a great game tonight, went 2-4 and had 2 RBI and scored a run. We 10 runned 'em. It was over before it started.

Carolyn: Great job Honey...glad you had a good time. What did you do to your knees?

Me: Oh yea, I scored a run too. I got those scrapes when I slid into home.

Carolyn: Are you ok? They don't look to bad. Glad you scored the run though.

Me: Uh, yea...I'm fine. Yup, scored the run.

In my opinion, this conversation was completely truthful. Follow my thought process.

I did score tonight
I did slide into home

I truthfully did slide into home, it was just on the way to 1st and not from 3rd. I never specifically said that the run scored and the slide happened at the same time. I'm not in control of what conclusions Carolyn may draw.

Long live the exaggerated softball story for the sake of making me look good. Now you, me, and all the entire blogosphere knows why I couldn't have pursued a baseball career even if I had wanted to.

Missional vs. Emergent

2008-06-23T08:38:00.000-05:00

I've been a big fan of the ideas of Alan Hirsch. He's one of the guys who wrote The Shaping of Things to Come. I blogged on this book, and I've got to say that it's been one of the most influencial books I've ever read. He talks about what the mission of the church is supposed to be, and how the mission should shape everything that we will do in the coming years. The mission of the church has never changed, but the WAY that we accomplish this mission MUST change. (It's a lousy description, but I'm really struggling with summarizing the book in just one phrase!)

I've also begun to become disenchanted with some of the discourse of the Emergent Church. The biggest struggle I have is that the EC is defined largely by what they are NOT. Since the EC is all about embracing our differences (in theology, lifestyle, even the way we do church), it's incredibly hard to pin down and define. It's what makes the EC what it is. If you're defined by what you're not, then what ARE you? What drives and moves you forward? What gives your life shape and direction? These are only a few of the questions I've been asking.

Recently, on Hirsch's blog, he began to (re)define what it means to be 'missional' versus 'emergent'. Some have suggested that the two terms are interchangeable, but I couldn't disagree more. Missional comes from the phrase 'Missio Dei', referring to the sending of God to earth in the form of Christ. Christ was the first missionary, contextualizing the gospel (good news) of God's love for all of humanity. He put the gospel in terms people could understand, and spoke in ways that resonated with 1st century humanity. We carry forward this idea when we send missionaries to foreign countries to share the same good news in a way they can understand. Mission gives us direction and purpose, without sacrificing the idea that we should communicate in such a way that our audience clearly understands, therefore contextualizing, biblical truth.

I'm starting to understand that the Emergent Church is a renewal movement, bringing something new to the church (and many times helpful). However, if it is truly a renewal movement, then it must be missional. The mission of Christ is to contextualize the gospel, the EC helps us to do this. I suppose it's fair to say that if you're emergent then you have to be missional. But if you're missional, you're not necessarily emergent.

I think I need to take a break, my head is starting to spin...

I've said this way too often...but

2008-06-21T14:28:00.001-05:00

One of my college professors told me that church is the one place on earth where you can experience your greatest joys and your greatest hurts all in one place. Why does it have to be that way? Why do God's people have to be so hurtful when we're called to be the most kind, loving, generous, forgiving people the world has ever seen? Why are we more concerned about if our feelings are hurt than if we're showing love? Sometimes, I wonder why God would allow us to be the ones to carry on his legacy. We're doing a really bad job most of the time. It's no wonder most of the world sees the church as irrelevant.

Sorry for the rant.

First full day of summer!

2008-06-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother's 30th birthday. Happy birthday Andrew! It's easy to remember, because it's always on the first day of summer. There is no better way to celebrate summer than to take a walk next to the Mississippi River with my daughter and my dog. It was amazing outside, and Ruby hadn't been out for a few days. It was more than time. Here are a few pics.

This really reminds me of another walk I took not all that long ago. How different things are now!

Beermapping

2008-06-21T07:31:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, I've become quite a fan of trying different kids of beer. It's a fun way to explore the world without going any further than your local liquor store. I'm totally fascinated with the brewing process, to the point that when I visited St. Louis last winter I HAD to go to the Anheuser Busch Brewery and take the tour. It was one of the coolest tours I've ever been on.

On that note, here's another fun little resource you can check out when you get a chance. It's a "beermap". It's a (near) complete map of all the local pubs and micro brews near your home, or any other location for that matter. Check it out!

http://beermapping.com/

Pandora

2008-06-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

When I'm working, I'm not one of those people who can have music playing in the background. My buddy Vince can't work WITHOUT music, I can't work WITH music. However, I do have one resource that I've found that I really enjoy having with me when I'm working. Click on over to Pandora, it's an online radio program that takes your musical tastes and creates a songlist based on similar characteristics. If you're really into a particular musical genre, it will suggest other artists that you might not have heard of before, and many that you have.

I've found that I love to work with classical piano and classical guitar playing in the background while I work. I think it works for me because it doesn't have any words!

To check it out, click HERE.

Staff retreat?

2008-06-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we had a staff retreat. All 5 paid staff went out to Maple Grove to sit on the lake and have a good time. We ate, prayed, dreamed about where we want the church to go, and played (albeit only for a few minutes). Interesting day...

For our first staff retreat as a full staff, it was good. We took some time to get to know one another, which we really needed. We laughed a lot.

In the afternoon, I was able to drop my fishing line in the water for just a few minutes and managed to catch a 2-3 lb bass on my 2nd cast! It was amazing! I've only caught one other bass in my life, and it was tiny compared to this thing. I wish I could have taken a picture, but I needed to get him back in the water before he was done. It certainly made the afternoon memorable!

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I'm praying and hoping that we can take this retreat and turn it into some momentum to move us forward. Time will tell, but we took a good first step.

Redneck haircut

2008-06-19T21:32:00.000-05:00

I was in charge of the haircut tonight. Do you think Carolyn will notice?

And yes...I finished it off with a buzz.

I'd like you to meet my friend Wedgie

2008-06-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

I made mention of a wedgie tonight, and the kids had no idea what I was talking about. I thought I'd introduce them to my "friend" wedgie. The picture says it all...

Fundaddy is back!

2008-06-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

Based on my recent reflections that I haven't been a fun daddy recently, and I had resolved to be again, I decided it was time to put the rubber to the road and do something fun.

I heard that the Science Museum of Minnesota recently opened a new exhibit, "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination". Being a huge Star Wars fan and knowing that Simon is also becoming one, I thought I'd take the kids today. We headed down there this morning, and got there before the rush. I told the kids that we'd make it to the Omnitheater too. A TV that's as big as a building? No way! Oh yea, way!

It was a great day, and the kids were thrilled with the Star Wars exhibit. I could have spent hours in there, looking at each exhibit and reading how they made all my favorite scenes from the movies, but the kids couldn't have done it. They certainly found the genuine costumes of Darth Vader and R2D2 pretty cool. I never knew the real Darth Vader was 7' tall! Here are a few pics.

The movie was on how special effects are done in Hollywood. Pretty cool, but the kids were ready to be done after 25 mins or so. After 45 mins had passed, and when the credits rolled, they were OUT of there. Also saw a really cool dinosaur exhibit, again Simon was thrilled. Ella liked the weather stuff, got to make clouds and a tornado. After our recent tornadic experience, if a leaf is blowing within Anoka County, Ella thinks a tornado is coming.

We got a little treat, they fell asleep on the way home, and I'm blogging.

Fundaddy is BACK!

Book Review: What Dreams May Come

2008-06-17T07:27:00.000-05:00

My friend Ben loaned me this book. I had read Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" and really didn't like it. I told him that the reason was that I was actually one of the few people that liked the Will Smith movie version, and was really disappointed when the book was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like the movie. Most of the time, the book is way better than the movie. This was NOT the case for I Am Legend. Movie, good. Book, horrible. Anyway, I digress...

Ben told me that I needed to give Matheson another try since he is widely known as a master horror novelist, the one that inspired authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz. He assured me that this book would win me over. It's another book that was turned into a movie. What Dreams May Come is a story about a guy that dies and goes to heaven. Heaven is perfect, except for the fact that his wife isn't there. She ends up in hell. He decides that he'd rather be in hell with her, than in heaven without her, so he goes to hell to rescue her.

Yes, the theology is messed up. It's not even close to anything biblical. I found that the book was almost an apologetic argument for a "life after death" theology. Needless to say, I didn't buy it. Coming from perspective that this is a fictional story, and not a case for life after death theology, I liked the book. It was a compelling story, with believable characters. It was a fun, quick read. I'd be willing to read something else by Matheson, especially if it's recommended by Ben.

If you're new to the blog

2008-06-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

I can see that since the article in the paper, I've had quite a bit more traffic to the blog. That's a good thing! It might be helpful to have a few links to some of my "Daddy Blogs" to give you a sampling. If you'd like, add me to your blogroll...I'd love the link love!

Uh, Simon...that's not a microphone!
Where did "Fundaddy" Go?
God is like my butt, apparently
No, that's not a criminal. That's my son
UFC Sibling Style
Thanks for the Christmas present Dad!

If you do add me to your blogroll and have your own blog, let me now! I'd be happy to add you to the right on mine.

(Late) Reflections from Father's Day

2008-06-17T06:48:00.000-05:00

Here it is, Tuesday after Father's day, and I haven't even mentioned it. Life has been busy, to say the least...

This was one of the best weekends I can remember. Nothing dramatic happened, and I didn't get that camper I've been wanting for our family (money is tight, what else is new?). It was just an all around great weekend.

Friday night we had a BBQ with some friends of ours from our old church. We haven't spent much time with them in the last few months, and it was good to see them. Saturday morning, Carolyn and the kids surprised me with a trip to my favorite breakfast/snack/dessert/anytime snack place, Jamba Juice. We used to have one just near our house in California, but they're just barely starting to pop up here in the Twin Cities. I crave them at least once a week, and it was a very nice surprise. Saturday afternoon, I mowed the lawn and then we had some friends over for dinner to grill. A little beer, meat, and conversation. Wonderful.

Sunday morning on my way to church, I picked up a copy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press to read the article they had interviewed me on for Daddy Bloggers. It was pretty cool. It still blows my mind that someone would want to read my rambling thoughts on being a dad. So far, this blog hasn't been much more than a recap of my weekend though! On with the recap...

Church was great on Sunday, and I managed to get a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Once I cleared my eyes from sleep, I made my way outside to see that Carolyn had taken the time to plant some REALLY nice plants around the edge of the house. Since we've moved in, we haven't been able to put in as many annuals as we'd like, so she finds people giving stuff away on Craigslist and takes advantage of that instead. It looks great! Hon, if you read this...thank you for making our home such a wonderful place to be. Check out the pics of what she did here. It might not look like much yet (some of the plants have yet to perk up from being transplanted), but if I know my wife she'll post pics of the thriving plants later this summer. I then managed to park myself in front of the TV and catch the last few holes of the US Open and talk to my own Dad on the phone.

We went out to dinner at TGIFriday's, and then came home for bedtime. When we got home, I looked right into the eyes of those two kids of mine, and just sat there amazed. Really. How in the world could I be so blessed to have two kids as wonderful as this? They have their moments, of course, but they're really great kids. I kissed them, and thanked them for Father's Day. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to celebrate yesterday.

Link to my Pioneer Press article

2008-06-15T16:13:00.000-05:00

I'll blog more later about Father's Day, but for now I'm busy enjoying my kids and wife on a day to honor....

ME!

And for those of you who are interested in reading the Pioneer Press article I referenced in an earlier blog, here you go!

http://www.twincities.com/ci_9566588

Como

2008-06-09T17:03:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest blessings of being home with the kids is that I can easily make myself available for field trips. Today was Ella's last day of school (sniff), and we went to Como Zoo. with the rest of the kindergarten classes at her school. It was a blast! There were only 4 girls in her class this year, and all of them were in my group. All together, there were four adults (2 moms, Mrs. Jochims, and me) and four girls.

Como is a free zoo, and has been free forever. It's not the biggest, coolest, or anything like that. But it is the most FUN in my opinion. It's quaint, and it's something EVERY kid needs to do. I took a few pics. The first one is of Ella with a butterfly on her shirt. The second is a picture of her at her track and field day last Friday. It was pretty windy (unusual for here), but they still had a ton of fun.

I can't believe that she's actually a FIRST grader. Our friends John and Christie are celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary this summer. I'll always remember that, because I stood up for John in his wedding just a few days after Ella was born. How time flies.

I'm a tired boy, I don't know how it is that I can be 31 years old and be worn out from hanging with 5 year olds all day. Very strange.

Just got interviewed

2008-06-09T16:53:00.000-05:00

Something cool happened today, I was called and interviewed by a reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She is doing a piece in Sunday's paper (Father's Day) on Daddy Bloggers. Hopefully, she found my thoughts and comments on parenting/life/faith interesting and I'll be in the paper on Sunday! We'll see.

I'll post a link on Sunday when I get it.

Fess up, you did this too.

2008-06-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, that is my daughter. And yes, she's sitting on the sprinkler. I don't know what it is about kids having water shoot up their butts, but everyone does this at some point in their childhood.

WHY?

And don't try to tell me that you've never done this. You have, and you know it.

Maybe my summer project is to install a bidet?

Where did "Fundaddy" go

2008-06-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

I've been a little lax on my blogging recently, and I've been thinking a ton about being a dad, so I unapologetically am doing some parent blogging.

Since I've been staying at home with the kids, I've noticed something in myself. I don't think I'm as much fun as I used to be. When I was working a "corporate job", I came home and took in as much of the kids as I could. We wrestled, played games, went on walks and whatever else we could fit in before bedtime. Since the job switch, I'm no fun anymore. Remember that episode of "Friends" where Monica dated "Fun Bobby". He was only fun if he had a drink? When he was sober, he was "Dull Bobby". That's how I feel. My job is consumed with making sure they have sunscreen, food, naps, and transportation. I'm finding it hard to play Candy Land, wrestle, and do crafts. I decided that I wanted to be "Fundaddy" again.

Last night, Ella and Simon were playing in the back yard and I decided to join them. We shot finger rockets at each other for a while until we got bored. I sat down on the swing for a breather. Ella told me she wanted to play the "dance show". She's been watching "So You Think You Can Dance" with us, and I guess that meant pretending. I sat on the swing and sang nonsense songs about slides, mud, fruit and bugs while they proceeded to cut a rug. After the song was done, I judged them in my best British accent and told them they were either terrible or wonderful. Next it was my turn, so I did my best finger dance for the two of them (remember, this was in the back yard and I'm SURE the neighbors were watching) while they judged me. They told me I was so good that I needed to go to Hollywood. I ran out to the front of the house and told them I was going to walk. It quickly turned into a game of chase, and I ended up getting away.

The night ended by us wheeling the trash cans in from the curb, and playing a rousing game of "trash bash" in the driveway. Apparently, it's a fun game for elementary school kids where you just run your trash bin into one another and scream "TRASH BASH" at the top of your lungs. Miraculously, nobody was hurt.

My new summer resolution is to resurrect "Fundaddy" again. We're going to have a blast this summer.