Dat Boy Can PLAY

I'm amazed at the ability and gift that some musicians have been given. Once in a while I get to cruise YouTube and listen to some incredible players. For you guitar enthusiests, this short clip showcases one of the best and most innovative guitar players ever - Steve Vai.




So, if you have a gift, honor God by honing that skill. (That's good advice for me too....)

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Date Night - A chapter ends

Well friends... tonight is a turning point for those of us who are part of Date Night (This is the cute little nickname our wives have given to the hangout time that Dan, Kyle, and I have every Tuesday night.) For several months (almost a year) we have been going to Applebee's in Edwardsville, IL for half price appetizers. (There is other legitimate Lifepoint business going on in E'ville first.... then it's snack time.) The biggest reason we have went to the same place every Tuesday night is Lauren. Lauren was the waitress that got stuck with us a few Tuesday nights in a row when we first started date night. Almost every Tuesday night since, we have hung out at Applebee's and hung out with her. We have all shared stories, dreams, bad decisions, talked about bowling alley fight strategies, and laughed a lot. We had a chance to hear her heart (breaking unfortunately) when her long term relationship with Chris crumbled. She has heard bits and pieces of Jesus stuff and Lifepoint stuff.... and heard us tell stories about our families.

This past Sunday, Bob and Kyle spoke about the importance and benefits of building relationships. One of the main ideas was that God became flesh through Jesus so He could "get" (understand) us. For people who follow Jesus, He lives in us.... Why? So people will have the chance to CONNECT with Jesus through a relationship with us.

Lauren, if you ever read this, understand one thing: God is crazy about you and He wants nothing more than to hold you and show you how to be HAPPY! (OK, I have to bring an extra dollar to date night tonight to put in the cry jar......)

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends (and the servers at Applebee's) with every word and every action.

Chicken Dance

Serving God is fun... for several reasons... If we get past the selfish "I want to star in my own story" syndrome, there is an incredible (somewhat unexplainable) joy that comes with doing life God's way. Anyway, Sunday at Lifepoint, we had a little fun while the kids were leaving the main room to go downstairs for Kidmo..... That's right... we jammed the Chicken Dance! Here is a little video clip of some other people "forced" to do the chicken dance....



Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Guys Forced To Shop

WARNING - Some of these just aren't right!

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.
After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her husband accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart.
Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men--he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.
Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women--she loved to browse. One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local Wal-Mart.


Dear Mrs. Fenton,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2 July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

6. September 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. September 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.

12. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least ...

15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Regards,
WalMart

I don't care who you are... that's just funny!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Excuses

School Excuses

These are actual excuse notes from parents (including spelling):



My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute
him.



Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.



Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29,30, 31, 32,
and also 33.



Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.



Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of
a tree and misplaced his hip.



John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.



Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt
in the growing part.



Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very
close veins.



Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.



Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.



Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He had---diahre--- ---dyrea---
---direathe--- the shits.



Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his
boots leak.



Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.



Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.



I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't
know what size she wear.



Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgotto get the
Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found itMonday, we thought it was
Sunday.



Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.



My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend
with the Marines.



Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could
not breed well.



Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.



Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.



Please excuse Burma, she has been sick and under the doctor.



Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat,
headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat,
her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best
either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her
father even got hot last night.

Strange Encouragement

There is a saying "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." I'll come back to that thought.... Vange and I are in the middle of building a great frienship with another family. They are REAL people who experience good times and bad times, fears, accomplishments, and mistakes. Recently, SHE was carrying their 4th child (they are just trying to keep up with Vange and I) when the doctor anticipated MAJOR health issues for the baby. We got to hang out with them and watch (through a process over time) God step up and heal their baby. The little one has a relatively minor issue that has to be dealt with...... OK, move forward a few months... Last night HE calls me and says their middle son has some UGLY physical stuff going on and that they would have to go to the hospital today for evaluation / prognosis / treatment. (Side note - keep this family in prayer.)

So here is the strange encouragement... I'm betting that Satan operates with the principle of "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." I think he targets people who are disrupting his plans.... (You could ask Bob about his too..... Satan is doing his best to take Bob out.... No such luck.... Bob has a role in God's story...) The encouraging part is that this family is ticking off the devil. (I said it was strange...) Keep this in mind... Satan roams about seeking whom he MAY devour...
Check this out from 1 Peter 5:

6 Be humble under God's powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. 9 Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.
10 And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever. 11 All power is his forever and ever. Amen.

ALL power is his.... That's the God we serve and worship.... even in the scary times.

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Inventions

Check this clip out... There is some really cool stuff on here. There is also some "what were they thinking" stuff on here.... Enjoy




Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Stupid Criminals

When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested.

David Posman, 33, was arrested recently in Providence, R.I, after allegedly knocking out an armored car driver and stealing the closest four bags of money. It turned out they contained $800 in PENNIES, weighed 30 pounds each, and slowed him to a stagger during his getaway so that police officers easily jumped him from behind.

Drug-possession defendant Christopher Johns, on trial in March in Pontiac, Michigan, said he had been searched without a warrant. The prosecutor said the officer didn't need a warrant because a "bulge" in Christopher's jacket could have been a gun. Nonsense, said Christopher, who happened to be wearing the same jacket that day in court. He handed it over so the judge could see it. The judge discovered a packet of cocaine in the pocket and laughed so hard he required a five-minute recess to compose himself.

Clever drug traffickers used a propane tanker truck entering El Paso from Mexico. They rigged it so propane gas would be released from all of its valves while the truck concealed 6,240 pounds of marijuana. They were clever, but not bright. They misspelled the name of the gas company on the side of the truck.

Oklahoma City -Dennis Newton was on trial for the armed robbery of a convenience store in a district court this week when he fired his lawyer. Assistant district attorney Larry Jones said Newton, 47, was doing a fair job of defending himself until the store manager testified that Newton was the robber. Newton jumped up, accused the woman of lying and then said, "I should of blown your [expletive] head off." The defendant paused, then quickly added, "-if I'd been the one that was there." The jury took 20 minutes to convict Newton and recommend a 30-year sentence.

R.C. Gaitlin, 21, walked up to two patrol officers who were showing their squad car computer equipment to children in a Detroit neighborhood. When he asked how the system worked, the officers asked him for a piece of identification. Gaitlin gave them his driver's license, they entered it into the computer, and moments later they arrested Gaitlin because information on the screen showed that Gaitlin was wanted for a two-year-old armed robbery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Change is a Comin'

It looks like I will get the "opportunity" to be still and know that HE is God. I work for AT&T and was due to have a SWEET position starting in May. Well, reorganization sucks! I'm now going to be put in what appears to be a more stressful and tedious position. I have some HR system background that a certain team needs me for. So, here is the deal..... it is easy to stand up and shout praises when everything is going great. Today, as I'm faced with a potential ugly job change, I choose to look to Jesus and say "You continue to bless me. I'm looking forward to this role that I get to play in Your story. I'm confident that You are in control and I can't wait to see what You do through this change!" Alright - seat belt is fastened, I'm ready for the ride!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Day Game

It's a beautiful day in St Louis. The sun is peeking through the clouds, it will be about 78 degrees, and the Cardinals play a day game. The cool thing about the game is that a group of people I work with at AT&T are going to the game as part of a work outing. Sweet! We get paid to go to the ballgame..... I like it. It is a team building event.




















It's time for some nachos and a huge Coke! (Are any of you bankers? I'm sure I'll need a loan to buy stuff at the ballpark....)


Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Where are YOUR friends

WARNING: I am probably going to put myself in a position of being in danger of some people hunting me down and kicking my hiney for the content of this post (If you live in Columbia, stay there / If you live in Pontoon, forget where I live :-)

When I listen to the radio, there is one artist that will make me immediately change the station - Garth Brooks. His song, Friends in Low Places, makes me want to crush my radio. That song makes me think about the importance of WHO I hang out with, and WHERE I'm hanging out. (Hey, I really DO like the hot wings .....)

I choose to have friends in high places.... the highest place. Jesus is a friend who gave EVERYTHING for me - check this out from John 15:

11 I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy. 12 "This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.

Here are a few nuggets from the Bible about friends:

Prov 17:17 Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

Prov 12:26 A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Prov 18:24 Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

Prov 25:12 And a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

This is one of the Bible verses that Bob will think is funny:

Prov 27:14 If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting "Rise and shine!" It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing.


Are you seeing the picture? Choose your friends wisely. Every Tuesday night I have the privilege of hanging out with some guys that are true friends. We sharpen each other. We speak TRUTH to each other, we disagree sometimes and we talk about why. We penetrate through the surface stuff. These are guys I can count on to help me stay on track in life... and I will do the same for them.

Don't choose friends in low places, or build weak relationships and think they are FRIENDS you can count on.

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Gentlemen, Start Your Mowers

I think it's finally here..... SPRING! Grass is growing, and that means warmer, more comfy days! I love it. OK - I gotta go mow some grass now!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Please Pay First

OK - This is a public service blog.



If you go to a gas station and there is a sign on the pump that reads PLEASE PAY FIRST, you do not have to actually go inside and pay. You can simply insert your debit/credit card and start pumping. When you are done, it will charge your card and spit out your receipt.



Love ya JK!



Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Kids say some STUFF

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales..The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".


A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."


The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples!"


A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / family / and friends with every word and every action.

Funny Headlines

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Joint Committee Investigates Marijuana Use

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge

Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years at Checkout Counter

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Iraqi Head Seeks Arms

Stolen Painting Found by Tree

Actual Headline: Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action!

Smart Rockers

A few people I work with were discussing how celebrities will often offer their political "2 cents." It is interesting to hear some of the views expressed by these folks. This may be a bit judgemental, but I wonder how deep they explore the issue they are speaking about..... my guess is that most are pretty shallow. We got talking about artists and 2 names came up that we all felt were very well educated and well versed on today's issues on the political and world stage: Ted Nugent and Bono. It is irrelevant if you agree with their views, but I believe they do their "homework" on issues and speak intelligently about them. Google these guys and see what you think.

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Another Trip On Memory Lane

I got the chance to surf on YouTube a bit today. I pulled up some clips from some of the Christian Bands that I grew up listening to..... Enjoy.

Russ Taff



DeGarmo and Key



Mylon and Broken Heart



Giant




Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / Friends with every word and every action.

Distracted

I have friends (and a Pastor) with ADD. I don't know if it's contagious or what, but I think Daisy (our Golden Retriever puppy) has ADD. I took her out this morning to "do her business" and right there in mid squat..... she jumped up and focused her attention elsewhere. It was my neighbor, Laura, going for her morning walk. Daisy's tail started wagging and she was slowly walking toward Laura as if to ask "Can I go too?" I just thought it was funny.... How many of you could turn "potty time" off if you got distracted? (Of course, that brings up the bigger, creepier question of what could distract you if you are in your bathroom.....?) Daisy resumed her business and I took her back in the house. (Note - absolutely no spiritual value to this story.... just in case you were looking for it....)

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Da Guys

Today, the girls (Vange, Ashli, and Haley) went shopping. So, the guys (me, Dawson and Griffin) had some stuff to do. After the family went to Caseyville's Dairy Haven for ice cream, the girls went shopping and the guys headed off for "adventure." We stopped by Lifepoint to grab some tires (don't all churches store some tires by the shed??) to help with building Haley's volleyball net system she got for her birthday. Then, if was off to finish raking and collecting leaves at one of my lawn client's house (the boys were not much into physical labor.) Finally, we went to Wilson Park to play on the ginormous playground.

The boys had a lot of fun, but not as much fun as I did just watching them live life to it's fullest. Now, we are finishing off the night with some dinner and a few episodes of Tom and Jerry. Life is good!


Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Memories

Those who know me well have noticed that my MEMORY sucks. However, my MEMORIES are wonderful. For some reason, today I was thinking about my childhood. One of the greatest memories I will ever have was a special present from my Grandma and Grandpa James. My older brother had bought a motorcycle and we had a summer trailer in Carlinville, IL on a campground. There was PLENTY of space, including BIG trails, to ride a motorcycle. I was always craving a ride, and Greg gave me my fair share of rides. But there was still a lot of time just sitting, waiting, and I could hear the winding sound of that Honda XR 75 for what seamed like miles.

One day, back in Granite City, during the week, I had a baseball game. I was 10 years old (maybe 11 by this point). When I got home, my dad told me to stay in the front yard. A minute later, he rolled out this Honda 50.

Dude, I freaked out! My grandparents saw how much I enjoyed riding and bought me my very own motorcycle. This bike was a 3 speed with an automatic clutch. It was bright yellow. What made my bike super cool was that it had LIGHTS! The ironic thing is that my parents and my wife all hate motorcycles now (I have a Kawasaki Vulcan 750). But I will never forget that feeling when my dad rolled out that bike and and gave it to me!!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Stuck In A Rut

Sunday, Bob mentioned the idea of a guy who drives his truck into some mud (must be a Redneck.... or my nephew...) gets pulled out (rescued) and then drives right back into the same rut and gets stuck again. The obvious solution in this scenario is TURN THE TRUCK, DUDE! Go a different direction. How many times do we drive into muddy life ruts and get stuck, and after being pulled out we drive right back into them again. [Editorial comment: I'm guilty!] Even if you don't regularly read the Bible, let me challenge all of you to read Romans 6. Try a really understandable version of the Bible (ie The Message or New Century Version) which can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Romans+6&section=0&version=msg&new=1&oq=&NavBook=ro&NavGo=6&NavCurrentChapter=6

Here are a few excerpts from that chapter:

1 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?
2 I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?
6 Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life - no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this:
7 - 8 If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.
11 From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did
13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time - remember, you've been raised from the dead! - into God's way of doing things.
22 But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!

The bottom line is quit driving back into the rut of sin and getting stuck. What does that look like in everyday life? If you are tempted to do something that puts distance between you and God, take intentional steps to avoid that. If going to Nascar races causes me to act in a way that offends God, guess what.... I need to quit going to Nascar races.... (OK, bad example. I'm not giving up Nascar.... I feel closest to God when I'm watching Nascar... Uhhhh I can't back that up. But I'm still not giving up Nascar.) Get the idea? The plan is simple, implementing it takes courage and determination. But, as Bob always says: YOU CON DOO EAT!

Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / Family / and Friends with every word and every action.

Wonder Words

These are wonder words because they make you wonder…

Isn’t it fruitless to eat your vegetables?
Did you ever wonder why funeral starts with the word fun?
Would church music be considered organic?
What are you vacating when you go on vacation?
Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call a fireman a waterman?
In the navy, is a portly person left-handed?
Is a precaution something you get before a caution?
Could we call an abstract painting an artificial artifice?
At sundown wouldn’t you expect nightrise instead of nightfall?
Isn’t kidnapping normal in kindergartens?
Aren’t even small Catholic churches massive?
Can lay people be upstanding citizens?
How come lipstick doesn’t do what it says?
If money doesn’t grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
Didn’t rearing children once have something to do with spanking their butts?
If you pull the wings off a fly, does it become a walk?
Instead of a personality, does a dog have a dogality?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Exactly what is so fast about quicksand?
How do you get off a non-stop flight?
Why do they call dwellings stuck together apartments?
Why are there interstates in Hawaii?
Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
How come people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Why are goods sent by ship called cargo and those sent by truck shipment?
In a stadium, why do they call a place where you sit the stands?


Live loud, live intentionally, and love God / family / and friends with every word and every action.