Of the random variety

Usually my blogs have a point. Not this one.

1) I like buffets.
2) Football makes me happy
3) Jesus makes me joyful
4) Christmas songs are good and fun to sing along with
5) The bird is the word!
6) Coaching girls basketball really tests you patience
7) Guns and Roses sings a song called Patience.
8) Guitar Hero does not make you a musician
9) buh buh buh bird bird bird, the bird is the word
10) Being a musician does not make you an expert at Guitar hero
11) Everybodies heard about the Bird
12) for some reason "The Coloring Song" by Petra makes me laugh.
13) so does the word Duty
14) my parents were right...the trash really wont take itself out
16) I sometimes skip the number 15
17) I actually like fruitcake
18) Snack packs are made up of pudding, plastics, and love

Thanks for reading.

Keanu Reeves does not care about the bird bird bird, the bird is the word. everybodies heard about the bird, every body knows that the bird is the word. buh buh buh bird bird bird bird bird buhbird

Passing

A friend of mine went to be with the Lord today. I knew it was only a matter of time until this happened. I thought I was going to be mad and sad. Im not. I am jealous. He is spending eternity with his heavenly Father. I am left here to pick up the pieces. I heard about the last time he spoke at church. He said that God was good before, good now, and will continue to be good long after he is gone.

Orly was the first person I met at Living Hope my first time there. I was wearing a UM t-shirt and he was the greeter, wearing a dolphins jersey. We must have spoke for about 20 minutes, all about football. This became our tradition. Every Sunday we would speak about the canes and dolphins, win or loose. We grew closer through promise keepers and other church activities. He was always filled with Gods joy.

I wish I had more time with him. Over the last few years we talked less, but every time we saw each other, the talk still turned to the dolphins and canes. God has called one of his best servants home and Orly will now get to spend eternity with Him. You will be missed, Orly.

Passing on the Mouse

This past saturday, my wife and I took our 2 year old to Disney for his birthday. One of my best friends and my parents went with us. He was so happy when he got to see the mickey mouse from his tv come to life. He giggled, laughed and smiled. That made the trip worth while. I was happy (even with a minor fight with the wife) like I had not been in a long time. He was so happy to be there, even though he had no idea where he was. All he wanted to do was run around. With all his running on the toon town playground, he did always look around to make sure one of us was there. He was having fun but also knew where to find us.

THis was an amazing day. I love my son and my wife so much. Today, this blog is to thank God for blessing me with a family i do not deserve. God delvered me out of so much. He always took me back even when i was far away. God and a few others saw what I could be and God made me what He wanted, and gave me an incredible family. Thank you God, for giving me what i dont deserve and taking my place so that I dont get what i do deserve.

Keanu Reeves does not care about the six foot tall rat

Where Laptops Go To Die

The answer to the title of my blog is...INTO MY POSSESSION!!!!

I currently own 2 laptops. Both of them are very valuable paper weights. The first one was fixed by my good friend Chuck. It was dead, and he revivied it. This becomes important later.

For my new teaching job, I went out and brought a brand new laptop. I had it about 3 weeks. Then, it stopped loading. I bought the new warranty for it ( the extra one) and took it back to Best Buy. I recieved a call later that week and they told me my laptop had ants. I thought this was a new bug or virus. The Geek Squad told me this was not a virus. My computer became a nesting pad for a beautiful family of 500 ants. So I went back to the afore mentioned laptop that my friend fixed.

This laptop worked great...for 2 weeks. You see, I have 2 wonderful blessings in my house. My wonderful son, Devin, and my adorable weiner dog Oscar Mateo (went away from the mayer middle name and chose a name from the movie Anaconda). One of these 2 blessings, and by the bite marks it looks like it was my son, chewed through the power cable ( unplugged) leaving me again laptopless.

I do have a home computer. It works great, only we have no home internet. You see, my wife and I decided that home internet as not a luxury we needed. We are part of a church plant. Even though everyone else planting with us is raising support, I decided to use the gifts that God gave me and got a job teaching at a Christian school. As a youth pastor it kept me plugged in with teens and gave me daily practice sharing the gospel. I took the money I would spend on cable and internet and going out to eat to help a friend who is doing ministry. It is a sarifice that, while difficult, is well worth while and I feel that God is blessing Sue and I.

Continue to pray for Sue and I as we journey with our friends in this church plant.

Keanu Reeves does not care about Ant Infested Laptops.

Does Football Really Matter?

I know what you are thinking. Yes, my canes lost a close game and we are no sitting with 2 losses. You may also guess that I would not question whether or not football matters if my team was undefeated right now. Well, I would still question it.

I love it when at the end of a game players from both teams join together at the 50 and pray. To a player, football matters. For the players that gather after the game to pray, it just does not matter the most. These players get it. Its a game. Its a job. Its an activity they enjoy greatly. It is not the most important thing. God is. Plain and simple. Even when a team beats another by 30 or 40 points, you will still see players from both teams gathering to pray at the end of the game.

How come these football players get it and most fans dont. And I dont mean just with football. Is my job more important than God? Is my paycheck? Is my family? I have all those things because God has blessed me with them. Anyone who has seen my wife can tell that God had something to do with that. She is gorgeous, smart, and a true Proverbs 31 woman. I was none of that when we married. I was average looking, in my 12th year of college with a 2 year degree, and slowly becoming a man of God. So why should I worry about a paycheck, a job, or my family when I am living proof that God provides.

As far as football goes, I hate it when my canes lose. I hate it so much that I will not watch sports center for the week following a loss for fear that a highlight may show up. I dont even want to talk football with anyone who is not a canes fan. The sad part is that sometimes that transfers over to my non football life.

You see, when I loose a job, or a paycheck does not come in, I shut down. I dont want to talk about finances. I dont want to see a bill or a bank statement. I know that is wrong, and I am working on it. What I need to do is, after a "loss" in life is to grab some of my close friends and gather at "midfield" to pray. Thank you, football players, for helping me to see something I should have been doing all along...and GO CANES

Keanu Reeves does not care about the Canes getting their swagger back.

Squirrel Comando Assault Squad

This is about squirrels. Not just any squirrels, the commando assault squirrels that live in the tree outside my apartment. At first I thought it was a coincidence. But lately, everytime I go to my car, an acorn is thrown at me. And my wife. And my dog and son. I actually saw one throw an acorn. It was funny, but its time to stop. I am going on an all out offensive. Im not talking setting a trap or throwing an acorn back. I am talking about full Bill Murray in Caddyshack offensive. Look at squirrels. Its Clobberin time.

Keanu Reeves does not care about the Squirrel Commando Assault Squad.

Ok, leave it to me to not post for 2 weeks, then hit two posts in one day. We had an amazing chapel today at school. At the end, the pastor asked everyone who had a relationship with Christ to stand and then prayed for the others. We had 4 or five students not stand up. Immediatly after chapel, one of the girls went to her teacher, our schools coach/athletic director and started asking questions. We had been praying for her since the second day of school. In a setting of PE class, this young lady accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Even when things are going wrong in our lives, God shows us what is realy important. All of my "little" problems today disappeared so that I could rejoice in gaining a sister in Christ. This is only the third week of school and God is moving in these kids lives. It is amazing to see God at work. THere is another boy at our school who is looking to reconnect with Christ and a few others who say that there relationship is in question. Please pray that these kids may see Christ through my life and the lives of the other faculty and staff at this school.

No Keanu comment on this post...Its all about God.