Happy Anniversary My Bride!

Happy Anniversary Kristen!

You are the most special person in my life. I would not be me without you.

Thanks for the past twelve and the promise of as many more as we have on this earth.

I love you!
Me

He Said, She Said

Today is Kristen and my anniversary! Twelve years ago today she was crazy enough to say she would spend her life with me - through thick and thin (apparently that referred to hair) and in sickness and health. She's done it too - stuck by me no matter what.

We decided to write 20 things we love about it each other and post them on the blog. Scary but we agreed to have a separate list not to share :)

He Said
I love...

1. that she is my best friend.
2. she's my bride - no matter how long we've been married, I will always think of her as my bride.
3. that she is my biggest fan - she is my greatest encourager.
4. that she prays for me.
5. that she is a Christ-follower too.
6. that she loves to cook and bake (and is darn good at it too).
7. that she likes to try new things.
8. that she likes to have fun - we play more card games and board games than any couple I know.
9. that she likes a clean house.
10. that she loves being a mom to our four kids.
11. that she gets this sparkle in her eye and actually gets giddy when she finds a good deal on something.
12. that she does the same when she has a surprise for someone (she can hardly contain herself).
13. that she is creative even though she thinks she isn't.
14. that she is more beautiful today than the day I met her - man is she hot! I've got to be the most blessed man alive!
15. that we can talk for hours about anything (watch movies together or tv shows or just spend time together - it's the highlight of my day).
16. that she puts God before me, but that I'm next in priority before our kids - it's important for our relationship and important for our kids to see (they are close after on the priority scale).
17. how she interacts with each of our kids - naturally pulling on each ones different love language, abilities and interests.
18. that she laughs at my jokes even when they aren't funny (remember when you were in labor with our first baby Kristen? ;)
19. that she is herself - special, unique, beautiful.
20. that she chose me out of all the other guys in the world - what an honor and privilege!

She Said
I love...

1. The way you sleep with your one arm over your head.
2. The way you look at me like you can’t believe that I am your wife.
3. The way you laugh at stupid movies with me over and over and over again.
4. The way perfect strangers will come up to you and tell you their life stories.
5. That when you whisper in my ear you sound exactly like Nicolas Cage.
6. The way you take everything you do totally to heart and do it with all your heart.
7. That you support me in everything I do.
8. That you pray with the kids every night about what you want for them in their lives, and how special they are.
9. That you will eat anything that I make. Good, bad, or horrible.
10. That you try and get me to let you do the dishes after dinner.
11. That you introduced me to my savior and continue to show me His love every day.
12. That you inspire people around you to give excellence to what they are doing.
13. That you aren’t afraid to try something new even if you might fail.
14. That you are doing what God designed you to do.
15. That you will cry at a sad movie.
16. That you will cry with me when I am sad or scared.
17. That you email me during the day just to tell me that I am beautiful and that you love me.
18. The way you could play video games all day with your kids.
19. The way you will eat chocolate frosting no matter how old it is.
20. Lying next to you, and how you are always warm.
    

I think her list is better than mine, but that goes without saying.

Peace.

Seems Like Yesterday...

It's the day before my anniversary. Hard to believe that 12 years ago today I was preparing for my wedding! The time has just flown by.

We were a little on edge with each other the day before our wedding (who doesn't get a bit nervous the day before they get married)!

I actually don't remember a whole lot about our wedding ceremony... a few things here and there. What I remember clear as day is the moment I saw my bride in her wedding gown, walking down the isle toward me. I couldn't believe that a woman so beautiful was willing to marry me! Yet there she was, walking toward me, as beautiful and radiant as ever. I have to say I felt like a million bucks at that moment!

The cool thing is that she is even more beautiful today than she was on our wedding day.

My wife and I have an awesome relationship. I have had the pleasure of watching her grow in her relationship with Christ and it has been inspiring. I look forward to all that God has in store for us together as a team.

Sweet girl, I love you! Thank you for choosing me.

(I know I still have one more day but I can't help thinking about her... it happens when you're in love :)

Peace.

What's More Fun Than Spiders on Drugs?

I saw this on Kem Meyer's blog and thought it was cool. The one on caffeine is especially intriguing, especially since I drink a LOT of coffee.

NETS MADE BY SPIDERS FED
ON DRUG-DOSED FLIES

web of a spider on LSD


web of a spider on mescaline

web of a spider on hashish

web of a spider on caffeine


Just Say No: web of a drug-naïve spider.

Peace.

Ford Resigns

Just heard on the news tonight that President Gerald Ford died today. The 38th US President, he was a leader of transition. He pardoned the previous leader and moved a nation to the next stage in our history.

Funny that he was so criticized for his forgiveness of President Nixon yet later applauded for it. I guess we don't like to grant forgiveness when wounds are still fresh! Though his pardon of the previous administrations actions helped promote healing while eventually costing him his re-election.

Anyway, a piece of history.

Peace.

Christmas Eve Rocked!

I've had a great couple of days just chillin' with the family. I've tried to stay away from my computer as much as possible. BUT... I was sent a couple of pics from our Christmas Eve services at The Orchard on Sunday and couldn't resist posting one.

If you weren't there, you missed a spectacular time! A big thanks to the KB Productions team (for all the lights and fog), and Bob McQuade and his team (for blacking out our auditorium windows). You never realize how much of an impact great lighting can play in creating a mood or conveying a message. It was excellent!

The music, the sound production, the videos, the multimedia elements, the message, the candles, the decorations, the welcome teams, and the families - God brought all of these pieces together to make three phenomenal services.

And if you missed it, there's always next year :)

Peace.

It Has Arrived!

We've been planning for months. We've been rehearsing for weeks. Hours have been spent in decorating, installing lighting, and making things just right. A lot of time has been spent in prayer about this day alone.

It's Christmas Eve!

We have three services planned at The Orchard today - 3pm, 5pm and 7pm. We have several musicians, vocalists, and production people preparing to make these services great. We have a fantastic lineup of music and multimedia prepared. It is going to be awesome!

None of this could have happened without a team. Nothing of this magnitude and this quality could have been done without a unified group of people. I praise God for all that he has accomplished in the time leading up to this event.

We have made a lot of efforts to make this a time where people will have fun and experience God in a way they may never have before.

Every weekend should be planned to this extent.

Got to head out to the building to start ramping things up for this afternoon. If you're coming out to check it out today, get ready to have your face rocked off!

Peace.

Coffee House Gig

I am so proud of my girls! While I'm always proud of them I got to see them at their first gig tonight at a little local coffee house. The place was packed and they did a great duet together. Bravo, as our friends said tonight... bravo!

Takes me back to the old days. This may be just the beginning girls!

Peace.

If at first you don't succeed... don't try?

Have you ever tried to do something
that you knew you wouldn't succeed at?

or do you only attempt things that you know
you will find success in?

... games you are sure to win,
projects that you are sure to complete,
hobbies you are confident to excel in?

Have you ever tried something that seemed impossible, just for the challenge... just to see if it might be possible?

Have you ever attempted something,
knowing you were incapable of success with your current skill set?

What about trying to complete a task or project where you were uncertain
of your success or failure - just because you were uncertain of the outcome?

We all want to be successful, but don't be afraid to try and fail.
Failure is a part of growth.

It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success. - Havelock Ellis

Peace.

Geese Galor

I was driving up Orchard road on my way in to the church building this week when I see this black cloud coming my direction. As I kept driving I finally realized that this cloud was actually hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of geese flying together.

It reminded me from the scene in the movie The Wizard of OZ where the flying monkeys go after Dorothy, Toto and her gang!

Two thoughts crossed my mind:

1. What the heck is happening that would cause all these geese to be flying in such a huge group?
2. Maybe they ate some bad Taco Bell and are setting up an air raid!

BTW, those monkeys in OZ actually freaked me out a bit when I was a kid.

Peace.

It's Almost Here!

It's been a busy week! Probably for you too... getting ready for the holidays. We've been getting ready for our weekend at The Orchard and also preparing for our Christmas Eve services next weekend. It's going to be awesome! We've been planning and working on a great service with plenty of live music. Some of these tunes are going to knock your socks off!

More later...
Peace.

WOW!

Just wanted to give a shout out to some friends of mine. This last week, a family who wanted to remain anonymous blessed my socks off with this very cool guitar. It just showed up on my doorstep and totally made my day!

For those who may not know this is a Steinberger guitar and has a pretty unique look and sound. Its the solid wood version (actually made by Gibson) of the graphite models that Steinberger makes. This axe has really great neck action even right out of the box. It has awesome sustain and feels really balanced, even without a head! The tremolo system on here is sweet.

For those of you who are not guitar enthusiasts, you might not get this post. But I say all of this to say THANK YOU friend for the great gift! It will be played with joy!

Peace.

It's Called a Crowder

If you didn't see this previous post then you need to know this is a crowder... my personal crowder.

If you want to know more about crowders or are slightly curious as to what the heck I'm talking about, check out the crowder king himself.

Hey if you grow your own crowder, let me know (not advisable for you ladies :)

Peace.

Simply Creative

Creative spark: Write down what you are trying to achieve in a sentence.

From Nigel Collins book, Think Bits: Things to Get You Thinking Creatively.

We often have great ideas that are hard to articulate and so the very act of thinking about how to say it all in a sentence makes you really concentrate and clarify your thoughts into being simple and easy to understand.

Film makers and script writers are good at this. To pitch their ideas they need to condense a 90 minute film into a sentence, especially when they're seeking finance from time-poor executives.

By making yourself write down your ideas or concepts in a sentence you are forcing yourself to clarify your thinking.

Now this isn't easy and may take time, but stick with it and it will pay enormous dividends.

Once you can state your purpose in a sentence you'll find it easier to come up with creative ideas relating to that purpose. You'll have a clear directive to give your brain.

By the way, to work well it's best to write a short sentence, not a long one.

Peace.

Excuse Me...

Excuse the quotes:
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. - Benjamin Franklin

Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. - George Washington Carver

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you, never excuse yourself. - Henry Ward Beecher

Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts. - Edward R. Murrow

There's never an excuse for having to make an excuse. - Anonymous

Peace.

Leadership Lessons I'm Learning 1

Everyone has the potential to become a leader.
Every leader has limitations; a ceiling to their abilities.
Some ceilings can be raised by the leader themselves.
Some limitations have to be overcome by the help of other leaders.

Are you a leader? Your effectiveness as a leader, whether you're the leader of a family or an organization, is dependent on your leadership ability. Your leadership ability has limits, but some of these limits or ceilings can be raised, increasing your ability to lead effectively.

Leaders, if you want to be more effective at leading others, you need to start by asking yourself these questions:

• Do you know what your limitations are as a leader?
• Have you identified what leadership skills and qualities you are limited in?
• Is your leadership ceiling related to your circumstances or external things?
• Which of those ceilings can you raise up yourself and which do you need help in raising?
• Of those you lead, can you identify someone who you can pass on this leadership technique to?

Peace.
**Based on leadership principles taught by John Maxwell.

Great Article About Music in Church

A friend of mine sent me this great article by Tim Stevens at Granger Community Church regarding secular music in church. I think we try to compartmentalize things too much to make it sanitized and safe. I know personally that God has used a variety of music to reach me or teach me and many of those tunes weren't "Christian" songs. Anyway, maybe more about this later, but check out the article and see what you think.

Peace.

Hair It Goes

This is just to confirm to some of you doubters that I did once have way more hair on my head than on my chin! This picture was about halfway through my long-hair growth process.

It sucks that my hair gets buzzed now, though I'm learning to live with it. I die a little inside with every hair that leaves my scalp :)

Peace out.

Noteworthy: Why?

Do you know why you do what you do? Whatever you do, do you know why you do it? Maybe you work a 9-5 job or you work part time... or maybe you're in ministry somewhere. Maybe you work at home or own your own business. Maybe you're a volunteer.

Why do you do what you do?
When you've figured it out, share why you do what you do.

Peace.

Snow Patrol

Here's my wonderful crew... geared up and ready to snow!

They had fun outside but I think they enjoy coming inside to their moms' hot chocolate or hot tea!
Snow it begins... ok I'm done with the puns.

Peace.

Oh, Yeah... It Snowed!

We didn't get as much as some of you up north but we got about 6" of snow and frozen rain where we live. Of course I had to dig out my driveway the old fashioned way (my family helped).

Then the snow plow happened... you forget about the snow plow adding to the end of your driveway! That's what I get growing up in Arizona!

Enjoy it while it's here (at least I know I will).

Peace.